They told us Model Trains is a dying hobby...

Once considered the World's Greatest Hobby, model trains are now said to be dying in the year 2024. Here is our perspective as owners of a Model Train Shop.

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[harryhenninglll]

As a hobby shop that has been in business for over 85 years I personally can say that the hobby is not dying.
It's a matter of not being stuck in the same rut but staying with the times.
We have learned to keep evolving with the new products.
Yes it's not easy but we buy more hobby shop every year that learned to keep with the times.
Good luck with the business glad to see new shops start.

From Henning's Trains.

[Abrahams_stuff]

I'm 14yo and I'm planning a model train layout for the first time I'm just glad I have other friends that know what they're doing in this hobby.

[terrysogaugetrains]

I'm 56 and proud to admit that I still play with trains.
Model trains are like blue jeans, they never go out of style.

[lonluna]

I started the hobby in 2006 with my then 3 year old and stopped until I got a bigger house in 2020 with the added bonus of a 3rd car stall. With the help of a great wife, I have completed that DC layout and just started a DCC layout which I am just learning. Being in my late 50's now, this will be my hobby for life. Nothing gives you more peace and serenity :-) Keep up the good work you 2!

[emarascalchi]

Hi from Israel, I'm back at the hobby as a 51yo because of my authistic son loves trains. I have fond memories of me playing with my grandfather rivarossi trains. Already then, 40 years ago, it was an expensive hobby and the space needed is just not fitting with modern european homes. But I never stopped to dream about train models. Nowdays probably the only way to start on a budget is buying second hand and your shop is just terrific. Hope to be able to order from you sonner than later.
Keep up your great job!

[tedlawrence]

It is not dying. It is just shrinking. This is also true of most collectibles. Reason: Those under 30 are not collecting anything.

[gregblalock]

Corey and Victoria, you are on the right track. This is not a dying hobby. it's an expensive one, and yall are making it more accessible for people. So keep up the good work keeping the cost down.

[chrissharp]

Here in the UK the national press carried doom and gloom stories about the hobby dying just because the biggest model railway exhibition in the UK will no longer happen and one of the biggest model shops has shut down it's business. This great hobby of ours evolves and these changes will bring alternatives. Agree that some model shops didn't change with the market needs and exhibition managers and staff are getting older. My hobby shop is on line, competitive and knows the market. I model American Railroads and he even stocks American merchandise. It's not dying... technology is changing it for the better.

[Trainskitsetc]

All industries go through change because they are run by people and people change. Rarely does something like model trains ever truly die, it rises and falls in popularity or affordability and as always people will try to profit from both then up and downsides because that's what people do.

It's sad to see so many youtube channels trying to make a quick buck from pessimistic takes on things that only serve to make the hobby look less appealing to new people by failing to project it as the positive vibrant hobby it is, its also heartening to see the people who keep the hobby going sharing more positive narratives and experiences.

Really we need to call out the negative voices and kick them to the curb before they do any more damage than they've already done.

[johnhemple]

God bless you guys you are definitely making an impact on saving this hobby

[MOHIO]

I think you’re correct a lot of train shops were people doing it as a job and not a scaleable business so to speak. They opened up a store signed a lease or bought a building sold model train stuff for years and that was their job and how they made money, but it was a job not a growth businesses to them. Now those people have retired or died out some of them and that was a big part of it.

[Railfan-pxfd]

Brick & Morter hobby shops is what's dying. It's b/c of online shopping, electronic devices, and unfortunately sometimes a cliche that says if you're into trains as a hobby, you're...slow. A long-time running and well-known hobby store in my area closed down due to the high demand of r/c drones at the time.

[Lepper]

I always found it weird when people made this claim, and I look over at Japan and see the hobby alive and well. I think the issue is a lot of people out here just take the hobby staring in at it thinking it's an exclusive club that people were very restrictive of who to let in. Which, in any case, is partially true if people showed up and policed what models you should be using (I was dismissed at a hobby shop because my model trains were British makes vs American). I feel like the hobby can thrive more if they can be more accepting of all model trains rather than just be loyal to their fandom of railroads/railways.

Like it or not, a lot of the younger generations entering into the hobby never had steam locomotives chuffing around in life, their introduction to trains were either at Disney or other theme parks, or seeing the models and CGI animations of Thomas the Tank Engine. I figure we're fine as long as we can ignore the rivet counters.

[davevan]

Change is the only constant. You two are non traditional shop. Thx

[RayBoebel]

At 54, I started my "dream" HO scale layout in 2019. Still old school DC on a very tight budget. I have been documenting the journey on my YouTube channel. I'm going to take a look thru your online store and see if I can find something to pick up! By the way, I think a few of us long time YT'ers have talked about this subject over the past month. Good to hear it come from the store owner perspective!

[LonleyScrapIron]

This Hobby Is Not Dying, It Is Going To Live Forever!

[jefferykeeper]

GO FOR IT GUYS, I'M WITH YOU ALL THE WAY!!!

[kylestevens]

I’ve never thought the hobby was dying, I know it was growing seeing new manufacturers and new era specific models coming out, just a lot of things that people from the 70s and 80s either scared to evolve, just stubborn, or just wasn’t willing to admit that change was coming. I honestly wish that more hobby shops would do what y’all have done, like you said, after joining YouTube myself, I’ve seen people like myself and amazed at how many younger folk are in this hobby. Yes I’ll admit that things like the actual hobby shop is going away, but they’re just moving to online services, they just learned to adapt. Keep up the great work!

[cybersean]

This has also been said about amateur radio, for decades!

[doctordeath.]

Model trains is not a dieing hobby at all and it is a great hobby to get into and on top of that, you can lurn about all the different railroads and railroad history and a bunch more. You can also make up your owen railroad layouts and name it what ever name you want it to be.