Model Railroading > Caboose Press Release on Facebook Page

CABOOSE LAKEWOOD RETAIL LOCATION PERMANENTLY CLOSED

It is with great regrets that the employee-owners of Caboose have decided to permanently close the retail storefront location located at 10800 West Alameda Avenue in Lakewood. The location was temporarily closed with the onset of the COVID-19 coronavirus on March 18, 2020. Since that time, it has become apparent that ongoing brick-and-mortar operations are unsustainable, particularly considering the tremendous challenges posed by upgrading the retail location for safe operations in a post-COVID world. The building’s owners have therefore decided to put the building up for sale, and we are completing the process of vacating the space. We will be contacting those customers with consignment items to return those items to them or remit payment for those items which may have recently sold. For further information, please email us at info@MyCaboose.com.We fully intend for Caboose PBC, our public benefit corporation parent company, to remain in operation. After the New Year we will be re-assessing our situation and looking to the future regarding how we can best address our organizational purpose of cultivating the worldwide community of train enthusiasts in our shared passion for trains.Most importantly, thank you, our loyal customers for your enthusiastic support. Please watch our Facebook page or website, for further updates.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/21 07:38 by CaliforniaSteamin.

additional discussion:
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,5157465,page=1
 

Second sentence should read...."OUR brick and mortar....". There seems to be many brick and mortars' that are doing just fine. Let's not blame this entire debaucle on just Covid. How 'bout BAD management?  ×   

Yes ^ they were in trouble long before covid, and this is old news while they posted this on FB recently this is the same statement that was taped on the window a while back they just keep recycling it........

Agree.  It's easy to blame something else and probably COVID was the coup de grace.  Or it sped up the closure that was already on the way to happening.

As for the public benefit corporation, it still seems very vague as to what that is, or is intended to be.  Caboose Hobbies, which Caboose was opened to replace, was a hobby shop plain and simple.  I don't recall it had a "social" mission other than what is implied with the hobby in general.  Caboose says they want to "cultivating the worldwide community of train enthusiasts".  I guess that is what Ken Patterson is already doing with his "What's Neat" program.  So maybe Caboose is morphing from a hobby shop that couldn't be profitable to a social media movement, which they have been doing on Facebook during the past year.  

Cheers,
Jim

From an insider I know, they hung around long enough to get PPP money from that COVID related government program.  Instead of using the money to pay employees, they used it to pay off some debtors that were closing in on them.   This has been poorly ran from the beginning.  The owner went from having nearly a seven figure net worth to broke because he couldn't manage his way out of a wet paper bag.

What is extremely immoral is his hiring of Athearn's Chris Palmarez just to let him go weeks after his arrival.  He had that young man's livelihood in his hands and he had no problem screwing him over. The owner owes many people and companies.  He managed the place poorly from the planning to execution phases.  The only thing he did well was suckering a bunch of employees into agreeing to be employee owned which probably saved some of his personal assets from later litigation or seizure.  I cannot believe the employees fell for it.

-CSN



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/21 14:36 by CaliforniaSteamin.

Reads like their a political movement, not a hobby store.

Posted from Android

Is there any longer a traditional train hobby shop anywhere in the state of Colorado any more, or for that matter Nebraska or Utah  ? 
Even NYC, population 8.5 million, is down to one scroungy one in the basement of a building on 45th Street. 

They have gone the way of Radio Shack. Order on line and wait. But it was nice to drive a couple of miles and buy a toggle switch or diode on he spot. 

gandydancer4 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Second sentence should read...."OUR brick and
> mortar....". There seems to be many brick and
> mortars' that are doing just fine. Let's not blame
> this entire debaucle on just Covid. How 'bout BAD
> management?  ×   

How about putting it to the garage or basement run places which had no overhead to speak of, employees, had to pay any business tax or state taxes on what they sold among other things like any paid ads. Thats where the downturn started face it as if modlers could get things cheeper thats where the business went.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They have gone the way of Radio Shack. Order on
> line and wait. But it was nice to drive a couple
> of miles and buy a toggle switch or diode on he
> spot. 

That experience is still possible with home improvement and auto parts stores, although the smaller ones that went for variety instead of quantity are dwindling, because of "corporatism." Now, people are forced to go online for the rarer items.

I patronized both the original Caboose Hobbies and Caboose whenever I visited the Denver area. Caboose Hobbies delivered on a pre-order that took 4+ years from the manufacturer, but otherwise, I bought what was in stock (in person) and avoided the preorder headaches. Miss them a lot.

New Caboose had decent stock on HO scale items, but quite lacking on N scale, based on my visit in 2017. I give them credit for trying, but otherwise, can't comment on what happened to them in recent years.

> Please watch our Facebook
> page or website, for further updates.

Will that place never die?

Utah and Nebraska both have model railroad shops. Stop spreading nonsense.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is there any longer a traditional train hobby shop
> anywhere in the state of Colorado any more, or for
> that matter Nebraska or Utah  ? 

I can name at least three in Nebraska...

I think there might be a shop in Colorado Springs - but no model railroad focused shops in Denver metro that i'm aware of.

-Benjamin
Colorado native

>  is there a traditional train hobby shop anywhere in the state of Colorado any more,
Roy's in Colorado Springs is probably it, depending on how you define traditional.

 N Scale Supply in Arvada has opened up its warehouse space for walk-in sales, and now carries stuff that you would normally find in a traditional hobby shop.   https://www.nscalesupply.com/ They've been in business for something like 25 years, first as a brick and motor, then transitioning online, and now they do both and have a decent showroom.   And while their specialty is N scale, you might be surprised to find some HO products you can buy in the store only.  Whether that's a trend, I can't say.

Bill Kepner 

I forgot about N Scale Supply, I used to visit back in the day in their location near Lil Nicks before they went online only. Hours look to be pretty limited and I’m focused on HO these days but thanks for the reminder.

-Benjamin

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/03/21 14:56 by tunnel88.

What is the tiny store near  the NAPA wharehouse approx 70th and york,?

In Nebraska there are at least four between Lincoln and Omaha. I know Randy at Randys Roundhouse in Lincoln said covid was good for his business because People stayed home and played with their trains. Dave at House of Trains in Omaha would probably tell you the same thing.
Steve

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is there any longer a traditional train hobby shop
> anywhere in the state of Colorado any more, or for
> that matter Nebraska or Utah  ? 
> Even NYC, population 8.5 million, is down to one
> scroungy one in the basement of a building on 45th
> Street. 
>
> They have gone the way of Radio Shack. Order on
> line and wait. But it was nice to drive a couple
> of miles and buy a toggle switch or diode on he
> spot. 

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is there any longer a traditional train hobby shop
> anywhere in the state of Colorado any more, or for
> that matter Nebraska or Utah  ? 
> Even NYC, population 8.5 million, is down to one
> scroungy one in the basement of a building on 45th
> Street. 
>
> They have gone the way of Radio Shack. Order on
> line and wait. But it was nice to drive a couple
> of miles and buy a toggle switch or diode on he
> spot. 

There's a "little" store in tiny Deshler, NE called Spring Creek Model Trains.  Not only big at train shows and mail order, but they have a fine full-service store made of "brick and mortar" is Deshler.  Nice people, great service, massive stock.

Lincoln is home to Randy's Roundhouse is a really nice family train store run by a man who is dedicated to thehobby of model railroading.  Multiple scales, repair service, questions are answered for free.

Omaha has the House of Trains, a full-service long-time model train store.  Lots of goodies in multiple scales and full services.

All of the above are within the state of Nebraska, they are full-time model train stores, they are all run by really good people.  Theyhave had to roll with the punches of the pandemic and seem to be doing OK.  They all deserve our support and I'll bet they would appreciate the business.

Gary B.
Waverly, NE

binder001 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Is there any longer a traditional train hobby
> shop
> > anywhere in the state of Colorado any more, or
> for
> > that matter Nebraska or Utah  ? 
> > Even NYC, population 8.5 million, is down to
> one
> > scroungy one in the basement of a building on
> 45th
> > Street. 
> >
> > They have gone the way of Radio Shack. Order on
> > line and wait. But it was nice to drive a
> couple
> > of miles and buy a toggle switch or diode on he
> > spot. 
>
> There's a "little" store in tiny Deshler, NE
> called Spring Creek Model Trains.  Not only big
> at train shows and mail order, but they have a
> fine full-service store made of "brick and mortar"
> is Deshler.  Nice people, great service, massive
> stock.
>
> Lincoln is home to Randy's Roundhouse is a really
> nice family train store run by a man who is
> dedicated to thehobby of model railroading. 
> Multiple scales, repair service, questions are
> answered for free.
>
> Omaha has the House of Trains, a full-service
> long-time model train store.  Lots of goodies in
> multiple scales and full services.
>
> All of the above are within the state of Nebraska,
> they are full-time model train stores, they are
> all run by really good people.  Theyhave had to
> roll with the punches of the pandemic and seem to
> be doing OK.  They all deserve our support and
> I'll bet they would appreciate the business.
>
> Gary B.
> Waverly, NE

I've been to the store and to their train show booths.  The owner Dan is absurdly tight.  He has a construction company and sits on a fortune in inventory but if you ask for a discount he acts like you've personally offended him.  I've let several things stay on the shelves where they remain there today because of his demeanor.  I can get discounts much better almost anywhere else.  If it wasn't for their cult following they would be up a creek without a paddle.