Tomorrow (11/30) is Small Business Saturday

 Hear, hear!!

 

Jeff C

Will do, as I am going to the local train show tomorrow and I was in my LHS tonight on the way home.

Small Business Saturday is on my agenda for tomorrow.  I have my wife's and my AMEX cards registered for the AMEX Small Business Saturday promo. 

Sat will be a travel day for me so I bought a Woodland Senics structure kit (cobbler store) today from my LHS at a train show......that will have to count this year......BTW my dealer was pretty happy with Friday sales so far......

Support your local train and hobby shop!

I made it small business Friday since I am at my daughters place in NYC I shopped at

Train World in Brooklyn.  10% off with Turkey13 code.  Bought some Woodland Scenic figures  to complete my Carnival area.

I'm planning to hit MB Kleins Saturday to get my annual Christmas boxcars and probably a couple Woodland Scenics items.

 

Jerry

I had to go today, and so visited my LHS (Nicholas Smith Trains) for a new holiday train set, Lionel's Silver Bell Express with the LionChief remote. I also picked up a few Christmas-themed layout structures to go with it, as well as the new bobbing head reindeer transport car--just in case there wasn't enough whimsy already to take home. Owner Chris Gans rang me up and threw in an additional promotion piece, a Nicholas Smith reefer car made by Lionel. You could choose from one of three versions--the purchase of any starter set was the qualifier. Pretty cool.

 

But perhaps the coolest thing of all was that he offered me a great, way-better-than-fair price on a near-mint A-B-A Century Club NYC F3 set with all the original fancy packaging he had just acquired that morning. I was sorely tempted, but declined. (I am trying to stay focused on acquiring only essentials to my vision, as I'm just getting started in O. But just try to convince my wife i am only bringing home "essentials"! ) Anyhow, one of my life-long best friends was along for the ride, and he leapt at the chance to expand his collection. Chris got his quick flip, and my buddy got an awesome set of motive power at a terrific price which, from time to time, I'll be able to enjoy as well.  A win-win-win for everyone. A great day!

 

BTW, the place was absolutely buzzing--trains were flying out of the joint. It looked like a terrific sales day to me (I was there for about two hours). I hope shops all across the country have a terrific weekend; indeed, season.

Did my small business Saturday on-line today with a small hobby shop in Colorado.

Does the  Greenberg show in Edison NJ count?  After all it's a bunch on little guys in one place.

Thoughtful Thread..

Let us not forget the ‘Small’ Mom and Pop Pizza Shops and Restaurants.
Pick up some Gift Certificates they make Great Stocking Stuffers….

Think Small


K.C.

Certainly plan to extend your support to any and all small businesses today, if at all possible.  These are the folks who truly are the backbone of the American economy, and all are deserving of our support during the holiday season and year round.

 

Here are some reasons to Shop Small on Saturday.

Thanks Allan for the reminder. Our day is already planned towards small business day.

Plus dinner at our favorite locally owned non franchised Mexican Rest.

 

Does the  Greenberg show in Edison NJ count?  After all it's a bunch on little guys in one place.

 

Sorry but no! Train show dealers do NOT have the huge overhead that retail brick and morter stores do.

We do all we can to support small businesses.  We'll be shopping at independent bakers, wine shops, and food sellers (farmer's market) today as well as at an independent book store - if traffic is not too bad, but I absolutely, positively, stay away from my LHS (Tom's Train Station, Cary, NC) on weekends leading up to Christmas.  I love the store and all the folks there, but they do not need my help during the holidays - at least not on weekends.  The place is a zoo. Between the boxes of Thomas and Polar Express RTR sets crowding the aisles and the people shopping and the entire staff answering the same dozen questions over and over, it is as close to pure chaos as I have ever seen.  One day last year I literally could not get into the store and make my way to the back where the scratch-building supplies were and had to come back at opening time during the following week.  

Never knew about the AmEx statement credit. How and where do you sign up to be eligible for it? Saw nothing of it on AmEx's website and never received a statement credit for any of my AmEx purchases made at local businesses on Small \Business Saturday last year. How/what is needed to qualify for it? 

Stopped by Aaron's City Trains yesterday to take advantage of the 15% discount. Very nice train shop, lots of stuff to spend your bucks on and a nice layout in operation.

Ogaugeguy,

 

AMEX doesn't promote this well enough.  When it started a few years ago (2010?), they used social media to promote this.  I found out about by chance.   Here is the AMEX web link to register.  You must register to get the statement credit.

 

https://www.americanexpress.co...business/Shop-Small/

 

 

I shopped with you in mind Allan.  I bought a set of Alaska RDC's.

Now you're talkin', Grampstrains!  Good for you!  I hope they serve you well!  Whose RDC did you buy?  Lionel?  RMT?  I wish MTH would reissue the Alaska RDCs.  I have Lionel's and RMTs, but would like a set of MTH with PS3.

Supported Small Business Saturday myself this morning.  Went to the local True-Value hardware store--a significant Lionel and toy train dealer--and bought a bottle of LGB Smoke Fluid/Cleaner and a War Trains DVD.

 

There were a good number of folks there with their kids scouting out the various Lionel train sets in stock.  Much of the train part of the store is housed in two 1:1 boxcars.

Lionel

Wow, now that's the kind of True Value I wish we had around here! Sounds great.

Allan...thanks for posting this thread.  Supporting any of our sponsors with orders today or any day for that matter is a great way to promote our hobby and their businesses,

 

Alan

Thanks Allan for the small business reminder/plug.

I went over to Engine House Hobbies in Gaithersburg, Md. and made some purchases of MTH products... on Saturday Nov 30..... VERY FINE store BTW.  Ken Ferlic, the owner is a great guy and always helpful.    Also Harrison Trains in White Marsh Maryland this past week for one of their snow blankets ( very nice product ).  Also went to Hobby Works in Laurel Maryland this past week and bought some scenery material.

 

I make it a rule to buy from small business establishments be it trains or anything else whenever possible.

Thanks for reminding us of this event, as both my wife and I registered our cards yesterday and shopped locally at small businesses. Its a worthy cause.

Folks, EVERY day is Small Business Saturday. Without successful business in your hometown, those businesses wither and die, leaving the increased tax burden to rest on resident's shoulders. Did you know for every $1.00 spent locally, over 70¢ stays in the local economy? For every $1.00 spent at a national retailer, less than 15¢ stays in the local economy!

 

I've spent my entire professional life promoting this gospel. Unfortunately it will be far too late when people realize the price they've paid for cheap.

Amen to that!  A couple of weeks ago, there was a thread here about locating the absolute cheapest place to buy Gargraves track.  Guys were "discussing" shipping costs and debating comparisons as apples-vs-oranges.  At one point I was thinking... "Good gosh, if they take this analysis to the penny, they'll be buying straights from one place, curves from another, and switches somewhere else!!!"   

 

I understand hunting for deals... We all like a good deal now and then.  But our TIME is also valuable, so I don't mind spending a little extra with a LHS if it saves me some time and affords me the convenience of a place to actually walk in so I can look around to see things in person.

 

David

David,

 

 It's why hobby shops near me think O-Gauger's are the biggest cheapskates there are in any hobby.   We (as a whole) seem to take finding a deal to the extreme.  Almost to the point of ridiculousness.  Maybe it's the business owner in me, but I never try to nickle and dime an LHS.  

I spend time in my friend's shop now and then.  Helping and observing.   People come in and buy HO, N, etc.. without ever complaining about prices. (and a lot of their good stuff is expensive).

The O-Gauge guys come in, and try to squeeze my friend for every last bit of profit.