Hobbyland in Mishawaka Indiana, I visited my other LHS and he told me about it. There is no info in their website about closing and their online store is not accepting orders at the moment. Last time they were going to close their storefront but they would still accept backdoor customers if called first. Then they went back to full open, I think to satisfy some business legals somewhere changing their instore arrangement. Makes me wonder whats really up now, the rumor is bankrupt. I will keep watch, if someone knows more, perk up.
Placed a large order with them but they were out of stock of everything (guess they had not updated their web) but they gave an immediate refund, they seemed to be nice people to deal with, if they are gone it will be a shame!
In Bergen County, New Jersey Hi-Way Hobby (Standard Hobby in MRR) is closing after a very interesting 50 years. http://www.northjersey.com/news/92285689_Hi-Way_Hobby_House_closing_ends_an_era.html
It is indeed sad to see yet another LHS closing down for the lack of a future. I read the newspaper article and the comments to it. They all mourn the “death” of the patient, but what have they done to rescue it? Have they bought there? Been loyal customers? Have they tried to attract the new generation to the hobby? Sure, times have changed and money is much tighter - but that has always been the case!
Without the typical LHS, our hobby won´t be the same!
Support your LHS!
Yeah, I just lost my fave hobby shop on friday. Hobby’s Etc. They carried everything you could think of. Theyve only been around since 1991, but they were always friendly and helpful. Always had area info for shows for modelers and a flier with a whole years schedule of sales they planned. Im gonna miss them.
These days, hobby stores need to carry more than just plastic models and train sets to be competitive with the internet guys. Our LHS in Traverse City, Michigan carries diecast cars and planes as well as practically full size doll houses and furniture and R/C ships and cars… They now have gotten into rock polishing equipment. Train stuff kinda drys up during the summer and R/C takes off.
I was in my LHS yesterday, one which specifically caters to model railroading in all scales and I was advised by the owner that it is very likely that he will close his doors before the end of the year. Now this store is one of just two between NYC and Albany that are left. If it goes, it will be a one hour ride to the next nearest to me…and this is in an area that was once one of the true hotbeds of the hobby for decades and supported around half a dozen local shops at one time, including what was probably America’s largest!
When the LHS finally disappears altogether, so will the one remaining real area of broad public exposure to the hobby. For those individuals who aren’t old enough to have had Lionel, or Flyer, trains in their youth, visiting the hobby shops as teens, or young men, was where the introduction to scale model trains and the associated hobby occurred. The Internet, eBay, on-line dealers and railroad forums do absolutely nothing to replace that.
CNJ831
LHS used to be an acronym for Local Hobby Shop.
Pretty soon it will stand for Last Hobbyshop Standing.
You know a lot of you lament the local hobby shop from closing but the way I have been treated over the years, I am surprised they lasted this long, I guess it was the Internet that is putting the final nail in their coffins. As for those that say the hobby is dying, remember that if you want to be successful in life you need to plan at least 10 years in advance, people like Bachmann are thinking longer! The new crop of model railroaders (and there are more than ever before) is not due to ripen for another 15 years. It is coming from the Tomas The Tank Engine crowd but they have to finish going through all the phases of growing up, cars, family etc. There are many other inspirations out there but that will turn out to be the largest chunk.
Move over Baby boomers and the end of the dinosaur Hobby Store! Say Hello to Generation NEXT, the era of video gaming and instant gratification!
LONG LIVE THE XBOX 360!
And for those of you old farts who don’t know what an Xbox 360 is, you better get a clue baby, because it’s coming and you can’t stop it.
Driline,
mind if I correct you a little?
The next generation will not be playing with any XYZ-box, but they will play with toy soldiers, just like our great-grandfathers did. Only this time, they call it “Warhammer”
[swg][swg][swg]
Yes our society keeps improving by leaps and bounds
X-box, bad controllers, I do gaming also but will stick to my PC and the ever improving video cards they have, you will have to go and get a new machine in a few years but even the stock PC I have now will last with the addition of a new card, actually it moves faster than I can now and I havent even bothered to tweak it let alone add even a duel card let alone a quad.
Most unfortunately, that’s simply a myth. Thomas has been on U.S. TV for twenty years now and no one has been able to decern even the slightest evidence that it has influenced youth in any significant numbers to become model railroaders later in life (after twenty years it should certainly be quite evident in some fashion by now).
Folks have claimed that Thomas will be the hobby’s savior before, but the fact is that Thomas is viewed as just another children’s fantasy TV show by its audience, the same as Sponge Bob and a host of other cartoon-like programs. The Lionel generation of the 50’s had the real thing right infront of them on the livingroom floor to touch and control. It was also regarded as a miniature representation of reality by the kids, not like the fantasy world of strangely foreign-looking, talking trains. In addition, I’m afraid the majority of the Thomas audience is far too young to even grasp the concept of model trains as a ongoing hobby. At best, the Brio wooden trains and simple Thomas HO will be regarding by their owners as simply common childrens’ toys later in their lives, not as the source of an adult craftsman’s hobby.
CNJ831
If you only buy from Internet box-shifters because you judge merely on price, then don’t be surprised if LHS’s disappear. An LHS is a business, and can’t survive on marginal sales from an occasional passing customer. So put your money where your mouth is, and buy from them if you want them to survive, else zip your mouth and quit moaning !
Dennis
I have absolutely no idea whatsoever what an XBOX360 is; I’ll extend to you some further information . . . . . I don’t care what an XBOX360 is . . . . . and I will further state that I expect that I will still be alive tomorrow morning with that lack of knowledge. I do know one thing: the day it was introduced one of my wife’s granddaughters and her husband stood in line at a Wal-Mart from about 6 in the evening and the store ran out of them 15 people ahead of them in line.
They are in their twenties; I have heard stories about post-WWII incidents where people used to stand in line at auto dealerships when a new line of Packards or DeSoto’s or Lincolns were going on sale: I have never got a reading of how many of us “old farts” stood in line for six hours plus for one of these XBOXs.
R.T. - well spoken!
I tend to agree, that Thomas the Tank Engine is not the tool to draft the next generation model railroaders. It is too far from a real railroad, and, unless you “graduate” your kids to a real model train in time, will not act as a leverage.
People don’t realy get into their hobbies until the babies hit school around age 6 (kindergarden dose not count as is usually a half day) and most don’t really spend until the kids are out, they may dabble before or collect. This is average and dose not mean you necessarily. Tomas came out in 1984 and did not become realy popular till much later. As for the LHS, and this is an example of a recent foray to 3 different ones (on the way to someplace else) and another searched before. All I wanted was a couple of bottles of Proweld or the same quality. First no product but said another brand was as good so bought at a premium (not even close), 2nd out of stock but had similar one (realy close in quality so would have worked, comes back not but I got (product from first store) no thanks. third no have as with 4th. Just the other day had someone look for a standard styrene sheet and they just told the person all we have is plastic and not what you want! Went online, had to pay a bit of premium but it is one its way!!!
No, the sad thing is young to middle aged people are lining up around the block to be the first to get an iphone or iPad that will be obsolete in 6 months…
The LHS’s near me thought stocking Bachman Silver series cars, Woodland Scenic landscaping and Testors paint would good enough to satisfy their train customers. They are no longer in business…
Hey, I like the WS stuff and testers makes Model Masters line and Floquil, sorry but there is no defending Silver series cars!