Today was a nice, if hot, day and my wife had yet another appointment with the eye doctor in Panama City, so we decided to go to the hobby shop in Pensacola, Trains by Johnson, as I needed some small stuff like trucks and brass wire. Bought 2 pair of M-T Arch Bar trucks at TBJ for $9.97, but they didn't have wire, so went to Bobe's, missed a couple of turns, so we got a tour of the less desirable parts of Pensacola. Spent 48 cents at Bobe's for two pieces of .020" wire, wanted .015" but .020" was the smallest they had and I'd already driven 150 miles. So, I spent $10.45 in the two hobby shops. But, lunch at McGuire's in Destin cost $24.00, gas at $2.05/gallon in Pensacola ran to $23.50, and dinner at Appleby's in Callaway in the way back was $26.00. That of course did not include the stop in the cooking store in the Markets of Sandestin, where my wife spent $185.00. See why I do almost all of my hobby purchases by internet??
Thirdrail, Inisightful post! I made a similar point to a fellow modeler over the weekend as the venerable topic of "supporting the local establishments" reared its head. Historically I went the extra mile (figuratively and literally!) to support my LHS('s) and was rewarded with nothing....meaning that a lot of the items I ordered were apparently (at least they "said" they ordered it) shipped into the ethosphere. So when I had completed a couple of successful deals with an "upstart" n-scale e-tailer, they became my source, almost exclusively. It was about that time that I met a few gentlemen whom I now consider close friends and in turn I was introduced to many other modelers through them, joined the NMRA, and began to actually know some of the local proprietors first hand instead of simply a face off the streets. So I guess it tears at me from time to time whether I should "spread the wealth" even though it means paying more, driving many mile$ and mostly still being frustrated with the fact that if I had to depend on my LHS to deliver I couldn't. Throwing the cost of lunch, the time and sanity wasted driving through Dallas traffic, and the price of gasoline thrown onto the, um, fire, it becomes even more frustrating. Thus, I continue my current arrangement as a predominantly web patron. A related issue is PayPal. I use it as both a buyer and a seller, and I constantly hear "it costs too much/it's not worth it/etc." Yet, when I made a money-order-only purchase recently, I had to drive all over town because two different money order machines were down, then it took an extra day to send payment off, required a stamp, and generally was a pain in my rear. So is PayPal worth it? In my mind, as a buyer it's a no brainer, even if the seller makes me foot the bill. (through elevated shipping, etc.) And as a seller, it totally expands my customer base, and the ability to seamlessly set up a PayPal payment and USPS Click & Print shipping it's crazy to think it's not worth the fee. Sure, if I were a dealer that might be another story when volume is high and pennies are more pinchable, but without having to set up a merchant account and dealing with securely handling credit card numbers via phone or fax, PayPal is king.
Expensive day, but hopefully the eye appointment went well and everything else seems pretty minor in comparison. I do mostly internet buying these days (and I don't get nearly as much train stuff as I used to) because I'm 80 miles from the nearest hobby shop, gas is about $2.10 per gallon around here, and I just don't enjoy the longer treks like I used to. Work also keeps me pretty busy these days and driving 160 miles round trip to get a flat car just seems like more wrok. Still, I do like to visit a real train store now and the just to see what's new in person. Also, its easier to get a lot of stuff like styrene, light bulbs, Polly Scale paint etc at the store. And Mike is right about Williams & Sonoma. Of course, you could have bought an ABBA set of Kato PA's and upped the price of the trip considerably. Like the sound of a McGuire's lunch though.
I have to throw in my defense of Williams & Sonoma. Cooking is one of my other hobbies and one which I can still do on this side of the world. I would cut off my left leg for a Williams and Sonoma here. As I have been away from the U.S. for over a year now, I am sad to hear about the effect of higher gasoline prices, but I guess it is inevitable. In comparison, I pay about $1.60 per gallon of high test over here. This is in an energy rich nation. Maybe the government and private corps ought to take another look into the cost of high speed rail. I encourage all of you to write to your governement officials and show your support of developement of new high-speed inter-city and intra-city rail corridors and new rail (or even railless, i.e. maglev) technology. ditSteve
What sent you (brought you?) to Baku Steve? I'm not really complaining about the price of gas. It is nice that we now have the option of buying stuff over the internet so gas prices don't matter so much to us folks who live in rural settings.
I wish that our gas was as cheap as in Pensacola.... There's no real brick and mortar shop here. And the closest otherwise is a 250 mile round trip drive. The next after that takes about eleven hours round. So it's the 'Net, or famine. Boxcab E50
Most of what I do is over the internet now. For me it is a matter of simple logistics...the nearest hobby shop of any kind is 160 miles away (one-way). The nearest decent shop is 238 miles away, and what I consider to be my "local" hobby shop, the one I do the most business with, is 288 miles away. I do drop into hobby shops when I am near one, but that happens maybe five or six times a year... JD Moore Elko, NV
I'm here for work. My company is building the new oil platforms for the Caspian Sea. I can't complain about the prices either. Some people are paying much more for gas than you do in the states. That is why the majority of vehicles in europe seem so underpowered to me.
Boy how I can relate. Granted the LHS is starting to recognize me when I come in (or is it my 4 yr old daughter she recognizes?) and she is one of the friendliest women I've met in Kingston. I really want to be a good local customer but sometimes it feels more like I'm buying anything useable just to help her out. Frankly the prices are better on line, better selection, and FAST delivery time. Just seems crazy to NOT shop on line. I wil continue to by my occasional train magazines from the LHS and to be social. Besides, she let me put a TRAINBOARD flyer on her bulletin board, for modelers looking for advice and information.
Just for the comparison, octane 91 runs me at something over 2.80usd a gallon, depending on the exchange rates; my nearest hobby shop is about 5mi away; my nearest usable hobby shop is 100mi away and I visit it once every month or two. Of course, I've got a small disadvantage to Internet Shopping : the Pacific Ocean. It's a long way from US e-tailers to my mailbox Even longer if something breaks in transit So I still support the (nqs)LHS, and tell myself their higher prices are justified by letting them pay the shipping costs.
Why is it the LHS's fault that you spent all that money??? Your purpose of the trip was an appointment for your wife. The LHS did not make you buy the meals, gas, and other items. Had you not purchased the hobby shop items, you would have saved only $10.45 and a bit of gas. If you really wanted to save money, you would: 1. Find a local eye doctor. 2. Sell the car and use public transportation. 3. Brown bag your meals. 4. Purchase the cooking items on the net.
Over here petrol costs the equivalent of $7.00 in most places so we consider your prices very cheap!! I use the internet for most of my needs now as I would have to travel quite a long distance to find a store stocking American equipment or use mail order. Also, they don't seem to have as much available and it can involve a long wait while they get it. I have started to use Feather River Trains as my main source now and find I can get most of what I want quickly and cheaply. It takes about 10-11 days to get here and, even allowing for postage costs and customs charges I still save money. Regards, Dave
My LHS, (dedicated model trains), is a pleasant 30 minute walk which to me is part of life, (since due to visual limits I don't drive). They have less than 20 square feet of N scale. They did not even have Labbell oil. So, I buy: Heavy things - like a power supply, gravel or Breakable things like paints Impulse things like - That cute box car Books - That I want to see before buying to see if they are really what I want Cheap things that I need _now_ - Raser saw and #11 blades I wish I could justify buying more. arggggg. The 20% differance and ease of ordering, the selection, and just finding / identifying what I need is just toooooo alluring. With some regret,
I'm a hybrid buyer too! Most times, I try and buy things mail order that will lead to a big percentage overpricing. If I pay an extra 33% for inexpensive items, it's no big deal. An engine or two starts to diverge quickly. That doesn't, however, mean that if the LHS has something I feel is unusual actually in stock that I won't be a very baaad boy! Tony Burzio San Diego, CA
LHS vs Internet. It's hard to compare, most LHS have a limited amount of room and overhead to have every item you need in stock and will most likely be more expensive (plus State tax, even though you don't have shipping cost) And with the price of gas, in NY it's about 2.20 - 2.35 per gal. What the LHS can offer is information and their knowledge about trains. One of my LHS was owned by a man who was a great source of information, and even though his items cost more, I learned a lot from him. Unfortuately with the rise of video games with kids, there was little interest in trains or model building. He went out of business. Personally, it must be hard for a LHS to make ends meet.
Who kicked you in the sense of humor?? One, there is NO local eye doctor. Two, there is NO local, or long distance, public transportation. Three, lacking a refrigerator in the van, any decent food would spoil on such a long trip, it was in the nineties. and four, the cost in the cooking store was considerably below internet prices or my wife would not have made the purchases. If my attempt to inject a little levity offended your sensibilites, my apologies.
I don't buy much from anywhere these days. I occasionally make purchases over the Internet like some engines Model Expo or BLW are dumping real cheep. When I crank up the buggy and head into Houston I usually hit all three shops on the "Kirby Drive/South Main Corridor" and pick up a few supplies like paint, decals, loose rail and couplers at each. When I go to Carrollton, just north of Dallas to visit family I drop in on the shop in Addison and usually find something. Most of my acquisitions these days are the result of bartering, trading and exchanges among friends.
You go thirdrail!!! No politics, but doncha just hate it when a humorous thread is taken down a few notches by someone who has a severe case of burr in the buttitis.... jeesh!! the apologies should come from the lecturer, not the humorist
Now there's a lost art! We used to have a good little circle of friends, when I lived out on the NW coast. And we'd have our own little gatherings. BS. Trade a little. Just a simple, fun afternoon! Boxcab E50
