Unusual trend in sales.

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Will_annand

Will_annand

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I am part owner in Muskoka Computes and Hobbies, a small retail shop in Central Ontario. We also run an online model rail shop, www.muskokacomputes.com

We have been looking at sales over the last year.....

Sales at the shop have been steady.

As for online:
Sales from the USA have dried up, while worldwide sales have almost doubled.

This lends more fuel to the statements made by European and Australian news agencies... "The US economy has failed and it is doubtful it will recover to a level even close to its former stature".

Is it that bad in the US?
 
Will_annand said:
This lends more fuel to the statements made by European and Australian news agencies... "The US economy has failed and it is doubtful it will recover to a level even close to its former stature".

Is it that bad in the US?
Click to expand...
Yep. It's that bad. Many of the politicians have had their heads buried in the sand the last couple of years but are now waking up and smelling the coffee. Some are even abandoning the Obama administration. This is a time when the government should be downsizing and cutting money wasting programs. Instead it's getting bigger and bigger and money is being spent foolishly on programs that aren't going to help anyone.
 
Well I'm feeling it up here as the majority of my sales head south of the line.
I had to let two cabeese meet there destiny with Mr. Torch last week... broke my heart but what are you going to do?
Anyone looking for leftover parts?
 


Ya it's still bad here, people are still out of work, their homes are getting foreclosed, etc.

I am lucky, I'm in the computer industry which is one of a few industries that has jobs. I did however, get laid-off last year and was out of work for 6 months.

I found a good job, and have plenty of money and no mortgage to pay. I am doing my part by spending alot of money on model RR. I have been making both online purchases and at my LHS.
 
The economy is cyclic. ALL economies are cyclic unless of course the civilization completely dies. The US economy will recover eventually but the two big questions are:

How long will it take?
Will the jobs lost be replaced or are they gone forever?

And the big policy question is, how do we get the economy growing again?

But the world is ending on 2012, so it's a moot point. ;-) LOL!
 
QUOTE:
"Yep. It's that bad. Many of the politicians have had their heads buried in the sand the last couple of years but are now waking up and smelling the coffee. Some are even abandoning the Obama administration. This is a time when the government should be downsizing and cutting money wasting programs. Instead it's getting bigger and bigger and money is being spent foolishly on programs that aren't going to help anyone. "



Well said.

I think the American colonists were actually treated pretty lightly by King George III compared to this gang of thieves. How would y'all like old King George's tiny tax rates now? Lots left over for the hobby.
 
Will_annand said:
I am part owner in Muskoka Computes and Hobbies, a small retail shop in Central Ontario. We also run an online model rail shop, www.muskokacomputes.com

We have been looking at sales over the last year.....

Sales at the shop have been steady.

As for online:
Sales from the USA have dried up, while worldwide sales have almost doubled.

This lends more fuel to the statements made by European and Australian news agencies... "The US economy has failed and it is doubtful it will recover to a level even close to its former stature".

Is it that bad in the US?
Click to expand...

Hi Will, :)

It's good your store has an internet presence, for that's the cutting edge of marketing. :)

And yes, it's that bad in the US... but not for everyone in the US. Over the years our economy has devolved from being based on American Capitalism, which is the value of real goods and services...to Creditism, which is borrowed money. The small minority of Americans here who are responsible productive solvent frugal Capitalist are doing just fine... while the vast majority who are indebted Creditists are experiencing the consequences of their own fiscal irresponsibility.
 
The pundits have announced this week in Canada that our economy will almost tank over the next year. For that to be in the picture, and for them to assert it publicly, means that foreign markets are not robust, and giving every sign of continuing that way. The BP fiasco in the Gulf, home-owner's equity at an all time low, foreclosures continuing apace...it does not suggest that the USA economy will improve in the near term...like the next 12-18 months.

I haven't ordered anything on line in over a year, and will not be ordering anything for the foreseeable future. More important things to pay for around the home. There is a tomorrow, and there will be expenses, some unexpected. Maybe whopping expenses.

-Crandell
 
tooter said:
Hi Will, :)


And yes, it's that bad in the US... but not for everyone in the US. Over the years our economy has devolved from being based on American Capitalism, which is the value of real goods and services...to Creditism, which is borrowed money. The small minority of Americans here who are responsible productive solvent frugal Capitalist are doing just fine... while the vast majority who are indebted Creditists are experiencing the consequences of their own fiscal irresponsibility.
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I would somewhat agree. Walthers sales are doing well. The company I work for is hiring. Recovery is slow without as much job growth as we'd like. Since this thread is veering dangerously close to politics, I'm limited as to what I'll offer, but, if you didn't buy too much house, if you didn't live on your credit cards, if you lived within your means, you're OK. The wife lost her job, but we're doing OK. We spent the last couple of years paying debt down...saw it coming :D Still buying toys, but carefully!
 


U S Economy

As long as this current President and his felow progressives continue to bad mouth the private sector, Wall Street and any one that doesnt fit there template, this country will continue to tank. Wait till the tax cuts go out the window 1/1/11. And then you will be treated to cap and tax and whatever elso those lame ducks will shove down our throats. BTW in the first round in Michigans battle against the so called health care law, the feds now say "to bad its really a tax" and the constitution says we can do a tax anytime we want.
Boy this is frustrating! How is that "Hope and Change" coming.
Buy your needs now at your local hobby shop now when it goes out of business because its going to get worse.
Wayne
 
Fortunately I still know how to make models out of cardboard and paper. :)

But I may have to hook up a treadmill bike & alternator to power the layout.:(
 
Like some said, it does vary from one extreme to the other, depending on the industry,
i would have wanted to work at pratt&whitney this summer, but they have abolished their student jobs program with our college, they cant keep all their employee, so no more student. But im working in CCTV now, and almost all compagny in the sector are expanding

There are 2-3 things that frustrate me in politic :
1- when they give tax benefits to an industry to attract it there, like the tare sand in alberta, when they just cannot go to another place( knock, knock, they cant go away with the sand !!!!)
2- when the government give 30million to a compagny that create jobs, and finish the year with 10millions profits, basically, the government just paid the stock holder
3-when they modify a terrain zoning to allow an industry to establish, when it clearly degrade life quality of neightboors, only to make their cv shine.


Will all the stuff appenning, better to stay in the basement and play with trains !
 
35tac said:
As long as this current President and his felow progressives continue to bad mouth the private sector, Wall Street and any one that doesnt fit there template, this country will continue to tank. Wait till the tax cuts go out the window 1/1/11. And then you will be treated to cap and tax and whatever elso those lame ducks will shove down our throats. BTW in the first round in Michigans battle against the so called health care law, the feds now say "to bad its really a tax" and the constitution says we can do a tax anytime we want.
Boy this is frustrating! How is that "Hope and Change" coming.
Buy your needs now at your local hobby shop now when it goes out of business because its going to get worse.
Wayne
Click to expand...

Sorry for the rant but I hate when things are out of control. To bad its not a bad dream!
Wayne
 
35tac said:
As long as this current President and his felow progressives continue to bad mouth the private sector, Wall Street and any one that doesnt fit there template, this country will continue to tank. Wait till the tax cuts go out the window 1/1/11. And then you will be treated to cap and tax and whatever elso those lame ducks will shove down our throats. BTW in the first round in Michigans battle against the so called health care law, the feds now say "to bad its really a tax" and the constitution says we can do a tax anytime we want.
Boy this is frustrating! How is that "Hope and Change" coming.
Buy your needs now at your local hobby shop now when it goes out of business because its going to get worse.
Wayne
Click to expand...

We probably should keep the politcs out of the forum, but if we'e going there, the dismal financial policies of the previous administration such as two unfunded wars, and unfunded prescription drug benefit, followed by declining job growth and finally a financial meltdown didn't exactly help.

Tooter had it pretty close. When the people and the government quit paying as they went, and borrowed to pay for everything, that's when the trouble started. It started all the way back in Reagan's day and has steadily gotten worse. Until that method of operation goes away, we'll be stuck in this boat. Neither party seems to have a good answer, and it'll take a while to undo 8 years of foolishness. You can cut taxes, but you then have to cut spending. Wonder why that was so hard to understand???:confused: And why they still don't get it :mad:

OK end of rant, and we better quit the politics before the moderators stomp on us! :D

Small ray of sunshine: I think we'll recover OK. it's just going to take longer than we'd like, kind of like building a layout! ;)
 
Why would I buy online from Canada? If I can't find it here , I don't need it. I am pretty sure it would cost more than just about any online shop here in the USA. I only use M.B. Kleins for the simple fact that it IS the cheapest and they have it. I wouldn't buy a foreign car either.
 
Espeefan said:
We spent the last couple of years paying debt down...saw it coming :D Still buying toys, but carefully!
Click to expand...

You got it, Espee... solvency.:)
The financial reward for living modestly within our means with no mortgage no car payments and a zero credit card balance is what has made us immune to any economic cycles. My wife doesn't have to work and I get all the toys I want. :)
 
dieselfan1 said:
Why would I buy online from Canada? If I can't find it here , I don't need it. I am pretty sure it would cost more than just about any online shop here in the USA. I only use M.B. Kleins for the simple fact that it IS the cheapest and they have it. I wouldn't buy a foreign car either.
Click to expand...

Good recommendation, fan... :)

I love ModelTrainStuff's reasonable prices and their user friendly website. I also shy away from buying from Canada because the increased shipping costs make it uncompetitive.
 


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