Model Railroading > Custom Railway Supply - Colorado Springs - closing

Posted yesterday -- May 7, 2017 -- on the Western Discussion Board:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,428938

Here is their website:

http://www.customrailwaysupply.com/

According to this website, they are having a "big retirement sale"
May 1-15, and "everything must go", so it does look as though, sad
to say, they are really going out of business. :(

Yes!I also had gone to the website and read that as well. I guess we should just get used to these closures as technology continues to snuff out brick and mortar stores. I remember when you could find a hobby shop just about anywhere and most of them had operating layouts which was good for introducing the younger kids to the hobby.

I hate to even think this but I believe that model railroading is a slowly dying hobby that has fallen victim to the computer/internet/gaming craze especially among the younger generation.

I find it ironic that many shop for their model railroad items online and want them discount but also like to visit hobby shops while traveling... And we get a lot of posts here inquiring about such hobby shops. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be negative, but it is ironic. And if these folks purchase something from these shops while traveling, good for them.

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

> I find it ironic that many shop for their model
> railroad items online and want them discount but
> also like to visit hobby shops while traveling...
> And we get a lot of posts here inquiring about
> such hobby shops. Don't get me wrong, I'm not
> trying to be negative, but it is ironic.

> Victor A. Baird

It's not really ironic at all. Back when I was a geologist (in a roller coaster job market) I would travel to other cities or states for work and would try to visit 2 or 3 shops and sometimes bring treasures home with me. Back then between 1987 and 1997, there was not any online shopping. Sure, there was mail order but it was a different world. You didn't have easy access to what was in stock so the only way you could find stuff was to darken the door of hobby shops.

Times have changed a great deal since then and for the past 10 years, I have changed job fields and don't travel any more and like many have gone through some difficult times financially. I'm not trying to be negative either but hey, it's been a long haul recovering hard times for many of us during the "great recession" and having to keep up with child support and put my daughter though college so yes, I unashamedly shop online and try to get discount prices - I make no apologies. Even if money was no object, there aren't any hobby shops that carry anything for a long way in any direction from where I live, west suburbs of, high cost of living, northern VA.

BTW, if you listen to the news you know wages have stagnated while model train products have skyrocketed. Yet you talk like discount/online shopping is a bad thing. If you have a generous disposable income, and can support local shops to keep them open, then God bless you. Not everyone can.

Cheers, Jim Fitch



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/17 05:22 by SPDRGWfan.