Hobby Shops in Tough Times

[Brakie]

Time has come for the hobby shop owners to get tough as their competition...The days of paying full MSRP is over thanks to the computer...Savvy hobby shop owners knows and understands this and has adjusted by offering a modest discount and having a web page for internet sales..Those that cling to the old ways are going by the way of the dodo bird...

Easy to say, hard to do.

I look at some items out there and the internet only guys are selling them for 5% over what I can buy them for.
If I have to sell with that narrow a margin, I could not keep my doors open.

Some of these shops are run from guys basements and as a part time thing to make some spare change.
There was one guy I know who started an online hobby shop, set his prices, then found out if he placed smaller orders from the supplier, they charged him shipping. The last couple of orders he recieved before he shut down his business, were costing him more than he was selling, he forgot about incoming shipping, customs charges and cost of packaging materials.

Will,That's the future of hobby shops..Nobody that owns a computer is willing to pay $130.00 for a locomotive he can buy for $89.00 or $30.00 for a freight car he can buy for $19.00...

As far as e-shops there are tigers and there are kitty cats-the kitty cats usually fails just like the hobby shops that clings to old business ways..Full MSRP,poor stock/poor service/bad attitude..I even seen strong train show dealers fail because of their 10% discount..

Sure hobby shop owner has bills to pay,mouths to feed,backs to clothes nobody denies that..However,he should realize he's in for a tough fight for modeler's hobby budget and therefore offer discounts in order to retain his customer base.

IF I was to enter your full MSRP store and ask what's the least you will take for (oh say) 2 Atlas N Scale MP15s? Will you work with me or sit on your full MSRP and watch me walk out the door? I have had that to happen..Even $20.00 off the total would have closed the deal...In simple math that's $10.00 off each engine-recall the total price is still way ABOVE what I could order both for including shipping..