Sorry if some forum members received duplicate/differing posts. I've given up on Safarri (browser) as it's slaughtering my messages/leaving parts out, not indenting paragraphs, etc.
The 2nd post said basically the same thing the lst one did. I'm trying Firefox for this one.
Back to the discussion...
Raised on the Erie Lackawanna Mainline- Supt. of the Black River Transfer & Terminal R.R.
Well, I do both.
I've got two very well stocked hobby shops in my area, and I'd say that about 85% of my business is shared between them. And they know me at both stores and I've never paid retail at either of them--ever.
But I'll be very honest--I've never been a 'price' shopper. Hey, I'm not putting down bargains at all, it's just that if I see something I want, usually the last thing I'll do is look at the sticker--though of course, I've gotten some serious cases of "Sticker Shock", LOL!
Generally if I shop online, it's for things I know I won't be able to find at the LHS--I do most of my brass loco purchases at Caboose Hobbies in Denver, mainly because they carry a huge selection of Rio Grande steam (consignment brass out here tend to run more to SP/WP, but this is SP/WP territory, so why should I be surprised?). And since I'm not DCC, I'm hardly going to be browsing the Net looking for the latest BLI or Proto steam, anyway. I get a lot (but not all) of my tools from MicroMark, and occasionally if Walthers has something brand new that I've decided I need and I want it in a hurry before my LHS gets something in stock, I'll order from them.
I did a rather large bulk order of semaphore signals direct from Tomar earlier this year, mainly because the owner of one of the LHS' told me frankly I'd get them quicker than if he ordered them and he knew that I was biting the bullet and jumping up and down about getting them ASAP. Okay, he missed out on a good sale, but he knew I'd be back for a lot more stuff. I always am. He'd more than make up for that loss the next time I wandered in.
But when it comes to the mostly nuts and bolts things that I need to keep the MR running in decent shape, it's the two LHS in my area that get the bulk of my business. And yes, they both have test tracks.
I don't see either of my two LHS going out of business in the near future--they serve a large portion of Northern California, and this area is just chock full of model railroaders who like to come in and look and touch and shoot the breeze.
I was in Bruce's the other day looking through some scenery stuff, and there was another guy just standing there staring at the well-stocked building kits and blinking. He looked at me. "Uh, you shop in here a lot?"
"All the time," I said.
"I wish we had something like this place in the Bay Area where I'M from."
I just chuckled. "So do a lot of people."
By the time I was ready to check out, he was at the corner of the counter with a stack of goodies that would have filled Santa's sack. He was grinning from ear to ear.
He'll be back.
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!
Capt, I use Firefox with some top addons like Ghostery and others that totally eliminates ads and filters out the rest. I dont see anything except forum posts and necessary Kalmbach material.
Well I have two hobbies--model railroads and scuba diving. Both have this same debate going on in their forums, local or internet. And until they figure out how to fill my tanks via the internet I will continue to support my LDS. For train stuff, I'm internet 100%.
I've never understood why this is an either/or choice. For some people, the LHS isn't a viable option because of their location. For those who do have a quality LHS in their area, there is no reason why they can't take advantage of both. I shop where I feel I get the best value for my money, which means factoring both service and convenience into the equation in addition to price.
I frequently read on these forums people lamenting the closing of a favorite LHS and wondering whether the LHS is a dinosaur whose days are numbered. I don't know what the future will hold for the LHS. I would be disappointed if my favorite LHS closed its doors. If the LHS disappears it will be because customers have voted with their dollars that they value price over service and convenience. If we want to keep the LHS around enough to give them our business, they will survive. In the end, we will get what we want.
jecorbett. If the LHS disappears it will be because customers have voted with their dollars that they value price over service and convenience. If we want to keep the LHS around enough to give them our business, they will survive.
There's more to the survival of the LHS than just the competition from the Internet. I think demographics is working against them as well. Us Boomers are nearing retirement age. For some, that will mean more time to spend on the hobby, which will be good as long as we can remain healthy. For others, though, retirement will mean belt-tightening and less to spend on trains. Downsizing homes may mean smaller layouts, or none at all. Some layouts will be abandoned as their owners move to retirement communities and places without basements.
While we now enjoy a great variety of models and supplies, the hobby is probably not growing, and it may start to shrink over the next few years. That will make it hard for anyone in the business, be they Internet or brick and mortar.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
MisterBeasleyWhile we now enjoy a great variety of models and supplies, the hobby is probably not growing, and it may start to shrink over the next few years. That will make it hard for anyone in the business, be they Internet or brick and mortar.
I do think that what with all the competition for the hobby dollar out there right now there may be a period where there won't be either going on. One even sees this happening in craft stores in general. In at least 4 different reports that I came across on sites like Seeking Alpha the majority of those boomers discretionary income plummeted once the retirement age was reached. The last one I saw came out to at least 55-60% would cut back on hobbies----
And then there those other issues----
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
blownout cylinderThere is something to the idea of Brand Loyalty here---if one loves what they are doing it does show in how you treat you customers---the company I work for has demonstrated that by a growing customer base---people hear about the services we offer and how we treat our clients and ---BOOM---up goes that client base. It also shows in customer retention----there are a lot of LHS's that come and go but the better ones have a loyal customer base--hence they do retain their customer base----sounds circular but there it is--
There is something to the idea of Brand Loyalty here---if one loves what they are doing it does show in how you treat you customers---the company I work for has demonstrated that by a growing customer base---people hear about the services we offer and how we treat our clients and ---BOOM---up goes that client base. It also shows in customer retention----there are a lot of LHS's that come and go but the better ones have a loyal customer base--hence they do retain their customer base----sounds circular but there it is--
There's an old saw about companies who compete on cheap price alone knowing what their products are worth.
Lee 1234It's not to hard to set up an on line store these days. There are even shops on the internet that are moving merchandise at list price. I can't think of any reason a local shop can't go on the internet.
Lee,The biggest problem is many shops are ran by dinosaurs that would rather cuss the Internet then use it as a selling tool just like they did the old mail order shops..Of course many may not have the per capitol for the needed stock and their bottom line credit may not be all that good.
Here's my thoughts if I owned a shop..I would open a e-bay shop and sell off my old stock and turn that money over for new stock..I would buy use trains and turn that over for more cash..
There is still money to be made in this hobby but,one can't sit behind the counter singing that old and apologies to Peter,Paul and Mary:
"where have all my customers gone long time passing?"
Where did all my customers gone long time ago
gone to the Internet one by one.
oh when will I ever learn?
When will I ever learn?
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Good point, Larry. My LHS does have an "Internet presence" but it's not his primary focus. You can order online, but I suspect the web site is more to draw customers to the store, give directions and provide information for the existing customer base.
He's even advertising on one of the local oldies radio stations, at least for the holidays.
I used to deal with 2 hobby shops in the Landsdale PA area.
Linn`s Junction and Penn Valley.......not any more.
Linda at Linn`s stuck her nose in my business to many times and also when I would order something the item would come in and she would put it on the store shelf This has happened to many others that used to do business with her.
She also gets moody when someone would ask for a good price on and item or three.
Penn Valley ......those people don`t know their butts from holes in the ground
Two years ago I went into Penn Valley and asked for Atlas HO code 83 terminal joiners......bonehead Carl said "They don`t make code 83 terminal joiners......only code 100" .
So I went to Linn`s and bought a whole card of them , went back to Penn Valley and showed them to Carl and said "You just lost my business by being ignorant and talking to me as if I am stupid".
Besides those two places are at least an hour or more from where I live.
Now I go to Iron Horse Hobby House in Reading PA....about a 20 to 30 minute drive.
But I will not hesitate to do business online for the best deal I can possibly get......M.B.Kliens in MD and or Gadget Tom`s hobbies in CA, or tony`s Train Exchange in VT.
I want the most bang for my buck ......so I go with the best deal I can get.
People like Lin in Landsdale act as if they are going to get rich being in the business...........I do not deal with those kind of people.
Dennis Blank Jr.
CEO,COO,CFO,CMO,Bossman,Slavedriver,Engineer,Trackforeman,Grunt. Birdsboro & Reading Railroad
He does. It's called The Train Shop. It's at the corner of Pruneridge and N. Winchester in Santa Clara.
Andre
I have two places that I buy from. One is a dedicated train store in Vancouver B.C. and one is a large internet mail order warehouse in Surrey B.C. I have been stung by the train store in Vancouver more than once by driving 120KMS round trip to buy something that showed in stock on their website only to have it nowhere to be found in the store. The Surrey warehouse has never let me down with their website and in fact has shown sold out on their website by the time I have made it home if I got the last one.
I have spent about $7000.00 in the last three years and about 95% has gone to the Surrey warehouse just because of their accurate inventory tracking. Knowing they do indeed have what they say they have is a big draw. Both stores prices are comparable and staff is great at both. The Vancouver store has a very good website They should put the same effort into scanning inventory coming in and going out.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
MisterBeasleyGood point, Larry. My LHS does have an "Internet presence" but it's not his primary focus. You can order online, but I suspect the web site is more to draw customers to the store, give directions and provide information for the existing customer base. He's even advertising on one of the local oldies radio stations, at least for the holidays.
Lee
We have one of each style of LHS localy, one that cusses the shows/mail order/internet and one that embraces all of it because he views it all as another sales tool. You cant order on his website, but there is all the contact info for the shop, whats new and links to pictures of local guys layouts and websites. He also sets up at several of the better/larger shows in the area, both in and out of state. We dont take everything from the shop, just usualy the newest from Athearn RTR/Genesis, Atlas ect. The oodles of blue box Athearn, Roundhouse, Bev-Bel, Cooper and Oshtomo custom car kits are back at the shop and is the draw for folks attending the show to visit the shop on a future occasion. He does very well, sales have been good this whole year, a couple months were down just a bit over last year, but others have been way way up. It seems when folks cant afford to travel, or run the boat up the lake as much, the hobbies at home benefit as does the shops that cater to those hobbies. I feel sorry for the folks that either have no local shop or have lost it due to the economy/owner passing ect. Nothing will ever replace the good old fashioned brick and morter hobby shop. We are a touch and feel being and many times need to put our hands physicaly on something before we are willing to purchase it. Happy Holidays Everybody! Mike and Michele T
LHS mechanic and geniune train and antique garden tractor nut case!
I am a "see it smell it touch it taste it" tactile kind of a guy. SO for that I like LHS. But the LHS doesn't always carry everything I want or am looking for.
The internet is great for hunting and poking to find that items I want and to research prices. My budget is small and tight so every dollar counts.
I have friends who rarely go shopping...rather they buy almost everything online and have it shipped right to their house. I have started to become one of those as I have started to look at/ order things online more now. I can get pants in the exact sizes I want, for instance, not just make do with what the store carries. SO I try on at the store, and order online lol.
What I don't like, however, is the hassle of returning something bought online taht is broken or not right!
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
The LHS that is nearest me has an internet store - it is absolutely horrible and totally unusable. You are right that it's not hard to set one up but once there it has to be maintained. Ah well, they tried.
There's never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.....
My LHS went under recently. And it was not a huge surprise. The owner while a nice guy was almost never available. He would hide out in the stock room and not answer the phone. The guys he had up front never seamed to know what they where up to (one or two of them did but they were never around much) And having shoped in the place for years they still did not know me (the owner did if he was around).
So it was like they had no interst in my buisness. I model a set railroad in a set location and yet the own (when around) never once said anything about anything new that I may be intersted in. These are the kinds of things that do not help.
I expect that after years of shopping the people will know me (even if they do not know my name they should know I am a regular) the owner should be around to chat (if I want to go where no one knows me I will use the net) they should have someone that has a clue what I am intersted in (when I worked in the LHS years ago I knew my regulars and the lines the modeled) after all it is in thier interest to let me know that something I may be interested in is available. Afterall if I do not know it exists he can not sell it to me.
In short I expect a level of service that is something above WallMart. I also expect standard items to be available such as KayDees and glue and such. The idea that if an item does not sell in a few weeks it needs to be dumped is nuts. If i want to order everything I need I can do that myself and normally get it for less. I expect to be able to talk with some and I expect them to actually work at trying to sell me something (IE learn what I am intersted in and let me know when something is of interst to me) the day of the owner/employee just sitting in the corner and letting the merchandise sell itself is over.
The internet is not helping the LHS but a lot of them are thier own worst enemy.
Doug m
DouglasJMeyerIn short I expect a level of service that is something above WallMart
Funny thing about Walmart---there are some sales staff I came across in there that actually will go out of their way to help someone looking for specific things---I went in there one time to find something for my nephews birthday and a fellow in there asked whether they could help me--I told him my quandry and he went and took me to some departments to check some stuff out----he even went to the 'back' of the store to see whether something that he thought was out was in the 'back'---sure enough--got the stuff.
Now. Imagine having hired that kind of person in a LHS instead.
DouglasJMeyerThe internet is not helping the LHS but a lot of them are thier own worst enemy
Same goes for internet. Just slapping up a site without thought of design and use is kind of annoying to this little one. It is almost like gaining a second language for some of us is. If the fellow does not have a clue about how to set one up then maybe they need to think about getting someone else to do this.
[edit]--I have to remind myself to proofread my postings BEFORE I post----sheeesh!
I consider myself among the lucky. I have two Hobby Shops within 20 minutes of me and they both are 20% discount off MSRP. When I need something I go to my LHS and one is very well stocked with most things. No they don't have everything because, contrary to the stock it and eventually it will sell theory it is not a good business practice and would, in reality, doom the shop even sooner. Would you buy a bunch of tools or supplies you don't need, don't foresee needing, but just in case you ever may need them, buy them? I don't thinks so. So why should they? Anyway back to the subject, I think the internet will eventually get rid of most of the hobby shops, all things remaining the same, and I think that is too bad. They can't compete with the volume of sales these companies have with the entire word virtually as their customers. If they make just a few bucks on a product but sell 1000's of them how can a little guy compete. He has bills and a family to feed too. He HAS to markup to make ends meet. So, like anything, I try to do my business with them. I have only ordered stuff off the Bay and have not had to order from a "business" so to speak. Knowing of course many on the Bay are in business. I like the Hobby Shop and feel I should do my best to help maintain something I like.
However, that being said, I must admit the price difference I'm dealing with is, in fact, negligible. The difference is in the tax to shipping comparison, and there are many reasons to pay my Sales tax. Plus the area in which I live is not a high cost of living area. If faced with what some of you are, a high cost of living area where sometimes prices are MSRP or sometimes higher and a high state sales tax, plus local taxes, plus long distances travelled, IF you even have one to go to, well honestly my fondness for the swell folks might be put aside for the need to get the most or at least more out of my hobby budget. That's just plain truthful
Besides, I really believe it will not be too long before the "buy it from another State and no sales tax required" luxury will be no more. With computers it would be no problem to collect and account for any states sales tax. They can do it now with programs bought off the shelf at Wal-mart. True it would be a big hassle, possibly, to send out 50 checks to 50 States and account for the amounts etc. I myself would not want the hassle, but like credit card machines just program the thing to fire off after midnight the days transactions, upload, download, sideload, eeeelectronically transfer funds and .......done. So who knows, maybe the places won't want to mess with it either and the LHS may come back. Nah there'd always be a Wal-Mart out there that's willing to take the hassle and cut deeper.
Just a few thoughts.
Todd
Central Illinoyz
In order to keep my position as Master and Supreme Ruler of the House, I don't argue with my wife.
I'm a small town boy. A product of two people from even smaller towns. I don’t talk on topic….. I just talk.
I use both depending on what is available. Sometimes I have to accumulate a list of stuff. DCC decoders and parts, mainly off the 'Net from one DCC provider.
Locomotives and rolling stock from two 'Net providers.
Something to consider is the cost of gasoline. My 4 X 4 pickup gets 12 mpg. To go to my LHS which is 12.3 miles away, cost me a little over $5.00 if no side trips for browsing elsewhere. I sometimes buy a small part so you might say, not cost effective. I can call them with Walther's numbers and they can order the parts.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
The net and ebay are invaluable when it comes to out of production items so common to the current range of models. Many times when a model is anounced or released, I am not in a position to buy one, but 6 months or more later I might be, thats where the Internet, Ebay, and train shows come in handy. I spread my money around as equily as I can, but I wont pay MSRP for an engine I can get much cheaper at the other shop or online. There is no need to charge MSRP and then whine when someone asks for a discount, or to match the other shop in town. Customers dont need to hear that, or hear the tirates about how XYZ issues are putting him out of business. Guess thats why this shop has new in the box first run Proto 2K BL2s, FA's ect still in stock. Guys want them, but wont pay his price/deal with the attitude. Mostly the attitude now, its tainted his customer base and many wont even go in the store till the going out of business sale happens now. And that is really sad. Cheers Mike and Michele T
The internet is not helping the LHS but a lot of them are thier own worst enemy. Doug m
More often than not, that is the case. I've traveled a lot and lived in five states for extended periods, and seen a lot of bad shops. It used to be when I traveled to other cities and states for work, I made a habit of visiting 2 or 3 shops in each city I went to. So I've seen quite a few not so good shops, and a few good ones too. One of my favorite small but good shops was Tinker Town in St Louis MO. One of the worst was in Rochester NY where the guy behind the counter was as friendly as a wounded water buffalo. I found a few very decent shops in the Schenectady and Albany New York area too. I left a nice shop in Sacramento years ago hehind when I moved - was Whistle Stop on Marconi Ave, but has since changed to Bruces.
This topic inevidably becomes a philisophical one, often bordering on moral right and wrong for some people. In fact I think given an ideal world, its preferable where possible to support your local hobby shop, but there is the "it depends" clause that always happens. My feeling is it honestly depends on your ability to be "charitable" because lets face it, if you were on a limited income and could get a Athearn loco for $69 mail order/online vs $89 at the LHS, what are you going to choose? When money is tight, we are limited on what charitable donations we can make to church or non-profits where people are hungry or can't get toys for their kids. So if we are faced with paying an extra $20 for a loco, thats like "dontating" to help a store stay in business. Other than a few good years, I haven't been in a position to make donations to businesses - if I so chose. I guess it comes down to where we are going to put our extra money - to the church or needy or hobby shop, because we can all try to save money in many ways by shopping for the best price.
I faced this situation somewhat where I used to live. There were a few decent shops, but no body gave much in the way of discounts - of the 3 or 4 stores, they ranged from full MSRP, to 5 or 10% discount. I faced a limited income most of my years there and whats more, I had a wife who was hostile to my hobby and severely restricted my spending. I visited and made relatively minor purchases an the local shops and one by one they went out of business leaving only one good one left. At that shop my way of trying to patronize him more was to consign trains I wanted to sell, so I did that and he took 20% off the sale and the 80% I made I spent at his shop. I thought this was a nice way for me to shop there, and spent more money than I otherwise would. Since my spending was so severely restricted, I did mail order some of my loco's - otherwise I couldn't have afforded to get all 3 numbers of a run.
My LHS owner read on another forum that I bought some engines from MB Klein (horrors!) and the next time I came to consign and shop there, he handed me my bag of consigned items back and informed me he would no longer consign my merchandise. He told me it wasn't worth it for the trouble it took him to price the stuff after he looked at my annual spending habbits. The bottom line was he made money off the stuff I sold, and I spent my profits there. It was win win in reality but he was angry that I didn't spend more money relative to his other big spenders and in the end it was an emotional decision for him to shut me out. What he didn't understand was I was in a position of trying to please a very strict wife, keep peace in a failing marriage and yet enjoy a life long hobby to some degere. But the above is an example of yet another LHS with a guy with bad people skills making bad business decisions and driving away customers and potential profits. They forget that the customer is in the drivers seat and can vote with their feet and give them the finger when we are treated poorly. In the years that followed my wife kicked me out, I eventually got a good paying job and spent far more than before, but no way I was going to reward this LHS for his extremely bad treatment. I have found a few good vendors and stuck with them since that, and the main one is an LHS in Connecticut, but has a good mail order business (Toms Trains) and has served me well for the past 6 years.
So where I used to live, I was forced into being a mostly mail order/online buyer because of the poor treatment I got there. Yes, the discounts were not enough for me to make major purchases of engines there and I couldn't afford his prices, but I would have shopped a lot more if I hadn't been treated badly, especially in the years following my becoming single again and having a higher disposable income. Bad customer service always hurts any shop, but I guess some owners figure if they are nice to the big spenders, they will be fine. Occasionally some of the little spenders turn into big spenders - they forget that. And word does get around when people are treated both well or poorly.In the end, the ideal world would be living near a place like Toms Trains or MB Kleins where you can get good prices and a LHS presence. For those who have a shop that offers a far more modest discount, it comes down to a decision to spend more and in essence, choose to "support" that shop. If they offer the "value" of advice, return policy or customer service, then the extra you spend can often times be worth it. The down side to mail order is with postage so high, the savings can be occasionally offset when you have to return defective Athearns (yes, their QAQC still lacks). I spent $8 returning two RTR Athearn diesels recently and hope the replacements are both better. Overall the savings are there, but if I bought locally, I could walk in and exchange. From all reports, there are few if any decent shops in the Washington DC area so I'm stuck with mail order still, and as long as I get good service from my supplier, I expect I'll continue on.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
1. I am incapable of converting my locomotives to dcc and yet smart enough to know I can't.
My local train shop will convert for me for a little high, but not too high, amount.
I will buy the decoders and all from the train shop because I would feel really pathetic saving twenty bucks on parts and then asking them to install 'em. I guess I'm old fashioned.
2. I got into model railroading three Decembers ago because I took my little son to the bricks and mortar shop and two hours later I couldn't get him out of there.....I saw the opportunity to blame him for what would eventually be $30,000 (and counting) in spending since then on "his" hobby. I couldn't have done that online.
I save money on the internet, but at some point the internet becomes too abstract, too unreal, too virtual, for my tastes. I feel a little guilty seeing and touching and testing out some product in the shop, then going home and buying it on the internet for half the price. But not guilty enough to stop.
In other words..........I think the local shop is absolutely necessary, and I buy just enough there not to feel too guilty about using the internet to save money. Nice balance.
The St. Francis Consolidated Railroad of the Colorado Rockies
Denver, Colorado
Larry,
You said it well. Basically that is the way of the world - especially in the 21st century. Adapt or die.
I find I like to visit hobby shops wherever I go. There are 2.5 hobby shops where I live. 2 are super general and have lots of R/C and plastic models and role playing games, some paint, sometimes styrene, lots of prefab cars and some kits. One has an amazing chaotic shop of antique stuff going back to the 60s-remember the Perfect Parts rack? One (the .5) is all trains but the owner died and his wife is mostly selling the back stock (Lionel mostly) and magazines, and she is in poor shape and doesn't open much if at all.
So I go to stores in Michigan, Washington, and Illinois with California on the list soon. The internet has a lot of treasures and the convenience is addictive but tempered by shipping costs and the flaky nature of some auction site sellers, who will ship an antique train loose in a box with five walmart bags for padding, or double your shipping and handling on a whim. My SO doesn't ask and usually helps me find shops where she comes from, and I find what she likes in the Seattle area, so it's all to the good!
Visiting a LHS was always part of the hobby of model railroading,
So I guess that Walthers over the internet is my preferred place to shop.
You are right that the debate has gone on for years and it seems like everytime it is here I manage to get in my two cents.
I agree that the internet has seriously affected many businesses including the LHS. After all, when was the last time anyone bought an airline ticket from a travel agent and maybe for some people the LHS has gone the same way. For me it comes down to thee factors - price, inventory availablilty and customer service. I am willing to pay LHS prices for certain items and do so when I see something that I 'can't live without' at the moment. In addition, I have been a loyal customer of theirs for many years and feel that I do need to support the local businesses in the area I live in which was hit hard by the economic downturn.
Now having said that my LHS caters more to radio controlled airplanes - probably half the shop is taken up with those items - with the actual HO section being about two aisles of what essentially is the same thing all the time. In fact it is a rarity when anything new shows up on the shelves and when it does it is always at full price. So, from the aspect of inventory availability, my LHS doesn't meet the mark. So to counter this I sought out another hobby shop - not so local - that carries an astonishing amount of HO inventory and who is also willing to work with me on price. Granted this shop is about 30 miles away as opposed to 4, but it's worth the trip.
But the one area where my LHS is completely lacking is in customer service. I have written before about the one 'train guy' who is nothing more than a cranky old man. He is rude and never says a word when anyone walks into the train section of the shop. I remember one day I ask him about Shinohara turnouts and his response was 'old man Shinohara is in poor health doesn't make them anymore' which prompted me to turn to Ebay and Walthers and between the two I buy as many as I need. There is another 'train guy' who is much more pleasant but only works on Thursday afternoons. Now the LHS has tried to create a web site but it is practically useless when it comes to doing even the simplest things..
So where does this leave me? I will go into the LHS and if they have something I want I will buy it but most every other purchase is made using the internet. It seems that my LHS has been its own worst enemy and if they would address the inventory, pricing and customer service side of the business and still make a profit, then I would certainly frequent mine more than what I do. But it seems to me mine hasn't kept pace with the times and sad to say time may eventually pass them by just like the travel agent.
My closest LHS is similar to what you describe, another nearby closed about a year ago, similar story about the absentee owner and the front help that refuses to recognize regular customers. Needless to say, I do most of my business with MB Klein via internet. Interestingly, they were my LHS years ago when they were in downtown Baltimore, and 25 years after moving away, they are still my preferred shop.
Bottom line here is that any of the shops I have attempted to patronize in Central Jersey, could have had the bulk of my business, but they didn't want it! Even the checkout people in Walmart and Target eventually begin to recognize you at checkout, and in most cases your not spending anywhere near what I spend on my railroad, in Wallyworld.