Can Anyone Recommend a GREAT.............

Ok, this is a rant that is sorta FRISCO Related,

Can anyone recommend a really great hobby shop that does cater to thier customers needs? Lemme spell this out for ya. Due to the current situation our economy is in, I like to what you might call Garage sale shop. I like to find the stuff that is on clearance, or just plain ole' on sale. I went to my local hobby shop and was speaking with one of the CS persons there about what my plans were for my layout. As soon as I mentioned that I was a FRISCO modeler, another guy "working there" informed me that FRISCO was a dirty word at their shop because I am in SP/UP country. I blew that off and continued my conversation, then I mentioned that I found several great deals on EBAY, and the old fat guy blew his stack and in a round about way, told me to go shop on ebay and I could just get out of his store, plus if something went wrong with my item I could send it back to EBAY to have it fixed. Needless to say, the, atleast $100 dollars USD worth of items I had in my hands were put back and I DID leave, got in my truck and headed directly to HOBBYTOWN USA, where I spent less money but got items I wanted, and they were very eager to help, how ever they dont carry a whole lot of FRISCO items, nor do they do alot of special orders. I know that nobody agrees with everything entirely that their local hobby shop does, but when they are mostly 100% satisfied, they continue to go back. But to get ordered out of a store because I shop on EBAY? C"mon now....this guy acted as if I had just robbed the place by not spending my money at his place and only his place. So I am in search of a new hobby store that dont mind placing an order to fit my coonskin needs. Any suggestions in this department? One thing I did like about the experience was that another of the shop employees has a brass FRISCO 4-4-0 that he called an asked me if I still wanted. It needs repair which he is going to do on it before he lets me have it, but, hey....atleast he was still eager to sell it to me. He also did alot of work on my 4500 and it now runs like a dream! But I am still reluctant to go back.

 

In half the shops I ever went in, there was always some @%#&#%& guy in there with an attitude. I've been a model railroader and railfan in spite of $#%#heads like that! Those "guys" (whether a clerk, owner or just a loafer) always treated kids in a hobby shop even worse! And "rooting" for a railroad like a ball team is extremely silly! For every really good shop there's a dozen with the "attitude."

Tom

(Edit) PS: Some good hobby shops have come and gone, but a great (BIG) one that's operating today is Discount Model Trains in Addison Texas (Dallas suburb)! Also, any hobby shop should be glad to order anything you want--any scale, any road name.

 

I agree with Tom. Hobby shops have an advantage over the online train stores that are taking them over in the fact that you can go in and talk to a person face to face. You'd think they would be polite about it!

 

I buy most of my model railroading supplies from Show-Me Model Railroad Company, 810 Main St, Grandview, MO. Highly recommended.

(816) 966-1534. Ask for Charlie (owner) or George.

They're good people to do business with, and given Frisco's presence in the KC area they stock quite a bit of Frisco equipment in both HO and N scales. (An example: Blair Line's SLSF "Grandview Depot" was built and marketed for them.)

 

Will:
When you go into your local Hobby shop you need to use a little common sense for a lack of a better term. You really shouldn't bring up what you bought somewhere else regardless if you bought it at eBay or another Hobby Shop. It is just a little insulting and rude to the shop owner and staff. I agree they probably made a mistake in the way they handled the situation and I wouldn't doubt it was the first time they had heard such a statement. That is just my opinion I could be wrong.
Bob Wintle
Parsons, Ks.

 

I can't speak for anyone except myself, but I would NEVER go to a hobby shop and brag about finding "deals" on eBay. To me it is just plain rude and insulting. I am sure the hobby shop guys have a tough time competing in today's rough economy without having to be reminded of the online competition from auction sites like eBay. I don't blame them for getting upset. BUT, the crap about being in SP/UP country and Frisco being a "dirty" word was just dumb, maybe they were just trying to stick up for their favored railroad. Anyway, a word to the wise, "when in Rome do as the Romans do"

 

I miss Dave's Hobbies and Collectibles in Downtown Van Buren,AR. They actually would sit down and talk with me and my parents. They were really nice people. They actually wanted to know if I knew of other places to buy trains so they could add to their inventory and they checked ebay too for some more stuff for either their layout or their store. It was the best hobby shop I have ever been to. I went in one day to spend some money I got for my B-day and the owners daughter asked where I got all my money I told her where and then she walked into the back room and came back with a Blair Line Mopac Freight House sign kit and said "Happy Birthday then Murphy." They were great people. The yshop also had railroad items like lanterns, hats, pins, and tons of old railroad papers. I noticed after a while they began to give me discounts too. They would take off about $2.00 off everything. Unforchanetly the store closed a few years back and they were going to move it to Mulberry,AR, but due to the owners wife having health conditions they never reopened. I hope they are doing good I haven't heard from them in two years or so. Hopefully you will find a new hobby shop. I'm limited to Hobbytown too. I also g oto this little place off the interstate in Fayyettville,AR. A bit a drive though so I only go when were going places up there. And there is no reason to be so defensive of your favorite railroad, especially if you never even insulted their favorites. BTW I still check ebay. Every now and then you will find a good buy and now a lot of hobby shops have ebay accounts as well.
Be specific ship Union Pacific!!! jk
Ship it on the Frisco!!!


Murphy Jenkins

 

Well, I have been to a few different hobby shops in my area. I'll start with the one I go to the most, Hobby World. Out of all the hobby shops, I go here the most, because I end up in Joplin the most. They have a fairly good selection of HO and N with a little bit of O scale and sometimes G scale. As for people I'm not sure because I'm not in there Frequently, basically There is always some one different working in there. And most of them don't really do much the the trains, about 90% of the employees there were that RC stuff. But I went in there Saturday and there was one guy that was a MRR, and I think there was a second guy, but I'm not sure. But 3 years ago there was a really nice guy that gave me a good discount once.
Now Great Trains in Pittsburg is owned by one (or two) guys. It's a small shop, not much in stuck, but you can order anything out of the Walthers Catalog. I have been there a few times and Steve (it may be Scott, I can't remember right now) Gardner and his Father are always in there, and they are really nice people. I think there is one in Ft. Scott, but I'm not 100% because I've never been there. Also I have been to Trainland in Springfield. they have an excellent selection, and the owner/guy that works there is really nice as well.

But Texas is a ways from Missouri though.

 

You must be refering to Tinkertown? Used them for many years, started out riding my bike from R.H. over to Clayton. Boy, that dates me! Then there was Vick Scheel, he lived at the bottom of my street. Not too many " good old" hobby masters around any more. I though Val Dasho was going to be great, but he let the world get over on him.
Dan

 

I completely appreciate the input here guys, and I agree I might have made a mistake mentioning EBAY, but i think my biggest gripe was the fact that the guy was insulted by the mention of the word "FRISCO". I had been going to that particular hobby shop for about 2 years for all my stuff to get a really good start on my layout, even taking in a general sketch of my trackplan, and the guys I work with the most knew pretty much where I was going with the layout. It is just this one guy, who everytime I go in, acts as though I have no right being a part of his hobby, which is the impression I get. I know he got angry because I was also spending alot of money in the shop but wasn't interested at the time in donating to move a SP Steamer and help restore it. If it had been a FRISCO Steamer, I woulda been interested in doing something, but I am more of a FRISCO fan that I am a fan of the SP. As many of you may know, I was an employee of several Railroads over the years and I was in the last class hired by the SP as a conductor before the UP took it over. I am just disgruntled by the treatment everytime I go into the HS I go to. I would rather be greeted with a smile and a helpful attitude rather than a hateful "What Do You Want" attitude. I Model for my enjoyment, and my way is different than others, as is all our railroads are unique, but I will not do it the way someone else says it has to be done. Once I was told I had to go DCC by this same guy, and was ignored when I responded that I was going to continue with DC for now, It has to do with budget, not desire. I would love to be able to back 2 locomotives together on the same track without having to chase them down, but for now, this is my first Layout of any substancial size, and I just wanna enjoy it, and nothing more. I dont wanna someone else running my railroad, and I dont want someone else ruining my fun in the comfort of my own home. One other thing about me on a personal level, I tell things the way I see them, I have come a long way in turning into who I am today, not the little kid I was when I first got introduced to the realism of the hobby. And that is also important to me. If I am gonna put money into something, I want someone who is happy to see me in their shop, regardless of what Railroad I model.

 

I travel a lot in my job, and I have been in hobby shops in at least 10 states in the last couple years. I can only think of one bad experience in all that time. I assume the guy was having a bad day, and will give him another chance when I am in the area.

FWIW, there is a great train store in Marion, IL. I think is was Dan's Depot. Not that you will ever get to Marion, IL.

Caboose Hobbies in Denver is a top shop.

There was also a really good shop in the Salt Lake area, but I can't remember which suburb it was, but somewhere on the South side. I will be out there sometime in the next couple months, and see if I can find it again.

Kent in KC

 

been there and it is a good shop..big... also been to Sunset in the same city and another good one is A.B. Charles in Pittsburgh but the best one is your local shop. Do what you have to to get on good terms with them. Get to know the guys and be friends. It's great. And the 40% off Walthers sale items? Well thats like getting stuff for free and ebay cant beat that. Support your local business..Wal-Mart doesn't

 

I agree with Wes about show me in Grandview, those guys are great. I tend to go to Doc's caboose when I need stuff quickly simply because it is around the corner and the people are nice. J&L out east of KC is a bit of a drive, but he really has some stuff at prices comparable to the internet sites, and is super friendly at the same time.

In all honesty though I buy most of my stuff from wholesaletrains.com. They are typically waaaay cheaper than any normal hobby shop even with shipping factored in, and they have a pretty good selection (although they definitely don't have everything). I would love to support my hobby stores more than I do, but when I can get a unit at wholesale trains for $60 plus shipping instead of $100 here locally it's a no brainer.

 

I agree with MFreix that spending $60 versus $100 is a no-brainer. However, in my experience the variation has not been that great. There's a tremendous value-added to having a local hobby shop to browse in, get information from, and find the products you want to take home that day. I calculated once that, over the course of a year, I ended-up paying $200 more for shopping at train stores that I could visit. It's a small price to pay to keep the places open.

My stores of choice are Doc's Caboose in KC, AA Hobbies in Warwick, RI (I call this place the Caboose Hobbies of the east), Just Trains in Concord, California, and Discount Trains in Addison, Texas. Interestingly, all four will take e-mail orders -- which is a sage move on their part. BTW, you can tell where my grandkids live from the shop locations.

Jim
Claremore, OK

 

Love the avatar Jim. Makes me want to go there ........ mmmmmmmmmm BBQ

 

I agree about shipping to a point, but I tend to wait and buy in large lots, which keeps shipping prices down. If you are buying 1 or 2 items at a time shipping could kill ya. And my 60 vs 100 example was an SD50 at Doc's for 108ish compared to 54 to 70 at wholesale trains. I love Doc's, but unless it's an engine I can't find elsewhere, my business stays online. I'll buy rolling stock at the stores, but motive power isn't that easy for me to do.

As a person who ran a business for the past 8 years I wish these stores would realize in this day and age service alone won't help (and the service isn't that amazing all the time). They need to get their prices down and find their point of equilibrium when it comes to pricing so more people are buying. With all the internet stores you can't expect me to buy at MSRP.