At the Railroad Hobby Show in Springfield, MA this past weekend, we at Bachmann witnessed a record one-day attendance of over 16,000 visitors. We don't believe the model railroad hobby is dying by any means!
From what I have heard about the situation over the past few weeks, the recent closures of certain retailers was the result of financial and management issues, rather than a lack of sales or customer interest. It is a very unfortunate situation, but the good news is there are still plenty of other retailers for hobbyists to choose from, and while there may be a short term impact, I think the long term future of model railroading is bright.
From what I have heard about the situation over the past few weeks, the recent closures of certain retailers was the result of financial and management issues, rather than a lack of sales or customer interest. It is a very unfortunate situation, but the good news is there are still plenty of other retailers for hobbyists to choose from, and while there may be a short term impact, I think the long term future of model railroading is bright.