my begining list

 to special 

Glue (styrene / super glue)

Paint  (Gloss Black and Flat black are NOT the same color) / Paint brushes / stains – I want Flo-stain BACK!

Brass / Styrene / Basswood / Plywood

Track / Spikes / Joiners / Ballast (Cork Roadbed)

Xacto blades (not just 11s) / Sprue cutters / tweezers

The willingness to special order stuff they don’t carry in house.  They can turn around and tell me a minimum quantity.  If you won’t special order, then you can’t complain when I go mail order for that part.

Stock!

Stock!

assorted stuff...

Before I moved down to Florida, I had 3 good ones I went to, each with different stuff.  For my needs, I want to see styrene strips and sheets, and paint--plenty of colors of paint.  Trucks and couplers, and for me, the fiddly bits for superdetailing.  (In this hobby, the bells and whistles are essential!)  An assortment of structures of varrying skill levels from the shake the box building to some craftsman kits is good--though the more complex ones might not be wise to stock, and I understand that.  To thrive, they need to have the basics for the more entry level hobbyist, unless the market is big enough to cater mainly to the experts--which I doubt it is anywhere.  And--absolutely essential--a good sales staff that knows their product--and can and will answer the phone.  If I need something, and can contact them when I realize I need it, I'll drive out there (an hour away) when the time comes.  The place is nice to  browse, even if it doesn't compare to Maine Trains and York Village Marketplace for atmosphere and expertise.  In short, variety, a decent amout of inventory, and good people.  (I'll oft find myself getting something that wasn't on my list, but has a place in my plans.   Carrying used stuff is a big plus, if at a fair price.

What I want

is first thing for it to exist.  Then since I can buy glue and stuff at a general hobby shop I'd like a train  shop to sell detail parts, scratch building supplies, kits, new rtr, special order stuff, a good used department, and a good railroad book dept. The Train Shop in Santa Clara is about as good as I see these days, Des Plaines in Chicago is another neat store but they take their model railroading more seriously in the mid west than here in sunny Cali so I'll never see that kind of shop out here.....DaveB

Wow, so,

Hobby supplies then!

Model Railroad specific items

Model Railroad specific items to include:

Parts like nut/bolt/washer castings, couplers, windows, brake cylinders, etc.

Basswood/plastic/brass - strips, siding, etc.

RR paints

Scenery materials

Model Railroad books and magazines

A selection of rolling stock, engines, structures including RTR, easy kits, advanced kits.

Track

Rail and ties

Non model railroad specific items nice to have would include

Xacto blades to include #16 blades

Small miter box and saw

Tweezers more than just needle nose

Small screwdrivers

Screws, nuts, washers

Files

Paint brushes

Glue

Plastic compatible oil and grease

Scales other than HO and N, like O, S, G, and Z

Enjoy

Paul

All low margin items

I used to work for a (non traditional) hobby store.  Ebay, Internet Sales and Walk Ins were his customers but he wouldn't stock any of the above items - not enough markup in them.... "Let the other hobby shops sell them the little stuff - we want to sell the items that make us money".  For the most part, it worked well for him.

Kent

The Average Sale

I agree that a well stocked shop should carry just about all of those items listed above.  However, if modelers buy only those things, the store isn't likely to survive.  A store needs to average more than $10 or $15 per sale unless they have an incredibly large number of customers per day.

If no one buys the "big ticket" stuff there, then it's unlikely that the store will survive.

Agree ...

... I don't think a shop could survive by selling only the things that are showing up on the 'must have' lists ... simply too much time spent stocking the items and not enough profit margin on the sales.  And to be honest, it is those sorts of things that are easily ordered on-line ... you know exactly what you want, just order it and have it sent to your door.

Caboose Hobbies in Denver, Colorado was always a favorite place for me to visit when I was in the area.  They had tons of stuff and it was fun just browsing and looking ... I generally bought things there, even though I wasn't looking for anything in particular when I went in the door.  But, when I think about the amount of $$$ they must have had tied up in inventory to make a $100 sale to a person like me (who would visit perhaps once a year or so); I can't imagine many shops pulling it off.  They have a good Internet presence, giving them a world-wide customer base, and they had a very good inventory of brass on consignment which I suppose is good business for them (at least their money is not tied up in inventory).  

And oh-by-the-way, it appears the Guinness World Records has officially recognized them as the "Largest model train store" ... cool.  

Something that has been mentioned in other threads that I think has potential for a LHS is if they invest into quality laser CNC cutters (I see what a guy like Mike Rose is doing with his and it looks like once the files are created, there would be a market for the cutting service), ink printing (for decals, signs and such ... backdrops even?), 3D printing (like Shapeways, for detail parts) ... sort of a Kinkos for the hobbyist ... they would only stock the raw materials, and create the product on demand ... either 'walk-in' or mail order.

Basics

Well, there is a diffferent one

On the way home I will stop at the new auto parts store and pickup some 1/16 inch pin striping tape.  Masking tape by another name?  I want to protect this 1/16 wide stripe when I paint the rest of the body, so I am going to overlay the tape, then paint it.  Will let you know how it turns out.

Masking

Glad it works for you but beware... adhesive on pinstripe tape is aggressive, meant to be permanent, and does not come off the surface clean with the tape. Masking tape adhesive is mild and is designed to come off the surface clean with the tape.

If you like pinstripe tape's working characteristics, check out FineLine tape at the parts store. Handles like pinstripe but meant to be temporary masking so leaves no residue behind. Available in a wide variety of widths, less expensive than pinstripe, doesn't tear easily, follows curves better than pinstripe. FineLine is the product used by bodyshops for crisp paint lines on cars. Multi-width tape on same roll is especially handy.

FineLine polypropylene tape

FineLine vinyl tape

Multi-width tape

Given my druthers, I would

Given my druthers, I would LOVE a fully stocked LHS in my neck of the woods.  I actually have one, Hobbytown USA in Wichita, KS.  While not exclusively dedicated to railroading, they have an adequate stock of items.  They also have an excellent stock of plastic models (another of my pastimes), and R/C items. I prefer to spend my hobby dollars there, since it's nice to have someplace to look at, feel, compare things in "real life" rather than on a web page.  However, the prices that many net based hobby distributors offer make it very difficult for the B&M shops to compete.  Hobbytown has solved this dilemma, though.  They will match any price on items they stock or can get, with any advertised price I bring them.  The logic being that they would rather make a little off me and keep me coming back, and make their normal profit margin off the other folks.  As the owner said, "for every ONE of you, there are NINE who will pay sticker".  They don't even think to ask!  While I will occasionally purchase online, I prefer to spend my $$$ with this fine establishment.

Something is missing from the list.

Service...

It is the one thing a brick and mortar store can offer that a online retailer can't.

I want the owner/clerk or who ever is behind the counter to realize that whether I buy a piece of cork roadbed, or the lastest locomotive offering from Altas, Athearn or Kato, I'm paying their salary.

Here is an example.

Years ago, I stopped at a model railroad shop in Kankakee IL. I talked briefly with the owner and bought something small. Six months later, I happened to be in Kankakee again, and I stopped by the hobby shop. Even though I had had no contact with the owner in the intervening 6 months, he remembered who I was - by name.

That is the kind of store I will go out of my way to patronize and you can be darned sure, when I decide to make that high dollar purchase, I will go there first.

Regardless of what a store stocks, if the service isn't there, they are wasting both of our time.

-George

THe Basics

What I want any hobby store to have is experienced staff. I really like people that know what I'm talking about, give me ideas, help solve problems, and help me find things. I also enjoy a good selection of locos, rolling stock, scratchbuilding supplies, and electronic supplies.

Ideally....`

a newcomer to the hobby should be able to find everything they need, including good advice, (except lumber) to construct their first layout.  That means a good representative selection of locos and rolling stock, track,  basic buildings, scenic materials, and tools.

Passion

LHS

ASSORTED STUFF

Not sure where in FL yo r at but I'm in south Florida,Miami Lakes.  I get that and more at my LHS, Ready to Roll. They know it all, in a good way, help you out with what you need and have it or will get it for you.  I always leave with something more than what I can in for LOL.

the multi width tape you mentioned

Great stuff.  It was easy to mask off the 1/16 inch stripeson the engine with them.  Now I just have to go get a can of paint.