I was in need of a new jar of WS ballast for the next section of my layout and I was going by my old LHS so I figured why not save a trip to my current LHS and get it there. Unlike my current LHS which is all trains, this is a general purpose hobby store but always had a good selection of MR stuff. As long as I was there, I figured why not take a look at their stock. What I found was a gold mine. There was a wide assortment of rolling stock from many different manufacturers, many of which were appropriate for my era. A lot of these looked like odds and ends pieces that appeared to be priced for clearance but what a bargain they turned out to be. A Kadee RTR boxcar for under $20. A Walthers streamlined passenger car for under $19. Trainworld’s best price on these is around $23. I ended up having to go back up front to get a basket because I couldn’t hold all the stuff in my hands. I took it to the counter and had it rung up. We went north of $139. That is an expensive jar of ballast. At that price I better spread it pretty thin so I get my money’s worth for it.
Isn’t it amazing how many things stick to your hands as you walk through a brick-and-mortar store! Funny that never seems to happen when shopping online.
I recall one foray to a LHS for a couple of envelopes of spikes - came back with the ‘makins’ for a solid 6-car DMU limited express train (3 power trucks included.) Explaining that to the Chancellor of the Exchequer was fun!
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
jecorbett,
Another LHS owner who is unaware of moving slow stock via eBay.(See posting on this forum about bidding price for '07 Walthers catalog!)
Interesting phenomenon, one doesn’t know one really needs something until one sees it at the LHS or train show. Think this phenomenon may be acute with model railroaders. How many of us have more locos, cars, structures on our layouts(or awaiting layout expansion for space to be on layout)than the layout could justify if it were 1:1 scale?
Jon [8D]
It can get expensive.
The joy of capturing items below cost can be erased by the low of being sent to the mines to work off the extra expense.
Been there and done that but,I usually stack what I am buying on the one end of the counter and continue shopping…You see the hobby shops I went to didn’t have baskets.I did have one owner to ask me NOT to open the Athearn BB kits…I explain I do not buy cars without insuring the cars fit my era.He was persistent…Wll I had 7 or 8 car kits picked out and planned on buying 10 plus 5 packs of KD couplers,plus some paints and other odds and ends-this was long before I got my first computer-I looked and said buddy,you see all of that stuff pile up on your counter? He said yes…I said well along with that stuff I was planing on buying at least 10 car kits but,its no sale now and I walked out…His competitor got my hobby dollars.
Now,in the past I always kept the hobby shop owners guessing…Will I spend $5.00 or $100.00?
Brakie,
Opening boxes such as the Athearn BB kits is the only way to know what you’re paying for. I’ve patronized a LHS(Does 20+ miles away qualify as local in Connecticut?) that allowed opening and viewing. Point being, at last visit opened several that I was interested in and contents did not match text on box label. This is a reputeable shop and I thought someone is ripping these guys off and advised staff of merchandise pilfering. Being of the “old school” I’m always taken aback when I come across some of these techniques of the irresponsible.
Your stacking of merchandise you would have purchased was a point well made. With instance I cited above we get into gray area of how does merchant protect himself from those less honorable. As distasteful as it may be, one could in such a situation open boxes at store counter and cull the “buys” from the “not quite what I wanted” and conclude purchase.
A bit off topic but…30+ years ago I went to a local store around the corner that had a small stock of hobby items. I selected a tube of glue I needed for a kit I had at home and took it to the counter to conclude purchase. The proprietor told me he couldn’t sell me that particular glue without the purchase of a model. “What?” I said, followed by “Why?” Apparently to curtail glue sniffing the NY state legislators and governor enacted legislation requiring a “combined purchase”. Thinking apparently was that raising the price bar would curtail the sniffing of particular glues. The obvious end run around this thinking would be shop
Well, maybe I should open a new thread about opening packages… but before I do that I’ll chime in and say that usually the stores I go to allow opening and viewing.
Once in a while we will open and view the contents/discuss it at the counter. I caught a Walthers Baggage car without doors once this way, but bought it anyway because the other baggage car had both sets of doors. No big deal.
I know that I like to open things up before buying, sometimes it’s not always possible. Two rules I follow. I always try to put it back the way I found it and when the item in question is expensive or questionable, I would have the store keeper help out a little bit.
I used to indulge in having engines tested out on the track and realized it’s not that good for the engines to be run waiting a sale. It’s best to buy it, test it and arrange repair if it needs it. Ive had very good luck with my engines.
Counter stacking items is one thing, but how many of you layaway them? Hmm?
But you “saved” a fortune!!! And, had a ton of fun finding all those “Treasures”.
Not to mention your wife getting to see the sheepish little boy look as you tried to explain what happened.
[:D]
LMFAO!!! Good one!
Sounds like you need to stay away from the LHS or you will have to start coloring play sand for your ballast.
I had sort of the same situation last week. I went to the LTS because one of the kits I bought there had a missing roofwalk (Red Caboose boxcar). When I walked into the shop the first thing I saw was a big sign that read “25% off all freight and passenger cars”. Well, you can probably guess where it went from there. I hadn’t intended on spending a dime when I walked in there. Didn’t work out that way (as a matter of fact, I went back the next day).
As an added bonus, the owner gave me the kit that he pulled the replacement roofwalk out of, and I called Red Caboose, and they are sending me a new roofwalk for that kit (Union Pacific 40’ double door boxcar). I walked away in good concious though because I asked him why he didn’t do the same thing, and he said he more or less said he did not feel like fooling with it.
I guess I’m not the only one. Went to one of the two LHS’s over here (what a joy after living in a place where the nearest “train store” was about a six hour drive) to get a can of grimy black. Of course it would be silly not to look around. Found a structure that I’ve been looking for, oh wow, some Athearn trailers, and . . . . .well, that was one expensive can of paint!
About BB boxes. Almost every hobby shop I’ve been to has the Athearn BB and Roundhouse kits not open, but wrapped in plastic with the cover on the bottom so you can see the kit. Seems like a great idea - I get to see what’s inside (check the build date etc) and no one can steal stuff from it.
Dave
Same thing happened to me yesteray. Went into my LHS to get a $5 pack of MT couplers, and ended up leaving with $100 worth of track/acccesories.