Something else needs to be pointed out about snickering in a hobby shop, in case you are relatively new to the atmosphere...I don't see it as much anymore...but in the old days you'd see Missouri Pacific modellers making fun of Rock Island modellers and vice versa.
I'm not saying that makes it right to snicker at you, but for some folks in a hobbyshop, some of the snickering just comes with the territory.
Plus you should be thanked for supporting, and hopefully continue to support your local hobby shop. Although that was a good suggestion about maybe confronting the owner or manager about the ungratefulness shown.
I have never modeled Thomas but when I was a kid I checked out all the videos from the library. I now have a nephew who likes trains. He is 5 years old and loves the HO scale 4 x 8 layout the uncle sets up, but I suspect he loves Thomas also.
If you like Thomas go ahead and model it. The "hobby shop" that thinks your nuts, well I think they just lost a customer. Am I right?? They have no right to laugh at you since you model Thomas whether you are forty or four.
-dekruif
I support your decision all the way! If you and your son are having fun doing the "Sodor" line then that is all that is important. Any chance you can get to bond with your son is worth more than the snickers and jeers that the LHS is giving you.
It really surprises me that they are not giving you the support especially since you are spending good money on things you like.
Hobby shops are a dying breed and if you are not comfortable with them I am sure there are plenty of online options available to you. One of the main reasons I enjoy my LHS so much is the one-on-one contact I can get in supporting and answering all my questions, but if I did not have them I would be going online again.
If I were in your shoes and the next time I went to that shop to spend some $$$ on items and I got a jeer or a snicker from them I would have to assert myself. I would have let them know that it makes me uncomfortable when I spend my money at their shop and they are making rude comments. I would also ask to speak to the owner or manager and let them know that I can take the business elsewhere.
In today’s shrinking local hobby shop market it makes good business sense for them to make their customers feel welcome and want to spend money in their shops.
Ryan BoudreauxThe Piedmont Division Modeling The Southern Railway, Norfolk & Western & Norfolk Southern in HO during the merger eraCajun Chef Ryan
I started out modeling Hogwarts so that my kids would be involved. Who cares whether your hobby shop likes or dislikes what you are doing. Besides, you can probably get what you want cheaper on the Internet.
Doing things with your kids is far more important than your LHS's opinion of your road name.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
Model what you want. Model what you and your son will enjoy.
Yeah you might be the only 40 year old who models Sodor, but so what?
And at 40 I'd quit worrying what other people think.
I am disappointed that any hobby shop snickers at a customer who is buying something. I guess that's to be expected in your case, especially from other customers...but in the case of a LHS employee making fun of your Thomas purchases...that may well be on the immature side, but it's also not a real good business practice!
My solution would be to use mail order, save money in the process, and avoid the hostile local hobby shop crowd.