New Post Office policy-a dream realized for those of us who want to hide our purchases.

Fortunately, I do not need to hide my purchases!

Scott,

Two Questions?

1 - Are you switching to N gauge trains so your purchases will fit in your PO Box?

   (just kidding--I know the Post Office holds them for you)

2 - Who does your marriage counselling?

If you have to hide your purchases, somethings wrong.

Funny,
I got the same letter from Roanoke Co. but I live in Franklin Co.
Franklin doesn't require a business License so I have to get a business license in every county I work in( Yea I know Thanks a Bunch Franklin Co.) including Roanoke City . A few phone calls got me out of the P.O. box requirement.. A lot of guys must be doing it already because I see a lot of UPS and fed Ex drop offs at the post office. Remember Scott it's a lot easier for her to sneak Louis vuitton
and David Yurman in the house than a UP Big Boy
That can work two ways you know?

David

David,

I had to pay $630.00 for my Roanoke County business license. If my wife wanted to buy a few things I wouldn't complain at all; she hates to spend money.

Scott Smith

SCOTT-YOU MAKE ME ALL MISTY EYED-PROUD TO BE A MODEL RAILROADER-TRAINZ

HAS THE LIONEL 400 E FOR SALE IN ORANGE/BLUE

GO TO O SCALE-MODERN TRAINS-STEAM ENGINES-LIONEL

YOUR PAY IGOR

Scott,  Not picking on you here, but I assume you mean accept UPS and FEDEX stuff. Interesting to know for those that do not want stuff laying on the porch! I don't have a PO box but, it might be an option in the for the future if available in my area! Thanks!

Simon

Thanks for the speling catch.

Scott Smith

TRAINZ

HAS THE LIONEL 400 E FOR SALE IN ORANGE/BLUE

GO TO O SCALE-MODERN TRAINS-STEAM ENGINES-LIONEL

I see the 255E (quite nice I love the 255E)-but I don't see the 400E. Did you already order it? Be sure to go to your post office and add the signature card. Your address for UPS/Fed EX will be something like this:

Scott Smith

7916 WILLIAMSON RD,

#19562

ROANOKE, VA 24019

When I look into the the PO Box I can see the signature card taped to the other side of my box. Keep in mind they will only accept packages 50 pounds and under.

Scott Smith

Who does your marriage counselling?

I have been married to Kathy for 25 years. The pastor that married us resigned shortly after we got married. Maybe that was a bad sign?

Scott Smith

Scott: You need to start buying your trains by the pallet load. The trucking company will warehouse the stuff and schedule delivery at the most appropriate time. The only thing is that your wife may get suspicious when she sees the workmen installing a new entrance for the fork lift.

I'm with Scott on this "hiding trains from the wife" thing.  My wife and I have been happily married for over 28 years and neither of us spends money we don't have.  That said, I discovered years ago that sneaking trains into the house heightens the enjoyment of them, even if only a little bit. 

Curt

LOL it's a "guy" thing. 

Although my wife could care less about how much my trains cost I have them delivered to my office and "sneak" them in sometimes. 

 Scott, Just send the trains here to me, my wife does not care if you buy trains. Fred

Yea Scott we gotta love em ,
My wife will go shopping and bring home something for everyone but nothing for herself . If she wants to buy anything for herself I'd never complain because she's long overdue .
She did however say she didn't like the black engines because they all look the same.
She said she likes the really big shinny ones like the blue one with the red wheels and the pretty 2 tone cars.....Mmmmm I might just surprise her with a gift.
What wife wouldn't want a nice new 400E with a matching set of cars??????

$630 bucks ?????? ouch and then you wonder why they're always screaming that they have no money.

David

Hey Scott;

The new Avatar is nice........

Rod

Heh, My wife is the same way.

She'll spend a hundred dollars on her great nieces every week, but crab if I spend $50 on a train car once a month.

So I have em delivered to my work.

It's not like we are going hungry or anything, I keep to a very tight budget.

And the next 2 months are gonna be bad.

Niece getting married in Vegas. Good thing I don't gamble.

This is why I've started selling trains. Everything now is stock. easy

Scott. are you a man or a mouse? Squeak up! (Only kidding....)

Where I live is so rural that I hope they continue to leave packages on my porch. I will remind my wife that I have long ago discontinued my association with the neighborhood drug gang who get drunk, rob cars, terrorize women, kids, and dogs, and litter to boot. Trains are a "happy addiction".

I had that problem for years. Now those who know or have met my wife at York would not believe this but...As the UPS truck arrived the brakes were quite loud and the door would slam. Then came that icey stare from hades that was followed by..NOT ANOTHER D..N TRAIN!. Oh I dreaded this. I even tried meeting the UPS guy a few blocks or preferably miles away. I work at the Post Office so getting those packages held was a phone call away.  Got really bad when there were blowouts, the boxes were just was too big. I made my own big break when I started selling them. Now my wife will happily call me and say "we have new stock"

I just say to her,

and how many pairs of shoes do you have,

how many more clothes do you really need,

some of them still have the price tag on them,

look at this one, you never wore it and it's too small now, oh and look, you paid $84.99 and it was on sale.......

A good reason to buy from a LHS.  Keep the purchase in your car until the wife goes out. 

Does anyone know if Pete is able to have visitors yet?

visitors, yes I can have visitors over to see my double 4x8 layout in my LIVING ROOM.

when would you like to come over sam, last time I looked at the mortgage, only my name was on it......

If you have to hide your purchases from your wife, your marriage is already in trouble.

How can a county demand you lease a federal asset? 

What is a business license?  $630? 

In order to have a business operate within the County of Roanoke, VA , you must pay a yearly license fee based on the  total gross sales of your business for the previous year. That is in addition to the federal tax, state tax and the Roanoke County property tax on all office furniture, equipment and computers.

Yea,
If your one of the lucky ones like me that live in a neighboring county that doesn't require a business license then you have to get that business license in every county and city  that does require one.
Business license: Roanoke Co.
Business license :Roanoke City
Business license :Bedford County
Business license : Botetourt County
Business license:Montgomery County
Business license Pittsylvania County
Business license: Floyd county

And all of them use the requirements of Scotts post above .
and add to that over $2500 in contractor state license fee's
almost $300 in state personal licensing fee's per year.
and job inspection rates which most localities charge a percentage of the total cost of the job now for that.
and you wonder why when your friendly Electrician hands you a bill and his labor rate is 65 bucks an hour why he's trying to get rich off you?
Well he isn't , he's trying to pay the Federal ,State and Local Governments their tax fees.

David

I got one of these flyers and jumped on it as soon as I saw it, as I had been in a hassle with a New England auction house that didn't get it that people don't have

slaves at home to accept packages at the caprice of when the delivery service

chooses to show up, and my "won" (lost) item was yoyoed back, and the auction

house wanted duplicate WRAPPING and shipping fees!!  I always want everything

sent USPS to P.O. box,  so I can pick it up at MY convenience, and they refused to do it.  Local paper just had an article about thieves following these delivery trucks to grab packages off the porch...but for all kinds of reasons, including moves in which

I did not want my mail screwed up, I have operated with a P.O. box for years...and I usually, sadly, am buying, not selling.

I'm not sure if this would help, but can you file a complaint thru the BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU?  Just my 2 cents worth.

Killian

Union Pacific Big Boy - http://youtu.be/e9LRVWq_exE

VETERANS HOME - NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

My wife started to rag on me about my trains just the other night. I stood up and with a bellowing voice I clearly stated that yes I bought another toy train, what are you going to do about it! Now shut up and go make me lunch woman.

Then I woke up and cleaned up the mess I made in the kitchen during the night.

squeak,squeak.

Yea Mario,
Thats why that song goes like it does. " she can bring home the Bacon,Fry it up in a pan ... and never let you forget your a man"

Yea Cause that cast iron skillet hurts like heck up side your head if you smart off to her

Gotta Love em

David

David,

Not only has my wife NEVER cleaned a fish, she's NEVER pumped gas into a car!!!

I know what you mean Bob,

It's not that my Mary Beth can't cook on the contrary ,she's one of the best cooks I know of . We've always had the agreement "I catch em , I clean em and she'll cook em
If it's Beef or Pork I raise em , I butcher em and I cook em... on the grill that is , any other time it's her job
Shell fish?( Crab, Shrimp and Oysters?) WE catch em and I cook em Hey I'm from Maryland what can I say . I spent a lot of my childhood at the Bay or on the Outter Banks of N.C.

David

Of course something's wrong......my wife's attitude towards new train purchases is all wacky!

During our 56-1/2 years of marriage, for our 53rd anniversary my wife bought me a Y3 and seven Southern Ry Passenger Cars. Took a long, long time to train [no pun intended] her. Now she receives the Ro Catalog and I am hopeful for the  future!

 Anyone who has to hide trains is very sad.  I hope most of the guys are just joking.  Please tell us you are just joking.  I have heard stories of this but always felt people were goofing.  If you are the man of the house and the bread winner,  be a man. 

I have a great many friends who share the hobby with the wife.  It is always great to see guys at York, Trainstock or many other train events with the wife enjoying the hobby also. 

If anyone really does have to hide trains, I would hope they would not openly admit it on a public forum.  I have been in the hobby many years and never meet someone who has to hide trains.  I do enjoy reading these posts and get a good laugh.  You guys are funny.

A few years back I had a co-worker of peripatetic model interests, whose wife was entirely unsympathetic to his O-Scale purchases. So he started sending them to our house for subsequent delivery to him at work. Eventually this so offended my wife (they do stick together) that she demanded I stop the process.

OTOH, I have another friend who is a devoted N-Scaler. Some of his models rival O-Scale in cost. But they come in tiny packages that don't excite suspicion. In fact, I believe the value of his collection of N-Scale rivals that of many O-Scalers; but, he keeps his entire collection in a couple of drawers of an old bureau. Something to think about-or not.