Well, yesterday saw me, my wife, and her cousin at the St. Louis Art Muesum. Afterwards, I wanted to go to 2 local hobby stores to check out merchandise, etc.
The first place we went to was the Switch Stand. Now, my wife’s 16 y.o. cousin is slightly slow…he has ADHD, among other things. He’s so excited by the trains that I thought he’d get a kick out of store layouts. We went into the store…and he saw the layout. It wasn’t running. He asked the guy to turn it on, and the guy (owner?) was kind of a butt about it. Seemed like he had more important things to do. And as for caring on a conversation or answering the multitude of questions I had…uh no. We were outta there within 10 minutes…which is a shame. Oh, and let’s not forget the “I have cheaper stuff than Lionel” shot when I asked about Lionel. I saw MTH and Williams stuff…
We then went to the Electric Train Outlet, and let me tell you…WHAT a VAST difference! All Lionel…lot’s of selection…answered lots of questions…and his store motto? Service with Abuse! Oh yeah…he’s a smart butt…but funny. I’ll give him business anytime. But he brought up several areas I have questions about, which I’ll post in separate msgs. Man…I don’t post anything for a while…then wham…here I come!
Anyone else have a St. Louis hobby store recommendation? Or have a horror store to share on their local stores?
I like Marty’s Model Railroads in St. Louis (Affton). It’s a tiny shop, not as much selection as either of the shops you mentioned, but the two guys there are extremely helpful. When I was starting out, I visited all of the shops (including the ones that do more than just trains). Marty’s became my favorite because they went out of their way to help me.
Schaeffer’s and Checkered Flag Hobby Country are good general hobby shops with helpful staff. Both carry trains but they don’t specialize in them, so you don’t necessarily get the same level of knowledge. But they’re good people. And a lot of the other-hobby knowledge does translate well, like paint, glues, tools, and materials.
I’m not a big fan of some of the shops in St. Louis but the good ones we have are very good.
I recall visiting one of my brothers who lives in St. Louis about 5 or 6 years ago. We visited a train shop on Page Avenue in the west county, but east of Lindburg. That was quite a store. A lot of inventory, Lionel, MTH and Atlas. The next time I visit him in St. Louis, I wil check it out again.
Hobby Station is on S. Linbergh/Kirkwood, not too far north of Shaeffer’s (on Gravois at S. Lindbergh), right near the old MoPac depot. They carry plastic model kits and doll house stuff, but trains are their focus. They are knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly.
I’ve shopped at the Hobby Station and at Schaeffers’ Hobby. You have to watch the prices, but they are both helpful. Schaeffer’s will give a free catalog, too! I’ve never been to the other ones though.
As an adult with purchasing power, a parent and a grandfather, I am constantly annoyed and amazed at the shabby way too many hobby stores behave towards their customers and children in particular. I’m well aware that children aren’t easy to deal with unless on their best behaviour and that shops are in business to make money most of which comes from adults, many of whom don’t particularly want to be hampered by kids but take the long view guys.
Our hobby would dry up and blow away if it wasnt for fresh young enthusiasts entering the apocryphal ‘funnel’. To make the top of that funnel as wide as possible, you’ve got to entice kids and don’t forget that those kids will bring in paying adults in their footsteps and become such themselves.
When I was in Germany a few years ago I noted that several main line train stations had coin operated Marklin layouts to play with whilst waiting for the train, this strikes me as an excellent way to get kids interested, looking is good but doing is better and a bulletproof sealed Lionel layout in a mall with a few buttons to operate accessories and a controller ought to do a lot to show trains to kids who otherwise won’t get a chance to see them.
How hard would it be for the hobby shops to make something like this? Better yet mount it in the front window with IR operated controls so the outside onlooker can still cause something to happen. Right now, I think, the hobby/industry is enjoying a transitory window that exists solely because we boomers are having a glorious last indulgence in the toys of our youth but this wont last.
Liability issues (slander/libel) prevent me from naming names but the two hobby shops I visit most, here in New York, are both on Long Island, one in Queens the other in Nassau County and neither makes any effort to enour
Hobby Station in Kirkwood is where I normally go. If the Walther’s catalog has a sale price they will honor it if you show it to them. If they don’t have what I’m looking for, I go to Schaffers or Checkered Flag in South County. Mark Twain Hobbies in Saint Charles is also a good place to shop, it’s just a pretty good drive for me.