carsntrains posted:Mike H Mottler posted:Perhaps there's a Ph.D. dissertation in marketing in the train hobby -- to be earned by someone who would research current acceptance of the practice of "window shopping" for trains at a local train hobby store, then walking away to place an order at eBay or Amazon to "save a buck or two," and then returning to the hobby store for repairs to items purchased in the digital marketplace that don't work. IMHO, hobby stores would be justified in posting this notice at the front door:
REPAIR PRICING POLICY
1) If you bought it here, $12/hour plus parts at list price. FREE diagnosis.
2) If your bought it elsewhere, $24/hour plus 100% mark-up on parts. $40 diagnosis charge.
3) If you bought it on e-Bay or Amazon or other online site, $36/hour plus 150% mark-up on parts. $60 diagnosis charge.
4) Otherwise, seek repairs via e-Bay or Amazon. Good luck ...Mike M.
I don't think that will work.. Years ago I worked at a speed shop in the Detroit MI area. The speed shop I ran was 1 of 3 in a small chain of stores. Jegs and Summit racing were taking a lot of our sales. The other two shops adopted the thinking similar to yours. Punish the people that shop elsewhere. While I instead decided I would try to work with people and at the very least get close to price matching parts. Sales at my store skyrocketed. Sales at the other two went down. To the point the sales at my location were supporting all 3 stores.
And as others say folks use online source to save a couple dollars. I was looking a an MTH boxcar at a local hobby shop. 69.99.. Checked online later and it was 39.99 to 42.99 at a number of sites. Folks are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Most of us have hundreds of cars (rolling stock) and some even that many engines. Unless you have unlimited funding, its hard not to justify looking online.
Jim
I don't know the economics of the bobby and model railroad industry, so apologies in advance if my speculating is out of line. I cannot imagine the difficulties in running a small, independent retail store these days.
The often-cited troubles of the hobby and model railroad industry aren't unique. Big box stores and Amazon/online e-tailers have hurt other industries, as well. Small hardware shops are another example. 1-800 Flowers put a dent in local florist business.
One of my favorite bicycle stores went out of business due to big box stores and consumers who'd pick the proprietors brain, leave, and order online. I find that despicable, but I know people do it. In response, though, the proprietor closed his store and now offers fee-based consulting to bicycle purchasers and a mobile bicycle repair shop. He's never without work and doesn't have to manage bicycle inventory or pay rent. In one case, he dropped shipped the parts I needed to my house and came to my house to do the repair.
My guess, however, is that the knowledgeable repair guys on this forum are never without work, especially as the products have become more sophisticated and finicky.
