When I travel, it is usually first on my to do list.
We don’t get out of town too often, but when we do we visit…
Hi Fi stores [ we are in that line of business, a manufacturer ]
Hobby shops…especially for consignment or pre-owned RR items
SCUBA shops…our other passion
USED book stores…and yet another passion
Used LP record and CD stores…after all, were in the audio/music business
I have always used the dealer listing in the back as the only source for these ocassional out of town trips. We’ll be in Vegas this winter for a trade show, and perhaps SanFrancisco/Sacramento area next spring. If we’re lucky, we might make the Great Colorado Narrow Guage tour in 2005. This would have to include some of those famous CO hobby shops.
Jennifer
I travel on business frequently. As a result of a recent project I am working on, I have found myself in as many as 3 different cities a week. If I ever have free time, I try and visit LHS. Often I will use the MRR adverts, but more often I will use the local yellow pages in the hotel.
Yes whenever I travel. I usualy check out the LHS listings in MR or find a hobby shop sections of this forum. I found some very nice LHS in WA, CO, OK, and NH. Usually I endup spending $, getting something local.
If I have the time I’ll certainly visit. But I only buy something if it has been long discontinued from the Walthers catalog, and unavailable at any of the LHS in my region (and there are at least 3 excellent ones).
ALLWAYS, WHEN ON THE ROAD. I ENJOY TALKING TO THE LOCALS. MOST TIMES I WILL PICK UP SOMETHING, AND GET THE OWNER TO SIGN THE BOX.
My job requires extensive travel. For some years, I made a point of visiting LHS whenever I had the time. Although I stumbled on a couple of nice shops, I would have to say that at least 95% were a complete waste of time. As a result I eventually stopped bothering.
Although based on my own experience, plenty of the shops listed in MRR do not specialize in trains and aren’t much good, on the other hand I’ve never been to a LHS in the U.S. that was any good for trains and DIDN’T have a MRR listing.
I am always looking for a LHS wherever I visit. I always check out any that ad in MR, as well as interesting ones I find in the local Yellow Pages. Sometimes I buy, usually I just look and meet the railroad enthusiasts. I is a fun way to do the tourist thing and model at the same time.
Ron
Here’s a list off the top of my head:
Las Vegas (3)
Canada (1)
Colorado (1)
Usually if I’m away and I’m bored in my hotel room, I’ll check the phone book to see if there are any LHSs around. That’s what I did in Canada and Las Vegas. The one in Colorado was “destiny”. Got my first HO Amtrak train from there. A bachmann E60 and an Amfleet I.
I’ve visited alot of LHS’s that are listed in the MR Mag., That’s usually the first thing that I check when I’m going shopping for train related stuff. The latest store that I visit now is about 60 mi. away in Monroe Wi. “The Hobby Depot”. Great people & alot of variety in what I’m looking for!
Yep–for me it’s fairly standard procedure to look up hobby shops in any city I visit, and MR is often the first place I’ll check. I admit that Yahoo! Yellow Pages often has more detail, but cross-referencing that with MR helps isolate which ones are most likely to have “the good stuff”, since hobby shops often specialize in things like R/C cars or diecast or crafts etcetera, and one can’t always tell from the name.
I have visited some hobby shops when I was in Florida. Their selection of products were so-so and they charged list prices. I didn’t buy anything.
I like to look, and I like to buy. So anytime I can get advanced notice while traveling that a LHS exists, such as a mag ad, I take advantage of it.
You might say it pays to advertise in MRR. They pay MRR, I pay them.[:)]
Before I ever leave on vacation I check the back of the magazine to see if there are any shops in the area that I’m visiting. I’ve been to shops in Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia. Of all of the shops I’ve visited while vactioning, I still consider my hometown shop, Chuck’s Depot in Marion, Illinois the best shop I’ve ever been to. The best shops I’ve been to while on vacation have been:
Des Plaines Hobbies, Des Plaines, Illinois
The Antique Barn & Train Shop, Wilson, North Carolina
Trainmaster Models, Duluth, Georgia
Chattanooga Depot, Chattanooga, Tennessee
The Corner Store, Lorain, Ohio
I’ve already been looking in the back of the magazine for shops to visit during my next vacation sometime in 2005. Since my wife so patiently follows me to the hobby shops, I return the favor by taking her to scrapbooking stores. We also locate those stores by using the directory in the back of her scrapbooking magazines.
Jeff
My wife’s family is from Savannah, Ga which is seven hours by car from where we live. There is a great hobby shop there called Bull Street Station, and I always make it a point to visit and always end up making a purchase. The manager and I became quite friendly, and after his relocation back to CT, the owner and I got aquainted as well. They keep a medium-large store HO layout, and when I first visited after John’s depature, the owner permitted me to operate the layout just like we had before he left. I’ll visit Bull Street Station anytime I’m in Savannah, and I recommend it to anyone who finds themself there as well.
Ditto, That and Photographers, thats what we do for a living. I always carry a couple of mags around to find the local stores also.
Dave C
I always try to check out the LHS when I travel. In fact back when I was stationed in 29 Palms I would always reluctantly “volunteer” to attend some meeting in San Diego. Of course I made myself feel better by stopping at Reeds (outside of San Diego) and Longs (Moreno Valley). I also make it a point to visit The Model Railroad Shop in Dunellen NJ when I visit my mom and a trip to Dallas would not be complete without going to Discount Model Trains in Addison. On other trips I take, either on business or vacation I always hit the yellow pages or the back of MR to see what’s in the area. If I can swing it I’ll visit one or two in each place. Some were great, some so-so and some stunk, but I enjoyed each one - let’s me sightsee around the area and often times I’ll see a neat building to take a pic of and perhaps scratchbuild a model of someday.
I really don’t need to visit other LHS’s…I’m within reach of two of the finest Hobby shops in the land…the Houston Roundhouse and Papa Ben’s…if they don’t have it or can’t get it…it can’t be had…Chuck[:D]
my wife and i enjoy driving vacations , the kind where you don’t actually have a destination , you just start going in one direction and the next days activities are planned looking through maps and guide books in the motel room after dinner the night before . a copy of MR is always included in this planning (although a hobby shop doesn’t always get picked as the days event , i have to compromise [:)] ) .