Ray Lombardo posted:Another thing that I have noticed is that the stores that survive either tend to cover the entire model railroad hobby (an example is Trainland or Pat's Trains) or are general hobby stores where one can find things beyond the model railroad hobby (Nicholas Smith, Nassau). There are other examples of stores, many of them forum sponsors, who will not go the way of the dinosaurs because they run their business with an eye towards price competitiveness and service, and have adopted to the era of the internet by putting up a website that serves as a sales portal and advertising.
This is a very good point. Some friends of mine who run a long time train store, and do well, have often told me it's HO and N that allow them to carry O, just on a volume basis. They don't sell at MSRP, and their discounts are very competitive.
Their full selection of ancillary items is excellent as well. Scenery in all scales, wire, and other things make them a one stop place for train hobbyists.
