Model Railroading > Final demise: Bruce's Train Shop in Sacramento

Well it's done. Bruce's Train Shop in Sacramento is in fact gone. Went by yesterday...empty store front and fixtures being removed. Don't know if they even had and out-of business-sale? Wonder what happened to Milo the parrot...probably the friendliest guy in the shop...part of the reason these guys didn't survive. Not the best of customer service as has been told over and over previously.

Sacramento being somewhat of a rail town now just has one place left...RR Hobbies in Roseville, and I do hope they hang on.

Auburnrail

Auburnrail Wrote:
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> Well it's done. Bruce's Train Shop in Sacramento
> is in fact gone. Went by yesterday...empty store
> front and fixtures being removed. Don't know if
> they even had and out-of business-sale? Wonder
> what happened to Milo the parrot...probably the
> friendliest guy in the shop...part of the reason
> these guys didn't survive. Not the best of
> customer service as has been told over and over
> previously.
>
> Sacramento being somewhat of a rail town now just
> has one place left...RR Hobbies in Roseville, and
> I do hope they hang on.
>
> Auburnrail

I went by a week after I heard here on TO that they planned to go out of business. Yup, they had an out-of-business sale, which was going to last until their stock was gone. They also planned to stay open to honor any existing orders and pre-orders.

There should be some happy owners of heavily discounted Athearn U50's and a DDA40X, which I didn't buy. I did grab a Kato AMTK 156 (N scale), and a Z scale WP F unit, since the prices were so good.

I was treated reasonably well there, so I'll miss them and the parrot.

Heard Berkley Hardware might be next to go. The building they lease is being sold in order to build Apartments. There hoping to find a new sight. Another hobby shop in the area has seen their sales drop 40% from last year and yes, their sales staff is quit friendly. Won't be long before internet sales are the only game in town. Yikes....

Valleyman

I have seen some of the past posts of Bruce's closing, and although sharing a common experience of unfriendliness, I passed on making a comment. This might be my last chance, and I just can't resist commenting because there is such a consistent theme in virtually everyone's writing. I was from way out of town, but traveled through Sacramento once a year for an event in the Sierras. No shop in my town, so stopped by a half dozen times over about 15 years. The last time I walked through the front door, 3 men behind the counter stopped their conversation and silently stared me down as I passed them by. The look on their faces was one as if I was down right intruding. I purchased nothing simply because I didn't feel they were worthy of a nickel of my money. Like most, no tears shed here. With so much said at TO in the same vain, how in the world did the shop last as long as it did?

I agree that Bruce's was not friendly. But RR hobbies in Roseville is not much better. The younger kids there are always willing to help but the older guy probably in his late 70's was not much help. He would just glare at me. Maybe when I'm that age, that's all I'll do too but a business is a business because of it's customers.

Valleyman Wrote:
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> Heard Berkley Hardware might be next to go. The

Berkeley

> building they lease is being sold in order to
> build Apartments. There hoping to find a new
> sight. Another hobby shop in the area has seen
> their sales drop 40% from last year and yes, their
> sales staff is quit friendly. Won't be long before

quite. If they quit, they wouldn't be working there.

> internet sales are the only game in town.

Sorry, but you lose some credibility with the typos. That, and the property would have to be rezoned from commercial to residential, which isn't very likely given it's on University Ave, and part of downtown Berkeley. Don't tell me the City Counsel is so corrupt as to allow the property to be rezoned.

The economy isn't helping matters either. I've also seen my share of horse's butts running hobby stores over the years. Wonder if our hobby is the only one with people like that?

I have worked part time at two different hobby shops over the years. I always tried to be friendly and helpful. However there are some of customers that are jerks as well. I could write a book on it. Some treat you like dirt because they think you are just a lowly hobby shop minimum wage worker. Little did they know this was only my second job done more or less for the fun of it and the employee discount. Others think all you have to do is spend time talking to them about the hobby when there is other work to do around the shop. Those are often the ones who spend no money but take up hours of your time. However that doesn't excuse being rude to customers unless of course they are rude to you first.

It isn't just hobby shops, it seems like 50% of the workforce doesn't give a bleep and is just putting
in their 8 hours for pay, watching the clock so they can go home.

I'm not a modeler, but I have great respect for you guys. Do you folks pretty much buy everything on-line?

Being in P48 that's pretty much a necessity but the rest is the chicken and egg thing. Are we all buying on line
because of a lack of shops and did out buying habits kill the shops? Little of each I guess though some good shops
remain and we still buy from them.

rehunn Wrote:
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> It isn't just hobby shops, it seems like 50% of
> the workforce doesn't give a bleep and is just
> putting
> in their 8 hours for pay, watching the clock so
> they can go home.

I guess that puts me in the 50% bracket.

Larry

I feel the unfriendlyness is not just at train stores, but in the hobby itself. I have gone to many a train shows and most people in the clubs doing the displays are the most mad looking people in the world. They are so involved in talking to the fellow club members, trying to fix their train on the track and won't even turn around to say hi and ask if you may have a question. I have been to a show in Scottsdale Arizona about 4 times over the last 8 years. This one club always has the same display and the same angry look on their faces. Suggestion: If you are in the hobbyu and enjoy doing it, by all means, SHOW IT, with a smile on your face. If you treat people like garbage, who will be doing the hobby after you have past on. If you want to resort to the negative looks and chatting with your club members, stay home and be grumpy.

raytc1944 Wrote:
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> I'm not a modeler, but I have great respect for
> you guys. Do you folks pretty much buy everything
> on-line?

Nope, not everything. I still "make rounds" with the hobby shops, and I also do it when I travel outside my area. I don't always buy when I visit, but I don't always buy when I visit a web site either.

As for hobby shop employee grumpiness, I hate to offend the older folks here, but maybe that and cynicism come from age? I've visited Railroad Hobbies in Roseville, too, and I seem to get along with both the younger and older employees there. Andersonb109's comment above might be worth noting. Maybe the grumpiness is mutual between the employee and the customer.

To be honest, this experience (not with any one club in particular) is why I was part of opening a new group. We don't have any standoffs or glass in the front so that members can hide in the back. We walk around with our trains and TALK with the public. Yes, there are people that want to monopolize our time with 20,000 questions, but for the most part people seem to enjoy the ability to interact with the members of the group and talk and ask questions. Its amazing the kind of reaction you'll get from questions when they ask questions and we take the time to communicate with them. If nothing else, we have gleaned more than a few ideas for things to add to the layout just by talking with the public and helping to GROW the hobby!


Hope this helps!

Vince Smith
Gulf Western Modular Railroad Society
On the Road to Atlanta - National Train Show 2013


BEAR8216 Wrote:
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> I feel the unfriendlyness is not just at train
> stores, but in the hobby itself. I have gone to
> many a train shows and most people in the clubs
> doing the displays are the most mad looking people
> in the world. They are so involved in talking to
> the fellow club members, trying to fix their train
> on the track and won't even turn around to say hi
> and ask if you may have a question. I have been to
> a show in Scottsdale Arizona about 4 times over
> the last 8 years. This one club always has the
> same display and the same angry look on their
> faces. Suggestion: If you are in the hobbyu and
> enjoy doing it, by all means, SHOW IT, with a
> smile on your face. If you treat people like
> garbage, who will be doing the hobby after you
> have past on. If you want to resort to the
> negative looks and chatting with your club
> members, stay home and be grumpy.

Many retailers have a problem with people stealing from the shelves and many neighborhoods have a larger robbery problem. Some retail stores have a policy of making contact with every Customer to check them out and find out if they may be trouble at some point. In larger stores there are also cameras with staff watching for pilferage.

Bruce's was in an odd part of town, they had a Security Guard that set an odd appearance. It took me a while to figure out it was the Shopping Center's Security Guard who happened to hang out at the Hobby Shop a lot. Any loss of a Hobby Shop is a bad thing. They had lots of detail parts right there on the wall, can't beat that.

Bruce's Train Shop was always a negative shopping experience for me but I'd come back because it had what I needed. One time, I came in for some paint and saw a consigned brass Sacramento Northern steeplecab that I really, really wanted for about $500. So, I did what most of us do...think about how great it would be to have and try to justify it. Then think about what kind of flack I'd get at home from the wife and how this purchase would be used, and used for her to spend money we didn't have on her horses (read way more $ than my hobby). You guys know what I'm talking about-it's a process and it may take time and walking up and down the aisles muttering to yourself. Well, I just about had myself talked into saying to hell with it and buying the thing when one of these 'types' in Bruce's growled at me, "Are you going to buy anything today or are you just going pace back and forth and annoy me?" Well, that made my mind up to leave with the retort: "I was but your nasty attitude just cost you a sale." He had to get in the last word: "Yeah, so I'll lose that $3 sale on the paint you have in your hand big spender." I thought about saying something about what I really was going to buy but I realized that he'd think I was making something up after the fact.I honestly didn't feel like educating him or have any desire to waste effort when I had no expectation of anything in return for it.

Wow, that's pretty bad.

Actually, I used to go to this hobby shop when it was Gil's Train Shop then it was the Original Whistle Shop too. I don't remember anyone working back then being so grumpy. I just turned 59 and now confined to a wheelchair, but, still manage to smile. Not for the negative things that have happened to me, but for all the wonderful things that have happened like family and friends. Just enjoy the hobby or go find something else to do.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/12 17:15 by BEAR8216.

Arved Wrote:
> That, and the property would have to be
> rezoned from commercial to residential, which
> isn't very likely given it's on University Ave,
> and part of downtown Berkeley. Don't tell me the
> City Counsel is so corrupt as to allow the
> property to be rezoned.

Regarding Berkeley Ace Hardware, the required "notice of proposed construction" has been posted in an adjacent vacant storefront. I believe they are going to keep the facade and add a few stories on top of the building. It will probably be a mixed commercial/residential development. One of the employees at Ace mentioned to me a couple months ago that the hobby department is profitable, so as long as they find a new location, I think Ace will be fine.