The short answer is NO, not yet. However, the longer answer could lean towards the word YES!

For years I visited my local train stores, not just on the west coast but as well on the east coast when I lived in New England. Back in my days in New England they were abundant, and I enjoyed each one for their charm, unique selections as well as the personalities of the owners. It wasn’t just about buying trains, but talking shop and love for the hobby. Many of those stores even held monthly workshops where you could learn new things from active members locally in the hobby. Plus, get notifications when locals would open up their layouts to the public. I look back at the wealth of knowledge I gain in my younger years from those elder state men and women in the hobby. A much simpler time!

Flash forward many, many moons and different coast plus add in a pandemic and the times in many markets have changed. Why?

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are still some hot spots in parts of the country where you can find multiple stores within miles of each other but the buying trend over recent years has shifted and so have the owners of these stores. And markets that once had many stores have found themselves with one or none within a 100 mile radius.

Let us first start with many of the stores that have closed or are on the verge of closing their doors forever and why that has become the trend over the years.

When you went into your local hobby store over the years you were or maybe still are greeted by that familiar aged face that has been the staple of the store for decades. Over time those faces have moved on to the great big train store in the sky and without an end game in place, these stores just shut their doors and closed. Family members rarely, if ever would continue the legacy built and many times ended up auctioning off, for pennies on the dollar I might add, the inventory just to move on.

When Covid hit many didn’t have a plan in place and being forced to shut down for months found they didn’t have a way of reaching their cliental. Plus, some of that older base ended up being lost to a virus. Those that tried to remain in business found their bills still came and yet because many hadn’t embraced technology were forced to close their doors instead of depleting their life savings.

Covid also had a huge effect on inventory as well as cost. Many of these smaller stores work on such small profit margins that even the smallest increase in cost had to be passed on to their customers. In years gone by this wasn’t an issue as people remained loyal to stores, however that trend has shift over the years with PRICE being the final driving factor for many. As larger stores who had shifted to online sales years before the pandemic saw sales go up, they ended up with a huge advantage compared to your local small mom and pop store. Just like with everything, the more you buy the better the cost you can get from manufactures. A store that can afford to layout money for inventory and buy twenty plus of one item like an engine will get a far better deal than the small store that can only buy one or two. That buying power in savings to cost of goods sold, along with online sales has been the huge driving factor of smaller stores shutting their doors.

As a consumer, we always look for the cheaper price without understanding the driving factor behind that price. And as Covid came down hard, many who were reluctant from buying online soon realized that it was not just a cheaper option but also offered a much larger selection of proudcts….so you waited an extra week or more, in the long run it was worth saving that $5 or more on an item. Plus, with all the new products now coming out, your local store couldn’t possibly carry everything, you got what you needed right away. But truthfully was it worth it? I think we are all seeing the long term effect of those choice today. As many hobby shops have shut their doors in many markets forever!

I’ve run many businesses over the years and know very well that many consumers have no idea what goes into running a successful business, especially one that has a physical presence. The countless hours spent behind the scenes doing even the smallest task because you can’t afford to pay for the help. The cost of renting a commercial building in many locations, especially since COVID, has become so costly that for hobby stores with such small profit margins a majority of any profits they might have seen has be depleted just keeping the lights on in the store. These stores have finally got to the tipping point where there is no longer a profit in keeping the store open. And the idea of selling it not an option because their financial numbers don’t justifying any bank to finance a sale. Or a new owner to come in just to break even without a profit or the opportunity to take a salary. This fostered in some stores trying to shift to online selling only, drop shipping from the larger manufactures and running their business from the comfort of their own homes. Can it work yes, to a point, but it isn’t the same buying experience.

I was one that bought online a lot, but over the past year of working with John from Westside Trains on his new website I have found a love for why these stores need to and must remain open! And why I will as much as possible buy from these smaller stores regardless of the price.

There is something to be said about going in to a store and seeing trains sitting on self, sometimes hidden gems bought in an estate sale. Maybe an item you have been dreaming about since a child finally coming home with you. But truthfully, the biggest thing I have pulled away from being at the store over the past year is the FACES! Yes, familiar faces just looking to come in, even for a few moments to talk about their passion for the greatest hobby in the world. Updating us on their layout, talking about engines and rolling stock they have or are looking for. Maybe someone new looking for advice to start their first ever layout. Or that single mom, clueless, but still wanting to bring the joy of trains into their child’s eyes. Sometimes they buy little items, sometimes sets and at times they just want to talk. I think that is the one of the things most people miss when ordering online.

For me though, the biggest thing, is watching the faces and excitement of dads and even moms bring in their child, sometimes for the first time. Hearing them run around the store with excitement yelling, “Trains!” I had forgot over the years what it was like for me as a child, what it was like for me having a son and sharing that experience with him when he was young. The utter joy in his eyes picking out a new engine or boxcar to take home and run. I think we never left the store with a little something for his layout. I didn’t have to wait a week for that experience as it was instant and made so many lasting memories. Memories I hope to share with other families in the future.

I understand the youth have migrated to online buying. I understand that everyone wants a deal as money is tight. But next time you are going to buy from one of those big online box stores, or from eBay and such, remember your local store, if you still have one. You might pay a few dollars more for an item, you might even have to order it and wait a bit, but you are helping to contribute to the joy of that young child walking into his or her first train store and seeing the trains run in the shop. That smile alone, and chance to bring someone else into this great hobby should never be lost just so you can save a few bucks on an engine.

Remember those that operated hobby stores for years never made huge profits and still don’t, it was a passion, a love for the hobby that drove them to continue to stay open. Help what few small stores we still have left to remain open. Stop by an order or buy something from them…not based on price, but based on the love of still walking into a store. If they don’t have what you need, call them and ask if they can get it for you. Remember what it was like the first time as kid you went to a train store. Your eyes bugging out of your head as what seemed like at the time a colossal Lionel Train did a simple oval with smoke coming out of its stack and that awesome sound of it chugging around pulling its load. Don’t ever let us loose that for the future generations.

Someday, I hope to own my own brick and mortar shop, an idea I have had for many years. And maybe, just maybe, I can help bring that joy for trains to future generations. The same joy I once had as a child and has only gotten stronger with age.

Tina Marie Caouette – Webmaster