LHS visit

[Fifer]

He's probably also very frustrated trying to sell "optional" items, given the way the economy is. When the bank is about to take your house, car or whatever, your wages are rolled back, or you don't have a job any more, hobbies are no longer the most important thing...

Spending is down in many sectors - I'll bet that hobbies of all kinds have taken a serious hit in the last 6 months.

Andrew

Andrew,
Sorry but,you can't blame everything on the economy since the current economy problems didn't happen overnight...There seems to have been a slow decline in the sale of detail parts,decals etc over the past few years.

Sounds like the shop stop stocking items that no longer sells in a RTR market..Many shops has drop car kits because very few buys 'em since their customers prefer RTR.I was told by a dealer friend today that his RTR sales is 10-1 over kits..

At the Train Show today 90% of the products was RTR and either at or near full MSRP-highest discount I saw was around 12% on some Lionel .Most HO average a 10% discount and most dealers seem to be doing a brisk business.

Another thing to take into consideration is detail items,paint,decals etc has a low markup so why bother to stock those items that may collect dust?

My song of woe is a common thing like the MT1015 Micro Train couplers was out of stock and the owner had to order a restock..This is a universal coupler.

No wonder many has given up on their hobby shops.

Larry you have it correct , however in Robin and I's opinion we stock some detail items and supplies as they do not cost too much up front so sitting around may not be too much of an issue , at least for us.
Mike