--- In [email protected], "Tom Hawley" <t.hawley@...> wrote: > > All of this "S is best" stuff reminds me of religion. A naive person might > think that if he could just get the facts before someone of another faith, > they'd see the light and convert. In fact, choice of faith and choice of > scale/gauge are based on a lot of factors that do not admit of rational > examination. > > It has a lot more to do with how one was brought up (AF trains?), who ones's > friends and relatives are, and what one has financiall and emotionally > invested in his existing faith/scale/gauge.
Well, Tom, by your definition, I've changed religions several times. Had Lionel as a kid, got into HO in the early 60's, had brief bout of N Scale in the late 60's, back to HO in the 70's and Lionel again in the late 70's early 80's. It wasn't until a so-called "freind" of mine conked my on the head and dragged my unconcious body to an S Fest, then pulled the same stunt on me over the next few years resulting in me getting into S in 1985. :) > > < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < < > ----- Original Message ----- > From: richgajnak > . . . . . . . . . . How do you get S into the local hobby shops? I sure > don't know... . . . . . . . . . > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > To rephrase the question, how do you get somebody else to invest his time, > money & shelf space on a very questionable proposition. Here are two > possibilities - > > ONE -- You invest time the time and money, and get your hobby shop to > stock the goods on consignment. Then the hobby shop has nothing but shelf > space invested. You, the True Believer, make the capital investment. The > fact that you don't try this suggests that down deep where you're honest > with yourself, you know you'd lose your shirt, or end up eating a lot of > plastic. I tried it. It didn't earn its shelf space. > > TWO -- Forget the hobby shop. You buy lots of goods from AM, SHS (as soon > as they get going again) &c, and take it to local train shows. And you need > a lot of stuff, cars, locos, track &c, so potential converts can see that > there's an adequate variety of equipment for modellers of all railroads and > all eras. Then, according to what a lot of people seem to think, shoppers > at the train shows will walk right past all that Lionel & HO stuff and flock > to your tables and your S scale/gauge goods. > I have done the modular railroad circuit. In spite of my best efforts, S (when not mistaken for HO) was usually viewed as quaint. (Perhaps, there's a reason I'm not in sales...) When someone did ask where they could get S... Well, er, mostly by mailorder/internet. They then wander off into the sea of other scales... > Either way, the modelling profile of your community will undergo a dramitic > change, you will get rich, and all will finally be right with the world. Is there something in the water up there in Michigan??? > YOU just have to put your money where your track gauge is. > > Tom Hawley -- Lansing Mich > http://michmod.com/ > Unfortunately, my money is like my track gauge: Missing in action. Rich G(ajnak) ------------------------------------ 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/
