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How far do you travel to the nearest decent model shop?


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Thanks David, I suggested this poll as I suprised myself at the fact I have to travel a 60 mile round trip to my nearest proper model shop. Until last year when hobbystores pulled out of town I could walk, and I do miss it  

In decent I mean a shop that you know will have all your consumables, fuel , nice selection of kits etc etc . 

 

 

Edited By Justin K. on 16/02/2015 06:39:12

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From deepest France I have a round trip of 1500 miles to Model Shop Leeds which I 'pop in to' on our way back to Darlington around twice a year. Does that count?

There is no model shop that stocks anything of worth anywhere near me, so online for me from anywhere in Europe that's got what I want at the right price. Fuel I get from Leeds.

Fats

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I usually use Inwoods for a major purchase when I'm on my way to Derbyshire to visit my daughter - otherwise they'd be a 150 mile round trip.I find that I rarely need to visit a shop in person these days, although  I do have a small local shop that's handy, and although a pleasant and helpful enough place, they don't have a vast stock of what I need. Dare I say a bit pricey as well.

90% of my modelling goods are obtained on-line.

 

 

Edited By Cuban8 on 16/02/2015 08:09:04

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well, the question was 'how far do you travel', so I have answered for my nearest decent model shop Mike's Models in Kingstanding. I actually shop on the internet for the most part as postage is cheaper than the diesel I'd burn visiting Mike's, not to mention the 1 1/2 hours lost on the round trip through the centre of Birmingham.

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One of the downsides of living in a peaceful area of outstanding natural beauty is that it's a long way to anywhere. I have model shops north, east and south, each of them an hour and a half drive each way. The best is 53 miles away, so I do most shopping online. On my last visit to the 'best' one, one of several things I needed was a single sheet of 6mm balsa. The shop had racks and racks of balsa, mostly 5mm and 9mm. Not a single sheet of 6mm. Another bulk order from SLEC coming up........

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I have 2 shops, respectively a 25 and a 27 mile round trip - one is the world's scruffiest and most disorganised retailer of model kits and bits bar none - the other is well stocked, but expensive with the added disincentive that unless you are showing an interest in their stock of r/c cars or helicopters you might as well be invisible. I expect to be ignored until I get to the till in most supermarkets, but I'm blowed if I am burning half a gallon of diesel for similar treatment when buying bits for my hobby when I have the option to buy on t'internet, or at one of our 'local' shows.

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Seems to me that there's a trend developing here and it appears to be gathering pace. What I'm saying is that a model shop doesn't now need to be right on one's doorstep with the rise in on-line ordering, so we can (and do) visit half a dozen retailers websites in various parts of the country from the comfort of our arm chairs, then  order from the one with the best stock/prices/postal rates etc.

Smaller establishment just can't compete with the big retailers, so I think that eventually we'll be left with just a couple of dozen or so larger businesses serving UK modellers, but mainly on-line. It's nice if you have the convenience of an Al's, SMC, Hobbystore, Kings Lynn, or Inwood etc etc on your doorstep - but it's not so relevant today.

 

Edited By Cuban8 on 16/02/2015 12:00:05

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It's the world we live in really isn't it?

Yes, there is the passion and desire to keep the LMS because it would be seen as sad to see it go but that is simply a case of rose tinted spectacles. If a LMS can only offer the product you're asking for which costs markedly more than what is available online then they are not really going to survive unless people are willing to pay the difference.

Many people can no longer afford to support their hobby whilst, at the same time, support their LMS.

It's the same reaon why Lidl and Aldi are doing so well; why buy a weekly shop for £80 in your usual shop when you can get it much cheaper elsewhere?

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Posted by The Wright Stuff on 16/02/2015 10:20:36:

No option for 0-5 miles?

Is that because you'd all hate me if I admitted to that?

Yes sorry for that omission, it must have been a mental block due to loosing my very local model shop.

Good comment elsewhere too. I think most of us probably do a bit of both Internet and lms buying but you can't beat a good rummage around a well stocked shop IMHO.

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