|
|
Post by jonklein611 on Jul 8, 2020 4:15:17 GMT -8
$50? That's one freight car... Plus a few bucks for proper Kadees, unless it's Tangent/Exactrail/Moloco/Arrowhead (did I miss any that use Kadee as OEM couplers?) Rapido for their new boxcar. |
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on Jul 8, 2020 4:38:32 GMT -8
Athearn and Atlas, time to jump on the Kadee bandwagon! (I've heard Atlas has Kadee's on one or two freight cars but have they switch over universally?)
|
|
|
|
Post by edwardsutorik on Jul 8, 2020 7:41:49 GMT -8
|
|
|
|
Post by marknycfan on Jul 11, 2020 16:34:41 GMT -8
I can't imagine they're creating the revenue to have a GM and do all they seem to be hyping about
|
|
|
|
Post by thunderhawk on Jul 12, 2020 14:24:25 GMT -8
Most small businesses avoid advertising their political positions as all it generally does is turn off half their customers. Considering Caboose was begging for donations to keep the lights on...  |
|
|
|
Post by santafe49 on Jul 12, 2020 17:12:44 GMT -8
Begging for money via the old "GoFundMe" scheme to pay 4-5 high wage executive's, and then not being able to afford to buy product to sell for a profit doesn't sound like a sound business plan. If your "business plan" is not convincing enough to a banker, who see's these all the time, it may be a sure sign of a bankruptcy around the corner. While i do not wish this on anyone, when is it time to pull the plug on a failing business?
|
|
|
|
Post by fr8kar on Jul 15, 2020 19:10:22 GMT -8
Begging for money via the old "GoFundMe" scheme to pay 4-5 high wage executive's, and then not being able to afford to buy product to sell for a profit doesn't sound like a sound business plan. If your "business plan" is not convincing enough to a banker, who see's these all the time, it may be a sure sign of a bankruptcy around the corner. While i do not wish this on anyone, when is it time to pull the plug on a failing business? None of the salaries advertised are high wage, not in this decade. |
|
|
|
Post by edwardsutorik on Jul 15, 2020 20:33:56 GMT -8
None of the salaries advertised are high wage, not in this decade. I did notice that, too; but I didn't want to bubble-pop. Round here, where we're all high-livers, that'll pretty much cover your rent. Food?  Ed |
|
|
|
Post by Christian on Jul 16, 2020 2:33:32 GMT -8
None of the salaries advertised are high wage, not in this decade. And marginal for living in the Denver area. All in all, this seems like a very risky gamble that isn't starting off very well. |
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on Jul 16, 2020 3:03:25 GMT -8
True that the salaries are not very high, but as pointed out, cost of living in the Denver area isn't cheap and my impression is hobby shops don't rake in cash by the wheel barrel. It didn't take Caboose long to be in financial straights. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
|
|
|
|
Post by gevohogger on Jul 16, 2020 4:04:10 GMT -8
All of which makes it even stranger that Chris P. would leave Athearn to go to Caboose. Who leaves a successful company to go work for peanuts at one which is on shaky ground? Either Athearn pays REALLY poorly or there are dark clouds building on the horizon there (pun intended).
|
|
|
|
Post by sd40dash2 on Jul 16, 2020 4:55:06 GMT -8
^ None of my business of course and I am just speculating, but he could be fed up with the job and might have family, friends, wife etc closer to the new job. The corp world sucks the life out of office workers who are under enormous pressure. Sometimes a change of pace is needed.
|
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on Jul 16, 2020 5:04:35 GMT -8
Could be. I always thought Chris P lived in S California but when I talked to him last Feb at the WGH show in Chantilly VA, he said he lived in Illinois up near Chicago. But this ove will take him to the Denver area I assume.
|
|
|
|
Post by Colin 't Hart on Nov 11, 2020 1:42:04 GMT -8
I'm going to resurrect this thread. |
|
|
|
Post by nsc39d8 on Nov 11, 2020 6:32:08 GMT -8
I will say I have chatted with the guys from Iowa Scale Engineering and they are great.
They have some nice products but I have yet to purchase from them.
I will however support them when the time comes for items they produce.
|
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on Nov 11, 2020 7:47:20 GMT -8
James. Their nice ProtoThrottle is on my want list. I'm still working on the layout but hopefully next year I'll be able to fit the PT into my budget.
It looks like Caboose's Go Fund Me page, initiated last April, seems to have stopped 4 months ago at $1,241 toward the $50,000 goal, although most of the activity is from 6 months ago.
I'm sorry to read that ISE has not been paid for their products supplied. The cost Caboose incurred to install a real caboose in their parking lot, as cool as it was, would have goon a long way toward covering the financials of this year.
I just tried to go to the Caboose website and get this message:
The Caboose facebook page appears active with weekly talking heads but I didn't see anything about the hobby shop itself; perhaps taboo?
|
|
|
|
Post by drsvelte on Nov 11, 2020 8:10:55 GMT -8
Caboose was still active on eBay about a month ago. They had a Branchline Berwick boxcar I was interested in for only $12.00. I took a chance and ordered it with the thought that I might likely never receive it, but to my surprise it arrived quite quickly. 😲 That's the only product I've ever purchased from them and I certainly wouldn't be willing to gamble on a high dollar item.
|
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on Nov 11, 2020 9:20:04 GMT -8
Well, Ebay has pretty firm rules, so if Caboose didn't ship the product you ordered or won, I would imagine they would bring the hammer down. I've read so many reports of Caboose customers not getting what they ordered from the store, that Ebay may be the only "reliable" way of getting product from Caboose.
|
|
|
|
Post by Colin 't Hart on Nov 11, 2020 13:19:17 GMT -8
Jim, their website -- while currently displaying a "Relaunching Soon" banner is actually at mycaboose.com |
|
|
|
Post by grabirons on Dec 9, 2020 19:28:57 GMT -8
It was never the same caboose hobbies after they were forced to move. They could of gone online only but then I'm sure that would have angered their base who loved going in the shop. I never ordered anything from them. I had visited with my father in the early 90s and wow what a cool train shop. They had absolutely everything. I remember they had one of the coolest online shops back in the mid 90s when the internet was booming. I would always look at their brass consignments and dream about what I wanted to have someday.
|
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on Dec 10, 2020 4:21:45 GMT -8
No change in status that I can see. The website still shows "relaunching soon" and by that I would guess next summer 2021 at soonest since the pandemic is ramping up and enough of the public vaccinated to make a difference is months away, probably mid-late summer 2021 at soonest. The FB page seems to be an effort to pass the time by talking about trains with all manner of train people. Ultimately, it's going to be about the balance sheet.
|
|
|
|
Post by 12bridge on Dec 10, 2020 10:58:52 GMT -8
It was never the same caboose hobbies after they were forced to move. They could of gone online only but then I'm sure that would have angered their base who loved going in the shop. I never ordered anything from them. I had visited with my father in the early 90s and wow what a cool train shop. They had absolutely everything. I remember they had one of the coolest online shops back in the mid 90s when the internet was booming. I would always look at their brass consignments and dream about what I wanted to have someday. Keep in mind, it was exactly that, it was NOT the same Caboose hobbies. A new guy (group of guys?) simply tried to rehash the old store and run with what they built up, with a clever name close enough to the original. If they actually bought out Caboose Hobbies and moved the inventory, they may have done a lot better. Original Caboose had a massive blow out sale, and got rid of just about everything (which, typically, is the reason most people GO to shops, to rummage). What was left over, and it was not much at all, was picked up by the new owner, including all of the shelving. You would go into the (new) store, and it was row after row of empty shelf, with the original Caboose Hobbies hooks and prices. It could have been something really great, but at this point, I am shocked they are still open. When I was there they did not have even the basics. No KD's, No Evergreen.. |
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on Dec 10, 2020 11:58:18 GMT -8
Good point 12bridge. Caboose has never been Caboose Hobbies.
What has bothered me the most is that the new shop claimed and publicized itself as Caboose Hobbies, founded in 1938, continued. That simply wasn't true. I don't think anyone wants to see a hobby shop fail, myself included, but this just seemed ill-done from the start. It's kind of an example of "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". I have no doubt Caboose was founded with the desire and passion to serve the public in the spirit of the old Caboose Hobbies. But some factors seemed to get in the way. One is the business plan was unrealistic. Two, buying the real caboose front-loaded the business with a great deal of un-needed debt that has helped put them in such dire straights. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: about 20% fail in their first year, and about 50% of small businesses fail in their fifth year. So the odds are already stacked against a small business so anything that puts it "further behind" unnecessarily only increases the odds of not making it.
Perhaps it comes from an unrealistic expectation of what they had to have, vs. what would really be able financially stay above water. I am no business expert but it just doesn't look sustainable, and adding on additional financial burden of, of all things, a Cultural Curator, just seems pie in the sky. It's kind of like, what are they smoking? A business has to make enough profit to cover their operating expenses and from what I understand, profit margins on model trains and related stuff is pretty thin.
As for being shocked they are still open. Well, sort-of; maybe life support and a bit of Ebay selling on the side. Go-fund-me has stalled $1,241 raised of $50,000 goal, started in April - that's only 2.3% of the goal after 8 months and there are probably bills to pay, rent on the building etc. and companies who provide stock are waiting to be paid, as the example of the makers of ProtoThrottle. Do you think there will be any more products sent to Caboose after this? I can't see how. Right now it is as if Caboose needs to be treated as a charity or a public funded service rather than a self sustaining business. I don't see how it can sustain itself, especially in the pandemic environment.
|
|
|
|
Post by bnsf971 on Dec 10, 2020 12:03:12 GMT -8
Jim, the pandemic may be the only reason they are still there. Landlords right now are delaying eviction, making me wonder if when any restrictions on tossing people and businesses out expire will be the day they get the old heave-ho.
|
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on Dec 10, 2020 12:05:12 GMT -8
Could be true. That must suck for the landlords, who also have bills to pay, property taxes, mortgages etc.
|
|
|
|
Post by 12bridge on Dec 10, 2020 18:31:26 GMT -8
Word going around that as of today they closed.
|
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on Dec 10, 2020 18:37:48 GMT -8
Source?
|
|
|
|
Post by 12bridge on Dec 10, 2020 19:07:33 GMT -8
Big thread on facebook from one of the locals.
|
|
|
|
Post by riogrande on Dec 13, 2020 6:56:47 GMT -8
Locals have reported a For Sale sign at the Caboose store past couple days.
|
|
|
|
Post by migalyto on Dec 13, 2020 7:33:48 GMT -8
|
|
