In the last 30 years I have visited more hobby shops than I care to count. Some of these establishments had great stock, selection and service; others were memorable for other reasons. Below is a list of the different types of Hobby Shops I have had the pleasure (or not) of visiting, how many have you been too?:
The Professional Hobby Shop: This place is clean and well lit, the staff is knowlegeable and friendly, and the inventory is first rate! Not only do they have everything you need to get started in the hobby but they also have a wide selection of detail parts, scratch building supplies, structures, …just about anything you could possibly need. These establishments are first class but rare.
No Trains Hobby Shop: This place has automobile kits, RC kits, Military Kits, Airplane Kits, Ships galore but nothing for model railroaders!
Rolling Stock Only Shop: The place is full of rolling stock and engines, you need a car lettered for an obscure short line, this place will have it! To bad they have hardly any track, scenery supplies, structure kits, or all the other things you need to build a model railroad.
Sloppy Hobby: Poorly lit, dust all over the inventory, clutter everywhere, buckets in the aisles to collect rain water dripping through the ceiling, these shops would be great if they were not public health hazards.
The Grinch’s Hobby Shop: This establishment is run by a guy who hates people, especially children who are not allowed in his shop period! He hates customers who ask questions and don’t you dare ask to test run a locomotive before purchasing it! This establishment does most of its business by internet and mail order.
The Never Open Hobby Shop: This place may be located in a strip mall surrounded by stores with normal business hours but this shop is never found open. It does not matter what time you visit this place, be it 10 o’clock, noon, or 4
You forgot the Chain Store hobby shop where all the locations have the same three models of Bach locos and 300 peices of rolling stock in 3 different road names and 2 styles of cars. Not to mention the almost completely empty rack of Polly S (not Polly Scale) paint. And completed depleted shelves of WS scenry left over from their grand opening.
The RTR shop. No kits or parts. All the rolling stock, buildings, etc is RTR. Most of the stock is Lionel, but also has some HO and N.
The Low End Shop. Lots of Athearn, MDC, Atlas buildings, IHC, etc., but nothing that costs more. Trains seem to be sideline to the RC business.
The Craft Store. The main business is scrap books, flower arrangements, art supplies, etc. Trains are an after thought here. The mixture is odd. Lots of wood shapes, scribed siding, etc. but no plastic or metal parts. Some building and car kits but no locomotives. A couple of low end MRC packs and some Bachmann track, but no turnouts.
The Always-the-Same-Stock Hobby Shop. This place is a real godsend if you missed a limited run, because the owner bought merchandise that just won’t sell in his area and refuses to knock the price down. So the P2K GP-9s from 1997 are still there, gathering dust at full MSRP. So are the old Athearn BB kits that no one wanted. And all those “collectible” paint scheme cars. Plus the old structure kits that, nowdays, are just obsolete. Oh, sure, he’ll sometimes add a new item, but there’s just not that much room because of all the unsold stuff that fills his shelves.He’s positive that merchandise will sell someday, if the right buyer comes in. This rarely, if ever, happens, however.
The appointment-only hobby store closed about 2 months ago, and it was a sad occasion…it was worth making an appointment with the gentleman anytime. The not much stock hobby store that remains in town isn’t changing it’s ways. R/C’s and statics overrun the store and somebody could miss seeing the trains if they weren’t paying attention [:(]
I won’t mention names, but I am well aware of a “Sloppy Hobby” that goes well beyond that label. It is a very large trains only store, with literally sloppy piles of stuff - new and old production. Some of the many shelves are very neat, but there has always been a HUGE pile at the entrance of typically newly delivered merchandise.
The same store has a second trait that tends to keep me away. That is a super slow check out process. You have to be there to believe it.
The one that just seems to stick in my head is about 70 miles from where I live, It is a small LHS in a strip mall that we manage to stop by at when we go on vacation every year. The owner gives you a dirty look when you walk in, no “hellow” or can I halp you. There is never anyone in there when I stop by either, same stock he has had for the past 10 years, maybe a few new items. You don’t dare ask him for help either! He has a small store with little room to look around, because he has so much stuff in it stacked to the ceiling, but its clean. I have bought a few things from this shop over the years, and always stop by to have a look once a year. Well last summer he had a sale going on with some first generation Proto 2000 engines, $40 each, so I picked up 4 of them that I was inrested in and headed to the counter cash in hand. WOW! how nasty can one get? He gave me this big speech about I only stopping by once a year and not buying but $100 worth of items from him. My wife was with me and explained that we were on vacation, and always tried to stop by and look around and maybe buy something. The owner explained how people like me were going to put him out of business! I could not help it, but I blew my lid, he was ringing up the 4 P2k’s and I told him to forget it, I will take my money someplace else.
Now my favorite one is about 250 miles down the road, its a small LHS that has tons of train items in it, allot of it old items from the 70’s and 80’s, old stock brand new. He had allot of out of production buildings brand new at discount prices, $4 Athearn, MDC, and Branchline freight cars. Nice old fellow to, offers soda or a cup of coffe when you walk in, I can spend hours just looking around, might find something I don’t need.
Sounds grim, my experience is different. I live in the Kansas City area, on the Kansas side. A short trip over the interestate takes me to the “bottoms” in Kansas City MO where Doc’s Hobby Shop is located in a former wharehouse style building. He is stock is always good, not just trains, but the paint, supplies, etc. I usually go once a week, since I can also buy gasoline in Missouri cheaper than Kansas.
Then there is J & L in a town east of Kansas City MO. He used to be in the metro, but moved, and is far enough out now that I have to pack a lunch to visit, plus a lot of driving, traffic and gas consumption. So, I use his website, order from him and receive what I want through the mail. Added plus, I don’t have to pay Missouri sales tax. If I want something he doesn’t have, he gets it, and with diesels, I just have him install decoders before shipping. Again, good pricing, good service.
Then I use First Hobbies for mail order, lower prices, available product, and never have to spend any money on transportation.
Tommy Gilbert’s in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania falls into the Price Is High (Nothing under full MSRP) and Grinch Hobbies (He insults his customers). No one is ever in the sore. Amazing that he is still in business.
I go up to Mainline Hobbies in Blue Ridge, Pennsylvania. Brian and Bonnie are VERY nice and helpfull, and know the answer to your questions. Full stock of everything you need for model railroading. Small discount from retail, but they have to make a living too.
There is also the Mystery Hobby Shop. As in, it is a mystery how it survives since the prices are so high—or the address advertised is not based on the planet you are on( different universe?)—or the person behind the counter is so poor in the personal hygiene dept. that no one wants to go in there----
One of my favorites is a shop in south central WA state. Its about ten miles north of the tri cities and consists of three boxcars pushed togetr and against a fairly large building resembling a barn. They are organized for themselves as they do mostly mail order business,and promptly too I might add. BUT, they have anything and everything except maybe S-gauge and TT stuff. They always have a complete line of the Walthers stuff.
Here in Lewiston the local guy resembles some of the afore mentioned shops, clean but outdated stuff still at full MSRP or marked up(to cover freight). But like you say sometimes theres an unexpected find.
You forgot about the Hobbyshop that advertizes Railroad items. Then you walk in and dont find a blasted railroad item in the joint. " Oh we can Order it!!!" one says.
This one is like the Grinch shop. Ya go to pick up an item, The sticker tag is red marked out and the sales price is $1.00 dollar more that what the original sticker price was.
Places that we have to deal with in Ft.Wayne. That is why I take my business to Kokomo Indiana ( The Train Exchange) and down to Lafayette at Hawkins. Well Hawkins is Kind of like a old “Grinch”; But has a butt load of parts and alot of old New stock. Jack does warm up to you after a while thou… Kevin
You’ve forgot the unknown stock hobby shop. On thier website it says it has something in stock. When you walk into the store, and you tell them what you want, a worker says " we have to order it from our wharehouse".
By the way, my 2 favoritwe LHS’s are Marty’s hobbies and Allied’s Model Trains. My favorite online store is Model Train Stuff (M.B. Klien).
Then there is “Bubba’s Hobbies”.One can find these usually in the whoops and hollows off the beaten path…As you walk in a extremely large horse dog runs toward you with tail wagging,jumps up on you and looks you in the eye as he/she gives you a big welcome kiss.[xx(]
Ask “bubba” where do you keep your N Scale track?
Over yonder he points as he watches a 14" TV…
Huh,“Bubba” this track as 3 different price tags…Which is the correct price?
Again without looking up"whatever’s on it".I don’t charge new prices for my old stock…
Ok “Bubba” I ready to check out…
With a deep sign he leaves the TV and rings up the sale with a low mumble “Thanks!” as he trodes back to the TV…
In your car you realize your purchases smells like dog pooh–no wait! That’s your shoe[:O].
I don’t know what part of Central Illinois you’re in but there is a shop in Peoria, on Sterling Ave. I visit every year or every other year when I get to town. Prices are usually close to retail but I always found them to be freindly and helpful, they seemed to be well stocked and they have a discount bin too. Nice wide aisles and the store is clean. Even though I am close to 800 miles away now I think I have purchased several items on each trip and talked Rock Island history with the folks there.
I’m fortunate I have a decent choice of shops here in central North Carolina. Some do better than others in each of the mentioned areas but I have never encountered anyone rude like you mentioned, they can’t continue long like that.
The Grinch’s Hobby Shop: This establishment is run by a guy who hates people, especially children who are not allowed in his shop period! He hates customers who ask questions and don’t you dare ask to test run a locomotive before purchasing it! This establishment does most of its business by internet and mail order.
Actually the few on line hobby shops owners/employees I have talk to by phone seem to be nicer then the owners/employees of some of the hobby shops I been in…
The hobby shop that i go to is quite nice. They are all profesional (not much n scale buildings) and very,very friendly. But thats not to say i have not been to others. One hobby shop seems never seems to get new invintory. All go in after 5 months, nothing new. I have also been to hobby shops who will not even talk to you. But most of all, i did not like the store that opened at 12 and closed at 3. But thats not to say we dont have favorites. One hobby shop in particular, was the best. The Guy who owned it was always around, knew your name when you walked in, a little messy but you knew where to find things. Always had good prices, great selection, and if he did not have it, he would order it free for you. It’s sad to say but that place closed down about a year ago. We need more hobby shops like that.
Scott, the best hobby shop ever was Bobby Halls in Dallas. This lady new trains, she even helped design brass engines. This place was small, the lighting could have been better. The shelves were packed and she even gave away free little kit vehicles w/purchase i got a few 1940 ford coupe kits still unbuilt. She isn’t with us anymore but she was a great lady/shop owner.