Support your local hobby shop ?

[Anonymous]

As a small business man myself, I really try to support other local small business people. I'm a photographer by trade, and I could definitely buy Camera equipment cheaper mail order, but I like the support of the local guys. I'm building my first layout in 20 years, and I'm trying to do the same with my hobby. I'm using Kato Unitrack and I could buy it much cheaper from say Toytrainheaven or others. But I've been buying it and my Woodland scenics from a local guy who is well stocked but sells at list. Last night after dropping some money on both products I came away feeling not too great about the purchase. It's great that he has the product right there, but for me there is no Value Added, especially at list price. What I mean is there are places I buy at knowingly paying more, but I get knowledge, after the purchase support, and an undefined warm fuzzy feeling. Kind of like buying at the old General store. You feel like the owner is really into what he sells, and appreciates your business. I don't get that at my LHS. I get the heres your product, wheres my money and thats it. He barely looks up from his magazine. No hints and kinks on how to use it, even when I ask, I got an I don't know, and this was the owner ! Now I will probably continue my support because it is nice to be able to go touch see and buy within 15 minutes of my house, but.. I got a whole lot more unitrack to buy, and Paying $8.00 for 4 straights vs $5 for the same thing is starting to make me think. Anyone else have a similar experience ? Thanks, Dave

[Big_Boy_4005]

I know the feeling. It's like I only go to the hobby store for those things I need on the spur of the moment. Larger items are picked up at lower prices on the internet. As we get more experience and seek less advice, the local hobby store loses it's appeal, and cost considerations take over.

Having been on both sides of the counter, I'm more likely to go into a hobby store and help the customers, rather than ask the clerks for help, unless I can't find something. Force of habit I guess.[swg]

[Roadtrp]

QUOTE: Anyone else have a similar experience ? Thanks, Dave

Yes.

In my experience the local hobby shop no longer supplies the service that makes the additional cost worthwhile. The people in the store are more often than not uninformed clerks. They likely know more about model cars than model trains.

I still visit my LHS for routine purchases where the cost is low and the convenience of getting the product right away is important. But if I have a major order, it is going to go on the net. Especially when buying the higher quality products like Kato, the discount on the net is just too good to pass up.

[ericsp]

Sounds like a title for a new James Garner movie. Maybe we can get him to make it.

[dave9999]

Dave,
I get the exact opposite experience at my LHS.(I should say "shops", as we have
two great shops here in Pensacola). The one closest to my home, Bobe's Hobby
House, is the most personal. The "train guy" John is always ready to talk trains and
I learn something everytime I visit. The other is Trains By Johnson. They are very
well stocked and well informed. The experience is not always as personal, but they
do help and answer any question that I may have.

Maybe after a few visits, your local shop owner will warm up a little. Just continue
to engage him in conversation. If he still doesn't feel the need to help in the manner
you feel he should, then I would consider taking my hard earn cash somewhere else.

I understand the fact that it's conveinent to buy local and pay their price. I don't buy
from online retailers simply because I like "face to face" shopping. Plus you can't
talk trains with an online dealer [:)]. Good luck, Dave

[Anonymous]

I found that if you concentrate your purchases with a LHS, they can be competitive on price. Also, many hobbyshops in LA are giving 10%-15% discounts if you are an NMRA member. So ask your LHS about this.

[Anonymous]

I buy all my magizine via the "LHS's" also gives me a reason to go down to look around

[Anonymous]

a great conversation starter is to ask how to do some sort of senery thing, seems eveyone has a diferent way to do ballast, water falls, mountains, trees, etc. there are 3 hobby shops i go to here, the closest one has alot of train stuff and has really good sales every now and then (i got a spectrum mow ballast carrier reg $85 for $30) thye alos has plastic armour models which is another hobby of mine, but on weekdays there is one guy who works there who is really mean (if this wasnt g rated i would have more words to say) he is snappy and acts like all you are doing is wasting his time. another store is all trains, very nice people, far, huge selection. another has a small secletion of trains (mostly rc) but is pretty close.

i was looking at mrc's prodigey (sp?) and found this
lhs 1: $260
lhs 2: $300
lhs 3: $200

but it seems neither is generally cheaper/expensive, where one is cheap in engines, the cars and expensive, and vise versa

i'd shop around and see if you can find a lhs that you like

[Anonymous]

my local HS is always a party [:D] you wouldnt belive some of the people there, sometimes i even like to go just to talk to all the charachters there. i have a compromise if it doesnt have something i want, i order it through them and then pay a couple bucks extra when it comes in, cheaper then list, but i still get to support the hobby shop. And its another chance to chat with my MR friends

[Anonymous]

Ahh that's the problem with customer service theses days. There is none. There are three hobby shps in my area. The first which is a half hour away, is well stocked and the owner is nice he trys to talk you into bigger purchases. I don't have the money to be convinced into buying more, trust me I'm weak willed when it comes to buyinig MRR stuff. the second one is located 10 minutes away and the worker is nice and knowlegable but a bit creepy. One of those folk that if you saw him on the sidewalk at night you would walk on the other side ofo the road. The stock also seems to have been sitting on the shelf for ten years.

Now on to the last one. The downside, pretty bad hours 4;30-7 weekdays 11-3 saturdays closed sundays. But he is very knowledgable and freindly. I have been known to go and keep him company when it's slow and just shoot the breeze. When we both decided too rebuild at the same time we gave advice to each other to make our plans better. He will order you anything out of the walthers catalog with free shipping, he just tags what you want on his next order. When you become a regular he takes off a percent of your total, except markdowns and mags. The last time I was in he gave me a 25% discount. He does this because he knows it's the regulars that keep him in business I've already spent 100 dollars there this week and i still have a DCC system on backorder. It's his little thank you for choosing him over the other three. He also doesn't mind when you find deals elsewhere. He understands there are deals to goood to pass up. I try and buy most of my stuff from him but if I find a deal I will get it. My large purchases I like to go through him also,he seems to givie me the besst deal and then I have a person to talk to if I need to. If your evere near Akron and you want to visit a top notch LHS get in touch wth me and I'll take you over.

Andrew

[fiatfan]

I have to put in a plug for Hobby Haven in Des Moines. Nice people, answer your questions, knock a little off list, and if it's a slow day, will take the time to visit with you about anything. Drawback - it's about 90 miles away.

Tom

[krump]

if the price is comparable, I don't mind making purchases at the LHS. The service / attitude is critical (and I too have been on both sides of the business counter). My experiences of the past 3 yrs in this community is that our LHS (essentially a store with some hobby and train inventory) doesn't care, the stock they have is old / dated (dusty) and that they won't go out of their way to accomodate, therefore special orders take months. Just not worth it to me, especially after approx a dozen attempts. Since there are some well stocked stores, with uninformed staff approx 1-2 hrs away, occasionally we make a shopping trip (groceries,scrapbooking, misc, trains). Bit then it is up to me to determine what it is that I am interested in. My ultimate shopping experiences are still the LHS in my old stomping grounds and the big city, on an annual trip. I tend to avoid internet shopping - just not my thing. Big business or Small, Service wins my money.

[Anonymous]

OF course I do! But the question is, which one??
I'm cursed with a almost 1 hour drive to and from work. But I have a LHS a block from work, one on the route home, and two more within 20 minutes from my house. Each one is different in thier approach to what hobby or type of hobbiest they are persuing. One is geared to kit builders, trains, planes, automobiles, rockets, military etc. One is strictly Ho and N, leaning to the beginning to intermediate hobbiest. One is middle to upper end, some for beginners but more for advanced hobbiest. The final one is definately for the advanced hobbiest, with lots of scratchbuilding supplies and brass in stock.
The one thing they all have in common though is the people behind the counter. All friendly, all helpfull. [^]
See why I don't do ordering on the net! [:0]
Plus there are 4 more good shops within an hour or so from here.[:D][:D][:D][:D]

[ericsp]

Here are some related threads.

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19245

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?page=1&TOPIC_ID=18875

[sparkingbolt]

If I got the cold responses at my LHS some of you have gotten, I'd take my dollars where they'd go farther. I have 2 LHSs that I deal with, both do their best to help. It's a competitive world all around. If they can't beat the mail order places for price, they need to make up for it in service, selection, advice, something to make you wanna come back. Yes, "warm and fuzzy" counts here.

In my business of comercial floor maintenance, If I don't work hard for my money, and someone else is willing to do more than I am for the same amount, who would I have to blame if my customers switched? I don't let it happen.

By the way one of my LHSs is local. The other is 120 miles away, and it has the better selection, it's a bigger shop with the advantage of being in a bigger city. I still like the more local one though, and when I have to order someting through Walthers or whoever, they get first priority. But thats because they are willing to do their best to meet our needs.

And I do buy stuff from Train World and others once in a while, stuff that I wouldn't have been able to afford or justify MSRP for ( $110 P2K S-1 at LHS or same for $29.99 At mail order?).

Don't feel guilty for spending YOUR money where they do something to earn it, instead of where they act like you're a nuisance. Dan

[Anonymous]

I'm not a heavy hitter and shop around, that's the American way.

We have a first class 7,200 sq ft diversified hobby shop(all scales) here in Grand Rapids Mi.
The train dept is generally staff by experience modelers. On Saturday
when I was in there one of the staff was disassembling an N gauge loco
for a 12 year old. Turns out the loco needed a new drive shaft and was instructed how to order one from Bachmann.

I didn't think we had in this town any 12 year olds into the hobby. SURPRISED!

Our folks are experienced, helpful & knowledgeable

[Anonymous]

I've always preached that we should support local shops, but I'm afraid I don't follow my own advice that much. Our LHS has fair choice of items, but everything is full list price. And "full list price" here in Canada usually means the U.S. price plus 70% or so. I pick up a few magazines and some small stuff, but all of my expensive HO and On30 equipment has either been purchased at other shops, or by mail. It's great supporting the LHS, but I figure the $50-100 I save by buying elsewhere is just as good in my pocket as in the LHS's cash register.

Several years ago the owner offered our local club a 10% discount on purchases except magazines. Some time later he sent us a note stating the discount was being discontinued because some members were paying with credit cards, and some were not presenting their membership cards when asking for the discount. There was never any mention of paying by cash only, and if he needed cards for the discount all he had to do was say so. We only had about 20 members at the time and some never shopped there anyway, so he removed the discount from a small number. I had purchased a $100.00 engine from him and forgot to ask for the discount, and he never offered it either. He knows I'm in the club - I'm a founder and president.

I took his action of removing the hardly used discount as a slap in the face to our 20 year old club, and soured me from doing much business with him. We've operated local train shows for 20 years now and I believe this has helped his business, but he does not seem to appreciate our presence.

Many of our members do their shopping at an LHS a hundred miles from here, and you can see why.

Bob Boudreau
Canada

[BRAKIE]

Yes,I support my local hobby shops.We still need them..Now the bad attitude local hobby shops has lost my business..Of course like many of you I also find the better deal for locomotives even if I must shop on line or e bay..If I am buying one or two freight cars then my favorite discount or in some cases full price hobby shop gets my money..I must look at the cars before I buy them.Paint,track switches,decals etc all bought locally...
Note:Now,if the on line price comes within 10 dollars including shipping I will bypass the on line shop and buy the locomotive locally if I plan on buying one unit..Two or more then to the on line shops for the better deal. Savvy?

[coalminer3]

What LHS? The market here will not support anything like hobby activities unless it's RC cars, rockets, or crafts. Closest one (with anything worthwhile in stock) to here is 100+ mile trip; gas, tolls, etc. all factor into the equation. So we go online. I would much rather spend my $ in the area, but the opportunity is just not there.

work safe

[Anonymous]

My LHS is 88 miles, driveway to driveway. He'll ship me a code 83 switch at the drop of a hat and not charge me excessive shipping and handling. He gives everyone a 15% discount. When you go in their they can talk about anything you want to know. I think that Papa Ben's in Houston is probable the best hobby shop any one could want to go to. I own a chater bus company and when I go to a hobby shop it's quite often in the bus, one shop in Houston would ignore me completely and when other customers would commet about the bus he'd say yeah. I don't go their very often. When I spend $200.00 I want that "warm and fuzzy" feeling. I don't want them to grovel but, I do want them to acknowledge me when I come in the next time.

Have a blessed day and remember SANTA FE ALL THE WAY

Bob

[CP5415]

I myself has never bought anything site unseen. I guess I'm too paranoid & don't like potential problems with mail or couriering anything.

I've never ever had a problem with anything I've bought from my LHS.
If I see anything I want, he orders it for me.
If he has anything in the store I want but don't have the cash, he never hesitates to put it aside for me.
I recently finally finished paying for my Proto RS11. I didn't have the money due to other financial obligations & of course, not wanting the MRS find out about it, he put it aside for me & put cash on it when I could. Never a complaint.
I doubt any of these online discount retailers will do that.
Sure I could buy stuff cheaper, but I don't like waiting to have the stuff I paid for.
I WANT IT NOW! [;)]
A small business is just that! SMALL.
I've seen what it takes to support yourself while running a small business.
I'll pay the extra & support my LHS.

Gordon

[jwmurrayjr]

We have a great train shop here in the Dallas area. Discount Model trains is about 15 min. from where I work and they discount almost everything 20%. The keep a good stock and the staff is very helpful. They also have a very "friendly" return policy. If you don't like it or need it they will take it back.

I always compare DMT prices to any I see in mail-order ads. If there's not much difference in cost I buy from DMT. They give good advice and will let you test any product before you buy.[8D]

I do buy some items like locos or bulk items mail-order (also decoders, usually) but I buy most rolling stock, kits and scenery stuff locally.

DMT has done very well over the years and is currently planning expansion. If I had to buy everything from DMT to help keep them in business I would be willing to do that.

All trains and good customer service.

[^]

[Anonymous]

I am really lucky... I live 1.5 miles from a GREAT LHS, where friends gather, information is exchanged, and it' s just about always "dead on" (especially coming from the LHS owner himself). In this age of "I want it now", the LHS's have to provide "service" and be a source if information for the hobbist.... or they will go the way of the dinosaur. Sure, I could order on-line and save some money, but then there isn't any "hands on" source of information available that way.... and that is worth the extra pennies, my friends.

IronGoat

[randybc2003]

YOU BET I SUPPORT MY LHS. If I don't, they have a tendency to go out of business.

We have 4 LHS within 1 hr. of my place. Also a couple of very respectable discount stores. I try to spread my $$ around. At the LHSs the guys know me. And in all cases we seem to have knowledgeable clerks behind the counter - even in the discount stores. I normally get what I can get, where I can get it, cash in hand. One shop Specialises in Trains. The others have departments of varying intensity. The speciality shop knows all the model RR nuts, and often offers discounts. They will get speciality items for you almost all of the time if possible. Service excelent. They even STOCK speciality orders. One time I special orderd a car characteristic of local interest, and the owner orderd a couple dozen more. Picked up mine, ant the others went like hotcakes.

I tend to order special items at list cost from my LHS. Bulk items like Woodland Scenics supplies and flextrack I often (but not always) get from the local discount stores. They are OK if you know what you want, and know the product. If anyone has a particular item I want, I will get it from them. I once walked into a LHS looking for a box of rail joiners. I walked out with a locomotive. I had been looking and watching for that particular one, and they hapened to get it in. I ordered my DCC system from my LHS, because they carried the one I wanted, and I knew I probably would need help with it.

Magazines & Publications I try to "circulate" among the LHS's, but will also pick up MR at the grocery store. I know who caries what, and when it gets in. One LHS is lean in the matter of Scratchbuilder's supplies-another caters to them; Different stores cary different kits and lines of cars. Some don't carry details. You can run into the local MRR bums at almost any of the shops, the speciality one in particular.

I am most fortuniate to live in a place that is such a hotbed of Model RR activity.

[:D]

[the-big-blow]

Being a clerk at a local hobby store, and also someone that is active in the hobby industry I can honestly say certain business happenings as of late do not help support the local store(not mine in particular). I have to STRESS this is not only me saying this but what my customers tell me. Why buy from us when they can get it cheaper on EBAY? This however shouldn't stop you from stocking a particular product just because its costly. I do a good job of supporting my store mainly because of my employee discount. Most people are not as fortunate as I and have to pinch pennies to buy a car,loco etc. I talk to many "old timers" and cost of things is a real sore subject especially when they can remember buying a car kit for $.50. Couple to fact that everything now is so "Limited RUN" and I find that my store is sometimes shorted on items. This doesn't boad well with the customers. Also two different manufacturers doing the same product. Whom's do I stock? I can't tell you how much stuff I just lying around I can't just give away. You have to stock new items to keep people intrested in coming back. Even I buy stuff from other local stores that don't give any discounts.

[Anonymous]

I am fortunate to have a handful of good hobby shops within a few miles of home/work. The two I frequent are both friendly and both discount product to regulars. One shop features an extra discount on HO on Saturdays. They discount other scales on specified days. No matter what you buy the register discounts ten percent off the marked price when you check out. There are three guys involved in the shop and all of them are active modelers and will share their knowledge with you. The other customers who come in are interesting as well. The other, and closer, shop is owned by one man who is an active modeler and willing to answer any questions you may have. He usually prices products below list and will special order for you. With either of these shops you feel like you're visiting friends, so I try to support them whenever I can.

[Anonymous]

The local hobby shop is required for the industry to survive and market their products to the public. We should all continue to purchase both locally and otherwise because many of the local shops do not have the capital to have everything in stock. I really hesitate to order an item unless I have looked at it so I can determine the quality of the new item.

Most of the products from the major manufacturers are now fairly high in quality and we have come to expect Kato and Atlas to provide great running models, so models like these can be ordered with a high level of confidence.

I value the local dealer and residing in the Los Angeles area does provide me with some really great train shops, but the person living in many areas of the country does not have the convenience of visiting some of the best Train shops in the USA, just by driving an hour or so. I also get to visit Caboose Hobbies in Denver fairly often since my position does require travel and I go to the Train shops when I travel to find things that have not been offered recently and may be out of stock back home.

[darth9x9]

Within 50 miles of my house (central Maryland), there are at least 12 better known LHS. Of which one is a great discounter and mail order store. Two others offer similar pricing and are much smaller shops. The rest all charge retail and one charges retail plus 10%. I am amazed that they stay in business at all. Someone must be buying from them to keep them in business.

[vsmith]

Being in large scale my options for hobbyshops is a little more limited, I have three good large scale stores within 30 miles, each in a opposite directions, so going takes a dileberate effort to do.

I do have 2 LHS close to my home, one is a general Hobby People chain type store, more geared to RC, little trains and NO large scale, and the other is a very good trains only shop, N-HO-O, and a little LS. I try to go to the trains only store when I need specific model related supplies, stryene, basswood, paints, books, mag's, and they now have some Trackside Details in LS, but they tend to close early. So I will use the dreaded Hobby people but only to pick up glues or paints and also basswood, xacto blades, that sort of stuff.

[Anonymous]

Since I started this thread, I thought I'd report back in. Tonight I went back to the shop that got me started on this, and dropped another $30.00

Why because he's 15 minutes away, and the only shop I know of in the whole county with Woodland Scenics Foam Risers, And I wanted to have them on hand for when I get the time. I've read every post. I'm going to ask him If I continue to be a regular and buy my Kato there will he discount. If he gives me a firm no, then I'll preplan better and give my biz to the Web. For tonight Convenience wins.