🚀 go-pugleaf

On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 16:49:39 +1000, Craig Dewick
<craig@jedi.apana.org.au> wrote:

>Thom wrote:
>> On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 00:27:45 +0000 (UTC), C. Dewick
>> <craigd@lios.apana.org.au> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>>>"mindesign" <seriph_I_SAID_NO_BLOODY_SPAM@consultant.com> writes:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Hi all
>>>
>>>>Could one or two of you kind folks let me know what other train shops there 
>>>>are in Sydney metro other than Hobbyco - went there today and picked up a 
>>>>couple of things but would like to visit another one or two tomorrow before 
>>>>returning to Melbourne.
>>>
>>>Tom's Discounts (formerly run by the late Tom Fischer) at West Ryde.
>>>
>>>Berg's Hobbies at Parramatta.
>>>
>>>Casula Hobbies in Liverpool.
>>>
>>>Punchbowl Hobbies at the top end of Chapel Road, Bankstown.
>>>
>>>and plenty more which are not as prominent...
>>>
>>>Woodpecker Model Railways at Pendle Hill. ?
>>>
>>>Asquith Model Railways at Asquith.
>> 
>> I'm afraid that a trip to America spoiled me.  I went to Caboose
>> Hobbies in Denver and its 100% trains and twice the size as my local
>> IGA.  And theres a real brass case!
>
>Remember that the market in the USA and Canada (and Europe) is at least 
>10 times the size of the market in Australia, so of course the stores in 
>the US and Canada will tend to be larger in all respects because for 100 
>model railway people in Australia there are at least 1000 in the North 
>America. Fact of life unfortunately.

yes and no.  Caboose is as big as it it for 2 reasons, first its the
biggest mail order MRR store and second its right in the middle of
narrow gauge country (Colorado) which has the highest concentration of
models in America.  There are also other MRR stores in Denver too.
Sundance Limited on South Broadway for instance carries only S gauge
(1/64th) kits and brass, Trainmaster is all scares and theres a store
(large one) in Northglenn that 50% trains though LGB is their largest
stocked type.

The size of the country matters little because no matter where you are
you have to have a large enough customer base of modelers to support
the store and rents in the USA are 2-6X's higher than here.

THOM
>
>Craig.