Looks like we're losing another shop...

I just received the attached announcement on email confirming going out of business along with a 25% off coupon.  

Bill

Will not open. Anyone else open it up yet? 

I stopped there many times, but the prices were on the high side.  Didn't the ownership change in the last couple years?  I recall some posts on the forum stating that the store was not the same with the new owners.  Perhaps they just couldn't make a go of it in this economy.  25% off with the coupon might lead to some decent deals.

KC

I opened it up with Microsoft Word

Same here. 

When I went to their website however nonoe of the listing showed any information ie whats left to buy.  It as though everything is gone and the notice is just to get people to pick up anything on lay away.

I think a lot of the good stuff is gone at this point.  when I was in there, one of the guys was talking to someone who appeared to be interested in buying large lots of things.  I'm guessing that a lot of it will go that way.  Other shops/sellers/etc. will make offers on large lots.  

Unfortunately this was the closest shop to me, but since I just got into O gauge, I hadn't been there much.  Certainly not enough to sustain their bottom line.  Still have a couple of good places close enough, but I will miss them none the less.

-Eric

Sorry that I'm late to the party, but I finally noticed that Iron Horse was closed about 2 weeks ago Definitely sad to see them go, I enjoyed the bargain table. Nothing like going there and seeing the Closed after 37 years signs in the windows

Is there now anywhere else in the greater Pittsburgh area, mostly south of the 'burgh, that sells used trains? I am more interested in Post War than newer stuff, my only "fix" has been the Cranberry TCA meets.

Has anyone ever been to the train shop in Washington, PA back behind the Crown Center (the mall with Sears/BonTon/Gander Mtn)????

There's the Underground Railroad Shoppe in New Castle, PA, owned by Lou Palumbo. He also make excellent water decals for Lionel & AF trains.

I have known Lou for many years. He is a great guy and really knows his stuff about this hobby.

You can see Lou in CTT every month. He dose a really cool opinion article for them.

If you live in the Pittsburg area the Underground RR is a must stop.

Tell him Mario from Philly said HI.

IMO, the train retail shop is a pretty hard retail business to be in. Trains are typically a three to 6 month primarily winter hobby but you must pay rent for 12. Trains are also products that people buy with disposable income and don't have to buy. Its also a very competitive and at times cutthroat market. When you add in that the market is for older folks many of whom are approaching retirement age (or are already retired) I would say that train retailing is a challenge. Its sad to lose a train shop but its just a sign of the times.

It not just train stores that are affeected. Look around at all the strip malls and you will see many empty stores.

Same issue has been going on all over. Been a lot of press lately about the trend of people "showrooming," which is going into a retail store, looking over the items and deciding, and then heading on-line to order it cheaper via mail-order. This is responsible for BestBuy and many other stores now getting in trouble, having to close stores, etc.

90% of Forum members are only interested in the cheapest price; we're as guilty as anyone. If a LHS has the item $25 more expensive, they'll order it from mail order. Of course, there aren't enough O gauge stores left for many people to do "showrooming," but the mail order thing has still been killing hobby shops as well as a lot of other stores. Plus, of course, changing interests.

I just took over a small train store for a gentleman that was wanting to retire and I will tell you from first hand experience that it is VERY frustrating to have folks come in to pick your brain about this or that and then go buy something off of Amazon or Charles Ro. Thankfully my regular customers show solidarity and will pay a little more to help keep me around, it is mostly the younger people that do this. I even had a father and son in the other day that sat there right in front of me and looked up prices on their smart phone to see if the deal I was giving them was "good enough". What many people don't understand is that there is very little mark-up in the trains themselves and the more expensive they are the less mark-up there is. It dosn't help that the big manufactures don't do anything to help keep the LHS around. The policies are written that you cannot sell new product at "swap meets", well then what is ebay but a giant swap meet but yet you will find people selling brand new stuff on there at huge discounts, sometimes better than I can get wholesale, and then bragging about being a dealer. Or the "top" dealers and their "sweetheart" deals they have with the manufactures. We live is a so called free market society (at least it was at one time) so I am not saying that these people shoudn't be allowed to do this but I would like to see the manufactures re-write their polices to keep up to date with the internet and give some incentives for the LHS to eek out an existance.

Ok my rant is over, sorry

I don't think thats a rant. Unfortunately we now live in the "I got mine" era.
I can't believe someone would price check right in front of you. I do my homework when I go to my LHS . He's a nice guy and I know his stuff is going to be near MSRP.
Sometimes thats okay sometimes I can't afford it but thats just the way it goes.
He doesn't do internet which I think is hobby shop suicide these days but he still does a good business. I haven't seen all those deals people talk about at the "Top" sellers anyway. If an LHS in Colorado wants to stay in business it's going to have to be from volume not margin . You can't expect to live off walk ins . That means sell on the Bay or do what it takes. They rest of them don't walk around with their hands tied behind their backs , why should you.

David

I hear you. The guy I took over for was VERY old school. So I am trying to take a 1950's hobby shop into 2012. It is going to take awhile to get there. But hey it still bets working for a living.

This is just as bad-- a guy constantly tells people while in the store that he can get it at wong fu's for xx amount of dollars, all within earshot of the owner. And what is worse is that he tells people that if they want , he will sell to them outside the hobby shop. This is a hard case if I ever heard of one. It was mentioned to this person that they are in HIS shop that he is trying to make a LIVING at and not supporting this guys hobby. If this guy wants to sell, try opening up a shop and see just how LITTLE money there is to be had with all of the overhead associated with the business. If it wasn't  for the little guy, most of us would be bowling or walking the aisles at wally world because we did not support them when they were open for business. Please try to support your LHS as much as you can. Sure there are those SUPER sales by the large shops that mail order, but sometimes the LHS can match prices just to keep you around.

Soapbox put away,

Frank 

That guy if I owned the shop would be leaving with a little memento of his visit.
My shoe. The customer is always right and he'd leave with my shoe planted "right" in his butt

I did have a guy last Christmas season who did that. Luckliy for his health and my arrest record he didn't come back in the store

90% of statistics are made up.  I see your point, but I disagree.  

I purchase from several brick and mortar hobby shops.  With the exception of the one that is liquidating, none of them have the lowest price on every item.  If it was ONLY about the price, only one or two online dealers would do all the business and the LHS would be gone already.  

I am pretty sure I was in your shop a couple of years ago on my way home from vacation.  If it is the one I am thinking of, I had been looking at ads in train magazines for years just waiting for a chance to see the store's "main attraction".  It was well worth the stop.

Anyway, I think I understand what you are saying about taking on a shop that was someone else's life.  In my opinion, each successful shop takes on something of the owner's personality.  It is part of what makes it worth going there as opposed to shopping online.

Why is it OK to bargain with a auto dealer but not a hobby shop?  How many of you guys pay MSRP for your vehicile? The hobby shops cry about mail order dealers yet that is what most of them are! Plus you get to pay sales tax.

You want service you might as well mail it back yourself ,Cause that is all the local dealer is going to do (if you are lucky)

I think the internet is killing brick&mortar stores as fast as it's killing print media!

Gunny

I have always tried to deal with brick and mortar especially the one about 50 miles north of me then one in Boone IA.  Usually send inquiries requesting price and availability of some item to possibles around the country (compiled a list of who answers and doesn't) based on MTH locator printout, then figure freight from there to here.  So might pay close to MSRP but freight less and vice versa PLUS no taxes.  I no longer inquire Charles Ro and other big box stores because I almost never get an answer.

Sounds like you been shopping at the wrong store. And if think it is so easy why don't you try it yourself.

The difference is the auto manufactures just pull the MSRP out of their *** and say this is it, then auto dealers mark it down saying this is invoice price (joke, joke), but still have alot of manuvering room to negotiate ("wait while I consult my manager about your price.")  But MTH and Lionel don't have that much manuvering room.   Almost everyone needs a car (from old belching beater to Rolls Royce) but not everyone needs trains and "toy" trains last a lifetime whereas cars fall apart or out of style after x years.

Just my 2 cents

Why isn't it OK to bargain with an LHS?  Oh, it is.  A couple of months ago I was talking with a shop owner and mentioned that I really liked a train set she was selling and was wondering if her price was firm.  She said that it was.  I thanked her and we chatted about some other stuff.  She did not seem offended.  Of course, it probably helped that I was buying something else but I think it also helped that I didn't throw a tantrum when she said "no".

Prices are not the only thing that hurts train stores. Too many of them have bad attitudes and treat new customers with disdain. In this market you BETTER be polite and helpful or your gone. I have never seen any store that sells at full MSRP be flexible and come down ANY. Some of us simply do not have big bucks and have to look elsewhere. It amazes me that there are so many guys who buy that new, very expensive train engine in this economy.

Rob

There will always be people who earn more, and can afford more than you.  Some people are more intelligent than others, more creative than others, or simply more talented.  Envy is a bad thing!!!  Don't waste it on a Train Forum.  Enjoy what you have,,,that's my advice!!!

Not quite correct.  The Internet isn't killing anything.  It's the people who use the Internet who are doing it.  In other words, there's no point lamenting what is happening because you and I are 100% responsible for it, be it a local hobby shop or a major manufacturer.

Would price mapping work in this business.....where a manufactuer says you have to sell a product within a certain price range i.e. Apple Computers? What about a big buying group that could get the same type of discounts that Charles Ro gets? There has to be some way to help the LHS be more competitive.