Welcome to the World! No such thing as "Free".
You have to weigh discount vs. looking. testing, feeling, and getting exactly what what you want.
Discouters add 'handling' charges to actual freight. It allows the 'discount to look bigger
The MOST important thing is the Dealers SELECTION. Do they carry brands you want? The 'better' brands carry higher costs, and disounters tend to go with what 'moves'. EVERYONE carries Atlas track. Fewer carry Shinohara or Peco.
RETURNS alway cost you $$ - Gas or UPS. LHS do better here. An EXCHANGE always beats a 'Factory Warrantee', since warranties differ and change with the times.
subman wrote:Cordon , Orlando is the same distance as Ocala but it takes 1/2 hr longer from where I live to get there because I would have to take a 2 lane state road for about 35 miles with a lot of lights. There are several train stores in Orlando but I have never shopped them.The Train Depot & Colonial Photo & Hobby to name a few.
I've been to Colonial Photo and Hobby while on vacation in Florida last year. I don't know that I'd go back. Its kind of an everything hobby store that doesn't specialize in any particular hobby. I thought the stock of HO stuff was insufficient. Prices were MSRP too. I get better deals locally in Iowa with more stock to choose from. But it was a nice detraction from Mickey the Rat. I bought a $3.50 cherries car there.
subman wrote: What I`d like to know is how far do you have to travel to a discount train store? I have 1 train shop in my area (Spring Hill Fl) I would have to travel 90 miles to Ocala to get any sought of a decent discount (10-20%) on model railroad equipment and supplies. Not even the big stores in Tampa Fl will sell for anything less than what Walthers charges and we all know that Walthers charges list except when they have a sale. Maybee someone could tell me of a LHS that discounts in my area that is not 90 miles away, because the 180 mile round trip cost me $40 in gas thereby negating the train discount in most cases. Thank you Bob D
What I`d like to know is how far do you have to travel to a discount train store? I have 1 train shop in my area (Spring Hill Fl) I would have to travel 90 miles to Ocala to get any sought of a decent discount (10-20%) on model railroad equipment and supplies. Not even the big stores in Tampa Fl will sell for anything less than what Walthers charges and we all know that Walthers charges list except when they have a sale. Maybee someone could tell me of a LHS that discounts in my area that is not 90 miles away, because the 180 mile round trip cost me $40 in gas thereby negating the train discount in most cases.
Thank you
Bob D
Bob, I have to travel about 60 miles one way to my favorite railroad hobby shop. I've established a relationship with them, in that, if I need something, I can call them, and they will mail it to me. I trust them enough to give them my debit card information and they process it, and mail it the same day. I suggest that you speak with the store owner to see if that's possible with his store. I'm sure he would appreciate the business, and I bet you'll even refer your model railroader buddies to him. I know I have to all of mine.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
My favorite train shop "was" the Houston Roundhouse but it recently went out of business due to the owner retiring. It was about 55 miles from my house but always well worth the drive. Now I'll have to deal with Papa Ben's Train Place that is a bit closer but they charge full price and don't cut anybody any slack... Oh well. What do you do.
Tracklayer
Nothing good local. The only hobby shp in the area has some stuff, but the selection sucks now (mostly bachman train sets or model power stuff, blech). Although for some stuff the price is pretty good. (I could have gotten a Prodigy for 140, or atlas Geeps for 70. The atlas geeps are gone the prodigy still sits their because everyone in the area uses digitrax)
If I go about an hour east I'll get 10% off MSRP (they call it low price ), another one has it marked up for about 10% over MSRP (C'mon an athearr blue box kit for 9.50?!?!?!; hoping they drop the price on the P2K GP20 in BN; I'm the only person in the whole panhandle who even buys BN )
But it seems everyone is starting to jack up the price on stuff again. (Hoping to get BN F45s when they come out and some BN P2K SD45s or Genesis F9s if I ever find them)
Vincent
Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....
2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.
Bob D As long as you surface as many times as you dive you`ll be alive to read these posts.
Driline wrote: markpierce wrote: There is a fairly-well equipped train store about two miles from home. The store discounts almost all items 10% from MSRP. Also, the owner-operator is an attractive female.MarkLOL We have one LHS owner-operator in our area with a nice pair of double D's.
markpierce wrote: There is a fairly-well equipped train store about two miles from home. The store discounts almost all items 10% from MSRP. Also, the owner-operator is an attractive female.Mark
There is a fairly-well equipped train store about two miles from home. The store discounts almost all items 10% from MSRP. Also, the owner-operator is an attractive female.
Mark
LOL We have one LHS owner-operator in our area with a nice pair of double D's.
Hmm, Double D's
Modeling the N&W freelanced at the height of their steam era in HO.
Daniel G.
I commented on Page 4 of that other thread, so I won't repeat that here.
There are four LHSs about ten miles from here (Frisco, TX) and another about 20 miles away. Three of them are really small, but very friendly. One specializes mainly in Lionel and Maerklin and has a huge stock of old and used stuff in the back room. I haven't compared their prices to check for discounts, however. A Hobby Lobby just opened two miles away.
Subman, there used to be an LHS in Orlando, FL, but I guess that's not closer than Ocala. Again, I'm not sure about discounts. Are they still there?
I live smack in the middle of nowhere, so the nearest brick and mortar "local" HS is 75 miles away. I can't complain though. I won an item on eBay a couple of years ago, and it turned out that the seller lives in my town, and also happens to be a Walthers dealer. He has no store, and does all of his business through his eBay "store". When I met him to pick up the item i won he gave me the current Walthers catalog and told me if i ever needed anything to give him a call. He offered me 15% off the list AND sale prices and doesn't charge for shipping...needless to say we have become friends
I'm very lucky here in the Sacramento area, there's two within seven miles of my house in either direction--Bruce's Trains in Sacramento and Railroad Hobbies in Roseville. Bruce's sells largely list price, but he does have some good deals going on revolving stock. And since I'm a 'regular', I usually get a 10% discount on most everything I buy.
Railroad Hobbies sells at 10% below list, so I can get some good deals there, also. And the owner, Mike, really knows what he's doing. He's also got a terrific crew there that know their stuff, and are really customer-oriented.
Both stores have pretty decent stock in all scales--Bruce's is heavier in N-scale (it's Bruce's scale). They also carry TONS of accessories and scratch-building equipment. Darned good stores, both of them.
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!
"Rust, whats not to love?"
MisterBeasley wrote: My LHS is Maine Trains in Chelmsford, MA. I've actually ridden my bicycle there on occasion, returning with a turnout in my back pocket. It's only a few miles, and a short diversion on the way home from work.And speaking of the Walthers sales, did you notice that the Heljan container crane, the one that retails for $750, is available for $549? How many times have you had a chance to get $200 off on something in this hobby? (Not my era, by the way.)
My LHS is Maine Trains in Chelmsford, MA. I've actually ridden my bicycle there on occasion, returning with a turnout in my back pocket. It's only a few miles, and a short diversion on the way home from work.
And speaking of the Walthers sales, did you notice that the Heljan container crane, the one that retails for $750, is available for $549? How many times have you had a chance to get $200 off on something in this hobby? (Not my era, by the way.)
The day I'd spend that much on anything model railroad related is the day my wife would have me committed. As it is I had to convince her that I absolutely had to spend $200 for a DCC setup and some related items so far this month (and yes I realize it's only July 2). But then when I told her with DCC she can run a train at same time as I am, it sort of mollified her.
Irv
In my younger days I visited lots of hobby shops, but these days there are only a handful left and they require a bit of travel hunting fro parking once you get there. So these days I prefer to do my shopping on line. While I may not always get a bargain, I do get good prices and I am free to shop where and when I want. Just show me a train shop where I can shop at 3 AM on a Saturday night dressed in my pajamas. Plus, there is no cost for gas or lost model railroading time.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Robby P. wrote:I have one 5 miles away, one about 20 miles, and a few in Pittsburgh.
I have one 5 miles away, one about 20 miles, and a few in Pittsburgh.
I remember making a twice yearly trip to AB Charles and always liked them. Are they still any good (its been 10 years)? Who else in the city is worth it?
Jason
Modeling the Fort Worth & Denver of the early 1970's in N scale
CLICK HERE FOR THE CSX DIXIE LINE BLOG
There are plenty of LHS who discount. You don't need the internet to take advantage of this either. A phone call will do the trick -- or email if you want to gett all high tech...
That way you get the discount and you help keep someone's LHS in business. There may be a few who don't want to trouble with mail order, but it's been my experience that most are eager to please if you are a regular customer and always respond to your pre-order pick-up notices.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
I posted a thread like this last year:
(Having never inserted a link before I hope this works):
http://cs.trains.com/forums/1177581/ShowPost.aspx
-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.
Have fun with your trains
I have one 5 miles away, one about 20 miles, and a few in Pittsburgh. Depends on what I need on where I go. Lately I have been getting my cars online. Cheaper shipping than it would be to travel to travel to the 20+ miles one.
When I use to live in NC I went to Spencer, NC a few times. They had a nice hobby store there. It was about 1 1/2 away.
DISCOUNT TRAIN STORE? DIDN'T THEY GET WIPED OUT BY AN ASTEROID?
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet