I talked to the manager of 2 different Hobby Lobbies and they both said the same thing all model railroad items are being discontinued except select O, HO, & N Scale Train Sets. All the scenery, separate sale locos and rolling stock are discontinued, pretty much everything, but basic train sets. All items except train sets are on clearance for 50 to 75% off depending on the items. Both of my stores were already sold out of almost everything, all that was left was the train sets and a few misc. items. Hurry while supplies last, but the 40% off coupons aren't good on sale items. Supposedly they started clearing stuff out in late May/early June. For example a HO berk was on sale for $69.
I can affirm ABC's post. Friday, I asked the manager of one of the Hobby Lobby stores in Huntsville, AL and he said they were "getting out of the model railroad business." Today, I went to another Hobby Lobby store in Gadsden, Alabama and the store manager there told me the same thing. They had some nice Bachmann train sets on sale and said they would probably be discounting them a little more in the future. 'Sad really.
Ray
The third local hobby lobby I went to still has some stuff left. N scale cars are $4 each, HO cars are $5 each. A HO 2-6-2 is $40, a N GP-40 is $20, a HO B-23/30 is $30. Nickel Silver Turnouts are $7, Steel are $5, straight and curved NS is $5, steel is $3. N people are $3 a pack. If anybody wants anything that doesn't have a local hobby lobby I can pick something up for you if they have it, shipping would not be more than a couple dollars for most everything.
I cleaned out the only one that still had stuff left. $300 for everything, no train sets were on sale though I left a couple of n scale things and people and some snow, and various crossings and terminal track in HO E-Z track.
Hobby Lobby back in the late 70s had a large modle railroad supply. They soon found out the craft was where the money was.
heh, my bloody luck! I was just gonna ask you if they had 3 NS left hand switches. Ow well...
Quote from: jettrainfan on July 17, 2010, 10:11:49 PM
heh, my bloody luck! I was just gonna ask you if they had 3 NS left hand switches. Ow well...
They had them, I picked some up, I don't know how many were LH, check some of the Cleveland stores too, I checked all the Youngstown-Warren ones. As a side note I live 1 hour and thirty minutes away from Lakewood. There is one in Medina, Stow, Macedonia, and one is opening in Fairlawn.
My dad will probably complain it wasn't worth it. Ill just go to my LHS because I just found out I has more money than I remembered.thanks for the info though, ill check them out if I'm in the area.
It is such a shame to see local outlets move away from our hobby. In my area, the Philadelphia Metropolitan area, there are not any Hobby Lobby stores but there are Hobby Town stores. The problem with these is that someone should educate the owners about discounting. I find their prices insane.
We are fortunate in this are to be located close to Nicholas Smith Trains. They carry a wide variety of all scales, new and used, sets and pieces.
Tony
It doesn't bother me because I have a wealth Local Hobby Shops: Amer's Hobby, Austintown Hobbie Shop, Boardman Hobby Center, Have Fun Hobbies, Mahoning Valley Hobby, Rob's Trains, 2 or 3 Hobbytown USAs, Crouse Mills True Value and formerly 3 Hobby Lobbies. All of them, but one or two have a large selection.
I just visited my local Hobby Lobby today (Columbus, OH) and all model railroading items are at least 75% off, train sets and all. I was lucky to pick up their last N Scale Empire Builder set, got it for less than $100 with the discounts. I don't know if anyone else is in the Columbus area but it's all going fast - they only had about 3 HO sets left and no track for either N or HO.
Columbus is two and a half hours away from me in the Youngstown area. What HO sets did they have left?
Quote from: ABC on July 18, 2010, 07:30:21 PM
Columbus is two and a half hours away from me in the Youngstown area. What HO sets did they have left?
From what I saw, two Nor'easter sets and a Chattanooga set with a beat up box, the plastic was ripped away from the locomotive.
Quote from: NorfolkAndWestern578 on July 19, 2010, 01:41:01 PMtwo Nor'easter sets
That is interesting they did not even sell them at any of my local ones. Thanks
I'm in Birmingham, AL and out Hobby Lobby's stopped selling train items several months ago. I went there in June of last year (2009) and bought my son his first HO set - a Bachmann Thomas & Annie/Clarabel set. That's pretty much what got me into the hobby seriously. A few months back my boy and I were out one day so I decided we'd make a surprise visit to the Hobby Lobby store to get him a new freight car to go with his set. To my surprise they had nothing model railroad related at all. I asked the store manager what was up and he said they decided (Hobby Lobby) to start selling American Girl (I think that's right) stuff instead. I wish I had known they were going to stop selling it, as I would have cleaned up there before it was all gone. :-\
I've only got two hobby stores locally who sell model train items, and I only do business with one. I really prefer to buy my items online, as it's usually a lot cheaper. But, I've decided to support my local shop as much as I can by buying most of my items from them. (Including a recent order of Bachmann E-Z track he did not have in stock). :)
Same thing here in Houston. All of the hobby lobbys are getting out of the Model rail road business. It is a shame, they did not have a lot but they always had a good selection of figures and scenery materials.
I live on the southeast side of the city and the one other hobby shop in this area closed down. Fortunately we have few down town but a longer drive.
I know in this economy it is tough for the brick and mortar shops but I loved to go check out the equipment in the real worl :(
napa and others-
Talk with the owner or manager at your LHS. They may agree to discount everything you order from Walthers for delivery through their store. Mine does, except for things already on sale at Walthers which the LHS adjusts downwards but not the 20% they give me on everything else. It's a great way to support the LHS while saving a significant amount off of MSRP. I still buy some things from other places if there is a spectacular price but I feel the LHS pricing is fair and I can generally get my items faster since Walthers ships to hobby shops daily.
-- D