With the demise of the local Hobby Shops and the lack of train inventory (except at holiday time) in those that may still exist, where do you shop for train stuff?
(Please don't offer any opinions of any particular venue such as Ebay etc. That would be for another discussion.)
As always, many thanks.
Hobbytown is about my only option as far as brick-n-mortar stores goes. Train Central is available but I can't get there very often with my work schedule. Mr Muffin's Trains is about an hours drive from where I live and again, my work schedule precludes frequent visits. EBay and online shopping are my best resources but I like to view the products in my hands. That's another reason why I still buy Comic Books!!
It's getting harder and harder to buy anything locally anymore. Most just "dabble" in O. Even HO and N is slim pickin's. RC seems to be taking over. Unfortunately, it's mostly online for me now.
Trains and Things in Ewing, NJ - Tony is the Best!
Holly Beach Trains in Wildwood, NJ - Larry is a retired Firefighter and I see him a few times a year.
I am the monster in your head...And I thought you'd learn by now, It seems you haven't yet.I am the venom in your skin --- Breaking Benjamin
robmcc It's getting harder and harder to buy anything locally anymore. Most just "dabble" in O. Even HO and N is slim pickin's. RC seems to be taking over. Unfortunately, it's mostly online for me now.
Dave
It's a TOY, A child's PLAYTHING!!! (Woody from Toy Story)
Here in the Richmond VA area I shop at "Tiny Tim's Trains And Toys" in Ashland VA, right off Route 95. Every time I'm there I always leave with something I didn't know I needed. Know what I mean?
www.trainandtoystore.com
Wonderful place with great people, well worth a stop if you're traveling North or South!
When I'm visiting up in New Jersey I visit (or try to) The Train Station in Mountain Lakes, already mentioned by Spanky. Neat place, and I just love the "Grandpa's basement" ambiance!
Also, there's Ridgefield Hobby in Ridgefield NJ. www.ridgefieldhobby.com
Here's a video of the store, it's several years old but the place still looks the same. Trains start at 6:00. Quite honestly I find this place amazing, full-line hobby shops like this one are getting hard to find in that area, so if you find yourself around there, GO!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_6ChZ3iwao
Just over the NJ/NY border in Tappan New York is the Old and Weary Car Shop at 25 Old Tappan Road. They don't seem to have an active website at this time but here's a video shot by a local hobbyist and railfan. (It's the old location, though.) It's a cool place to visit, and I'll be checking occasionally to see if the website comes back to life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9pJhxx4nKg
When I'm visiting the folks in Florida I also visit Metro Trains and Hobbies in Fort Meyers.
www.metrotrainsandhobbies.com Metro Trains and Hobbies is also full-line, not just trains, well worth a visit if you're in the area.
I'm always on the lookout for hobby shops in my travels.
I also hit the trains shows that are within a two hour drive from home. You never know, do you? I've gotten lucky quite a few times.
I fortunately have a variety of hobby shops to go to. Toy Trains Unlimited in Hanover PA, Mainline Hobbies Blue Ridge Summit PA, Tommy Gilberts in Gettysburg, MD Kline in Timonium MD, Strassburg Train Shop, Strassburg PA, Train Depot, Mt Airy MD, The Train Room in Hagerstown MD, Forrest Hill station, Forrest Hill MD. I get around to everyone about every three months, some more often than others.
I use hobbylinc for basic supplies, Ebay for anything that isn't. If I'm lucky I can attend one show a year.
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
Closest train store is 45 miles away in Oswego IL. and I think he wants to go out of bisiness, His prices are nuts. SO for me it is on-line or,,,, MENARDS in store and on line.
Joined 1-21-2011 TCA 13-68614
Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL.
Well we lost the best repairman around these parts with his passing. But we do have several hobby shops, one does discount's but has no repairman. On line for me is Pat's trains in Wheeling WV. He matches prices and when you call there you talk to him.
"IT's GOOD TO BE THE KING",by Mel Brooks
Charter Member- Tardis Train Crew (TTC) - Detroit3railers- Detroit Historical society Glancy Modular trains- Charter member BTTS
ebay... Menards... HobbyTown USA...
Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.
DJSpanky Firelock76 Here in the Richmond VA area I shop at "Tiny Tim's Trains And Toys" in Ashland VA, right off Route 95. Every time I'm there I always leave with something I didn't know I needed. Know what I mean? When we were in Charlottesville (Lake Monticello to be exact), we used to go to the Toy Center over on Patterson Ave - they had a selection of Lionel trains. Sadly, they closed last summer. Also, when Linda used to go back up to NJ with her mom on a weekend, I'd take the kids on 64 over the mountain to Staunton and go to Staunton Trains & Hobbies.
Firelock76 Here in the Richmond VA area I shop at "Tiny Tim's Trains And Toys" in Ashland VA, right off Route 95. Every time I'm there I always leave with something I didn't know I needed. Know what I mean?
When we were in Charlottesville (Lake Monticello to be exact), we used to go to the Toy Center over on Patterson Ave - they had a selection of Lionel trains. Sadly, they closed last summer.
Also, when Linda used to go back up to NJ with her mom on a weekend, I'd take the kids on 64 over the mountain to Staunton and go to Staunton Trains & Hobbies.
Staunton Trains and Hobbies is a new one on me, I've never heard of that one, but then I don't get out there very often.
Thanks to all for your replies.
You're welcome! And I don't know about you, but I'd sure love to hear from others out there.
Come on folks, don't be shy!
And I doubt CTT will mind if you "plug" your favorites.
There's a couple of good old fashion hobby shops still left in my area. Unfortunately I can't really buy much there. In today's economy I have to use my dollars wisely, and unfortunately mail order is my venue. I would love nothing more than to shop at a local hobby store, but it just doesn't make economic sense for bigger items.
I have three stores within a hours drive. Mike's Trains they get alot of consignment items in,Little Choo Choo Shop which is a repair station and that's a good thing cause I have no problem breaking trains. (NCTM across the street, home of the Streamliners event and the N&W J611 rebuild) The last and my favorite is Bobby's Hobbies, great store for all gauges and lots of train talk!! I like to support my local stores,train shows and even a auction if they have something I'm interested in. And friends always add to all this no matter where I am!!
Sadly I am updating this comment to say the owner of Bobby's Hobbies has passed away and the store is now closed. He will be missed.
The Brick and mortar is ON the endangerd list Though not gone it is not getting better
Went To TRU (Remember when they sold trains in the store I did as far back as 1989) Only 10 to 30% and one quarter the inventory was gone and went to hobby shop near by only to see a for sale sign in the window the shop was for sale Gotta go out of state OR really far away to Lord knows where to find the good ole shop otherwise gotta go on line trainshow or and odd ball flea market or church sale
And as others posted prices nothing is cheap when you have to decide whats more important the train set or food for a week.
Was at the Edison Train show and had some joy seeing all (children especially) enjoying it The line for the Ride on Thomas Train was well LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG for a shortride but the four year olds loved it so there is hope for the future as long as it does not destroy the family's economy
Another place I purchase trains from on line is www.trainmarket.com He lives in Vienna, Virginia and has a hugh assortment of Lionel, Marx, American Flyer, O, S and Standard gauges. His prices are the best I have seen and shipping is very resonable. Only once did I go to his home because I purchased an American Flyer All Aboard set and it was cheaper for me to go get it than for him to ship it. He ships out to you quickly. Never had any problems.
I can think of three hobby shops specializing in Model Railroading that are within 45 minutes of my home. I don't frequent any of them because I have little need to purchase any new merchandise. I visit one of them once in a great while to buy materials such as CA glue and to see what they have in their used inventory. I think their prices are reasonable, but so far, nothing that I want to add to my stuff. Usually I buy a magazine.S&W is also within that 45 minutes. I go to see Bill for parts.
Isn't S&W going/gone out of business?
Isn't S&W going/gone out of business?Bill has expressed an interest in retiring, but I don't think that has happened yet. He has quite a stock of parts, including items that are rather difficult to come by.
My local train store "Allied Model Trains" closed 3 years ago. I went down there one day after work, the lights were off, the door was locked, and a note posted on the door.
They were the ones. They were responsible !
An innocent G gauge modeler, minding his own business, picked up a postwar 2020, and things haven't been the same ever since.
Paul
I love York. There is Hobbytown five minutes away. Rob
I live in southeastern PA, where we're blessed to still have quite a number of train shops all within a 45-minute drive: Nicholas Smith Trains (Broomall, PA), Hennings Trains (Lansdale, PA), Bussinger Trains (Ambler, PA), Trains 'n Things (Ewing, NJ) -- just to name a few. They all have their own "personality" of sorts. So I try to frequent them all, although Hennings and Bussingers are closest and I visit them if I need something special for a layout project. That's where a LHS really comes in handy.
Aside from those stores already mentioned, I also shop online at Charlie Ro's almost exclusively for Lionel pre-orders (although those are becoming far and few between these days), as well as Trainworld and Grzyboski Trains when they have something I'm looking for. When it comes to MTH and Atlas-O items, Mr Muffins Trains has become my "go to" place for pre-orders or a quick purchase when new items arrive from China and hit the street. And if Standard Gauge is your game, then SideTrack Hobbies (Maryland) is the hands-down place to get those jewels from MTH under the Lionel Corporation Tinplate "brand".
David
Hennings in Lansdale! I've been there myself, it's where I got my Lionel post-war 2055 Hudson, a Hennings restoration, and they did a good job with it too.
When we're visiting my sister-in-law and her family in Collegeville I try to make the time to get to Hennings. Cool place! The park down the street is pretty cool too, especially with those two First World War vintage M1916 GP 155mm guns.
Firelock76, you'll be pleasantly surprised to see a newly renovated Hennings Train store now! The former Lynn's Junction side of the house closed last year, so Hennings expanded to the entire first floor of the building now. Most of the O-Gauge items and a cool display layout now occupy the large space that was formerly Lynn's Junctions, while the former O-Gauge space now has scenery supplies and various train parts. Really a nicely designed "traditional" yet refreshingly cool train shop now with the new rennovations -- something you don't see very many brick-and-mortar stores making the investment in nowadays.
I live in Gulfport, MS. The local hobby shop was sold last year to the person who owned the vape shop next door. I talked to the guy to ask him which hobby he preferred. (The place had been sold fully stocked with RC, plastic models, and train supplies by the previous owner.) He told me he didn't have any hobbies. I was like, "What???"
I found it difficult to breathe, because the shop smelled like a combination of strawberry and some kind of other ghastly vape scent. I haven't been back since.
I bought a few sets through Craig's List and Offer Up! in the past decade. Just recently I purchased a 1970s Nickel Plate set that included the engine, the cheap, mechanical version of The Sound of Steam tender, 3 cars+caboose using Craig's List for $35. It didn't include the box, transformer, nor track. As luck would have it, I found someone on Offer Up! selling a Lionel type 1053 transformer w/built-in whistle controller, oval of track, two lock-ons w/wire, and a black Marx tower (w/light on top, crow's nest, & ladder on side)---all for $10. My best buy from Offer Up! was a Rio Grande Fast Freight set Like-New for $80. The guy who sold it to me bought it for his son one Christmas. The kid just wasn't into trains, so the train set was put away and was never played with again.
In the past ten years I've bought mainly just new old stock through ebay. The sole exceptions were the three Menards cars I bought on-line recently.
When I lived in Virginia, I used to buy trains mainly at train shows. They had shows just about every quarter. It was a lot of fun then. That stopped once I moved to this black hole in Mississippi.
UPDATE: I just bought 6 new old stock cars from a guy (who I suspect is a dealer) who posted an ad in the OGR Forum under the "For Sale or Trade" category. I couldn't resist some of the great deals he was offering. I'm sure I'll be ordering more stuff from the guy in the future. It's too bad there isn't a similar category here in the CTT forums.
I'm in Atlantic County, NJ, so the closest train stores are about an hour away. Nicholas Smith is about 75 minutes away, and the place is amazing, but the traffic on the ride home is always brutal, so I don't go nearly as often as I'd like.
Alloway Trains N' Things is a little closer, and out in the middle of nowhere. However, much of the ride is through famland and woods, so it is actually a pretty nice trip. I love taking my motorcycle there. The owners, Bob and Vicky, are amazing, and Bob has a fantastic layout. However, the store is quite small, it was actually added into the open space around the layout. Still, I like going there, and I'm about due for a trip now.
There is a shop in Maple Shade, NJ, called B & B Trains. Real nice guy, and the store is now open full time. He also carries a full line of models. It is an hour from home, but my office use to be near there, so I went often. Now, I rarely go in that direction. I did stop in and buy a few things earlier this year.
I go to shows whenever possible. I'm not likely to buy locomotives at a show, except for my occasional foray into old stuff, but buildings, vehicles and scenery are easy to find there.
Other than diecast cars, I do very little online shopping for my layout. Aside from my children, I really don't have much of a social life, so going to trains stores and shows is my way of getting out and doing something. I'm sure I could find all the same stuff on my PC, and save time and money doing it, but that would suck all the fun out of it.
Scrambler - Thanks for that. The Toy Train Emporium just closed and since I work in Marlton, I was looking for someplace close. I'll run over to BnB since it's like 15 from work.
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