B-E50: One minor issue there is that they don't make camera lenses with a wide-enough angle lens to get me in. If I'm standing in front you won't see the building.
Aw, comon, you're not bad at all! I like the idea of a store layout, but more importantly, keeping costs and prices down!
George, We took a vote, and by 10-1 margin, decided we would rather see your merchandise! Feel free to not be in the picture!
Retail space is expensive enough w/out using portions for non-retail purposes. That's why commercial slot raceways failed: 80% of their retail space was devoted to something that could produce no more than $80/hour. Use your new retail space for merchandise and have a loop of unitrack on the counter.
First of all congratulations! I guess I missed the Wig-Wag NewsFlash e-mail about this. Hmmm. If going to the shows only gen's about 5% of the business, then they are clearly marketing tools (to get new customers) and the same could be said about the shop. (yes, I suppose any shop would intrinsicly be a marketing tool, but since the retail presence will only be a small subset of the sales, it would in my opinion become more of a marketing function than anything else) Setting up the modules could be a good idea in that sense, as being an all N-Scale shop it will be important to show what can be done in N-scale. (which your modules most definitely do.) I like to see at least some kind of layout at a shop, but I certainly understand the opposing viewpoints as well. And a loop of Unitrack will be handy, that is true...my former LHS sold more locomotives to me by putting them on their little Unitrack loop and watching 'em crawl than any other technique!!! But like some others said, I'm not overly concerned that you have a shop, but I understand that some distributors are.
Brett: It took me a second to realize you meant $80/hr for the entire track. Not per sq-ft. Big difference.
Interesting, here in San Louie (er, that's french for St. Louis) there is a new mall (St Louis Mills) that has a slot car race track "store". It was big, it was cool for maybe 5 minutes when I stopped by. They did sell some cars and such on the walls, but you are right, 80% of the space was the big race track. Guess I'm not a NASCAR dad.
You cannot even get with a distributor if you cannot show them a picture of your slot raceway and a copy of the lease. A track rents out these days for $10/hour per lane. Eight lanes * $10 = $80/hour. Merchandise space usually amounts to glass counters by the front door where the cash register is. Average lifespan of a commercial raceway is less than three years. Most often two years or less. Some tracks have been resold a dozen times to the next starry-eyed dreamer to blow his money on "having his own business" based on his hobby.
I encourage a store layout, providing it doesn't affect that fabulous discount structure of yours. It seems that a 2 X 8 or 2 X 16 module could be incorporated easily, with shelves below and/or above, so you would only lose part of one wall of your retail space, no? However, I wonder if the layout really is a marketing tool or not? I know I go to hobby shops that are well stocked in books, brass, custom paint jobs, and have layouts that are cool to look at, but I am not sure that any of those (other than the custom paint jobs, which I feel I must buy when available) really spurred me to buy more. In other words, do all the neat features we like simply encourage more browsers without bringing in any additional sales?
If any of you have seen George and Deb's modules, you'd realize they have that aspect of "display" pretty well covered. The modules, and the display racks of merchandise, have probably covered enough miles to qualify them in some Million Mile Club.
Jeff, step out of "lifetime modeler" mode for a second. A layout for George & Deb's shop wouldn't be for us, but rather for Joe Thirtysomething off the street either looking for a new hobby or something to share with junior. Of course, it would be a good conversation piece for anybody, myself included. (and I've already seen it a couple of times!) Since the modules are already built, they shouldn't affect the bottom line too much, unless it truly comes down to the opportunity cost of space.
Doug- I agree with you. When I made my earlier post on this topic, I was not speaking of a room filling empire. It can be a simple oval on a door, nicely sceniced, and placed near a window. Where a train can make laps, and attract attention. The hobby stores where I've shopped the most, and saw the greatest customer traffic, all had some sort of display. Plus, a seperate multi-scale test track. These "layouts"neither took up a great amount of space, nor did they cost much to build. And virtually nothing to maintain. It's a one time expense. Which can be done for well under a couple of hundred dollars. Those modules George speaks of using should do the job quite nicely. Boxcab E50
Possibly one sceniced module to at least double as a test track for those who want to purchase locomotives????
There might even be an interest from TB locals to come help set it up - I know if I were close enuf, I'd come and help! And my initial thought was just a very simple figure 8 - man did I stir up the horent's nest! Sorry!
Well we start moving in on the 15th so folks wanting to help will be welcome. There will be a lot of work to get done before we open on the 19th. We plan to have some sort of refreshments on the 22-23rd. The boss isn't here now (she's at a business convference in Las Vegas - yea right) to confirm the specifics on that part.
