ModelRailroader.com Reader Poll – January 29, 2004

[88gta350]

I order from Walther's usually, but do it online, so I guess that counts as an online retailer. The only good LHS's around here aren't so local. MOst of them around here only deal in one major scale, and it isn't mine, or they carry only a very limited selection of stuff. Maybe there's a niche market I can fill.... doubt my wife would let me open my own shop though.....

Dave

[Anonymous]

We have a railway supply store about 30 minutes from us which is where my wife and I get most all of our
railroad and painting supplies, I do occasionally order online. I have had no experience with e-bay yet.
I do go to the GATS show in Spokane every year usually acquire some hard to find items.

Keep a rollin !

Jscoville

[piinob]

I buy things from the local shop very regularly, howevr, if a show is in town I will usually buy a lot. I get things at the shows that my shop doesn't stock, or know about. I occasionally mail order, but when I do it is a big order. So I guess I buy equally from all three.

[Anonymous]

My main LHS is about 60 miles from me he has trains only. The nearest HS is about 30 miles away on interstate all the way. i go twice as far becaused the first guy has it all and will order & ship anything not in stock.
I have bought from mail order houses and have had good luck.
If we don't support the LHS I fear we will have no more "good" stuff it will be all mass market toy stuff. I wonder if Athern's new owner will support the LHS? roumor has it they may go direct, or cut out the LHS.

[Anonymous]

WHILE I PURCHASE MANY OF THE ITEMS I BUY FROM MAIL ORDER (STD HBY SUP) DAY TO DAY I PURCHASE MORE ITEMS AT MY LOCAL HOBBBY SHOP. I DON'T NEED TO SEE WHAT FLEX TRACK AND CORK ROADBED LOOK LIKE BEFORE I BUY THEM AND PECO SWITCHES ALL LOOK THE SAME AFTER THEY'RE OUT OF THE BOX. I'VE GOTTEN SOME REALLY GOOD DEALS FROM MAIL ORDER AND FROM MY LOCAL SHOP SO I GUESS I AM FEARLESS WHEN IT COMES TO 40- 60% OFF! GREG

[kurtwamser]

I have found shows for the common items, or unique that have been discontinued and
someone is looking to move, but they will not replace the LHS for many items for detailing.

[Anonymous]

The nearest hobby shop is 250 kms away from us so we don't get there very often. I only buy the basics like track. I save my purchases of rolling stock and locomotives for vacation time - it makes vacations a little more fun and I like the touchy-feely bit as well.

[Anonymous]

Living in a rural area, my nearest LHS is a five hour round trip away, so I don't get there as often as we'd both like (they love to see me and my open wallet coming LOL!) so a majority of my buying is mail order, simply by necessity. But everybody gets a taste during the year, be it the LHS, mail order, shows, on-line, or that addiction known as eBay haha!

[Bob Hayes]

There is no LHS in my neck of the woods, and since I drive to southern California about 4 time a year, I buy most of what I need from two shops down there, or at shows. I recently made the mistake of buying on line from a dealer in Denver who didn't post his shipping charges at the time of ordering, but I won't be doing that again..

[bluepuma]

Have bought items from LHS, but since I'm in N scale, and he's behind the curve in Atlas and Kato, and seldom has more than 2 of the Micro Trains new releases, I order or preorder from N Scale Supply in Denver or Rio Grande Hobbies, or another suppler. that has SP, did order from the trainshops OL and Walthers Hobby direect. Bought some old stuff from LHS, and LL from another in A/B sets. have bought buildings, and plan to buy other supplies for layout local. The big problem with LHS is they just don't have what I want. That was a problem all along the way since 1970, I first bough OL from ehobbies about 3 years ago. I used to buy from Hobby Circle, but they changed hands, and my last order months ago was my final order. Not happy.

MT and Atlas is my best Rolling stock, ConCor hasn't made me happy with lack of weight and sticking truck rotation.

I have a lot of locos, have bought good and bad, the Katos are my favorites, LL my second.

[Anonymous]

Because I live in A small town The closest hobby shop is 100 mls. away so I have too order most of my stuff by mail order[sigh]. But when at all possable I buy local. If you want to call 100mls. local.[:(]

[Anonymous]

LHS first. That's were I bought my 4-8-2, then train shows are always good, too (got a 0-6-0 from one). But then Ebay is alright, just watch out for the shipping charges!

[alrose]

Living in England its a long way across the pond to the USA so I shop online at Caboose Hobbies. They are very helpful and give a great service and lots of advice. I belong to a model railroad club and we have a fictional layout based in Colorado called "Pine Bluffs" If you would like to see what we are up to log on to www.pine bluffs.co.uk

[Wdlgln005]

Don't have a good LHS here. Go to bookstore to find some mags/books. Have to wait 1 year for GATS show. Sales tax too high for major purchase, so off to mail/internet order. I may stop on vacation to visit shop in lower tax state.

[Anonymous]

Modeling Cp Lyndonvile Division Vt interchance with Mec and B&M
Buy most of my Ho materiel from online retailer,mail order,E-Bay.Can beat those prices
Occasionnationaly I'll buy from Hobby Shops where I can get the small added details

Choochoopete

[Anonymous]

Have not found a Local hobby store, so I end up driving an hour to get to one.

[Anonymous]

My purchases are split. I model 1900 era in HO and LHS carry nothing in the way of rolling stock kits or locos from this era. I like some of the older structure kits, too, which they also don't carry. Walthers' Terminal Hobbies via mail is my choice for current production. I now order from them online. I usually make a couple of train shows per year. And I have made two purchases of rare older items on eBay. I do get scenery items & some scratchbuilding stuff like styrene, wood, and paint at LHS, when they have them.

[Anonymous]

I live in Wyoming. Mail Order is the about the only option if you need anything more than Atlas Snap Track, and Athearn kits. (Sadly We can't even get those anymore.)

[Anonymous]

I prefer to buy my equipment at local hobby shops because I like to see what I am buying. The two locals: Longs Drug and Train Quest, both offer nice discounts. For parts and uncommon items I use mail order, like Terminal HS or Caboose Hobbies. I feel for the hobby to survive, we must use the local hobby shop, for this is the only contact our hobby has with the general public, other than the occasional show. I feel if the local hobby shop should close its doors, the hobby will dwindle, also.

[alpreston]

Really a toss-up between the LHS and mail-order. I get magazines, paint, glue, and what parts I can from the LHS, but most of the kits I want are not available there due to limited availability and/or low demand - the proprietor himself suggested I'd be better off mail ordering certain items, as it costs him too much in shipping, brokerage, etc., on single items or small quantities from the small manufacturers that produce them for him to sell them at a reasonable price.

[Anonymous]

[:D][:D] Although i am not currently modeling i do purchase my reading materal at the local shops. But due to the scale and gauge of what i model when the mood strikes i order direct from the manufacter when possible or Caboose Hobbies despite there better than you attitude they still know there stuff. On3 Washington State

[Anonymous]

I usually do most of my purchasing at model train shows because of the bargains that I find. & with such a wide variety of merchandise. But.....on the other hand , I do try to stop by the LHS & purchase some of my stock also , Because the way I see it , With out the "LHS" you would not probably see much at the shows .

[rambo1]

I buy most things at shows , georges trains and creditvalley railway in the Toronto Ontario area. rambo1........

[Anonymous]

I try to purchase from the local hobby shops as much as possible. I am lucky that the area I live in has quite a number of hobby shops all within a hour of me which means railfanning time also

[Anonymous]

I would like to support my LHS much more than I do but they go out of their way to make it inconvienient. I am in the process of building a large layout and am getting no support from them. In November I tried to purchase cork from them but they ran out. It was a full 6 weeks before they got more in. When I was there to pick up my order of cork I needed uncoupling magnets and they only had on package so I ordered more. In the mean time I picked some up in a shop 60 miles away. Several days later I ran out of flex track so down to the LHS I went to get some. And what to my surprise.......no stock. I was told that they were going to be doing inventory in 3 weeks so they did not want to bring in any extra stock that they would have to count. But if I wanted to ordered some, they would order it in 3 weeks and it should be in a couple of weeks after that. The order would have been $500 plus but they could not be bothered. Oh by the way 8 weeks have gone by and my uncouplers have still not arrived. At the rate things are going with the LHS I will not get my layout done in my life time.

Now I am not talking a small hobby shop here, it advertises itself as the largest hobby shop in Canada. No wonder we n-scalers travel the 60 miles to Hutch's trains or cross the border to shop at LBC Hobbies.

I also spend a large number of dollars at train shows because when you see it we have to buy it or the wait starts with the LHS or we drive the miles to support someone else's LHS.

Thanks for letting my vent my frustrations

STAN

[AggroJones]

I purchase the more expensive items from 1stplacehobbies, Trainworld, or FirstHobby. The lower cost things are bought at the LHS.

[Anonymous]

I buy the majority of my stuff from an on-line retailer who I know very well. Having said that, it is a slim majority (maybe like 52%. The remainder of my purchases I spread around various hobby shops in the LA area. If the LHS's know that you are a regular and if you buy enough stuff from them on an ongoing basis, they can be pretty competitive on the prices.

[lgoodbrod]

Since there is no LHS within almost 100 miles i shop the online stores after checking the manufacturer's website.

[krump]

we have a NEW lhs in the area, but I'm currently working with what I've got.
I buy supplies at the lhs or the dollar store. I occly buy used items, at train shows or from the paper. I've recently bought some UNIQUE rolling stock thru Ebay.ca. When I get around to DCC and a good engine I'll get it at the lhs, or possibly through a train show shop. I don't want to do the big ticket items on Ebay, internet, or out of the area because if there are occasional difficulties with the product, I find that shopping local is better and more direct.

[Anonymous]

90% of my shopping is done at my LHS. I like the one on one service and I can see and feel what I am buying. There are about 5 shops within a 10 mile area so I can always shop around, and always come home with something, even if it isn't what I went out for in the first place[:D]