The closest LHS to me is about an hour away, but get this: he isn't open on weekends.
When I lived in Illinois there was a great LHS about 40 minutes away but they closed their brick and mortar store because they were being too distracted from managing their online store by keeping an eye out for shoplifting teenagers. They moved about two miles down the road to an industrial park and allowed local customers to order online, but pick up at the warehouse on Saturday mornings to avoid shipping costs. They also gave a discount to make up for sales tax, so if you bout something that was $100, and the sales tax was 8%, they charged you $92.59 then added the (manditory) 8% sales tax so it ended up being $100.
I talk to both of my regular stores by email regularly in my area. They usually have the stuff ready the next time I make the trip. One is like an hour away and the other not so far away. However with our gas/total weekly mileage restriction on one vehicle we try to go through both shops when we are already in the area.
That said, both shops get my business like 99% of the time. Now... with regard to limited run, OOP items or other recently discontinued items, I search several other stores around the USA by product number and nail it. If necesary I will get it from ebay at whatever it takes to finish the final bid at 3 seconds remaining without regard to actual real life pricing. I might pay three times retail for a widget, but I will get that widget. If someone else got it... well.. they had more money than I did. More power to them whoopeedeedo.
I second the opinion that Micromark is a good place to get tools and such. I happen to be preparing a shipment for 2009. If Micromark would just populate all the hobby shops all the time, it would be great. But think that it will push everyone else who offers tools out.
I rarely darken the door of any hobby store. The local one is 45 miles away and he stocks very little in terms of craftsman kits and scratch building supplies. If I'm in the area, I'll sometimes stop in for a bottle of Floquil paint or scenery material, but he doesn't stock the kind of stuff I generally use (and his prices are a little steep).
I buy nearly everything I use in the hobby on eBay and at train shows. I'm rarely disappointed and the prices are great. If I need something sooner than I find it on eBay, I generally go online to Caboose Hobbies in Denver.
I feel no sense of duty to support the local business; he could compete with the online dealers if he wanted. He could even compete with eBay by doing consignment sales.
I shop where I get what I want at a price I want to pay.
Phil, I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.
Unfortunately, the nearest two train stores that I really know about are either in Pensacola, FL (about 4 hours), or the Birmingham metro area (about 2-1/2 hours). So it looks like most of my purchasing is going to be online, period. I've really got no other choice, I guess since there isn't a LHS here in Troy, AL, and the two shops in Montgomery, AL are both closed (one the owner died, the other, well, just shut down one day, no warning, no nothing, and I know the guy is still alive), so that leaves me with just a Hobby Lobby (fat lotta good they are, except for the ocassional scenery piece). Kinda only leaves me with the one option of online.
i have been by that place several times but they are always closed. is it a side line operation? their store hours seem to be more for the owner's convenience that for that of the potential customers.
grizlump
Guess I am turly blessed with 2 OK LHS and one Great one with in 2 miles of me. For my self I support K-10 Model Trains in Maryville IL. Now I have had good luck with interner companys when there has been a problem, with turn around time and shipping cost it was a bit of a pain.
With K-10 if there is a problem, I head back and get a new one.
Sometimes the cost alone is not the bigger factor. A good LHS will guide you on your quest, if they charge a little more well worth the cost.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
I'm very lucky here in the Sacramento area to have two extremely large and well-stocked model railroad stores--Bruces Trains in Sacramento and Railroad Hobbies in nearby Roseville. So I very seldom shop 'on line', except when I'm in the market for a used brass steam locomotive. Then it's usually Caboose Hobbies in Denver, because they carry a very good inventory of used brass for the railroad that I model (Rio Grande).
I have dealt with Walthers on occasion--at least enough to keep getting their catalogues--and I have gone to both PSC and Bowser for castings that my two LHS' don't happen to have in stock--and have told me that I'd get them quicker going direct. But for the most part, I'm a LHS kind of guy. But then, reading some of these posts, I realize that I'm a very LUCKY exception.
But I've never gone online to the various discount hobby dealers advertised in MR or RMC, mainly because I've never really needed to. Though I will admit, some of their discounted prices are REALLY enticing. But for those of you who have a REAL distance problem with LHS' , I say go for it.
One thing about California, we may be the Land of Fruits and Nuts, but we have a whole series of good hobby shops that seem to be within comfortable driving distance all up and down the state.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
It depends on what I need. If I need it now, I will see if the LHS has it. If not, I check online. I also price match as well. If its cheaper online I will get it from there. The LHS near me don't price match. Plus, I am always checking out eBay.
"Rust, whats not to love?"
Up here in northern Maine the closest hobby shop of any type is 100 miles away so needless to say my purchases are made on-line. I've used several...mostly Walther's even though there isn't much of a deal on prices they are very reliable. For DCC needs, including installing decoders for those of you like me who start to shake just at the thought of doing it myself, I would suggest Charleston Digital Trains. Dallas Model Works also gets a high recommendation as does Toy Train Heaven. For tools and what not Micro-Mark is the place to go. Ebay has proven to be a good source if you are careful about what you buy.
Mainetrains
'there's something happening here, what it is ain't exactly clear' Modeling the Hard Knox Valley Railroad in HO scale http://photos.hardknoxvalley.com/
Our LHS is poorly managed, and still has most of the same stock on the shelves and display cases it had when it opened 20 years ago.This shop gets very little in the way of new stuff in.It also sells RC airplanes, cars, etc, but really lacks in the train dept.It's about a 20 mile drive in for me, not that bad, but you see the same old stuff everytime, really nothing much new to look at.You can order what you need, but its orders set around sometime for several weeks to a month or so before they get sent out.So online is not only less costly, but usually quicker.
TheK4Kid
Hi!
I'm probably in a pretty good situation here just north of Houston, with one large train shop about 3 miles away and a medium size train store (combined with an attached store for other hobbies) about 5 miles away. The problem is the larger store is terribly understaffed and a mess and it takes forever to get checked out, etc. The other store is better but has a much smaller inventory. Both are pretty much full dollar retail.
Soooo, I tend to get the big dollar items from ToyTrainHeaven and a couple of others, and the smaller stuff or impulse items from the local stores. Believe me, I would much rather give the money to the local folks and pay the sales tax, but when you can save $30 on a loco or $50 plus on DCC components, I will go internet every time.
Sadly, that's the way it is.
Mobilman44
ENJOY !
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
I used to have a full service LHS(and he gave a 20% discount). He died a few years ago, and I was forced to drive a good distance or use 'on-line' stores. The choices were a 45 mile drive to a Ace Hardware(not too bad) or a 75+ mile drive to two large train shops in a metro area(and little or no discount). I still use them to get paints/detail parts/etc....
A lot of my purchases went to several 'on-line' dealers:
For DCC stuff, Tony's, Litchfield Station, and DCCTrain have been very good. Great service, good prices.
For engines/rolling stock/structures/track - M B Klein, Toy Train Heaven, Trainworld, and 1st Place Hobbies have been very good. I like the on-line photos and inventory control right on the screen. I have also found very good selection/pricing from several 'train show ' dealers who work the area.
I now have a LHS again(mainly R/C stuff) and the owner gives our local club a discount. He will order most anything that Walthers has in stock. I try to give him business(like my Hiawatha train and detail parts). Model Railroading has changed over the past few years. I suspect I am not alone using this '3 point' approach to my buying.
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
The LHS I went to(17 miles) closed when the owner died.Now the closest is 78 miles(Eau Claire,Wi.) I'm at a stand still for want of track and roadbed and am looking at Dallas Model Works for supplies as Craig is a member of this forum.Price seems competitive or better than the old LHS and I don't mind a little shipping wait.
Anyone have experience with his outfit?
Terry
Terry in NW Wisconsin
Queenbogey715 is my Youtube channel
Only 25 miles away? That's just around the corner compared to where I am. On-line is the only way for me unless I need to take a trip to Tucson for some other purpose and can stop by the lone hobby shop there "along the way."
For me, it depends a lot on what I'm buying. I've bought rolling stock both online and at the local hobby shop, but for scenery materials and that sort of thing, I'll buy locally first unless they don't have something I need. Then I'll start looking online.
Kevin
http://chatanuga.org/RailPage.html
http://chatanuga.org/WLMR.html
A lot of us face the too-far-away problem with local hobby shops. And yes, online prices are generally better. I keep making attempts to buy locally even though it costs more -- just to help keep the local guy in business -- but he makes it hard.
There are tons of model rail shops online -- most of them very reputable. And there are a few stinkers. Here are my quick favorites especially for track and road bed (all tested, proven, reputable):
MB Klien http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/
Toy train Heaven http://www.toytrainheaven.com/
Trainworld http://www.trainworld.com/ (and don;t be shaken by the no-nonsense phone reps -- under the NY facade they're really very nice)
The nearest hobby store to my house is 25 miles away...I was just wondering how many folks here buy there supplies online or through a catalog company. I assume prices are better online, aren't they?
Can anybody recommend an online company? My immediate needs are for roadbed and flex track.
Thanks.