Gavin Sowry
Garden Railroader and Raconteur
Caboose Hobbies, the world's largest train store, is closing down effective 25 September. Lease expired, and Duane wants to retire.
BREAKING NEWS out of Denver
- Thread starter Gavin Sowry
- Start date
Caboose Hobbies, the world's largest train store, is closing down effective 25 September. Lease expired, and Duane wants to retire.
Now that really is sad, you would have thought that someone with bucks would want to buy him out. Guess Duane has tried that. I well remember my visits in 1994, could not stay away from the place whilst I was in Denver. Very sad news. But all the best to Duane for a happy retirement, guess he will niw be able to find time to build his own Pike. He should have plenty of stock to choose from.
JonD
JonD
Miamigo259
Registered
I remember first discovering them when I stayed in Denver for 3 weeks or so back in April 1983.
They certainly had a sizeable stock of N gauge back then, and that was what got me started in US outline N modelling.
I also bought my first G item from them back in 1999 (one of the Bachmann closed trams) -so they have a lot to answer for!
They certainly had a sizeable stock of N gauge back then, and that was what got me started in US outline N modelling.
I also bought my first G item from them back in 1999 (one of the Bachmann closed trams) -so they have a lot to answer for!
Gavin Sowry
Garden Railroader and Raconteur
Bottom line, the building lease expired, and the owner wants to bowl the building, hence no lease renewal. Sad really. I too, couldn't keep away from the place. Great stock, and friendly folks. My Coors car came from there. I also did mail order from them, very prompt. I must own up to one day rearranging some magazines on one of the many display racks..... there was a current issue of an Australian magazine, that featured one of my micro layouts on the front cover (and lead article, inside), hidden down low, and not too obvious. So I picked them up, did the pretend to read trick, and then neatly placed them back on the rack, at eye level. Wendy's, across the road, will no doubt take a dive in sales too.... every time I was in there (which was after each visit to Caboose) there were always customers with Caboose Hobbies carry bags dining. That's also where I got an understanding of the term 'would you like to supersize that?'...... more fries (chips to those that speak Queen's English) than you could get from a sack of spuds, and a bucket for the Coke (Diet, of course).
Happy memories.
Happy memories.
Really sad news. I first visited them when they were located downtown in the late seventies. Amazing selection of stuff. More recently I've visited regularly when we have been on ski trips to Colorado. Great selection of brass.
I'd just like to say a great thank you to all the staff who made shopping there such a great experience.
I'd just like to say a great thank you to all the staff who made shopping there such a great experience.
Really sad news. I first visited them when they were located downtown in the late seventies. Amazing selection of stuff. More recently I've visited regularly when we have been on ski trips to Colorado. Great selection of brass.
I'd just like to say a great thank you to all the staff who made shopping there such a great experience.
I'd just like to say a great thank you to all the staff who made shopping there such a great experience.
stevedenver
Registered
Went yesterday. 25% off and has been for a few days, badly picked over, some shelves almost bare. Virtually no large scale left, although that was slim anyway pre sale.
I have shopped there since i was 15. They were in central downtown then.
Bought last 2 sets of Gary Raymond wheels and a long sought after out of print book on the South Park.
I will miss the shop. Pricey at times, but, quite a resource. I worked there briefly after a layoff in the late 80s. Staff has always been an interesting and sometimes eclectic group, with steady turnover every 2 3 years it seems.
Sadly my other fav haunt, the denver folklore center has also been sold. Life moves on, geezers have memories. Id guess just not enough traffic. Been fairly quiet every time i visit, even on weekends. Otherwise, they would have relocated.
I have shopped there since i was 15. They were in central downtown then.
Bought last 2 sets of Gary Raymond wheels and a long sought after out of print book on the South Park.
I will miss the shop. Pricey at times, but, quite a resource. I worked there briefly after a layoff in the late 80s. Staff has always been an interesting and sometimes eclectic group, with steady turnover every 2 3 years it seems.
Sadly my other fav haunt, the denver folklore center has also been sold. Life moves on, geezers have memories. Id guess just not enough traffic. Been fairly quiet every time i visit, even on weekends. Otherwise, they would have relocated.
Gavin Sowry
Garden Railroader and Raconteur
[QUOTE="stevedenver, post: 455163, member: 105 Virtually no large scale left, although that was slim anyway pre sale.
[/QUOTE]
I actually found the place good for G scale parts, and bits and pieces (as opposed to RTR models). I would always stock up on things like window castings, trucks, couplers, and switches etc., stuff that could easily be stuffed into International baggage.
[/QUOTE]
I actually found the place good for G scale parts, and bits and pieces (as opposed to RTR models). I would always stock up on things like window castings, trucks, couplers, and switches etc., stuff that could easily be stuffed into International baggage.
beavercreek
Travel, Art, Theatre, Music, Photography, Trains
I have bought parts and decals from them in the past by mail order and had put them on the list of places to visit when we go over next year for our US rail extravaganza to celebrate our 60th and 65th birthdays.
It is sad that yet another nail is driven into the US outline G scale coffin.
I had, at one time, thought about selling off a whole heap of my g scale stock and parts and detailing bits as the idea of house downsizing entered our vocabulary and I thought that I could always buy stock and the 'extras' again if I was able to go 'big' again.
I now feel that it is good that I didn't sell it off, as getting the same stuff would not be easy, especially the 'hard to get' stuff. It would take a long time to find it all again whether through the diminishing dealerships or by ebay.
It is sad that yet another nail is driven into the US outline G scale coffin.
I had, at one time, thought about selling off a whole heap of my g scale stock and parts and detailing bits as the idea of house downsizing entered our vocabulary and I thought that I could always buy stock and the 'extras' again if I was able to go 'big' again.
I now feel that it is good that I didn't sell it off, as getting the same stuff would not be easy, especially the 'hard to get' stuff. It would take a long time to find it all again whether through the diminishing dealerships or by ebay.
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Gavin Sowry
Garden Railroader and Raconteur
You raise an interesting point about availability of stock.
Recently, I was looking at life cycles of some brands of model railway stuff. Such things as Hornby Dubblo 2 rail was only produced for 5 years. How long did Tri-ang last, 1952 until the 70's. A lot of other name brands had similar life times..... in context, LGB is a survivor, 1968 to current (just).
Recently, I was looking at life cycles of some brands of model railway stuff. Such things as Hornby Dubblo 2 rail was only produced for 5 years. How long did Tri-ang last, 1952 until the 70's. A lot of other name brands had similar life times..... in context, LGB is a survivor, 1968 to current (just).
I don't think this is a symptom of the demise of the model railroad hobby. Rather its a symptom of the change in buying patterns and retail channels.
A while back I was visiting a well known UK based model railway store in the south west of the country. He was bemoaning the fact that Internet sellers were putting him out of business. Customers were increasingly buying online and not willing to drive to a retailer. Whilst I sympathise with the retailer's plight, Internet retailing is a fact of life. My wife has for years stated she would rather visit a real shop and see and touch what she was buying. Recently I've to ices she is buying more and more online and we no longer have the hassle of traffic and parking.
This post is not advocating one retail channel as better or worse, it is a reality that customers are increasingly voting with their keyboards.
A while back I was visiting a well known UK based model railway store in the south west of the country. He was bemoaning the fact that Internet sellers were putting him out of business. Customers were increasingly buying online and not willing to drive to a retailer. Whilst I sympathise with the retailer's plight, Internet retailing is a fact of life. My wife has for years stated she would rather visit a real shop and see and touch what she was buying. Recently I've to ices she is buying more and more online and we no longer have the hassle of traffic and parking.
This post is not advocating one retail channel as better or worse, it is a reality that customers are increasingly voting with their keyboards.
stevedenver
Registered
Custodian makes a great point regarding on line sales.
Caboose is my local.
It was also a walthers distributor, which may have required them to sell at no or limited discount per contract .
As a result, long ago, due to magazine ads from trainworld, i was only able to afford LGB via phone order. Prices were often half those of my local. Consider $950.00+ for the original C&S black sound mogul at caboose vs. $600.00 at TW in 1988 dollars.
It continued. n scale too. I have some local loyalty, but not too much.
As both TW and Caboose were brick and mortar, i had trouble understanding the huge price differences. Difficult to walk that line for a retailer. Low prices have always been powerful factors.
Caboose is my local.
It was also a walthers distributor, which may have required them to sell at no or limited discount per contract .
As a result, long ago, due to magazine ads from trainworld, i was only able to afford LGB via phone order. Prices were often half those of my local. Consider $950.00+ for the original C&S black sound mogul at caboose vs. $600.00 at TW in 1988 dollars.
It continued. n scale too. I have some local loyalty, but not too much.
As both TW and Caboose were brick and mortar, i had trouble understanding the huge price differences. Difficult to walk that line for a retailer. Low prices have always been powerful factors.
Mallard
Railways, Football, Travel, Music
That is not good news. I visited three years ago and found the shop to have an immense amount of stock, spent a couple of hours there and I was given a couple of Caboose Hobbies mugs. Excellent staff and enjoyable visit. Sad loss to the hobby and I hope Duane has a long and happy retirement.
Mobi
Registered
Respectfully disagree
I think in general there is a downward trend in new generation taking up Model Railways as a hobby!
This hobby has following constraints
1. Time
2. Cost
3. Space
In UK, high cost of house price made it very difficult to have garden railways. Even a very expensive house around London (where people have most amount of money) comes with a tiny garden!
If something is not selling in supermarket shelves, then there isn't much market. The OO scale trains do sell in some supermarkets but never the G scales. So clearly there is not enough market to keep stocks.
G scale manufactuers didn't keep up with changing times. With current technology, it is damn easy for them to sell RC locomotives at a reasonable cost but there are relying on track powered locos (bit like Kodak). Playmobil and Lego have kept up with times and they are both successful now. Modern generation doesn't have much free time, what they want is just buy and run and no maintenance.
A good way to attract new blood in the hobby would be to release a battery powered RC locomotive which with onboard camera which can be be controlled from a tablet (with a live feed of loco driver's view). Hornby has introduced something similar I believe.
In my opinion, I don't see G scale hobby surviving in 20 years time in its traditional form.