Not naming names for fear of the dreaded wo wo wo but we are losing another shop by the end of 2024. This might be old news for some because the information apparently has been available for about one year now. According to their website the decision was made in early 2023 to close the business in late 2024 to allow time to fill as many customer reservations as possible.
Seems to be a trend. Makes me wonder about the future of model railroading. The economy certainly doesn't help. With groceries up 40% in the past four years and house prices up 45-50% in the same time period a lot of folks just don't have the disposable income anymore for expensive hobbies.
True, but if you look at the popular hobbies out there (ATVs, RVs, Boats, ect.) model railroading isn't all that expensive. And just my 2 cents, but in instances like this, I think the forum should allow names to be used..........now I'm gonna have to refrain from ordering from ANY of the east coast vendors till I find out who this is.
Cultural Change I grew up with a train around the Christmas tree. At 10yo I received my 1st 'Electric Train Set'. I don't see or hear of that much any more. Shopping Change Online vs Brick and Morter All of my new HO was boufght online. Half of my HO equipment is 2nd or 3rd hand. De-accumulation appers to be common. Most of my N-Scale equipment will be going up for sale at 1/4th retail. Just speculation and I could be totally wrong.
Most everything I need in the past two years has gone to on line or mail order. I have simple items that were always in the Walmart and now they have been on order since October. Many local stores are long gone. Whole shopping malls are gone.
TrainBoard sponsor https://www.trainworld.com/ (aka TrainLand brick and mortar) is in New York state and is still going strong from what I find, so that one is okay to use.
........ ummmmmm , can you say what town or state ? I hope we don't have to do the "warmer", "warmer" ........ "no, colder" thing , LOL. .......... and keep supporting the retailers that are open in particular the sponsors
Are you speaking of TrainBoard advertiser N Scale Division? I saw that the are closing up shop at some point soon after 32 years.
Yes, I first checked to see if they were an advertiser before posting but did not see any references.
They are not listed on the advertiser page but they still have a banner ad. I sometimes wonder how up to date some of these are
Even though there's a big change in hobby spending, I think the rumors of the death of model railroading are greatly exaggerated. The younger modelers I know (and in the interest of full disclosure am one of) tend to gravitate toward buying a smaller quantity of ever more detailed (and correspondingly expensive) trains to run on modular and/or collaborative layouts. That sales model almost certainly puts extra pressure on smaller shops to keep a foot in the game. But hobby shop closures or not there are still lots of younger people into the hobby if the demographics of my local club are to be believed. Model railroading may be changing pretty radically, but it absolutely isn't dying.
Unfortunately the TrainBoard advertisers page is NOT up to date. There is nothing we can do about it.
This hobby has been dying since I got started as a kid around 1970. Yet the hobby and I are still here. Next.
"The sky is falling! The sky is falling!" I am so tired of those who pursue that ridiculous drumbeat. (Quoting Mark Twain: “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”) It is also an absolute truth, as the facts and statistics clearly prove it, irrefutable, that purple polka dotted cows can fly! Participants and resources have come and gone. Yet I continue to see plenty of new faces and returnees. New products every month. Relax. Enjoy.
You mean like the Wheels Of Time “Fab Four” F3 ad that STILL says “respond by December 2017”? Fab Four? yeah, I’m torn between the John & George models as fallen flags, or getting Paul & Ringo because they still do “excursion runs.” Order by 2017? Yeah, I’d better hurry.
Yes it's always sad to see a shop close, but we have to remember, these are mom and pop businesses and if no one in the family is interested in taking on the business when the owner is ready to retire or passes, then the estate has to be settled. Another example is the fine magazine we just lost, because it was my understanding Kirk was pretty much a one man show. If you live long enough, you'll see this happen with small family owned shops all the way up to the super stores. When I was a kid, our local shopping center was a bustling place and the Anchor stores were J.C. Penney and Sears, but we also had two major food stores, hardware stores, two shoe stores, Radio Shack, Hallmark Cards, H&R Block and two banks. Plus the shopping center even had two different mom and pop restaurants. Now there are only a couple stores left and the only name brand stores in the shopping center are the Dollar Tree and Hallmark Cards. Most buildings are empty and some have even been removed. Just because a hobby shop is closing does not mean the hobby is dying, it just means the person who opened the shop is getting older. Two of my local hobby shops are going strong and one even expanded, because the children were interested in taking over the family business.
