bad news chaps,

my local model shop, the bridge street model shop in mansfield, notts, is going to close if buisness doesnt pick up over christmas,

it would be a real shame if it closed, as the nearest one is in nottingham.

i dont think any regulars live nearby, but if any lurkers are in the area, if you need anything, why not drop by and help out by buying a few kits?

i can get you the full address and number if you want it

regards

joe

Hi Joe

I wish you luck... I tried some years ago to save my local model shop in Sutton. I bought a load of kits I didn't need (want), but I still couldn't help enough...

It's worth saying that local hobby shops are the lifeblood of our hobby and, as much as we all love shopping via the Internet for the best bargains, we only realise what we've lost when we can't just pop out for supplies, but have to wait a week or more for delivery...

Rowan

The problem that the local shop has is not just the internet competition (and I'm as guilty here as anyone else in using that method of buying). Most modellers now want the extras like aftermarket parts, decals, PE, metal barrels etc, and the small shop can't hope to stock all of these products as well as the kits. They also have to stock for all parts of the market, the 'pocket money' ranges to pull in the kids on a Saturday, Model railways and bright displays to attract the 'passing punter' into the shop etc.
Together with all of these factors, many councils want small shop owners to pay the same rents/rates for their premises as large chain stores, and so the small shopkeeper can't keep going.

Rant over - I looked into starting a model shop in my local town when I was made redundant last year - no chance when I looked into costs and the likely market compared to the internet.

it's not just that the UK importers of Tamiya actually tell the shops which price to knock out the kits at seen the order catalogue and they don't really make that much per kit on them some importers are getting greedy and It'll backfire on them look what happened with Italeri losing the Euro Dragon importer status as they kept upping the price. I seen a post else were on the net that Mr tamiya wasnt impressed with the high prices that the hobby company were charging when he opened their new offices last year and the importer contract is up soon