Reply to "It's December. Let's talk about our holiday train store experiences, especially as we started in the hobby...."

I don't have any, being born in 2002, hobby shops are dead here, and I never got the chance to go to one until 2011. My only memories of train displays are vivid memories of Lionel's set up in my local Walmart and at a J.C Penny's, and many Winter showings of the MOV model railroad club in Parkersburg WV Closest shop to me right now is WV Hobbies and Crafts, however I recently met a man opening a small shop in a town about 25 miles from where I live. I got my first Lionel in July of 2010, right as my parents were divorcing, my grandfather bought it at a church sale, 230 C&O alco, marx steamer (no tender), some space cars and a caboose. That little blue engine started my collecting, and 10 years later is still the pride of the fleet, defiantly not the rarest, or biggest, or strongest, but still the pride of the fleet.