Online in Canada

"Jan & Garry"

Look in MR and purchase from the States.

-- Cheers Roger T.

of the Great Eastern Railway

Hi Garry;

I have not bought from them online, but I shop locally (in Ontario) at

And they to a full mail-order as well.

As to the other poster, recommending purchasing from the USA, after the dollar conversion (granted, less loss than before), and paying GST/PST, is there a savings?

Good Luck sdg

Try

they are located in Toronto, I have never purchased online from them but the instore service is good.

jl

=>As to the other poster, recommending purchasing from the USA, after the dollar =>conversion (granted, less loss than before), and paying GST/PST, is there a =>savings? =>

=>Good Luck =>sdg

There can be, if you buy from Trainworld, or some other of the "deep discount" mail order shops. They are actually selling at the nominal dealer discount of 40% off retail. Also, if the item is one not imported directly into Canada from its country of origin (say, China.), buying from Trainworld will produce savings.

But there are hidden hooks. The minimum shipping charge of $24.95 means that you need to order at least $100US worth for that savings to show up. And "larger orders" attract higher shipping charges -- Trainworld does not say how they calculate shippinhg charges on "larger orders," though. If you return the merchandise, there is a 15% restocking charge, and no refund on the shipping charges. It's unclear whetehr Trainworld expects you to pay the shipping for returned merchandise.

Here's a sample calculation, using 1$ Can = $0.75 US:

Bachmann 4-6-0: $99.99 + 24.95 = $124.94 --> $166.59 Can. + GST --> $178.25

+$5 --> $183.25, or almost exactly twice what Trainworld advertises. That's shipping by uninsured mail, BTW. If you want insured mail, it will cost more. If you want UPS, it will cost a good deal more, and UPS will also charge more than $5 for doing the customs paperwork at the border.

HTH

Wolf Kirchmeir ................................. If you didn't want to go to Chicago, why did you get on this train? (Garrison Keillor)

"Wolf Kirchmeir"

When comparing US$ prices to Can$ prices it's not fair to add the GST to the US$ price, as you also pay the same tax on a Canadian purchased item.

Either both should include GST, or both should not.

Anyway, there are a number of discounters in the U.S. that will only the actual shipping price.

-- Cheers Roger T.

of the Great Eastern Railway

----------------------------------- wrote

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Another dealer 50-100% higher priced than many US Mail order dealers.

Although this website does list many Canadian specific items that aren't readily available from state-side dealers.

On Tue, 2 Dec 2003 15:57:50 -0600, "Dont Know My Name" shared this with the world:

Even after exchange, international shipping, and the "mystery border fees"?

Then again, there are some things that we can't find on the shelf here in Canada, either. Like P2K undec, for example.

Kent

=>Another dealer 50-100% higher priced than many US Mail order dealers.

Well, of course. The Canadian hobby shop buys its stock at basically the same price as those US mail order houses sell it for. IOW, those "deep discount" mail order dealers are selling at the normal retail discount of 40% - only the largest hobby shops and chains can get a better deal than that. The markup on wholesale will be 67% to produce the "recommended sale price." By the time overheads are deducted, allowance for discounts and sales, wages for _one_ part-time employee etc are factored in, that yields about 5-10% net, so that the store must turn over a half million or more per year just to provide a a liveable income for the owner (who will be taxed on that income, BTW.)

The surprising thing is that there are any hobby stores in Canada. But be warned: hobby stores are closing. One of my distributors lost three accounts this last year because owners sold up or retired, and the stores closed. The situation is similar in many parts of the USA - only the largest hobby shops can survive.

Wolf Kirchmeir ................................. If you didn't want to go to Chicago, why did you get on this train? (Garrison Keillor)

"Wolf Kirchmeir"

I believe this has already happened in the UK where even some of the top stores of 20 years or so ago have disappeared. I don't believe that there's a single model railway shop in London anymore.

-- Cheers Roger T.

of the Great Eastern Railway

What happened to Victor's? (It the only store in the London area that I know by name. I know their prices where high....)

=>Then again, there are some things that we can't find on the shelf here =>in Canada, either. Like P2K undec, for example. =>

=>Kent

I have in stock one only P2K GP9/II #23624 undecorated at $120Can, postpaid, taxes inlcuded. If anyone wants it, e-mail me as instructed in the sig. Kent gets first dibs, though. :-)

Wolf Kirchmeir ................................. If you didn't want to go to Chicago, why did you get on this train? (Garrison Keillor)

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 15:18:30 -0500 (EST), "Wolf Kirchmeir" shared this with the world:

Good price, but I'll have to pass.

Baby #2 is scheduled to arrive any day now, and I'd have to move my layout to the doghouse if there was any new "train stuff" coming thru the door in the near future.

How did you sneak that undec into the country without Hobbycraft noticing?

Kent

"+GF+"

Yes, forgot about Victor's though Victor's specialises in "foreign" model railway, North American for example.

-- Cheers Roger T.

of the Great Eastern Railway

Well, I was in Jane's Trains - almost next door to Tooting mainline station, and as someone observed really ought to be called "Tooting Trains" - a couple of weeks ago and it seemed to be thriving; Norwood Junction Models - a short journey away - also seemed to be doing good business last time I was in there. In my own very rural area of Wales, there are two reasonable shops selling model railway products in Aberystwyth and a real hobby-type store in Aberaeron

- and two of these last three were only started in the last few years and seem, according to their proprietors, to be doing well.

I suspect that what's happening is that the shops that are run by hobbyists are holding their ownl; those that are run by people who view them simply as businesses are not. That may hold a moral for Walthers...

John M Hughes West and Wales Web at

Dave Cool in Laval, Quebec does not yet have a website, but does deliver decent prices here in Canada. I believe he is a mail order and train show dealer only. He sends out e-newsletters semi regularly, and often has good priced specials offered. You can contact him at d.cool(at)sympatico.ca (change the "at" to @ to make it work). He ships via Canada Post Expresspost which is efficient, but not cheap. Parcels usually run around $9.00. His recent list has prices for some items in Canadian funds that are the same as the US prices - US price $250.00, Canadian $250.00.

Good luck!

Bob Boudreau Saint John, N. B.

=>How did you sneak that undec into the country without Hobbycraft =>noticing? =>

=>Kent =>--

It came from Hobbycraft originally. Maybe a fit of absentmindedness on their part. :-)

Wolf Kirchmeir ................................. If you didn't want to go to Chicago, why did you get on this train? (Garrison Keillor)

=> His recent list has prices for some =>items in Canadian funds that are the same as the US prices - US price =>$250.00, Canadian $250.00.

This works for Proto2K/1K, because these are imported directly into Canada. It doesn't work for any items that come into Canada via the US. Very little mrr porduct comes directly into this country from its overseas sources. We are seen as "part of the North American market", you see. Another bad side effect of NAFTA. Bah!

Wolf Kirchmeir ................................. If you didn't want to go to Chicago, why did you get on this train? (Garrison Keillor)

Doug's Trains in London, Ontario is listed in the back of Model Railroader and probably the Canadian publications as well. I have dealt with Doug for years and always found his prices competitive. He is great at shipping orders out and will special order items in. Undecorated locomotives are not a problem for him, I've purchased most of the Bachmann steam locos undecked from him over the years. His shop is primarly HO and detail parts are his specialty. At the moment he has no web site, but as luck would have it, I'm dropping by his shop tomorrow to discuss building one for him. Doug (having the same name is just coincidence)

I am in the same boat (about 9 hours to any of the 'real' train shops in Vancouver). I have had nothing but success with the following:

Traintown Canada:

Hobbies: Trains Canada: (Markham, On)

Prices are about average with most dealers in Canada, but I service is excellent.

And if those don't fill your needs try looking on this list:

Morgan