SyCo_VeNoM

yea on the hobby, and job mixing
Used to love working on computers, and screwing around with them then I got a job in IT, and learned to hate what I used to love. I also lost faith in humanity after that job(seriously I had to support some of the dumbest people ever, and sad thing was they were CS teachers [:@])

Only way I would take a job in a hobby shop would be dedicated repair bay.

BKoz559

My Feedback: (3)

Unfortunately the only thing left in Fresno is a Hobbytown which recently moved into a new building.  It's laid out a lot nicer than the old store but, they still have empty shelves collecting dust and merchandise that needs to be organized just to be presentable.  It's really a shame that these guys don't put more effort in to creating attractive displays.  I don't know why I even both stepping foot in there since their prices aren't competitive, the guys behind the RC counter act like "know-it-all" snobs and the rest of them are role-playing game nerds that are never eager to greet a customer and make a sale.  I stood at their RC counter last weekend for nearly 15 minutes just to see if someone would eventually ask to help me even when a couple of the guys weren't working with customers.  Needless to say I ultimately had to flag someone down and ask to be helped.  I did retail for several years and one of the biggest tips that were stressed to me was that you have to be proactive in acknowledging customers.  We were taught to literally search for people browsing the store and approch them.  The guys here could use a lesson in retail 101.

As recent as last year there was a fantastic little RC shop in town called "Cycle Art Racing" which also did custom pin-stripping.  Those were the guys to visit but unfortunately, they were a little known hole in the wall an eventually they couldn't afford to keep the door open for business.  Two other store in the past have also fallen to the same fate.  It's a shame a store like that can't survive even here in Fresno where the city's population is over 500,000 people.  I've been half joking but been half serious when I talk to my brother about opening my own dedicated RC shop.  I'm not too familiar with flying machines so I thought if I ever realized this "dream" then I would stick to surface vehicles and related equipment.  But, with internet retailers being so competetive it's not likely that a store like this would last long.

*sigh*

Karontu

i would have thought that fresno would have atleast one or two small privately owned hobby shops, i am suprised

cfircav8r

My Feedback: (1)

The reason Hobby Towns stay open is because they don't just sell one type of item. They sell a wide range of products so that a much larger share of the population will visit and even if they only buy a small amount the numbers make up for the lack of individual purchases. You have to have a broad customer base by providing a wide variety of hobbies. You have to educate yourself on the other aspects or hire those that have the knowledge. The other thing that kills many shops is poor management. It's not easy and you have to have great organization skills, and even better record keeping especially on following trends and new products. Staying on top of special orders, requests and complaints is crucial. you will also find that everyone is suddenly a great friend and expects special treatment and discounts IE. below cost is still too much, because they know you don't really pay that much (wink wink.) How you deal with the average customer will make or break your business. Firm but fair in all transactions is the best rule, but you need to know when to take the hit and when to be the jerk. There will be times when both are needed. The reason most fail is because they love the hobby. The reason some make it is they love the business.

mechanizeddeath

A hobby shop within a bookstore? Now that's something I've never heard of, usually they put coffee in there, not RC cars.

mechanizeddeath

Some people assume that because my LHS has been there "forever" that they must do a lot of business. In fact I believe the plays stays afloat simply due to the large amount of repeat customers. I see a lot of old guys (60+) coming in there, and something tells me they've been shopping there since they were my age, perhaps even younger.

Specialized retailers seldom stay in business very long in this day and age. You need to provide a broad variety of products and/or services to appeal to a large amount of people. Take stereo shops for instance... There used to be a ton of them when I was a teenager, but now people would rather buy on the internet. Of course you can still find stereos locally, but you have to go to one of the big box retailers instead.

378

My Feedback: (4)

Yup. They had everything. Old movie theater, hobby shop, cafe, ENORMOUS book store, and if they didn't have anything in a category they sold they'd order it. It was nice. They even had a non-sanctioned track out back. I thought about going but by the time I had my CEN reasonably reliable they had moved, and now all they offer is drag racing. They did rentals, too, including A baja 5b.

mechanizeddeath

Wow that is really cool. A couple of my friends have this dream of opening a business with a lot of different things, but it is more of a joke than anything else.