Would You Open a LHS?

[andrechapelon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Big_Boy_4005

Andre, hobby store failure has little to do with business savvy, and everything to do with customer base erosion. Society today doesn't have the time, disposable income, or desire to do hobbies, like they did 50 years ago.

In general the wealthy don't do "traditional" hobbies, they are too busy yachting, playing golf, sitting in suites at sporting events, or simply working.

Hobbies are the domain of the middle class, which is slowly being squeezed out of existance. Look at your neighbors, and think about how they spend their spare time. How many of them fly RC planes, collect sports cards, coins or stamps, or build plastic models?

Craftsmanship is nearly dead, replaced by highly detailed plastic injection molding, which now comes out of China. Instant gratification is the name of the game, and all of the technology we have created delivers it.

Even we as model railroaders have fallen victim to some of these outside pressures. We are constantly seeing topics here in the forum bemoaning the lack of craftsman kits, and criticizing MR for it's shift in editorial content. The problem is this is the direction the entire hobby market is heading, down hill fast.

Sorry for the slightly off topic rant.[:I]

Craftsmanship is dead? I heard that complaint in 1959 (before you were born) when Joe G.Collias (author of The Last Of Steam among others) wrote a letter to MR deploring the appearance of plastic rolling stock kits saying it was destroying the craft aspect of the hobby. As I recall, this was shortly after PFM had released a brass model of a Y-6b and Collias was saying he would never, ever put "20 plastic squeeze bottles" behind something like that. That was back when an Athearn hopper was less than $2.00 and an Ulrich metal one was about $3.50 or so. Incidentally, if you want an idea how much things really cost back then vs. now multiply by 7 or 8. A $29.95 Mantua Mikado of 1958/59 (before they cheapened it by using a smaller motor and getting rid of the gearbox) cost the equivalent of well over $200 today.

And what is craftsmanship anyhow? Is it to be limited to those who scratchbuild their own locomotives and rolling stock (or at least build kits and detail them)? I remember the way the hobby was in the late 50's and early 60's. I would argue that there's more craftsmanship now than then. Furthermore, I would argue that it's more balanced. Mel Thornburgh may have been able to scratchbuild a superb Wabash Mogul in O scale, but did he have the more rounded skills of a Pelle Soeborg? Pelle built an entire layout to extremely high standards. Sure, his locomotives and rolling stock started out as "plastic squeeze bottles", but that's not how they ended up. Is Paul Dolkos less of a craftsman because he uses RTR brass and plastic locomotives on his layout rather than kit or scratchbuilt? Was Iain Rice less of a craftsman than someone like Jack Work when Iain took a Spectrum Consolidation and bashed it into an extremely good replica of a Central Vermont N-5a for Marty McGuirk?

Incidentally (and not to slam you), I find it rather odd that a O scale 3 railer would be commenting on a lack of craftsmanship, especially since virtually everything in 3 rail O scale is ready to run. Back when I was a kid, it was essentially Lionel (and maybe some Kusan-Auburn). Now there are several major manufacturers/importers.

Customer base erosion? There are certainly more model railroad hobbyists now than there were back in the 50's. Whether or not there are more per 1000 population, I don't know, but the hobby certainly has a lot more diversity now than it did then (not to mention several scales that didn't even exist when I was introduced to the hobby). I'm not saying the hobby hasn't peaked, only that I find the gloom and doom predictions rather premature.

How my neighbors spend their spare time really is irrelevant. I've never lived next door to (or even a few blocks from) anyone who was a model railroader, flew R/C planes or collected sports cards or built plastic models either then or now. The numbers of those hobbyists is measured in the hundreds of thousands, not the millions. However, I have lived and do live with a woman who did and does ceramics, sews and knits.

As for me, the only things I buy from Ebay are used locomotives. I've started working on a 50+ year old Varney "Casey Jones" which will eventually get a can motor, NWSL gearbox, Bowser drivers, and a complete makeover as an SP T-28 - including a Spectrum medium Vanderbilt tender.

Frankly, I'm glad things are the way they are now. I'd rather concentrate on the big picture (i.e. making a specific SP class of 4-6-0 out of the Varney engine) than the little one (scratchbuilding a 9000 gallon SP Vanderbilt tender or taking a pair of 7000 gallon MDC tenders and using the water tank on one to extend the tank on the other so that it becomes what I want).

I've been reading MR since 1957. It's better now. Not all the issues are of equal interest to me, but then that was also true 48 years ago. As for those who are complaining about the content of MR, a radio station I used to listen to exhorted its listeners, "If you don't like the news, go out and make some yourself". If people don't like MR's content, then start contributing something instead of whining.

Andre

[Anonymous]

Yes. IF... I had health insurance and did not need an income from the place for at least a year. I had a business, tool distributorship for three years before it failed. I can attest to the long hours of hard work and I have to say that anyone that would open a retail store and not be there full time would be making a mistake. There is just to much work to do.

I like the idea of expanding the line a little beyond simply trains. Other models, war-gaming supplies & figures, maybe put together a package with a serviceable air gun and inexpensive compressor, all nicely complementing the paint, tools, adhesives and scratch building supplies that have a nice markup.

I would take some hints from two very successful shops I have been in. Davis Trains and Boardwalk both in the eastern suburbs of Cincinnati. Local contests. Display customers work in the store. Sponsor a club. Give clinics. There was a book out recently on the Cincinnati subway, the author made some appearances at local bookstores signing and talking about the subject. I think that could have been a great event for a hobby shop.

That said my wifes new job has let us go the San Francisco, Halifax, and New Orleans in the last two years and we are going to Philadelphia and New York next month. I would hate to give up the freedom to do that. Since 1982 I have worked in auto repair except for the 3 years I sold tools to the mechanics that worked on cars. It would be nice to have happy customers for a change.

[CP5415]

Tough question.

If I had the backing & support from my wife I would.

Gordon

[icmr]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Because I dont have a LHS.



ICMR

Happy Railroading.[swg][swg]

[Adelie]

Interesting posts. By the way, the coffee pot idea Andre probably recognizes- The Train Shop in Santa Clara has one right inside the door. I'm going to Northern California for about 4 weeks on business here starting in 2 weeks, and that means probably 2 trips to the Train Shop and 1 or 2 to Just Trains in Concord.

At least three things the Train Shop, MB Klein (Baltimore) and Caboose Hobbies (Denver) all have in common:
1) The people that work there know their stuff,
2) You are made to feel welcome,
3) They have a huge inventory,
4) They turn a fair buck via phone orders, mail order or the internet.

Some of the old codgers drinking the coffee all morning are both the best customers and the best salesman, even though they aren't on the payroll.

Alas, unless I have money to burn, the answer is still no.

[Rotorranch]

Not on your life! Not in a million years! No way, no how!

Oh...wait. I already did! [B)][:D][;)]

Rotor

[TrainFreak409]

I would open up a hobby shop, as long as I had a second definate source of income. Either by having another job myself, or if my wife has a job, or I just build a hobby shop expansion to a possbile store I may already have. But I would definatly have small, free snacks available, and an Internet store.