11-03-2010, 05:17 PM
MountainMan Wrote:However, the manufacturer is selling you a pig-in-a-poke, always making superior claims for their merchandise. The LHS owner, OTH, will tell you whether or not the item is actually worth it or will really work as promised.
Beyond that, however, is the huge "hands-on" factor. I personally tend to buy stuff I can examine up close and personally.
I agree completely. I've been at my local hobby shop when they receive a shipment of locomotives, and since the counter guys as well as the owner are personal friends, I have often helped them put stuff away. Before a locomotive is put in the display case, it gets a mandatory run on the test track. If it doesn't run or is very noisy or otherwise fails, it is sent back. Athearn typically passes 90-95% of the time. The rest of the locomotives fail between 50-75% of the time. If I want a locomotive that my local hobby shop doesn't have in stock, I will special order it from them rather than take a chance on the internet or mail order. When they get it in, they test run it to make sure it works before they call me.