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A local shop in Troy Mi has closed it's doors.  Was known as Empire Hobbies.  When it was on the west side of town it was named "Merri Seven Trains". Not a large store - had a mix of N, Ho and 3 rail O gauge. Plus model kits and gaming stuff.  On the 3 rail O gauge some new stuff, some NOS of older pieces. Prices were on the higher side.  They were friendly. Did have nice collection of postwar trains and toys from that time period for sale.  Was handy for paint, building supplies etc.  Don't know the reason why they closed.

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C&Osteam posted:

It has to be tough to complete with Internet sales. The excellent service at GLH in Sterling Heights keeps me coming through the doors. It would be much harder to create my little world without them. 

Tom at GLH had several good business teachers (father and uncles). GLH has been a great place to buy for several years.

enjoy your trains...

 

C&Osteam posted:

It has to be tough to complete with Internet sales. The excellent service at GLH in Sterling Heights keeps me coming through the doors. It would be much harder to create my little world without them. 

You're right, but there is nothing to stop the smaller shops from also competing on the Internet as well. I know of one hobby store in my area whose walk-in retail sales might not keep it in business in this day and age, but the owners were willing to take the time to learn the on-line systems and now do a brisk internet business that keeps them busy, provides a good income and keeps the doors open.

Getting the old man to want to ring things up vs tinker was a challenge that left me empty handed and driving to another store a couple of times. The wife and (then) teen son however would do backflips for you so I always gave them a shot at Merri-7.  Like Wild Bills, I could never catch them open on the north side of town.  Every time I stopped they seemed to be closed during posted days or times.

Very nice owners, and I was sad to see them close.  They had a great selection of Postwar trains, and a large percentage of the Postwar locomotives and operating cars  were repaired by the owner before they were put up for sale in the vintage, sliding glass cabinets at the back of the store.

One of my friends growing up had a Tuscan GG-1 that we ran regularly on my buddy's layout, which would have been considered almost "Hi-Rail" today.  The layout  literally took up half of the basement in their modest bungalow on the far northeast side of Detroit.  My buddy's dad was also an avid hobbyist, and, he was light years ahead of his time with respect to layout building, detailing and scenery construction.  (The dad was an excavator, and had a lot of spare time to work on the layout during the bitterly cold winters when we were younger.)

Several years ago, I took my buddy, and his 93 year old dad to see the Lionel layout in Chesterfield, MI.  The dad was like a jubilant kid in a candy store.  Fortunately, he made it to his 94th Birthday, which my buddy arranged to celebrate at a very nice restaurant, along with two of our other friends from grade school and Scouting, and, each our wives.

Over Thanksgiving weekend in 2018, I visited Empire Hobbies, and they had a near mint, Tuscan Postwar GG-1 for sale.  After talking it over with my wife, she agreed to put the GG-1 on "Christmas layaway" at our home for me.  Every time that I run the GG-1, or see it on the shelf,  I'm reminded of my buddy and his dad.

Last edited by Dennis GS-4 N & W No. 611

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OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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