For anyone modelling anything but HO and sometimes N, the local hobby shop has become irrelevant. The internet has opened up modelling possibilities that I never dreamed of before. I don't think there is enough S scale product in warehouses to equip 100 hobby shops. Better they keep it in the factory and list it on the web, or the odd train show for anyone to find. Hobby shps are dying carrying HO. Why would you expect them to take a foolish risk by carrying S? I think we've got it made.
Ed Kozlowsky Sanford, Maine --- On Thu, 11/11/10, Pieter Roos <[email protected]> wrote: From: Pieter Roos <[email protected]> Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} Local Hobby Shops To: [email protected] Date: Thursday, November 11, 2010, 8:35 AM I'm sure all scales have the same types of people, but in the small pond of S they certainly stick out more. As a group, we seem to want others to "promote" S scale; be they hobby shops, manufacturers or the hobby press. I'm not sure why we think they have some "duty" to do this, especially when we often don't do much on the whole to promote the scale ourselves. The local hobby shop issue is another that has been discussed here before. Besides the "what's a local hobby shop" problem, we have had stories on the list of what happens when someone convinces the local shop to carry some S, and the results generally aren't pretty. The area S guys pick over the stock, buy a few things they want. Probably somebody tells the store owner how much cheaper he can get it somewhere else. In the end, the store sells it all off on clearance after watching most of it gather dust. There wasn't enough to draw in any new S guys, and now the store is certain he doesn't want to deal with it! If you really think S in a shop will help, I would suggest you get a group of like-minded souls and talk to the owner. Start early with the plan that you as a group will finance his venture into S, so all he looses is some shelf space. Pay for a few sets and individual pieces to be in the store starting whenever he does a pre-christmas stocking. Your group gets their money back when the product sells, or gets the remaining product if he gets tired of having it on the shelf. Part of the deal would be that those financing the effort would NOT pick over his stock or get it on discount (until he wants to clear it all out). The store would keep most of the "profit" from the venture. Pieter E. Roos --- On Thu, 11/11/10, Edward Loizeaux <[email protected]> wrote: > Gents..Just received this email below > from a local fellow familiar with the > happenings at THE TRAIN SHOP. Name removed to protect > the author. Food for > thought. Words in parentheses are > mine. How many more stories like this > exist around the country? Ed L. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
