*Sigh* AS much as I set here and read this, I know its true too. I LOVE model building to see just how detailed I can get.. sadly, I got a really good reason for saying such...
I used to OWN a shop! ERRRR Because of my health and declining parts availability, I had to close, the business was doing really well then when I found my health had come to a serious place in life, if I had not closed, I may not be here right now to type this as I was seriously on the verg of a heart attack!
Being said that, you would think that the business wasn't to bad to deal with but dealing with a single person on a repair, OR a custom build (ALL I did) it wouldn't cause that much stress.....well you add up 500 people, on a weekly basis that stress just got overwhelming! Doctor told me, "I know you can't control ALL the stress in your life, but what you can, do away with it" OR I'll be seeing you in here AGAIN (This was AFTER my full blown open heart surgery), with a heart attack.......... Well guys let me tell you, it wasn't an easy pill to swallow to say the least, I went strong in Model Railroad Repairs, AND custom work on trains alone since 1988! I started out as a child getting cash on the side till I had so much work back then I was barely able to keep up with School! That's when it all turned into a business! Granted, any of you guys that travel, that go into "Truck Stops" and see models of trucks and trailers of all sizes, sorts and detail degrees, all over the country, ALOT of those I BUILT! Not someone I hired, Not my Wife or my daughter, my own 2 hands!
THEN in say 2005 it dwindled to just a low steady stream monthly to keep the shop open.....matter of fact, not much more income then that either, just enough to cover my electric bill on the shop.....I had to take on a second job, and that was either one of 2 that I have had since then working for a local school as a maintenance man, OR the New Hampshire Liquor Commission. As a Maintenance Mechanic Engineer, to do all sorts of up keep on the interior of the stores. But now, I've closed my shop, the determining factor made public last year, November, 4th 2013, I closed up......I built thousands of models over the years, repaired thousands of scale model trains N scale to G scale and everything in between. Printed out a lot of my own decals in that time and still in the railroad world, got aprox. 2000 packs left for my own uses and this will NEVER be again, why? I ran my old Laser printer till it wouldn't run no more to print off all I could as it was an old machine.
Then you have the models cars and trucks, (Sadly I HATE to admit this) but I lost, around 4000 models some 3 years ago in a fire.......Not a single one, on my insurance list.........A complete utterly stupid loss, to say the least.....ALL I got that was saved from the fire was the box of what I thought where ALL Mopar motors, and some brand "X" motor parts and a single box of cars, that were something I built before ANY of this started, as far as a business, I was a kid. And my original Warner Bros. General Lee dated to 1981......It sets on display at the local Hobby shop/RC shop in a case..........
Sadly guys, I seen so much come and go over the years its not even funny, I used to have a counter at 2 different hobby shops back in my early 20's, and did 2 days at one place and 3 at the other.....Then the weekend, at home at the "base shop" 7 days a week.....I actually took over the one shop in my home town in Pennsylvania.....Cost me 10 grand for the ENTIRE business back then,. all paid in full I owe nothing, and it has made me enough to date, to pay for my open heart surgery, due to the insurance that went along with the business, (I'm SO glad I kept it) OR I'd seriously be in trouble, right now!
I'm 35, done a lot, owned a lot, and seen a lot within the shops I've been in conjunction of, and let me tell ya, the internet, is some of it, I had a website, still sort of do....
www.yellowstonetrainrepair.com After June that will be defunct. But the economy is also the blame too. the cost of things has gone up so far (I am still in shock on the cost of a skill level 2 model these days compared what they once were) I can remember when 10 bucks give you enough to buy a model, and a ENAMEL paint set, and glue to see THAT model complete, and have a bit of paint to start a second model.....And have change left over, granted, not much change, but today that 10 bucks yer lucky if it buy you two, half ounce bottles of paint......NOT including sales tax depending the state you reside in....
$30 for a plain model car? HELL back then I thought $30 was a lot for a die-cast model, nevermind a plastic one........
DAMN Chinese steel!
