Medina1128 wrote:When I was in LA this past Christmas to visit my brother-in-law's family, he told me about Allied in Culver City. I found it to be very well stocked and reasonable prices, especially when you consider it's basically an LA store.
When I was in LA this past Christmas to visit my brother-in-law's family, he told me about Allied in Culver City. I found it to be very well stocked and reasonable prices, especially when you consider it's basically an LA store.
??? I don't know what you meant by that.
But I did have a good experience at Allied yesterday, they had a certain N scale item* on sale for $5 (that normally sells/lists for $7.95). Even the cheapest online price for this item is $6. So I kept buying multiple packages of this item every time I was there. But when I went there yesterday they didn't have it on the shelves (but did behind the counter). I asked Don, the N scale specialist if they were still on sale for $5 and he said to me, "If you buy all four remaining packs, it'll be $5 each." I said, "Alright!" And I got 'em (I was planning to buy about that many anyway). So I got an even better deal on this product than I could get online!
* If I name this item, I fear they will no longer sell it for $5... :)
Other LHSes in my area have other incentives to keep people coming...One store (The Roundhouse in North Hollywood) has a monthly raffle on the last Saturday of the month at 3 p.m. where the prizes are store credit. You get one raffle ticket for every $5 you spend in purchases that month. And just about all the time, the guy at the counter will say, "Ooops, I ripped out one too many tickets...oh well, you can keep it" :)
That store is PACKED on the last Saturday of the month!
jfugate wrote: For those who fear the loss of the "touchy-feely" aspect of actually looking at the merchandise yourself, I would counter that you probably don't get to handle the merchandise you buy all *that much* before you buy it. And the web's move to rich media will begin to counter that issue in time.
For those who fear the loss of the "touchy-feely" aspect of actually looking at the merchandise yourself, I would counter that you probably don't get to handle the merchandise you buy all *that much* before you buy it. And the web's move to rich media will begin to counter that issue in time.
This is a very astute observation. We really don't know much more about the merchandise we buy in brick and mortar stores than what we buy online. If there is a problem, we aren't going to find out about it until we put our purchase on the layout and run it. This is going to be the case regardless of where we buy something. Rarely when we look at something do we see the problems. It is only when it fails to perform on our layouts that we see what the problem is. A case in point is two Athearn RS-3s I recently purchased. They were identical in every aspect except the road number. I was having trouble with one of them derailing at precisely the same location on a turnout. When I put its sister on the track, it had no problems in the same location. After I got out the NMRA gauge, I determine that the front wheels were too wide and the turnout points too narrow and the combination was causing derailments. I happened to buy these two engines online but had I bought them at my LHS, I wouldn't have been aware of the problem until I got them home. I really don't see much advantage to being able to see merchandise in person before I buy it. Problems are not going to be readily apparent. The advanatage of buying at an LHS is that it is more convenient to return problem merchandise, but we are no more likely to avoid these problems than if we shop online.
In Fresno, CA we have no real LHS (or) Model Railroad-based hobby shop. There are three stores that have a facade as one. Bill Randolph closed his store here in 2003 and there is Tom's Trains which is OK. nothing really in stock and it's a mess, a store in Clovis that sells O-27 and railroadiana mixed up with some merchandise and some merchant opened a "hobby shop" in a mail box store. I just came back from buying some styrene sheets at Hobbytown USA which BTW here in Fresno has a great selection of new releases, Genesis, Intermountain, etc. But it's mostly planes and cars.
Safety Valve wrote: When that door opens I hear "HI!"When it shuts I smell coffee or some other convience such as sodas or water availible.It might be 4 hours before I leave, but what a time of "Filling up" on various subjects or going over plans with other regular customers. Sometimes just lending an ear when some one rants about such a problem.You cannot add a price to a good hobby shop visit.
When that door opens I hear "HI!"
When it shuts I smell coffee or some other convience such as sodas or water availible.
It might be 4 hours before I leave, but what a time of "Filling up" on various subjects or going over plans with other regular customers. Sometimes just lending an ear when some one rants about such a problem.
You cannot add a price to a good hobby shop visit.
Yes! Especially on Saturday mornings when the store is packed with trainheads. And nothing beats pressing your nose against a glass case filled with diesel and steam locomotives. It really boils down to different strokes for different folks.
Having whined about finding so little at a hobby shop in San Bernadino, I have to give credit to the great one in Pasadena, that I got over to see a year ago: The "original" Whistle Stop. There is that musty smell of old cardboard boxes that are deteriorating, and is not an unpleasant odor. It also means you just MAY find a real treasure, if you search all the shelves, and are willing to climb up the wall to get at something. I spied a box that said ULRICH...my heart skipped a beat. Could it BE??? I found a little stepladder and clambored up to carefully reach it. On the side, it read: General Service Gondola, Southern Pacific. Showed the original price of $8.95, which was a freaking FORTUNE back in 1959, when I first noticed this kit existed. I remember reading an article in Model Railroader that claimed this was the hardest kit in the universe to actually try to put together and have it STAY that way. (I'm assuming the drop bottom feature, is what made it the number one source of suicides among model railroaders.)
My HANDS were shaking, to have this in my hot little paws. I wouldn't have cared if they said its now TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS, I would have bought it. I felt like I had an artifact from King Tut's own layout (the Cairo and Western Ry.)--and held it tight against me, in case some "Raider" had it in mind to wrest it from me.
Wisely, I decided to OPEN it, at the sales counter. It contained only some spare parts from what looked like several model kits, not a single one being left over from anything Ulrich ever made. What a heartbreaker.
I thought I'd sort of made up for it, by finding a kit of an old style gasoline service station right below it, called "McLeod's Super Service" for a rather rude price. As that is my real last name, how could I say no, especially as I was made to assume it was the only one of its kind this side of Saturn?
(Haven't had time to put it together yet, typically, but meantime I see its easily obtained for less money, from Walthers' site.)
Sigh.
Dick i hope you see this which 2 hobby shops are closing in milwaukee? Please let me know
F-unit
Ahh yes I remember those old fashion hobby shops that is fast becoming a rare find..I to enjoyed the hours long talks with the owner and other modelers..I recall one shop-Jim's Train shop-now long gone (closed in 1986 due to a divorce)-where we would have coffee,fresh donuts,a old Warm Morning coal stove we sat around while discussing the newest model,our latest projects,share pictures, ect..It was a Saturday tradition to go to Jimmy's and chat with friends.I really miss those days.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
I've been in sales for 9 years now and a one of thing has become quite apparent: If you're going to stay in business today you'd better be offering something the other guy isn't. Be it low, low prices, extraordinary service, or products that simply aren't readily available.
I can think of at least 6 good hobby shops in my immediate area going back many years. (What happened to Harry's Depot???) Of them, there is only one left! And you'd better not have any loose clothing when you go in there either, lest you're knocking things over left and right. There's so much stock you barely have anyplace to walk! That's the only reason he's still there, that and he's pretty knowledgeable. It's not his prices...
There are only two things I'd like to say in regards to this matter: Trainworld/Trainland.
Since way before the advent of the Internet, this establishment has been discounting products both mail order and in store. A Brick & Mortar LHS, with a knowledgeable, pleasant & helpful sales staff, and quite possibly the best prices to be found. (In my experience even when they are beat, "on the net" it's usually only by pennies.)
My point is why has this LHS been able to do it when most all others (in my area, anyway.) were charging list price? Is it any surprise that they have gone under?
With all the great resources at your fingertips today, this forum being an excellent example, why do you need to go into a store and get the opinion of one or two people? And more importantly, who in their right mind is going to pay MSRP in this day and age??? Sure, working some of the suppliers websites can be a PITA, but you have to look at it in the context that you're saving the $$$ so you're going to have to work for it a little. Plus, It's not like stereo speakers or darts that you have to sample in person before you buy.
Before I started my present gig, I ordered from Standard Hobby Supply. Great prices, fantastic selection, and its on your doorstep in a few days, who could ask for more? Now I'm lucky, I'm only a 45-minute drive from Trainland. (Plus I'm out that way at least once a week for my business anyway.) So where else would I shop?
As far as the local coffee & camaraderie goes, yea that'll be missed. But the last time I went to TL for one of their clearance sales, (which, I might add saves you yet another 10% off their already absurdly low prices!) I got a free lunch- they had giant boxes of White Castle cheeseburgers for everyone!!!
The company I was working for prior to my current situation was charging way too much, plain and simple. Their business began to suffer as a result. They wanted to maintain their bottom line, so their answer was to raise the prices! Yea, that'll be good for business... As someone else already stated, you can make a little profit on a lot of product and prosper, or you can make a lot of profit on a little product and watch your business shrivel and die. It's their choice...
In summation, while the Internet has increased the competition for retailers in general, it's also increased their potential customer base at the same time. If retailers want to survive, they're going to have to take advantage of it. I think its called free enterprise...
P.S. Sorry I'm late if this was supposed to be a weekend only rant.