Model Shop v The Internet/Mail order

[Alex3410]

was more meaning model shops rather then someone doing it in their spare time on the side as they have a different type of business- however they could still benefit from an on-line presence demonstrating their products and skills and who knows get enough interest / orders and it could become their day job! not to mention it could educate others on the special subject area.

I think its expected these days for shops to have some form of online presence simply to provide contact details / opening times even if its not a fully fledged website.

[b308]

Yes, sorry, I drifted off-topic!

[Alex3410]

but made a fair point - not all manufacturers / sellers do it full time so are limited in what they can do in terms of availability, service and advertising etc - price you pay for wanting specialist items I guess

my favourite place so far to browse has been the toy fair a large mix of things with stalls full of second hand stuff

[Jonny]

I think I have something of a hybrid approach. I like going on websites like Hattons because the website is easy to use and they often have pretty good prices and a wide range of products. I also like going to 2K Technologies in Hipperholme as the guy there has good advice and fits our decoders.Plus, other model shops let you have a good rummage and pick up stuff that hasn't been around for a while.
I remember several months back when I was trying to track down a Hornby Henry for my layout and wanted to get one from a branch of Toymaster. Unfortunately, the Henry in particular had been bought but the man I spoke to was able to source one from another branch and have it sent to one nearer to me, free of charge. It was a really streamlined experience. Alongside that, we've had a couple of issues with stuff from the likes of Hattons and we've had it replaced, no problem.

Both online and traditional model shops have a part to play, I'd argue.

[DonnyRailMan]

Over the past 2 -to-3 year i have been building up my collection virtually all of it as come via online .
Thats track & 4 train packs lots of aditional coaches from on here (N.R.M.site) plus 7 steam locos 2 A4s 3A1s
2Dutches class locos from (T.M.C.).

[D306Whistler]

I use both for my purchases and yes some used items that are going on eBay have been not-as-described as I have had to repair a couple of models here and there. I know I could send it back for a refund but I like to repair them myself if they are used. Although brand new items have (usually) a 12 month warranty so if any problems, I can just mail the item to the manufacture and include the original proof of purchase. Handy if the supplier goes bust which is a sad fact of life on a regular basis these days .

I always support my local Trains4U, but its on the other side of Peterborough and not within walking distance. So I have to rely on the weather to be reasonable on the day. But T4U always give a great service to me since I used them in 2006 as before then it used to be Orton Models and the one that used to operate in Lincoln Road not far from Maskew Avenue before he closed down. Sadly I cannot remember the name but he always sold loads of second hand trains for a good price. There is the A.R.Adams Bicycle Shop down Lincoln Road (opposite Morrisons) that sells a various range of second hand model trains at a good price which can be cheaper than eBay.

He is a great chap to talk with and he always tests the trains that he buys from those that are disposing of their collections. So you can be assured that the model will always work when you run it for the first time . Autumn/Winter is the best time to grab any model trains you need as this is when he gets the most of them in. I tend to drop by on my way to Morrisons or Farm Foods for a chat and a nose at the model trains.

But the summary is here. I use both the internet and the physical model railway shops for my purchases . Online call points for me are Hattons, Rails of Sheffield and eBay as they cover my requirements and the former two give an excellent service. Have tried Howes but that was strictly a one hit wonder as the customer service didn't meet my expectations unfortunately. Not sure what Kernow is like so I am going to give them a try. As they say, you cannot knock it until you try it .

[bike2steam]

my favourite place so far to browse has been the toy fair a large mix of things with stalls full of second hand stuff

And most of those are run by part-timers without retail premises, and have been partly responsible for the downfall of the model shop.

[senorsenales]

Having just read this thread through it seems that there are a mix of reasons people use either their local shop or the internet, it just depends on what your interests are.

Mine? - it is South American. The locos I buy are made in Brazil and imported into Europe by less than a dozen shops. I bought my locos, when I wanted them, from a shop in Switzerland. I wouldn't have known about them without the internet. I also have contacts with a model shop in Chile who sometimes do limited editions which again I wouldn't know about without the internet. Friends get them for me and send them over.

Scenic wise, building materials etc, I support my local model shop about fifteen miles away. He has a good range and is very well priced compared with Hobbyland or Modelzone in the same town. In fact I bought some Woodland Scenics trees from one of the latter, and half an hour later bought the same set from the independent for nearly five pounds less. I took my first purchase back and swopped them for some paint sprays he didn't stock so it wasn't a wasted trip.

Swings and roundabouts, but I actually prefer a good model shop if only because after a rummage about I normally spot that little something I hadn't realized I needed !

[johnco]

Went out this afternoon with my wife for a 40 mile run out to a seaside town which had a M&S as she wanted to exchange a clothing item. All shopping done we had a pleasant hour or so on the prom before we headed for home. As we were returning I remembered that a neighbouring seaside town had a railway model shop (it advertises in model railway magazines) so we decided to pop in as I could do with a HO b2b gauge. Surprise, surprise , they did not have any and the salesman said "I suppose we should stock them". So its back to Internet shopping once again.

[Steve Hill]

I have not read all the responses in this topic (sorry!) but personally I love browsing in model shops and do not mind paying a bit extra. Some chance discovery takes me in a new direction, which may well lead to further purchases down the line. If I'm travelling or on holiday I'll often take a detour to check out the local model shop (a 50 mile detour on one occasion).

I do not like shops which have too much stock behind the counter, only available if you ask for it, or in glass cases. Especially if there are no staff around to help. Yes, I understand security, but as I say, I like to browse.

If I find a shop I like I may well want to place repeat orders with them online. Some have bad websites. Some have no websites. Some have "primitive" payment systems such as "only Paypal" (which I detest). It is very easy to dump them forever at this point.

I spent some hundreds of pounds today at an exhibition. Kudos to the retailers who make the effort to turn up at these things and actually engage with their customers.

[johnco]

Was out yesterday in a town where I know there is a railway model shop and I knew that I would require some Evergreen or Plastisruct angle and straight strip pieces for a forthcoming project. To my disgust the shop only had TWO packs of Evergreen strips (not in the size that I wanted) but the shopkeeper said that he could get me some in the next week or two.
Today I purposely went to another shop (a branch of a national model/toy shop ) in a nearby city who had a fair stock of Evergreen plastics but unfortunately not the particular bits that I wanted.
Considering the cost of transport in my failed attempts to buy what I wanted I have come to the conclusion that internet shopping is unfortunately becoming a better option notwithstanding the recent mad rise in postal costs.

[Bufferstop]

Having rather tight fists, I rarely travel more than 3 or 4 miles just to visit a model shop. Use UKmodelshops.co.uk to find ones close to the route of any journey I'm making.
[Edit] typos removed. Wish Google would stop fixing things that aren't broke.

[johnco]

Went to another model shop in another big town about 12 miles away this morning (it stocks planes, helicopter and rc cars etc but has a small stock of railway related items and plastic,brass,copper and aluminium rods tubes strips etc) The sign states open Tues to Sat 10 am to 5-30 pm. Guess what , it was all shuttered up (at 11-30 am) Frustrated once again.
Tried to order on the internet from a major hobby stockist, only for me to be rejected (several times) at the paying stage. Nowt wrong with my credit card or my paypal acount, frustrated once again. Contacted the firm by phone and the said that they will ring me back tomorrow if they cannot find my order and payment at the end of the day.
Why can't shopping be simple
Who said "The customer is king"?

[johnco]

My mail order had been received and the goods are on the way.
As I would like to do some modelling tomorrow (Sunday) and I was in the coastal area of Denbighshire today visiting a sick relative, I made a detour to two nearby towns where I know there are model railway shops. The first was closed, one hour before the closing time shown on the door, the second had a pathetic stock of Plastruct but at least it had some (not the sections that I wanted though)
Pet Hates 1 Shops that do not open as shown on their list of opening hours. 2 Shops that advertise that they stock a large range of products but do not.
Reliability and availability is going the Mail order/internet way even if there is a time factor for delivery and postage costs.
Major Pet Hate Shops that do the hoovering and cleaning in the half hour before closing time.

[andrewk]

In order to get started in model railways one has to make a largeish initial purchase: bulk order of track, a few locos and coaches or wagons, perhaps also some buildings etc. This large initial outlay would logically be directed towards one of the box shifters due to their discounted prices. Next, more track, more rolling stock, kits, scenic items? I can see the added value of a good local shop at this point if they can offer advice as to how to build something and if they carry paints, materials, parts etc. The inherent problem for the local shop is that the major spend is on track, rolling stock and electronics, with most people being price conscious the local shop is unlikely to get much of this business. Merely selling a few pots of paint, plastic card and other materials will not enable survival.
I would love to have a local shop where I can browse, there isn't one to my knowledge, the best there was locally was the rather weak, expensive and now defunct Modelzone. It is a shame that I don't have a good local model shop but I'm not surprised by the fact that I don't.