Model Boat Mayhem

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Author Topic: The sad decline of the model shop  (Read 79416 times)

inertia

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Re: Hobby Stores shops close
« Reply #150 on: January 25, 2016, 03:19:23 pm »

The shop staff knew nothing about it until the morning senior managers came round and asked for the keys to the premises.
I heard the same thing happened at the Nottingham branch. No-one had been warned. The first time I found out was when I turned up to buy something and found the place locked and empty. I decided then and there that if they could treat their staff and their customers so shabbily then I wasn't going to use them as a supplier again - and I haven't.
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lakesidebob

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Re: Hobby Stores shops close
« Reply #151 on: January 25, 2016, 03:42:13 pm »

Well said Int. think we all feel like that nowadays...Loyal employees are just treated like ****! and these companies want THEIR ***** kicked....
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Klunk

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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #152 on: January 25, 2016, 04:32:43 pm »

My old company did the same to me. We were in receivership as the parent company in spain went in to a Spanish court to protect the owners from bring sued. On the Wednesday morning we had a meeting with Ernst and young the receivers and we were told the company buying the uk section were keeping all sections of the company. At 4pm that day I had a phone call to say me and 45 of my friends had no job. We had been closed down with no consultation. A lot of companies treat their staff with contempt nowadays. I never used hobby stores even though we had one 15 miles away as the parking around the shop was a nightmare. I feel sorry for those who are losing their jobs.
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grasshopper

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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #153 on: January 25, 2016, 05:04:36 pm »

Unfortunately it is the way things are done now. A decision is made high up and the shop closed without notice and the staff out of the door before they can pilfer any of the stock.
Similarly in an office environment, the 20 minute rule applies, pack your desk up, collect your personal effects and out of the door before you can download client lists or do any damage via you computer etc..


Years of faithful service add up to zilch in the end, they're too afraid of what they could lose or suffer from when they yank the plug. You get paid for lack of notice and there's no money in sentiment.


I can understand more and more specialist shops closing down. I tried owning a model shop for a couple of years, great fun, met a load of interesting people but a lot of customers were the same, came into the shop, played with all the gizmos and stuff say they'd come back later, then went and bought it for  a couple of quid less on the Internet, you might get the odd purchase when they needed something in a hurry, especially late on a Saturday afternoon because they wanted to fly, sail or race or race on the Sunday!
 
The best bit would be when they would call in when they had a problem with their Internet purchase and expect us to repair or replace it free of charge or under warranty then wonder why we weren't that accomodating
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Brian60

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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #154 on: January 25, 2016, 05:48:14 pm »


Similarly in an office environment, the 20 minute rule applies, pack your desk up, collect your personal effects and out of the door before you can download client lists or do any damage via you computer etc..


Similar happened to me when I took retirement. I never got a retirement party or gift even though I had over 30 years service, just six colleagues came to me and shook hands before I walked out the door.

I did get my back vis a vis sabotage of a kind. My office supervisor who was responsible for nothing happening was a self serving cow ( I do not use the words lightly) used to pass down to  me all the collation work as she had not a clue when it came to using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. She even got me to do her Powerpoint presentation when she applied for a higher position!

Anyway I tied up all the calculations in 'behind the front page' macros. On the last day when I sat out the day in the managers office playing games on his computer - so my replacement could begin to take over my desk, it was fun to see them trying to make changes to the pages  :} They could add and subtract figures but they couldn't alter the way they were calculated it was farcical, the whole team of 4 people stood around my desk staring at the computer screen and scratching their heads.

I got a call from IT the following week to ask how I had locked the Excel sheets, they were kind of in awe when I told them I had converted the functions to macros, they had not thought of that. They scrapped the sheets and began again {-)

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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #155 on: January 25, 2016, 06:19:07 pm »

I got a call from IT the following week to ask how I had locked the Excel sheets, they were kind of in awe when I told them I had converted the functions to macros, they had not thought of that. They scrapped the sheets and began again {-)

you weren't vindictive enough Brian.

I would have denied all knowledge of anything and left them to sort it out themselves..........or demanded triple time for 3 days work cash in hand to sort out the "anomaly"

Luckily I never suffered such bad personnel practices whilst in work or I might have been tempted to turn to sabotage in some way..

Jim.
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Dave Cook

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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #156 on: January 25, 2016, 06:48:23 pm »

It,s The people,s fault that buy on line ,instead of supporting there local model shop.        >>:-( >>:-( >>:-( >>:-( >>:-(

Dave
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Colin Bishop

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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #157 on: January 25, 2016, 06:58:28 pm »

As far as buying modelling stuff is concerned the underlying problem is that while there is a market there is not a sufficient local market to support local shops so online purchasing is inevitable unless you can get all you want at shows.

However it is still possible to support UK based businesses over the internet but many people still insist on buying direct from China to save a quid or two despite often receiving inferior quality products. Maybe China is the only source for some items but I would always try and buy in the UK first if the price is fair.

Colin
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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #158 on: January 25, 2016, 07:00:57 pm »

Online retailers haven't won out simply as a result of cost. It's also about choice, being able to select what you want rather than what the shop has in stock, or what the owner wants to sell to you.

With regards to buying from China. Pretty much everything in the model world apart from niche products is now made there, whether you buy local or overseas, you tend to end up with the same product. Just the price differs.

I think Ripmax are on thin ice personally. Their online presence lacks the sophistication of competitors.
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Colin Bishop

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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #159 on: January 25, 2016, 07:03:35 pm »

Not sure I would agree with the above, there is plenty of model boating stuff still produced in the UK, including Kits but I agree that most electronics comes from China these days.

Colin
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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #160 on: January 25, 2016, 07:11:31 pm »

Model boat kits are what I'd categorize as niche. Many model shops don't even stock them.

I'm referring to batteries, electric motors, radio control equipment and associated electrickery.
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Colin Bishop

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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #161 on: January 25, 2016, 07:32:46 pm »

Yes, but you can't make a model boat just out of electric bits - you need lots of other stuff as well. Constructional materials, wood, GRP, paint, propshafts, propellers, maybe fittings etc. etc. etc. and you can source most of those in the UK even if the items sometimes originate in other parts of the world. And we have excellent manufacturers of speed controllers. Batteries don't always come from China either.

Colin
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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #162 on: January 25, 2016, 08:16:46 pm »

I do need to source materials for projects, but they're almost invariably not from model shops. I tend to make almost everything from scratch, as I like to do things that way, and also because my tastes are unusual and generally commercial items aren't suitable.

If I want GRP, I go to a GRP supplier, paint- car paint suppliers or Halfords, propshafts I buy metal stock from a metal supplier and machine my own, same with propellers and fittings.

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ballastanksian

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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #163 on: January 25, 2016, 08:58:03 pm »

My fellow model club members have often mentioned buying cheap stuff from China and have later complained they had problems just as often. I accept that much electrical stuff has been made in China/Far East, but I assume that UK companies who use components test a sample of each batch before soldering them onto boards etc? Maybe they don't, or have a reputable components supplier??

My local model shop has no interest in stocking much in the way of Model boating supplies. The prop shafts and tubes I bought there last year were in varying stages of warped (admittedly they were not the highest end ones available anywhere) but then they are self confessed RC aircraft enthusiasts and so aim their stock and product towards that interest.

I hope to be self employed as long as possible as I would hate to think I might enjoy that sort of treatment :((


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Brian60

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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #164 on: January 25, 2016, 09:36:05 pm »

To be honest the internet while doing a great deal of good for communication has really sounded the death knell for small retailers, not just model shops. Once it was realised Bob Smith could run a business with next to no overheads and also source much of his stock very cheaply from China, the small High St retailers were on to a hiding.

But what goes around comes around. Many of these small suppliers are now in the same boat, the customers they robbed from the High St have now realised they can save even more by sourcing direct from China themselves - just wait 10 days for delivery which is acceptable if you are saving ££££££'s.

cos918

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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #165 on: January 25, 2016, 10:00:39 pm »

I have just ordered some micro pre wired LED from China . I paid 25p with free P/P . From the UK it is 1.20 +P/P  . Guess were the UK supplier gets the leds from ,yep China .


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RAAArtyGunner

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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #166 on: January 25, 2016, 10:51:06 pm »

It,s The people,s fault that buy on line ,instead of supporting there local model shop.        >>:-( >>:-( >>:-( >>:-( >>:-(

Dave


 :o :o :o No it isn't  >>:-( >>:-( <*< <*<

I buy on line, why, because if the item is available locally it is ridiculously over priced.
Too many want to get rich quick.
Gone are the days when 10% profit was aimed for.
These days the minimum profit margin is 100% plus, even for items sourced from the far east.

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raflaunches

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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #167 on: January 25, 2016, 11:10:25 pm »

It's a shame that model shops close as they seem to get fewer and fewer.
I tend to buy a mix of online and model shop, I have a very good shop close to where I work at Kings Lynn and two realtively decent shops at home in Wellingborough and Rushden. I buy some specialised fittings from Modelling Timbers in the Isle of Man and a few other manufacturers. I'm lucky to be in range of a big model boat manufacturer at Peterborough but I've seen what was a brilliant model shop in Wellingborough thrive then shrivel away because the owner neglected his base of sales- model railway and scalelectrix enthusiasts. Without them the niche modellers don't have a chance of a shop dedicated purely to boats other than the Model Dockyard in Chatham Historic Dockyard.
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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #168 on: January 26, 2016, 07:47:41 am »

However it is still possible to support UK based businesses over the internet but many people still insist on buying direct from China to save a quid or two despite often receiving inferior quality products.
Colin

I agree Mr Bishop.

We should all buy from British outlets if at all possible.

Jim.
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Brian60

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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #169 on: January 26, 2016, 08:15:11 am »

I agree Mr Bishop.

We should all buy from British outlets if at all possible.

Jim.

But that is the point we are making here.

Yes you can buy from a British outlet, but more often than not they have sourced their product from China very cheaply and put a massive mark up on it. Why buy locally when you can get the same object pounds cheaper by ordering it direct?

My last purchase I wanted a laser engraver/cutter. From the UK supplier it was going to be close to £3000  :o From Ebay it was near £1100 a massive difference. However I did a bit of digging and contacted the manufacturer in Hong Kong, I got it for just under £400 :-)) delivered. It didn't come from China oh no, it came from a big warehouse in Germany where they have 100's of them for supply to Ebay shops.

Now why would you give a dealer in the UK a massive profit margin of £2600? That's not profit that is ripping off the customers.

Somebody else mentioned led's. I now source all my electronic stuff where I can from China. Led's from Maplin, 80 pack £7.99 plus postage. Led's from China 100 pack 99p postage free. It's a no brainer that people will buy direct, its no good harping on about shops having overheads, people look at the base line first and that is price difference.

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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #170 on: January 26, 2016, 08:52:23 am »

... the 20 minute rule applies, pack your desk up, collect your personal effects and out of the door before you can download client lists ...



I always made regular 'backups' of client lists and other useful information, to a thumb drive.  ok2
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sparkey

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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #171 on: January 26, 2016, 09:13:28 am »

The down side of all this online shopping is the road traffic it generates,in London it is becoming a major problem with thousands of white van delivering parcels everywhere,I live in a cul-de-sac and years ago it was very quiet with little or no traffic, now we get loads of vans down here delivering peoples online purchases,the trouble is that this road is so narrow that we cant get out when there are vans delivering and if you get two or three they have trouble turning round and getting out again......Ray.
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Colin Bishop

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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #172 on: January 26, 2016, 09:22:30 am »

I did say in my original post buy in the UK if the price is fair. It is of course your opinion as to what constitutes 'fair' in any particular case.

I do think you need to be very careful when buying direct from China or via EBay though. Like a previous poster, I needed some white 12v LEDs. My usual first port of call, Component Shop, didn't list them and a general search turned up an EBay supplier offering them at a ridiculous price. So, on the basis of 'what have I got to lose?' I ordered some. They turned up about ten days later from Hong Kong but were not 12v LEDs at all but ordinary ones with resistors soldered into the tails and covered in shrink wrap - not what I'd expected at all. It didn't matter too much as I wanted them for interior lighting and the bulky, stiff tails just made the installation a bit untidier than I would have liked. They would have been useless for mast lights though.

It also left me with the nagging thought that somewhere in China there is some kid spending all day soldering resistors to LEDs in probably not very nice conditions.

As far as buying larger items is concerned there are plenty of horror stories of people buying cheap lathes from China and finding the bed warped or other defects. There are of course perfectly good examples but how can you be sure you are getting one? And if you buy direct and there is a problem, will you be getting any aftersales service - and if so in a language you can understand?

In China they build down to a price and if the purchaser wants it low then quality can suffer as the recent publicised instance of almond paste being adulterated with peanut paste which is a lot cheaper but which is dangerous to people suffering from peanut allergies demonstrates.

Colin
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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #173 on: January 26, 2016, 11:18:26 am »

I think you need to know what you're doing if buying direct from China. LED's are not 12 volt ready, if they are, they have a resistor built into the component.
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sparkey

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Re: Hobbystores shops close
« Reply #174 on: January 26, 2016, 12:45:20 pm »

Yesterday I ordered some bits from Component shop and got them 10 mins ago,first class service and the the parts are always very good and value for money,so why order from abroad when you get service like this,company's like this deserve to thrive and did I pay over the odds I don't know but as the order was about £25 so who cares,I rather have the service thank you.............Ray.   
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