Treasure finds at a hobby shop ever?

Bagelman,

   Usually you do not find big time deals at your local Hobby/Train store, because the owners of most of these stores use the Train shows to enlarge their inventories themselves.  They purchase a good deal at the Train show, and mark it up 25% min.  In this way they keep making decent money and keep their inventory cost way down.  Every once in a while however, some of the store owners around here will mark a certain item way down 25-30%, that they have picked up from a private purchase or a large auction, where they purchased some big time inventory, at a minimal cost. 

PCRR/Dave

My local hobby shop is also the same guy I buy a lot from at train shows!!!

So while I get plenty of deals at shows......he does about the same in store.

This was a in store trade in that he then sold me for about 25% of retail at the time.

It's a dummy and he said he didn't sell many.....

 

When Jimmy Sutter ran his store, I got many deals. Weaver hoppers by the case...."you NEED at least 12".......The best deal was on a Weaver PRR M-1......my first brass locomotive. Still have it!

 

Sure, a good reason to have a LHS that you know and trust. There have been times when I passed on an item from just looking at it in the catalog, but seeing it in person was a different story. Those members that have a LHS that they can visit regularly with a reasonable driving distance have a real advantage.

To me, treasures and bargains are two different things. Over the years, I have purchased both in hobby shops from time to time.
I think you are more likely to find something in a hobby shop, where the people running the place have a (hopefully) realistic idea of what most trains are worth, as opposed to an antique shop or show, where the people have an overinflated idea of what trains are worth.

Such as:  "That scout set is going to send my kid to college."

You're so right.  I once bought a Lionel 6-17365 REA milk express reefer for $10 at my (now-vanished) local train shop.  And a never-run Lionel 6-18309 Reading TrainMaster for $150.  And, as you say, being able to see and touch an item makes a huge difference.

 

I certainly agree about having an LHS you deal with regularly. I have gotten a really good deal or two that way. One was last fall, I got four Atlas switches that had been put down on a layout and never wired. The layout builder decided he wanted larger switches, so my LHS took them back in trade for the larger ones. My LHS knew I was looking for switches this size. They called and asked me if I wanted them to hold the switches for me. I said of course. When I went to look at them I ended up getting them for a little less than half price. Couldn't tell them from brand new ones that had never been out of the box.

I lucky I guess, My LHS is part of an antique shop so there is stuff that comes in that is not in the LHS, it's in another room. Still, I got the Mercury Cupsule car with both capsules cheap there. Just one example of several.

And My LHS treats me well too, Never charges MSRP, allows swapping of track types in a set, ect.

I had a great local shop with outstanding finds and treasures.  None of the prices on the boxes were marked correctly.  There was ALWAYS an offer of a lower price and the prices got even lower if you were buying multiple items.

 

The owner retired... Gosh I miss stopping by the shop just to shoot the breeze.

 

Ron

 

I used to hit a hobby shop on my way from Aberdeen, MD to Gettysburg, used to make that run about once a month to his antique places.

Couldn't possibly tell you today where it was, but there was a train place along the way and the owner would let you make offers if he thought you were really interested. Scored some good RR books that way, as this was when i was betwene times in the hobby.

Years ago, after relocating from Atlanta to Chicago for work, the LHS called from Atlanta about an E+ 2353 SF AA set with four 2500 passenger cars at a great price that they'd taken in trade.  Not really a "find," but an excellent deal because of a very good relationship with the LHS. 

Gentlemen,

   It always helps to be on good terms with the owner, and to have dealt with him for years.   You are usually treated in a completely different way, than a walk in.  Repeat customers usually get the best deals from the individual Hobby/Train stores, no doubt about it.

PCRR/Dave

I have found great deals at the local hobby shops where I live.  New stuff, old stuff, postwar Lionel, Flyer, brass O scale, you name it.  The best deal I got was on some standard gage Flyer Presidents Special cars.  The owner new I had a soft spot for these and made me a deal I could not refuse.  Unfortunately, that shop closed last year after 40 years in the business.  It was the going out of business sale of all time however. 

 

Rolland

True.
Not a 'deal' story as such but I was badly wanting to get a turnout from the nearest HS to where I work (Tacoma Trains), and they know me there from slowly stock[iling for the planned layout over at least a couple of years.

So, my shift started at 10:30, the store opened at 10 and it'd take about 20 minutes to get from A to B. I left the house early, got there 15 minutes early and as I walked by the door, the guy there was already in the store, unlocked the door and said, "Something you need?" I said I needed a turnout and I'be out of there. I was in and out in 2 minutes and well on my way to the office way earlier, and got into work with plenty to spare (I'm the type who can't stand to be late and always go to work early).

The next time I'm there, I'll thank the owner for his guy opening up as he didn't have to do that and wouldn't have thought bad of the store if he'd insisted on opening exactly at 10...

There is not a train I've purchased in my 26 years back in the hobby that wasn't a "treasure" at the time I bought it.  And that applies whether I found it in a train store or at a meet.

Curt

I don't view hobby shops as the place to look for deals but as stores where you can shop for the items for immediate needs. You will usually pay more for trains and track here but scenic supplies usually run about the same money as elsewhere. When a deal comes from a hobby shop it is usually when one closes and liquidates remaining inventory at a train show but some hobby shops do run occasional sales. My LHS is my fill in "need it now" source.

No joke, best I've ever come across at the ONLY "O" gauge store near me was a quarter I found in the parking lot.  I typically buy online or by tips from other hobbyists. The store owner here always seems frazzled but he is very knowledgable.

The employees of course!

Living in the Denver area we have Caboose Hobbies, Tim's Toy Trains and BST as our local 'train stores'

 

Once you establish a good relationship there are always finds to be had or at least offered.

Well said, that's certainly been my experience with my LHS. They will even call you when something comes up in your area of interest.

My LHS is about a 4 hour drive, and these shops are a dying breed. This one is a hobby shop but with a lot of railroadiana pieces giving it a great museum feel. You could spend hours in it. It's where I have made most of my impulse buys, including a gorgeous-looking AHM Genoa, American Flyer transformers and a MTH GN EP5. Talk about variety, hah!

 

I'll never forget walking into Nicholas Smith Trains one day -- just to browse around the aisles.  And sure enough I see a brand new MTH Premier UP baggage car with the American flag staring right back at me... years after it was first released!     Couldn't believe my eyes... and under MSRP too!!!

 

Same thing happened at Henning's Trains, where I found a set of Vision Line tankers with freight-sounds long after regular stock was sold out at most stores.  

 

It doesn't happen every day... but when it does, it's certainly a great feeling.  

 

David

I went to Start Hobby near Annapolis, MD with a fellow forumite and we both where talking about wouldn't it be nice to find a bag of scale O scale railroad ties.  He wanted to use the ties for his temp layout, and I wanted to use it as track side detail on my switching layout.  I turn around and hidden on the counter behind some items look to me a bag of wood.  It was actually a bag of wooden scale railroad ties!  When the owner saw the bag he stated it had been sitting their for well over a decade.   Needless to say the bag, the bounty divided now both of us are very happy campers.