This past Saturday I attended the Greenberg train show here in Richmond, Virginia. Upon arriving, I started to peruse the displays and tables when I saw a dear friend who was the owner of the next to last remaining train hobby store to my knowledge here in Richmond at one of the tables. We started a brief conversation and he informed that his shop was closed a few months ago. My spirit was so sad. I knew that the store was being considered for purchase by a prospective buyer and my aspirations was that something could have come to fruition in the future. I was sadly mistaken.
We had a pleasant talk and discussed what had happened. To my knowledge, there is only one other hobby store in Richmond remaining. This store has been rumored on numerous occasions in the past years that they are also going out-of-business. O my gracious, here we are in 2014 with no reputable hobby store in as large a city as Richmond, Virginia. I am not talking about a "Hobby Lobby" type of store. I am alluding to a store that has the serious model railroader in its heartbeat. Later on in the day, I saw three dear friends from 15 to 20 years ago who had retired or left the model railroading industry business. These individuals were "bright stars" in my life. They had been wonderful mentors and guides in leading me in this wonderful hobby that we called model railroading. The time with them was extremely pleasant and the only bright, God-given spot of the show that day.
Where are we going? The fade seems to be that all young, prospective model railroaders want everything already immaculated detailed by the company, straight out-of-the-box and able to be immediately placed on their layout. No desire to built a kit from scratch or with scratch building materials seems to be the "new" order of the day. New modelers want those Woodland Scenics kits now which are already done for the consumer and unfortunately they are willing to pay the higher prices to obtain them. Unfortunately, this mentality drives the cost of all model railroad items up to the point that individuals cannot even enter the hobby without taking out a loan. I guess this new transition which I call, "Model Railroading for America, the New Three World Country" is the"culturally revelant," "order of the day."
As for me and my house, we will continue to support the remaining local hobby store. We will also be praying for their potential success in all future endeavors in 2014 and beyond. I choose the local hobby store instead of this model railroading stereotype configured from this forthcoming "new third world" perspective. It is a very sad day.
Yeah it is happening in a lot of places and -- not to be rude or to rub salt on the wound -- if it closed months ago without you knowing about it, you were part of the problem: too few steady customers, the kind who visit and buy something once a week at least.
Frankly I am part of the problem for the LHSs here in the Milwaukee area too. I have just about all the rolling stock I could possibly ever want, I have the track and the cork and the turnouts and the structure kits. I am not saying I have purchased my last items but at this point and at this age I am not going to keep any hobby shop in business.
Dave Nelson
Like many of us, my layout is nearing "completion," or at least the point where we don't go out and make a major purchase every week or two. Sure, there's lot's of stuff I'd like, but there's really no room for much more.
I still support my LHS whenever I can. I buy very little online, and it's usually stuff I can't find anywhere else. I do the same with train shows.
I have to decide whether to start another phase of layout construction or not, since I'm nearing retirement age and when that happens, we'll be out of this high-tax state for somewhere to keep my savings and pension in my own pockets. I'll probably do it, with an eye on designing for portability. When that happens, I'll be back to my LHS for track and turnouts once again.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
At 65 I really don't need to buy anything because I already have enough to last to my dying day and some has been test ran only or had KD couplers put on it and returned to its box.
It is sad that another shop closes but,with e-Bay and on line shops with deep discounts it was bound to happen..Also a lot of the old owners had enough years of standing behind the counter and closed shop and retired.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
dknelson Yeah it is happening in a lot of places and -- not to be rude or to rub salt on the wound -- if it closed months ago without you knowing about it, you were part of the problem: too few steady customers, the kind who visit and buy something once a week at least. Frankly I am part of the problem for the LHSs here in the Milwaukee area too. I have just about all the rolling stock I could possibly ever want, I have the track and the cork and the turnouts and the structure kits. I am not saying I have purchased my last items but at this point and at this age I am not going to keep any hobby shop in business. Dave Nelson
[bold print added by me]
Good for you for saying that, Dave....and you are most correct. I have to stretch all my dollars, including the few I have on a fixed income that I can, with a clear conscience, spend on frivolities like DVD's, CD's, a new phone contract, a new camera, or yet another six-pack of heavily discounted hoppers from BLI. I, like you and our gentleman friend WCU, make a choice to spend every dollar. I can spend $25 of them for a boxcar at an LHS requiring $10 worth of gas, and another $10 worth of wear and tear and replacement costs for the car to get there, and back home again, or I can sit at the computer and order the same thing, plus some others, and save myself as much as $40 an order.
We can be loyal to the etailers as well as the local retailers. Either, way, I am the one who is supposed to win...and I can't win by spending money needlessly. In some cases it really does come down to whether or not I spend a single buck at all!
-Crandell
I always enjoyed talking to Adrian at Chesterfield Hobbies. I drove all the way to Richmond, from Blackstone, only to find out they were gone. Truly sad. They were good folks.
Mike C.
By the way, at the Richmond Greenberg Show, there was a guy there, right as you walked in the door, that was selling water color railroad paintings. Seems the vast majority of them revolved around the Pennsylvania Railroad. I really wish I knew that guy's name. Those painting were really neat, but I didn't have the cash on me at the time to spend. (did that on purpose). Does anybody know who that was??
wobblinwheel By the way, at the Richmond Greenberg Show, there was a guy there, right as you walked in the door, that was selling water color railroad paintings. Seems the vast majority of them revolved around the Pennsylvania Railroad. I really wish I knew that guy's name. Those painting were really neat, but I didn't have the cash on me at the time to spend. (did that on purpose). Does anybody know who that was??
http://www.lerroproductions.com/paintings
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27
unfortunately, this is a trend that we won't be able to change. with internet shopping, it's just too easy to click on an item, and it's on its way to you. As I've stated before, the nearest LHS is 45 minutes away, and they have a limited stock. The hobby competes with things that are easier and more interesting to youngsters these days. My 9 year old would rather kill zombies on his Xbox or crash his RC helicopter into the living room lamp than spend some quality time with his old man running trains. I guess it comes down to you and what you enjoy, and the loss of your favorite hobby store must be taken in stride sadly. At least we all still have each other to thrill with our pictures and videos!
-Stan
Laments of local hobby shops going under appear here quite regularly. There used to be 6 hobby shops in Tucson, Arizona - now there's only one. Owners wanted to retire and no one would purchase the business, so they just locked the doors and went home.
Internet sales are how we have to get our model train fix today, without having to drive 70 miles one way.
Many people are quick to blame the Internet for the decline, but that's not the only cause. One day a couple weeks ago, I needed some HO scale rail joiners. Instead of spending 4 hours or so driving to Tucson, I phoned them. I was told, "We don't have any in stock -- they've been sold out for several weeks and we don't know when we'll ever be getting more."
Two minutes of searching on the Internet turned up a mail order source who had them in stock, and would ship via U.S.P.S. Priority Mail, meaning I could have them within two days. So instead of spending $40 worth of gas and four hours or more travel time there and back, only to discover that they don't have wnat I need, I let the Postal Service do the driving.
Boy some of these responses are kind of cold. Hurray for the old folks whose layouts don't need anything else and are unsympathetic to someone's sorrow. This poor guy was to blame for not being at the hobby shop the past few months. Shame on you for not being there lately and for having a life. And for the OP, I don't think you should blame the younger generation of MR's for higher prices due to right out of the box insistence.
Joe C
Steemtrayn, thanks-a-million! I really like those paintings. Crap, there goes more money.....
I wonder if the decline of hobby/model railroad shops isn't so much that many are closing, as it its that somewhere close to none are OPENING.
The closest hobby shop to me is about four miles away, and it's been there nearly forever--I worked there one Christmas while going to college--early sixties.
On 'tother hand, the closest GOOD shop (model railroad, not hobby) is about 20 miles away and opened maybe 15 years ago.
I realize that I'm lucky for the above--very lucky.
"When I was a lad", I used to go into downtown Washington (DC) from the 'burbs to visit Keene's and/or Corr's shops. Now, it appears there's no place to buy model trains in D. C.--the capital of the..........
Kinda sad.
Ed
I miss EVERY kind of Mom and Pop store. The intimacy, friendships, adventure of browsing and actually seeing/feeling if something is indeed right for the layout were hallmarks of good neighborhood hobby stores.
The experience of rlding a bike to the soda fountain/candy store where the next adventure of my favorite superheroes could be obtained off the comic book rack, a kindly (or wise guy) proprietor who enjoyed knowing or at least teasing us kids is long gone. My nephew who is 30 yrs. old now, never had that experience.
The local butcher, bakery, etc. All gone. I agree it's very sad and a loss for our society but it aint coming back either.
IF my two local hobby stores were interested in stocking train items and not only ordering for you (which I can do myself much cheaper online) and takes twice as long due to their having to do batch orders (or at least once per week orders) I would buy from them with a far greater degree of loyalty.
But when one doesn't even keep paints in stock for months at a time or a decent selection of ballast, foam ground cover, etc. and the other store hasn't a clue about DCC even though he IS a train guy, and these stores involve up to a 50 mile car trip at $3 to $4.00 per gallon, I don't feel too guilty. For things that plane and car guys also use like styrene sheets/shapes and kit wood, etc. I remain loyal to them and try to visit and pick these items up tied in with other shopping in the "big city".
So... I fall into both camps for Hobby buying. I like to build kits and have at least 10 large ones to build for my city scene, but I also like the ready built products IF they are particularly nicely done and help the layout to get built and (sorta) finished in my remaining life time. A balance in all things.
Others spoke of online loyalty and I exhibit that behavior. I have two online stores (not ebay stores) who have been personable and helpful on the phone or have sites where what is displayed on the page IS in stock.
Loyalty is all I have to offer a business and I reward nice people who provide great service so sadly, online is the only place left I can do that.
I feel the pain of the OP I really do, but in the face of changing times at least I can still (sometimes) get to know an online store owner or staff member somewhat personally (as in the kidhood candy stores) and at least keep some of that human connection with the hobby purchases which really has always been a big part of the hobby anyway.
I've had one dealer call me to let me know a kit had been discontinued and deeply discounted months after I casually mentione on the phone, "Well, if it ever goes on sale for about half of what it is now, I'm in". He emailed to say, "Hey Jim, your wish came true! Who woulda thunk it"? Sure, he wanted a sale but that was awfully nice of him and he let me know before it was listed at the new price. He's 2,000 miles from my home. He got my loyalty after that. That was dallasmodelworks.com
The other compromise I'd suggest is to buy from online stores that are ALSO brick and mortar stores like m.b.klein, Spring Creek Model Trains in NE, Caboose Hobbies in Denver, etc. That way at least those brick and mortar stores might stick around to visit one day and relive the days of our youth and keep the tradition alive at least somewhat.
Whew, that was a bit of philosophying...
Jim
Raised on the Erie Lackawanna Mainline- Supt. of the Black River Transfer & Terminal R.R.
Sorry to hear Chesterfield Hobbies has closed. I stopped in there a couple of times when at a Greenberg show in Richmond and bought a few things in S scale. But at 90 miles away, it's a little too far to be a LHS for me.
More and more, online ordering and train shows are where I do my buying. Hobby stores near me seldom have what I want, of course being in a minority scale like S is part of the problem.
Paul
dominic cHurray for the old folks whose layouts don't need anything else and are unsympathetic to someone's sorrow.
I'm not unsympathetic to anybody..I've seen my share of shops closed ranging from death of the owner to illness and some I considered friends since we talked a lot whenever I visited the shop.
I was raised in a city that had several full line hobby shops..Now there is one that I'm aware of.
Another hobby shop falls in the long list of fallen shops..Its always sad news to hear but,what can we do?
7j43k it appears there's no place to buy model trains in D. C.--the capital of the.......... Kinda sad.
it appears there's no place to buy model trains in D. C.--the capital of the..........
There isn't but it doesn't really matter anyhow. I live a whole five miles from the Washington Monument and even if there was one, I'd still think about driving up to MB Klein. And then order it online because it'll take $25 worth of gas to drive it and as long as UPS is less than $25...
I know how you feel. It was a big letdown when I found out that The Houston Roundhouse was closing its doors about five years ago. The owner said that the internet and growing lack of interest in the hobby had finally taken their toll on him. I don't even know if there are any other train shops in Houston but have been buying everything on-line ever since.
Tracklayer
I don't really have an LHS. The closest one is about a 100+ mile round trip, roughly half a tank of gas for my car...
They are good, but seldom carry detail parts (Although I was amazed to find TSP grill screens for converting a P2K GP18 to a GP9).
There was a hobby shop about a mile from my work, but they closed a few weeks ago. They primarily did R/C stuff and had minimal trains. what trains were there were low-end bachmann and model power stuff, but I liked them towards the end for having scratch-building supplies. Only if they had kept their stock of P2K and Atlas stuff they had at the beginning, I think they would have done better.
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.
The Houston Roundhouse is now the Salida (Colorado) Roundhouse. Wayne sought more relaxing climes, closer to the narrowgauge. I order items from him on ocassion, so he's still going.
I do think the comment that new hobby shops are not opening is the real crux of the problem. Businesses come and go. But folks are having a tough time seeing a way to make a profit. Part of it is the nature of the business. It's not enough to stock a boxcar. It has to be a certain road, a certain era, and possibly even a certain road number the customer doesn't already own. Apply the same thing to nearly every category of model RR item except scenery and track and it's very hard to compete against the speed and stock of the big internet firms.
My budget is tight, but I still order most of my stuff from a former brick-and-mortar hobby shop that went the ways of shows and mailorder only. Great service, good discounts, and there's rarely an item I can't wait a week or two to arrive there from Walthers or another wholesaler and have shipped to me. Not the cheapest, but good enough at 20% off list.
But there's little point in gnashing one's teeth over this. Our hobby continues and those least impacted, i.e. they can actually build stuff, often are the quickest to complain. Relax and enjoy your modeling, there are far worse things afoot in this worl to worry about. The hobby shop hasn't been the barometer of the hobby's health for something like two decades.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Reading this reminds me of my old hobby shop.
It was ran by two fellas who would open the store on Thursday-Sunday. Thursday and Friday night they opened at 5pm-9pm ( both of them had full time day jobs ). The best part was that it was in the train station on a busy mainline. I would show up around 4:30 and watch trains and then head into to make my purchases. Sadly they closed up a few years ago when the rent went up and I think the guys just wanted a break as they never had a weekend off as they were at the shops.
Even to this day around 5pm on Thursday or Friday I think to myself about the great times I had there. The guys were nice and would always give you a discount. Now, the closest shop to us is about 40 minutes away and they are good but they deal in other hobbies as well so the selection isnt as great as the old one. Still, the owner there is a good guy who can order anything you want.
I just miss the old days here when I could just go around the corner.
All you people need to move to Lancaster county PA........there are about 15 or so hobby shops within a 50 mile radius of where I live.
Dennis Blank Jr.
CEO,COO,CFO,CMO,Bossman,Slavedriver,Engineer,Trackforeman,Grunt. Birdsboro & Reading Railroad
So many people think that all it costs is gas to go shopping...of any kind. It costs the average automobile owner, whatever his name is, about 40 cents/mile. It isn't just the gas; there's the cost of ownership in addition to the cost of operations. There are the oil changes, brake jobs, tire replacements, fuel and air filter replacements, batteries, belts, lights, HEPA filter if it has one. Then you must factor in, not only the depreciation, but the cost of replacing the entire car/truck one day when you know it has danced its last. If you borrow, there are bank fees and interest. Oh, we forgot about insurance, didn't we.
So, let's say both shops, ETail Jim's Rail Shoppe and Barney's LHS, have the item I want for $25. Shipping is going to set me back $20 to Canada. In my case, probably reasonably representative of a good many of us, regradless of which side of the border we're on, a drive to my Barney's is 40 km each way. Converting to miles, that comes to about 25 miles, for a total of 50 miles (there and back). Fifty miles times 40 cents/mile comes to $20. It will cost me $5 less to shop locally.
There's a problem with that fantasy...it isn't real. It turns out that Barney wants about 20% more for anything I want that both stores carry. I only ever order onesies of locomotives. Everything else I order is at least a pair, and I almost always order two or more different items...in pairs or greater quantities. You can see that the math is making me sweat when it turns out that only Barney has what I'm looking for. Happily, it is often exactly the other way around, and I don't have to sweat at all....or change my oil and belts quite so often.
7j43k ... "When I was a lad", I used to go into downtown Washington (DC) from the 'burbs to visit Keene's and/or Corr's shops. Now, it appears there's no place to buy model trains in D. C.--the capital of the.......... Kinda sad. Ed
...
I remember Corr's. I bought an O scale 2 rail Rivarossi diesel there in the 70's shortly before they moved to Rockville MD where they closed.
Back in the 70's there were many hobby shops in D.C. and the surrounding suburbs in VA and MD. All from that time are gone in VA. And I think mostly in MD as well. AFAIK, there is only 1 trains only hobby shop in Northern Virginia - Train Depot in Chantilly.
For one thing, it's not just model railroad shops that are closing. Try finding an independant hardware store, pharmacy, or bookstore these days. Borders is long gone. Heck, my folks own a used bookstore that used to be a franchise of the 7th largest bookstore chain in the country 30 years ago with over 90 stores. Now there's just 20 of us left.
All brick & morter retail is suffering from lower sales these days. Did you see the news reports? How online sales are up something like 30% while in-store sales are dropping? Did you see how UPS got totally swamped this year with last minute online Christmas purchases? It means the big retailers are losing market share to your PC but they pick it up online. Well, it's worse for small retailers because many don't have the ability to put their whole store online, and even when they do they have to compete with the big "name" stores without being able to provide the personal interaction that makes people want to buy from them in the first place.
If you really want to get all dark and depressing, the days of small business retail appear to be numbered. All that will be left are service industries like restaurants, hair/nail solons, barber shops, and dry cleaners. Even shopping malls will be doomed with their high rent on slim margins. Model railroad shops are more like a canary in a coal mine to a retail-less future.
Paul A. Cutler III
dominic c Boy some of these responses are kind of cold. Hurray for the old folks whose layouts don't need anything else and are unsympathetic to someone's sorrow. This poor guy was to blame for not being at the hobby shop the past few months. Shame on you for not being there lately and for having a life. And for the OP, I don't think you should blame the younger generation of MR's for higher prices due to right out of the box insistence. Joe C
I supported my LHS until the bitter end, then folks wonder why young people don't want to be in this hobby.
this preconception about out of the box stuff drives me nuts, the day SP&S models are out in bulk from the box requiring no paint stripping or redecaling will be the day I'd never thought I'd see.
oy vey.
What's next we lack patience, or skill, or the artistic ability? sheesh...
Joe I very much agree with your post.
SP&S modeler, 1960's give or take a decade or two for some equipment.
http://www.youtube.com/user/SGTDUPREY?feature=guide
Gary DuPrey
N scale model railroader
Burlington Northern #24What's next we lack patience, or skill, or the artistic ability? sheesh...
Gary,My dad's generation of modelers was kit builders and scratchbuilders that welcome RTR brass steam engines and yet there was those that claim those RTR engines will doom the craftsmanship of the hobby.
Then when RTR cars and locomotives showed up from several manufacturers the cry as the younger generation was "to lazy to build a locomotive kit and wants everything handed to them built" and "the hobby is doom because of RTR and shake the box kits"..
That's what my generation was told in the 60s.
So whats new with your generation?
In My Opinion Only: I may feel a LHS's plight in having to close, because of lack of business,or family matters. But I feel the Sadest for the person that has a family and has worked somewhere for 10, 15,or even 20yrs at the same job and have that job be gone forever. Where does that person, replace His or Her income? Unemployment only lasts so long and who pays for health insurance for the family then? Where is that person going to go to be able to support the family again, there could and most times be a age factor. LHS's support a hobby, that is influx with the changing times, either you adapt, diversify, odds are you are going to fail and that includes our life as we know it. I don't want to bore any one with my personal life, but I myself had to make many decisions when I returned from Vietnam in 68, as well as others. I feel fortunate that with the guidance of others and my own choices, that I made the correct ones. My family and how I was able to provide for them,food, clothing, Ed. and shelter was more important than any LHS closing Ma & Pop store ETC. Because of some of the choices I made, being retired for now 13yrs, I am living quite comfortable and I am so glad that I don't have to follow the drummer any more and my son's and daughter and their children are able to go with the flow, that is constantly changing. I said My piece.
''Happy New Year'' To All and Welcome To The Real World, of change.
Frank
Brakie,If you go back and look at the Letters to the Editor of Model Railroad waaaay back in the day, you could read the complaints about how kits are ruining the hobby, and how "real" model railroaders only use metal or wood, and not this cheapo plastic junk. And this was in the 1940's and 1950's.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.