Last trip to LHS and I am not moving.


I have made my last trip to either of the local hobby shops. I am not moving to a city that has a decent one. I buy some online and buy and sell on ebay. I will now be doing everything online or ebaying.

If any of you own a LHS I would be interested in dealing with you rather than just hunting on the net. Sometimes you just need to ask dumb questions or have the personal touch.

I am not rich by any means, however several times I want something fixed or parts that are not easy to get. Shipping an item back and forth to get that 50 cent part fixed and paying you for your time to do it wouldnt be a big deal. I could buy my other items I need and you could ship it.

I am tired of hearing that something is junk or isnt worth fixing. Or that we dont fool with that anymore or it isnt worth us getting it when I offer to pay extra for the time as well as the parts.

I would rather deal with someone here if there is someone because you all seem so helpful.

Are you the person I am looking for?

Email me: Handy35352001@yahoo.com

Thanks, Tom
 
I can't help you, but it might be helpful if you could state what scale you are into, and what sort of repairs you are looking for on what sort of equipment. Your request is way too broad. For instance, if you are into Lionel O scale, then parts are probably available to make repairs. But if you have some old HO scale models that are no longer produced, things would be a lot more difficult.
 
HO is what I model. Dad is interested in digging out his old Lionel.

See my post from last nite about identifing the locos.

I took them to my LHS who has the experience and knowledge and is a major contributor to the local club.

I wanted some couplers, some of them need air horns, I was going to replace the driver bands and a headlight.

He doesnt have any of those parts and it isnt worth the time to get them. It wasnt worth $20 up front to see what he could find. I also took several engines that arent pictured.
 
Sorry sometimes I guess I should relax before posting.

I was going to get 3 or 4 bottles of paint and some thinner but forget it.
 
I don't handle repairs, but I will certainly order parts for you if they are available to me. If you can identify part numbers, I can find out pretty quickly whether or not I can order them. Trying to identify parts on older locos is extremely difficult though, since most of them aren't made anymore and documentation is scarce.

The LHS guys do have a valid point in that some cases it costs more to buy the missing parts and/or pay for repair work than it would to buy a whole new loco. However, if the item has sentimental value, it might be worth it. Where there is a will, there is usually a way.

I do have one contact for Lionel parts and possibly repair. When you get to that point, send me a PM. :)
 
Nate is right about the price of parts and repairs. If the loco is an expensive or rare collectors peice than by all means fix away.But as for cheaper locos you can buy them very cheap used on ebay.You can probably buy a complete loco there for parts at a lesser price than buying one part from your LHS.I too know how frustrating it is trying to find things you need locally. I have one really good hobby store near within a hour of me. Two others that are ok. But the prices are ridiculuos at all of them. I now only buy what I have to there and buy the rest on line. I usually end up paying about half of what I do if I buy here. Ron
 
I wont bore you with the time after time guess we all go thru it at some point.

Anyways, Nate

My big investment this trip was for driver bands for the 5 AHM Tempo F-7As and for 2 Rivarossi F8/9s.

Also if you look at the picts in the other post refered to above I need some airhorns for the ones missing.

Email me if any of those are available if you want.

I thought I would do that much before I ebayed them so I could say they would pull a car around the track.

Thanks
 
Also if you look at the picts in the other post refered to above I need some airhorns for the ones missing.

Email me if any of those are available if you want.

Are they single horns? If so, the closest I can come are horn castings from Cary Locomotive Works (Bowser). They're $1.40 per set of two, but they'll be undecorated.

13-405S.jpg

#13-405 CARY AIR HORNS F & E UNITS (2) $1.40
 
Nate,
2 sets of those would work. Let me know if you have any luck on the driver bands. If I email you on your site are you the one that gets it?
Thanks, Tom
 
My big investment this trip was for driver bands for the 5 AHM Tempo F-7As and for 2 Rivarossi F8/9s.

Also if you look at the picts in the other post refered to above I need some airhorns for the ones missing.


What do you mean by "driver bands"? Drive belts or traction tires?

For the most part the engines shown in your other post are inexpensive models from a long time ago, AHM and the like. They are no longer in production and/or parts were probably never really available for them in any case. So being disenchanted with your LHS because parts are not readily available isn't really fair to them because they probably couldn't get them if they wanted to.

Since you've indicated you want to replace these parts so you can offer the models for auction on eBay, I don't think any effort would improve their value due to their being low end models. Do a check on eBay for AHM C-Liners and see if there are any offered, and the prices they are getting. You can check for completed auctions.

I doubt if the CP F-7 is an Athearn model, probably the other one isn't either. Probably another inexpensive AHM, Cox model or similar.

Good luck!
 
Thanks Bob. The CP is the cheap AHM and has a different shell. And traction tires would be the term I didnt know what they were called and should have looked it up.

I now know they may be low end. I can and have learned already by fixing them up a bit. No I wont make a bunch. However, if I put "old swapped out junk engine with broke horns and couplers and oh by they way has no traction tires" I know I wont get a thing.

I dont blame the LHS for the lack of parts or inavailablity. It is the attitude. LHS's seem to complain about Ebay, Online and Walmarts as well as their lack of dicsounts. I can appreciate that myself. I personally think their last front is service. He offers repairs and servicing units and then doesnt so the attitude of even putting forth an effort.

I own a 2 man handyman business and we are undercut everyday buy the guy with the pickup truck that charges 20 bucks to fix something. We counter that by showing up on time with the right tools and the smile and knowledge to get things fixed.

This LHS is not just a place I poke around in. In the past 2 yrs I have purchased 150 pieces of flex track, 150 pieces of cork and my top end Digitrax dcc system as well as half his paint rack and most of his used rolling stock. Admittedly that isnt alot but isnt like he doesnt know me and that I will spend money. I could site a dozen times this kind of thing has happened at either of the stores here.
 
If any of you own a LHS I would be interested in dealing with you rather than just hunting on the net. Sometimes you just need to ask dumb questions or have the personal touch...

...I am tired of hearing that something is junk or isnt worth fixing. Or that we dont fool with that anymore or it isnt worth us getting it when I offer to pay extra for the time as well as the parts.

Thanks, Tom

Tom;

I do know how you feel. I've gone into hobbyshops that have tried to tell me that brass detail parts were no longer made, as every loco that was once made in brass is now made in plastic!

Making a model that you may sell slightly better is no sin either. I still have the first model car I ever built, a Silver Streak SRR Dbldoor Auto car that several years ago I went to buy several parts for to get it running again. I had several other customers and the owner tell me it wasn't worth it, (the same owner who said they didn't make brass parts anymore). This shop is fortunately closed! I got the parts from a competitor and rebuilt the model.

Just a little story.

Now for the traction tires and other parts for AHM, contact Golf Manor Hobbies in Cincinnati, OH. The have the largest AHM parts selection in the US. You'll probably pay a little more, but they are familiar with the product enough, that if you say I have three Tempo FM C-Liners I need traction tires for, they'll say how many?

Here's their website:
http://www.golfmanorhobbies.com/
 
That's the way I look at it. Vote with your wallet. I'm tired of threads with holier than thou posts guilttripping and admonishing people for shopping online when hobby shops are closing. No I don't feel it's my duty as a consumer to take it on the chin for somebody else's inadequate business practices. Oh but he's got a family he needs to support...well then he can be the one to tell his kids they're starving because daddy is an imbicile.

It's time for the model railroad hobby to put the onus on shop owners to sell what the customers want, not for hobbyists to be at the mercy of your local shop owners' goofball hours, woeful lack of inventory, or just plain laziness. Stuff like that is exactly why I don't shop at too many local hobby shops.

Business has changed for many retail companies. Nowadays you're not just competing with that guy onm the other side of the street anymore you're competing with that guy on the other side of the world and if you can't do it he can and will and will gladly take every penny for it.
 
Hey all!!! Just an update on my dilema. I needed some horns to fix up some junk engines to list on ebay.
I used Susquehanna Hobbies www.sushob.com and was very pleased with his attitude, response time, knowledge and delivery of the product.
I have order 100 pairs of trucks and some other items. One because of his response time and the other because he has better items than the LHS chooses to carry or order. Will let you know how that goes. Thanks Nate.

Good Luck all, Tom
 
Hey Tom,

The trucks were shipped to me today so I should have them ready to go tomorrow evening :)
 
That's the way I look at it. Vote with your wallet. I'm tired of threads with holier than thou posts guilttripping and admonishing people for shopping online when hobby shops are closing. No I don't feel it's my duty as a consumer to take it on the chin for somebody else's inadequate business practices. Oh but he's got a family he needs to support...well then he can be the one to tell his kids they're starving because daddy is an imbicile.

It's time for the model railroad hobby to put the onus on shop owners to sell what the customers want, not for hobbyists to be at the mercy of your local shop owners' goofball hours, woeful lack of inventory, or just plain laziness. Stuff like that is exactly why I don't shop at too many local hobby shops.

Business has changed for many retail companies. Nowadays you're not just competing with that guy onm the other side of the street anymore you're competing with that guy on the other side of the world and if you can't do it he can and will and will gladly take every penny for it.

YIKES! That's calling the kettle, black. Don't you know that you are suppose to hee-haw around this subject.;) :D
(I agree...just hesitant about starting a war)
 



Back
Top