Every train show or expo I go to; every model railroading magazine or article I read; every club I have belonged to; every model supplier I have talked to over the years have had 1 thing in common (aside from the usual insane obsession with anything on rails) … they all say “Support The Hobby, Support Your LHS.”
Especially the suppliers, who either prefer not to or outright refuse to deal with the general public directly. (Then again, who really does like dealing with the public …) Although this may not apply to everyone, most of us can not just walk up to the front door of a Ford or Chevy or [insert your favorite auto/truck manufacturer here] plant and buy a vehicle right off the assembly line either.
Supporting your Local Hobby Shop is all fine and good. I actually prefer a brick and mortar shop. To see and touch what I’m about to purchase.
I’m lucky to have a number of well stocked model railroad / hobby supply shops close to me. One is just down the street and 3 others between 15 to 25 minutes away if I drive incredibly slow. The hobby shop down the street is run by a somewhat grouchy fellow so only die hard model railroaders hang around there. The other 3 shops are run by friendlier folk - one is more your “consumer” Model Power / LifeLike “Tyco-ish” stuff; one is a scenery, plastics, loco and rolling stock detailing specialty warehouse; and one has a little of both.
I’ve stood at the counter and chewed the fat with every one of these LHS proprieters and have heard them complain over and over again about how big Mail Order places are “running them out of business.” After over almost 20 years of hearing this rant from the same shop owners, the Mail Order places are obviously taking their good ol’ time about forcing the shops out of business.
Quite honestly, I have to agree with Bapou here. It’s always been my understanding that the special sale prices extend only to those hobby shops acknowledged as participating in the sale and listed in the monthly Walthers sales flier mailing, not universally as Walthers dealers. My local hobby shop owner will tell you right up front that he does not participate and can’t get the item for you at the sales price without loosing out on his end. So it sounds to me like there must be some kind of deal between Walthers and the participating LHS owners when it comes to the “specials”…probably one where Walthers is getting the better end of the deal and the LHS a less than a fair share.
My LHS has always honored the Walthers price. I always order from the sales book prices, not the web site prices. I helped a friend, working in his hobby shop for a few months after I retired the first time, and he never knew the Walthers price untill the merchandise arrived at his shop. I was also amazed that he would occaisionally (SPELL CHECK PLEASE BERGIE!!) get a backorder that was over a year old!! One such backorder was for an expensive loco and the person who had ordered it had died! What should he have done - called the widow?! High volume businesses, such as Walthers, cannot confirm order prices on every order. I am sure if the LHS calls, they will get the correct price, but that is an additional cost added to the LHS small margin. Why don’t you try to be a little more understanding of the problems of running a business, large or small, today. Many LHS’s are one or two person operations, and paying the rent etc is about all they can manage. Your first line - “Local Hobby Shop Owners, Listen Up:” strikes me as a little less than friendly. Most of them are doing the best they can, and most of them are not perfect as some people apparently are!
You can also do better with price at your LHS if you pay with cash. It cost the LHS owner a percentage per month, to have Visa , Master Card, and American Express card. American express charges more then the other two card companies, so many stores will not carry American Express. I got 5% off just for paying with cash rather than charge card.
I usually dont participate in the Walthers Sales but once or twice I have ordered an item at a sale price. Usually, those is a little bit of a risk. I am given a date that the price will be honored. But after this date it will be whatever the MSRP is minus the usual discount (If any)
I have felt lucky to enjoy two good stores pulling from Walthers over the years and dont feel the need to rely on the sales flyer to get good prices.
Once in a while the website will have a item at a good price and I will order it from either store. The savings are usually consumed by the local sales taxes as to be really irrevelant. I am more concerned with “Discontinued items” or items due to be retired. I know of some Walthers Kits that I have been hunting for almost 10 years because they were retired before I got around to ordering a copy. There is always ebay for stuff like that. Or a good train show with vendors who have the kits to sell.
The rants about mail orders etc is not my problem. I think everyone who runs a store have certain thoughts about how to run thier business and it is none of my business. However I sometimes tease them with comments like come on up to my county where the sales tax is 1% versus the 10% levy. They would smile and say no way.
Doesn’t make make any difference here. The LHS operaters here prefer credit cards … mainly because they’re on programs where they’re getting a percentage back from Visa and Master Card when customers used them which offset their credit processing fees and they get some bonuses. Nobody here uses AmEx - because of the fee and because AmEx doesn’t always pay the store on a regular schedule.
Not only that AM-Ex I think demands the bill due and payable in full every month to card holders.
I like to use a bank card’s VISA system to force my bank to list each transaction by the name of the business where it took place. It also gathers points towards air miles that way. The Grocery Store prefers them because it is the fastest way to pay for the food. Checks and Cash takes too long.
I try to be cash only at the LHS, I think it costs them money for Credit Card Sales. Finally, some merchants in my area refuse to carry a credit card ternimal (Non-hobby businesses) because they get hammered with fees. Being cash only avoids the interest rates which I think is getting outrageous these days.
I have heard of some who plan to have cell-phones carry a barcode display that can literally be swiped across a point-of-sale laser and charged accordingly to the owner of that phone. Or even very short range radio type transmitters that talks to the card ternimal within a few feet as you walk out of the door with the product. The product yer carrying would be equipped with RFID’s also talking to the store’s computer and the total sale will be billed accordingly.
I imagine truck trailers loaded with this techonlogy will literally announce thier lading down to the number of razor blades per box should you be in range with the right equiptment on the freeway.
Nah - the LHS gets the correct price when they place their orders just like you or I get the correct price when we place an online order.
Understanding has its limits lvanhen. Perfection has nothing to do with it - this is a business transaction. Having this happen once, okay - benefit of the doubt prevails. Twice, okay - but maybe you (LHS) could make sure next time. But when an LHS continually says “sure, I can order that for that price” when you both look at it online at Walthers, but when it can’t, orders it in anyway, calls you to pick it up, and when you come in THEN tells you that the LHS couldn’t get it for the price and then pressures you to buy it with an attitude laced with “dude, you ordered it and even if I couldn’t get it for that price, I’m not obligated to do anything and you’re still responsible to buy it” … that’s a little less than customer-oriented as well. Each of my LHS’s have pulled this on me and others and they turn beet red when you shrug and say “Sorry, that’s not the price. I’m not buying it for that price.” That’s when they go into their “Mail Order Companies are Ruining Us” speeches.
I respectfully disagree about price checking every order. That shouldn’t be a problem at all with the available technology. Giving the sales clerk your order number ought to bring your order up on the screen and show the current price. My local grocery stores (even the small mom&pop) have no problem with price checking online at their registers, and each day they download new price software showing sales products, current updates, etc. If Walter’s cannot or will not do this, then they are sadly behind the times.
As to being less than friendly, well, I have had some very similar experiences with the local LHS in the pas
Wow, now THIS is the type of thread that reminds me why I read the forum! [bow]
However, I am learning to just keep my mouth shut about stuff. Sorry to disappoint. [;)]
Other than to say there is a little erroneous info on here.
It’s a problem that each shop has to deal with in it’s own way.
But, without posting a 3 page reply to some of this to adequately explain all the angles on this issue, I’m gonna leave it at this:
I doubt that any shopowner purposely sets out to mislead a customer. There is plenty of room on this deal for most shops to simply not have the info we need.
I believe participating in the sales offers me no benefit whatsoever.
I also believe if I say much more it falls into the category of biting the hand that feeds me.