Hello everyone, tonight I bring sad tidings and bad news, we have been noticing lately that a lot of the items in the train section of our local Hobby Lobby were being marked for clearance and today I was told by one of the managers that chain wide they would now only carry train sets and maybe some trees, I am really not happy here! although they did not have a large selection I could usually find some little dodad to use one or two 40% off coupons on, if nothing else it was nice to use them on those Woodland Scenics N scale people packs or the scenery stuff, plus my wife quilts so she hit her area and I wondered off to the toy section. Besides just venting I did want to get the word out that I walked out of there today with 5 WS N scale people packs, three ModelPower traffic lights, three Bachmann Silver Series freight cars and the WS Scenery Manual for just under $60, so although it was nice to get all that for that price, Boo Hobby Lobby!
I think the Hobby Lobby in my area may be getting rid of trains all together. In this case, it’s no real loss. They stocked cheap train sets, some scenery and freight cars, and a couple Bachmann engines. The sets offered no real discount, and the Bachmann engines were often priced higher than retail. I once got a Model Power diesel for $7, and a very good deal on Woodland Scenics trees, but I’ve never found much else worth getting. We’ve still got Hobbyland here, so this may even be good for them (or maybe I should say “him”).
Hey there loathar, yeah it’s funny you say that because we noticed the same thing at ours some months back to! they got a lot of new stuff, picked up some Atlas O guage, got HO and N DPM kits, lots more train sets, etc. well today other then the train sets all they had left fit on an end cap and in one shopping cart, as far as the scope of this, the manager I talked to has been there a while and seems to be sharp and she said it was the whole chain, I hope she is wrong but…
I noticed that the same is happening in the store here as well. I have never bought anything from them because of their prices. In fact when I was in there last week…their “discounted” discontinued prices were 10-20% higher than the LHS
I would guess it’s just a continuation of what we’re seeing everywhere else. Hobby Lobby can’t compete with train specialty stores and online shopping sites.
One more venue of broad public exposure (certainly one of the last) fading away. Nevertheless, HL’s move is undoubtedly wise for them and percipitated by sales/customer interest.
The local Hobby Town USA has recently expanded their train offerings by a sizable amount. Hopefully they keep it up. It all depends on whether or not it sells.
Well like it or not, there is usually only be one reason why a store ceases selling something other than non availability. Declining to no profit. If H.L. isn’t selling, why pay someone to dust it. They aren’t going to stock it. I believe it is the internet stores that have done it. Here at the HL the prices are list and sometimes higher and their offerings are not that great. Now, if you can buy several things, pay shipping and still be spending less than what you would pay at HL, guess where people are going to get their items. I live in central Illinois and I can only imagine how sweet these internet store prices are to say someone who lives in NYC or Chicago or any other high COL place. I had to, and did, use the 40% coupon for any purchases from HL. In order to justify any purchase at all. I am fortunate, as I have 2 discount hobby shops in the city. One is a mixed hobby shop offering 20% off list and has an ok selection and does order from Walthers. (imagine that). The other is a WELL stocked MRR only shop that has what seems like the entire Walthers catalog on hand. What they don’t have, of course, they can order. It is also a 20% but only open weekends and 2 days a week. Fine for me and most others, especially with the other open 6 days. So if I need or want something today or just want to browse, I can. I don’t order much from the internet because shipping adds up to more than tax or, if in the cases of free shipping, if my LHS has it I’d as soon buy it from them.
What HL was good for, was if you are starting in MRR. Waltzing around the store while the wife or parent is shopping. Finally picking up a trainset to get started. (Now, now, not wanting to start the ole trainset or not debate, let’s face it it happens and for some, like myself worked. I’m still here) Then returning to get a few nifty things to add to the “layout”. A book, some trees, oh look I can make a tunnel or a mountain. Then… they find
We had a Hobby-Something store that discontinued its train section. I picked up a few sets of WS figures (HO,) but either I got there too late and everything was picked over, or there wasn’t much to begin with. As it turned out, this was a prelude to a store-wide clearance and another vacant store.
I agree. Hobby Lobby is the most expensive place to buy anything that has to do with hobbies or crafts in my area. The train section in my local store was just poor and actually carried more N scale than anything else.
The Hobbylobby here never had much model reailroad stuff and was much more geared towards RC airplanes and cars. Their prices were never the lowest and their main draw was convenience of location. I think I’ve been into the one down the street 2-3 times in the past year, mainly for painting supplies and plastic.
I was in our local Hobby Lobby a week or so back and I did notice that they were rearranging the train shelving. However in my store it appeared that they were reducing the number of boxed train sets, not the accessories. This particular store was very heavy on Lionel, which I do not run. So mostly all I used to buy from them were scenery items, paint, and hobby tools. Much of which they also duplicate in the crafts and school projects section.
i have been in Hobby Lobby stores where it would not be possible for them to “cut back” on their train section, and even the ones that had a train department had such a strange collection of stuff that I had a hard time imagining just what customer they were catering to … I am not saying they are worthless places to go. If the LHS doesn’t carry the stuff a Hobby Lobby can still be a useful source for tools, adhesives, and some raw materials.
Some of us remember that in the first year or two of slot cars (so 1960 or so) there was a sort of panic reaction at some general department/variety stores that slot cars had replaced trains. Before that time you’d see Athearn kits and some Atlas track even at stores that mostly sold candy.
The last time I was in Hobby Lobby I got a few structures since I had a gift card. The cashier told me they were going to only carry stuff around Christmas time. I am not surprised really since the selection has gotten steadily smaller over time.
As others have said they are good for paints and other materials at least.
The only good thing about Hoby Lobby for me, was the sales coupons. That be it. And now that I don’t have a layout, the bachmann rolling stock has no interest for me, nor does the scenery stuff.