A noodle into the darkest recesses of Surrey yesterday with a trip to Kernow Models. Unlike some people I didn't come away with a Hornby operating timber depot - not sure what I'd do with one if I did.
As with most shops now they are primarily box shifters so the required list of paint was unobtainable, but I did pick up a small top up of windows stock and some pins. This does seem slightly odd seeing as who I work for these days, but a, I was standing there and b, I try to support the retailers. My fellow shopper came away with considerably more in the shape of a new blue box choo-choo and signals.
We need to do this now. Yes, I could have got my small haul in two minutes online and even allowing for the postage, a lot cheaper than the fuel to Guildford. That's not the point. We have long been told to 'support your local model shop' and this is even more important right now. My spend here was a little over seven quid; not much in percentage terms for the required daily take for a shop, but if we all go out and spend this in a local shop this week they will still be around this time next year. Don't complain if you don't and they aren't.
A well put point Chris... A prod Lancing wise for me? Probably :-)
ReplyDeleteAndrew Knights (Unknown)
Last Monday afternoon I motored over to Poole to Model Railway Solutions. Having been greeted in fine p**s taking manner over the matter of a Hornby Ruston (long story not worth telling) I had a good chat. And came away with some plastic weld and three packs of Bachmann DMU couplings, which I'm gradually using to replace all the tension locks on my stock. Much more discrete than that huge hook thing and easy to retro fit. Anyway. It was good to go into a 'model shop' and like you Chris although it is an hour each way for me I don't begrudge the time or fuel.
ReplyDeleteNot only is it important to support local retail - it's more fun that shopping online. You never know what will be in a dusty corner, even an operating timber depot!
ReplyDeleteIn the week since shops have been able to reopen I've had quite a few passengers buy tickets to go shopping, they've mostly commented that it's good to go out to a real shop and look at and buy stuff rather than the sterile experience shopping on line gives. I went to a bookshop in Felixstowe that specialises in transport books on my day off last week...I saw some books I wasn't even aware existed and the lady behind the counter commented that while they sell via the internet, a lot of their stock isn't listed as there simply isn't time to do it all. I suspect the same goes for some model shops, especially so for second hand and off topic stuff. Model shopping later this week...
ReplyDeleteWouldn't Gaugemaster have been closer?
ReplyDeleteKernow Guildford is on list of shops to visit
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more Chris. As I had a small list of things that I needed, yesterday I had a trip to Alton to visit the excellent Alton Model Centre. It was so nice just to be able to wander round the shop and look at stuff for real. It was a worthwhile trip, I came away with everything on my list, even the Peco points.
ReplyDeleteWell I did the model shopping...at Great Eastern Model Railways in Norwich.
ReplyDeleteIt's a brilliant shop and I came home with a variety of "stuff"...a Parkside LMS (ex-MR) brake van kit and the Railmatch LMS grey to paint it, some scenic bits to use on the 009 Inglenook and other things from their excellent bargain bin.
One thing they've done very effectively is to exploit social media with a very active Facebook presence, it's also obvious that they have a very strong local following with many people in and out of the shop and much exchange of friendly banter. Interestingly, they don't really do the e-commerce thing, while they have a website it's not set up for selling...they prefer that you pick up the phone or pay a visit. Seems to work pretty well!