Survey regarding Online Model Railroad Shopping


Just babbling. I always tried to support the local hobby stores. When I got to Denver in 1983 there were 10 train specific stores, and at least 10 more general hobby stores. This was actually down from the 1960s where there were about 20 train specific stores.

Anyway as time progressed we lost them one at a time and were down to Caboose Hobbies and Mizzells. Mizells seemed to collect all the former employees/owners of the stores that had gone away. But every time I went in there and was browsing around the old codger guys would hide at the end of the rows and watch as if I was going to steal every thing they owned. It really creeped me out. I finally gave up going there when I ran over to get some HO spikes. When I couldn't find them I finally asked one of the creepers and he said with a snort of disapproval, "Well, no body hand lays track anymore."

Caboose Hobbies was never so snooty, but in the 1980s at the Broadway location the shelves were stocked to the ceiling, they doubled the size of the store, and again so it was 3x its original. They had every Athearn car in stock number order so you could walk right up to it. Through the years the shelves weren't stacked so high. The little hangers began to be empty. Then one could actually see the shelves themselves as there wasn't enough product to cover them. I finally gave up on Caboose Hobbies when I went in looking for some rather mundane things (not like the track spikes). As I gave up looking for each item and started asking, they had NOTHING in stock. Every item the answer was "we can order it" and have it here in 1-2 weeks. Really? I want it now! I can order it and have it show up at home in 3-5 days.

So went the hobby stores in Denver. A few years after the original Caboose Hobbies closed, a CABOOSE store started. They had a fairly well stocked store, but they wanted full retail plus several items were marked up higher than that. Plus they left their central location and went way west to a place that was pretty hard to reach. I only bought a few things from them. One because of the high price, but by then I just wasn't willing to drive all the way over to the west side.
 
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Willie: Give your post carrier a nice gift and ask him if he could deliver packages to your door. I know our carrier brings my RR stuff to our front porch to keep it high and dry. He's a great guy and a Christmas gift in an envelope seems to help.

Greg
She would do that if the mailbox was in front of the house, but at 1.25 miles away it ain't gonna happen. The road that the mailboxes are on is not even the road that I live on, and there are no street signs out here in the boonies. But, I digress.
 
I do mostly online anymore. Sunset Junction in Spokane closed sometime last summer. There is new(er) one out in Spo Valley, found that and went. Being a new store there was not much stock. Will have to try again before I go back on the road for the summer. There is a hobby store on North Monroe ( Bill's Hobby, I think ) has some train stuff, but mostly RC. PS&F just north of Pasco used to have a huge selection although I have not been there for a few years. Usually when I need small stuff, I send them an email and get their price and order if reasonable. Kalispell had two MRR stores, one moved to mostly RC and bikes, unsure about the other as I don't think it is in the same location.

So it all boils down to eBay for the most part; train shows that are within 300 miles when I can. Sometimes there will be stuff on CL, they usually want gold for it though. I find them when on the road and if we are doing a 34, rental or Uber to check it out. I have even tried to bobtail to a couple, should have seen their eyes raise when an almost 20K Lb tractor parallel parked out on the street. Trailer is out of the question as there just is no place to park 70ft.

As a side note, we are hoping to get near NYC to visit ground zero and the new trade center some time this summer. Train World in Manhattan will probably get most of my money when I get to walk in to it.
 
And I forgot, j-prantle took over one of the double garages for ebay stuff. Stuff that didn't sell or wasn't worth the time would end up in a big box that you could pick through. Got lots of little stuff, and pieces that I thought I could use. Don't know if he still does that or not.
 
And I forgot, j-prantle took over one of the double garages for ebay stuff. Stuff that didn't sell or wasn't worth the time would end up in a big box that you could pick through. Got lots of little stuff, and pieces that I thought I could use. Don't know if he still does that or not.
OH! you saying j-prantle, I sent them an email about some stuff, haven't heard back yet, may send another email
 
I do mostly online anymore. Sunset Junction in Spokane closed sometime last summer. There is new(er) one out in Spo Valley, found that and went. Being a new store there was not much stock. Will have to try again before I go back on the road for the summer. There is a hobby store on North Monroe ( Bill's Hobby, I think ) has some train stuff, but mostly RC. PS&F just north of Pasco used to have a huge selection although I have not been there for a few years. Usually when I need small stuff, I send them an email and get their price and order if reasonable. Kalispell had two MRR stores, one moved to mostly RC and bikes, unsure about the other as I don't think it is in the same location.
My dad has been to PF&S recently and they have lots of used stuff too. I Haven't been to Bill's yet but have made it to Spo Valley had a good conversation with the owner a while back.
 
I haven't been to a model railroad store in years! I either buy stuff at train shows or online from MB Klein, MicroMark, Amazon and eBay
 



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