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 Posted - February 16 2016 : 3:18:29 PM
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Although this one doesn't come as a surprise, The Roundhouse in North Hollywood, CA will shut its door for good after 40 plus years.
I last went there 6 months ago and was so dissapointed with what had become of my favorite store that I never went back.
Seemed that once Alan passed 3 years ago, that place lost their heart and soul. I recall just a few years ago, Hyde (SCVR66) and I would meet up there and run trains for a bit, and spend the better portion of the day hanging out at the store. Since we were regulars, we had that kind of pull. Unfortunetly, the same folks that treated us well were responsible for driving away non regulars. From Gaby's lack of knowledge to Norm's non PC rants, it didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that this day would come. Im just surpirzed it took so long. I feel bad for Alan (RIP) and Bill but it takes a lot of work to run a succesful store, something that the current staff wasn't willing to do.
If you are not having fun, you are not doing it right.
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Posted - February 16 2016 : 7:50:35 PM
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| That's a shame , Ray. We have a hobby shop near Dayton, Ohio that has several employees all the time. All of them are knowledgeable in a hobby that the store offers. I'm always surprised at how many customers are stirring around in the store. They have 2 nice slot car layouts to run, 1 HO and one larger... Always a busy place. Run very well...
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Posted - February 16 2016 : 10:36:41 PM
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| The one in our town isn't worth the dirt to bury it...customer service is awful, and if you're not an RTR kind of modeler, you aren't worth their time. Ironically, one of their past employees gets to sit across from me at his job interview this week...nyuk, nyuk, nyuk...
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Posted - February 16 2016 : 11:43:36 PM
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The Train Stop in San Dimas was a shame to lose though..
Feedback-hungry attention w****
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Posted - February 17 2016 : 11:37:23 AM
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quote:That's a shame , Ray. We have a hobby shop near Dayton, Ohio that has several employees all the time. All of them are knowledgeable in a hobby that the store offers. I'm always surprised at how many customers are stirring around in the store. They have 2 nice slot car layouts to run, 1 HO and one larger... Always a busy place. Run very well...
Originally posted by walt - February 16 2016 : 7:50:35 PM
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Actually it wasn't a surprize Walt and are fortunate to still have other options in LA and the Surrounding counties. It sure seems that the one you frequent has their head in the game and knows how to run a shop. Alot of folks I know dont mind paying a bit higher prices in order to help the local shop. I mean it got so bad that Gabby who was basically clueless about trains, lived in the shop! There were times that I got there at 11:30 (half hour after closing) and the door was closed because she/he was still asleep. It was sad.
If you are not having fun, you are not doing it right.
Edited by - raysouthernpac on February 17 2016 11:55:28 AM
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Posted - February 17 2016 : 11:41:23 AM
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quote:The one in our town isn't worth the dirt to bury it...customer service is awful, and if you're not an RTR kind of modeler, you aren't worth their time. Ironically, one of their past employees gets to sit across from me at his job interview this week...nyuk, nyuk, nyuk...
Originally posted by shaygetz - February 16 2016 : 10:36:41 PM
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That sounds like alot of the places around here in LA. Im an RTR modeler but appreciate that not everyone else is. Few if any of the remaining places cater to folks like that around here except maybe Pegasus and they are an all in one shop. You can still find Tyco on their shelves new in the box. WhistleStop is RTR and Brass, Trainshack has a nices used section, Arnies is good and Milepost is a small but DCC oriented shop. A bit for everyone I guess but not too many options for non RTR folks.
If you are not having fun, you are not doing it right.
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Posted - February 17 2016 : 11:42:04 AM
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quote:The Train Stop in San Dimas was a shame to lose though..
Originally posted by ZeldaTheSwordsman - February 16 2016 : 11:43:36 PM
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My sister lives in San Dimas so I had heard about it. Never got around to going. Was it a good shop?
If you are not having fun, you are not doing it right.
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Posted - February 17 2016 : 11:58:24 AM
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quote: quote:The Train Stop in San Dimas was a shame to lose though..
Originally posted by ZeldaTheSwordsman - February 16 2016 : 11:43:36 PM
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My sister lives in San Dimas so I had heard about it. Never got around to going. Was it a good shop?
Originally posted by raysouthernpac - February 17 2016 : 11:42:04 AM
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It was. Stocked kits and RTR alike as well as plenty of parts, and had friendly and knowledgeable staff. They had a nice stock of Athearn Blue Box kits there. And new stuff would often be a few bucks below its MSRP, which was nice when buying Bachmann Thomas stuff.
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Posted - March 02 2016 : 4:32:52 PM
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So I went back to Roundhouse one more time last weekend with SCVR66. I get there at about 11:15AM only to find both the front and rear doors are closed. No biggie, I figured Gabby was still asleep and all. I decided on waiting in my car and about 5 minutes later, Gabby drove in with a film crew in his car. I guess they were documenting her sex change (you can't make this stuff up). So I decided now was a good a time to go in and ask one of the folks filming he/she whatever..... if it's ok to come in. Gabby got upset that a customer had the audacity to come into the store, that is until she noticed it was me and then did a complete 180. I looked around and found some athearn rtr cars that i liked (35%off ) and picked some engines I liked. Gabby pretty much didn't care and told me to help myself which ment clime the ladder to the top shelf and get the boxes by myself. I did and so did SCVR who got a doodlebug anda rtr caboose. All the time we are in there, we kept hearing the sound of Gabby playing computer slots, I mean other customers were there and the place sounded like Vegas. She was too busy to help the customers. When it came time to check out, Gabby lost it, cursed to high heaven because some of the stuff was 35% off while other stuff was 25% and she had to apply the discount per item on two seperate receipts. I basically bagged my own stuff, boxed up the engines after climing the ladder to find the boxes on the top shelf and sat there through a barage of cursing. SCVR and I looked at each other in disgust.
If you are not having fun, you are not doing it right.
Edited by - raysouthernpac on March 02 2016 5:18:26 PM
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Posted - March 03 2016 : 6:42:20 PM
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Ray that story was priceless 
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - March 03 2016 : 11:51:51 PM
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ah good times...........
I buy, repair, and collect
http://scvr.weebly.com/
http://seyboldlocomotiveworks.weebly.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheDeputation?feature=watch
Hyde.
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Posted - March 04 2016 : 02:22:52 AM
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| Good hobby shops, ones where the staff has the knowledge to help newbies and old timers alike, can be hard to find. I'm lucky to have a few good shops within 30 miles. I try to get to them as much as I can, which right now, is hardly ever. My work schedule and my train budget are currently at odds with what I'd like to do, so right now I'm in the planning stage. Hopefully, when I'm more into building/operations, the shops will still be there.
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Posted - March 05 2016 : 10:13:05 PM
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I had a store for six months. I had one regular customer. I was paying the bills selling things on eBay. After a while I didn't see the point of blowing that money on the rent and utilities so I pulled the plug.
I could probably set up a store now for free in a warehouse a buddy has, but I think it too would be an excercise in futility.
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Posted - March 10 2016 : 09:11:09 AM
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| Yipes.
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Posted - March 10 2016 : 10:13:59 AM
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I knew a lady friend who had a 2nd hand store
she told me she'd make more money at a garage sale than her whole store made in a month! 
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Posted - March 11 2016 : 3:15:23 PM
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With this hobby, there's just not enough money in selling new items anymore. I have to buy from my wholesaler a discounted amount based on the retail price the manufacturer sets. Then I have to pay to have the items shipped to me. If they don't sell quickly, I pay interest on them because I fund it with a credit card.
Then, I can't sell it for full price, because I have to compete with big outfits who sell them for close to cost. I made the mistake of getting a Bowser EL U25B (non sound) in November since they were new and had some local interest. Then I go to the larger shows and there's a guy selling them for literally $11 over cost (not counting shjpping). I have no idea how he makes any money, he buys four, five tables which is as much as $250 at some shows ($350 at Greenberg shows) - which means just to break even he has to sell around 20 engines - and it's rare for people to spend more than about $20 a shot. He's been carrying some of the same stuff now for a year.
So you're lucky if you can make 10% of the list price as your profit on the new items. $20 on a $200 locomotive. $3-$5 on frieght cars.
Meanwhile people treat my single table like dirt, they always want to offer less on new items that already have a discounted price. There's no point to selling it if I make no money on it. I stopped discounting model car kit prices because of it, I just put the list price on them.
Used stuff is where the money is, when you can find it, it's much easier to buy a large collection for a low price, eBay out the hot pieces, and sell the rest at shows, right down to boxes of odds and ends and junk for $5 a shot. Usually by then you've made your money back five times over and can just throw away the junk no one wants.
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