Personally, I’m noticing less kits and more RTR with much higher prices.
Fortunately, my LHS has improved their selection of about everything, but mostly scenic materials and basic tools/necessities. Of course, that is good because that’s about all I use it for, as everything else I need is rare and needs to be mail ordered. So I have not paid much attention to the RTR stuff, though there does seem to be more. Prices on everything seem to be about the same, increased a little for inflation, of course.
My LHS seems to be on the leading edge of local retailing in the hobby. Its entirely devoted to model railroading, in several gauges with 3 different scale layouts to both test and display merchandise. Also they advertise on TV in preference to local print media.
Their selection of kit rollingstock is very limited, none at all outside of HO. Mainly ‘blue box’ type kits which aren’t kits at all. They carry a wider selection of structure kits, virtually all HO, and scratchbuilding supplies.
Their pricing is right out of the Walthers catalog. Not competitive at all for tools or painting supplies. Big ticket items are much cheaper on the net even considering shipping.
In sum, I’d say they are typical of trends in LHS’, the large internet names are taking their high ticket sales and the larger manufacturers are selling direct to the enduser leaving the LHS as a dying breed.
Randy
Mine has gotten better. In fact, two or three years ago they moved to a new locaction (actually, they only moved to the other end the same same building) that is about twice as big as their old location, and their selection has improved greatly since then.
A few years ago, my LHS expanded to include the building next door. It is much larger, but the selection of products I would buy is very slim and what is there is at MSRP. Very discouraging to buy from them.
My local hobby shop has stayed the same. There’s always something he has that I want. UGH!!!
I can’t fault him on the selection he has. He has two shelves dedicated to Athearn Blue boxes measuring 6’X4’. He also keeps a decent selection of Athearn, Accurail, Roundhouse & Walthers RTR.
He has a good selection of Athearn, Atlas, Proto & Kato locomotives in stock, usually in the Canadian roads.
If there is something I want, he gets it for me.
Gordon
The LHS in my area has gone from hobby store to craft store, with very little in the line of any hobby items, but a large slection of scrapebooking. Leaving me to look online and buying from larger stories when on holidays.
I’m not in a position to vote. I’ve noticed that some hobby shops cater to the R/C crowd, others to the model railroad groups. Either way, it seems that there are too few hobby shops in my local area. The closest one to me mainly deals in N-scale, although he does have some HO and some O scale. The next closest one seems to have a large selection of HO but little in the way of O or N.
Nonetheless, I still prefer the closer hobby shop. The owner doesn’t make you feel like an idiot when you ask a question. It’s run by one person, he does all the sales, the ordering, and the repairs and installations. In between times, he sometimes gets to run his trains on the layout in the basement of his shop (it’s also the home of our club).
I think that the people who run hobby shops for the love of the hobby and the wi***o extend that hobby to other people are much happier than the ones who are in it for the money. Happier, but not necessarily richer in finances.
Mine is getting better
There’s only one shop out of five left in Tucson, Arizona, and their stock has dropped significantly in the HO area. They seem to prefer Lionel. I attended a train swap meet in Tucson this past Saturday, and the vast majority of items there was also Lionel O Scale. I don’t know if this is unique to Tucson, but Lionel seems to be gaining in popularity.
Product selection and price have both gone up, so far as I have seen–but product selection has gone WAY up, and prices only in proportion to inflation, so overall I’d say things are getting better.
I think my LHS is getting out of S scale not that he ever had much. I do most of my buying at the Great Scale Model Train Show in Timonium MD and mail order. Next show this coming weekend (24/25Jan).
Enjoy
Paul
I’m not voting because I don’t have one LHS, I have two.
Though the selection is the same the quality is improving on some product lines. It’s the price which is disconcerting. Realizing the economics of supply and demand and the market will bear what the consumer is willing to spend. prices are becoming prohibitive. At the rate the prices are climbing, the industry won’t be able to sustain it’s self and will eventually crash because no one will be able to buy anything. It will be like going back to the early years where people made their own rolling stock and accessories.
Did I hear some smiles crack in the far off distance?
Mine is catering to a rather small town, but it does a better job in train stuff than you’d expect, considdering that there is more money in RC cars. What it doesn’t have, it’ll get as soon as it can. I can say I’m happy with it. Sometimes though I like to head into the big city 120 miles away to a shop that has lots more.
I think that the fact that selection is declining reflects to some degree what’s available to the shops, like this whole move towards RTR. Dan
One big one missing - Going Out of Business Sale.
I live in the DFW metroplex and have shopped many different hobby shops over the years. Most have closed–Bobbye Hall’s and Phil’s to name just two. However, the best of all just seems to get better, Discount Model Trains in Addison. They have great service and selection, the best prices, and will go out of their way to try to get a product for you. And below MSRP!!
I feel like “Norm” from “Cheers” when I walk in!!!
Truly a 4 star establishment!!!
Bobbye Hall’s is a great loss. I liked the place so much, I actually went into the neighborhood where the store was, and that’s saying a lot if you know what it was like around there!
And the one in Addison was solid, too, so it’s good to see the place getting better.
I also noted the fact that 4 places in Tucson have closed since I lived there. (Help me out: Is the place from California that advertises in MR called “Arizona Trains” the same one that used to be in Tucson?) That’s really unfortunate.
The two Denver area stores I most visit are doing fine, and a new Hobbytown USA has opened with an owner who has enough space (and awareness) to offer a fairly wide vareity of train stuff, including tools I can actually use.
Still, it’s true that too many stores are closing. I guess that’s what happens when we strating using the internet because of the discounts. It’s like the small shops that close when Wal-Mart comes into the area: we go to the Wal-Mart because it’s cheaper but feel bad for the smalls hop anyway.
[#ditto] The one variation is that I’ve noticed the prices are higher since my LHS moved to bigger quarters. Guess the owner has to absorb the cost of the move and higher lease payments. The selection has grown in respect to locomotives, but structures have taken a hit–he just doesn’t seem to have as many as he did previously.
LHS has either remained the same, IOW no major trend changes or expansion beyond what is new everywhere else. ( I guess theres no risk if theres no expansion.)
-or-
LHS gone belly up and floated down river to a sad and lonely grave.
I am still amazed that I live in an area as large as Southern Califorina and I can still count off the hobby shops for trains without having to take of my shoes.
This area can be devistatingly hard on a new hobby shop. Kids dont care for trains or even R/C that much anymore. They just want to play " Doom Simpson’s Head Splattering Death Soldiers" on there Sony Playstations or sit in front of the Idiot box watching “gangsta-rap” on MTV while sucking down Supersized fatburgers and “turbochug” sized cola’s.
Its been my experience that at age 40, I’m almost considered a newbie kid in this hobby. When I was younger I wasnt taken seriously at all by the LHS I frequented then, since folded, and I still feel that is a continuing problem at many LHS’s that when kids come in to buy that $15 Life Like bottom dweller engine that the store employee will “dismiss” this kid as “unworthy” of further interest, hence they will not offer advice to him that might help him to grow in the hobby. I have experienced this first hand when I was younger. If your not doing a room-sized finescale prototype pike like they are then your not “worthy” of our expertice and your not encouraged to ask advice or your simply ignored.
I dont know if this has happened to others out there but as a teen it was very discouraging and it took me until my late 20’s to get rekindled in the hobby, but even then I was and still am a “Lone Wolf” modeler, I dont talk about things at some hobby shops as not to risk kicking the dragon. I have found a couple of shops that I am comfortable asking questions but I still have stepped on a few tails simply by asking the wrong questions, like "I’m looking for Product ‘X’ " at a store that doesnt carry Product X,