Posted by: "Ed Kozlowsky"
> One thing kept coming back to haunt me...that S scale ad on the inside
cover of RMC.
Hi Ed...Proof that advertising works! I wonder how many other converts
arrived at the S station as a result of the S GAUGE HERALD ads in Model
Railroader magazine? Or as a result of an S article or an S photo in a
magazine? Call me curious....
> So why didn't I think of trying S with all the other scales in my
"discovery" phase?
Around here in the early days, the hobby shops did not stock S and did not
want to. The standard response to an S inquiry was: "S has not existed
since AF went defunct in the '50s." Easier to sell what is already on the
shelf than to start up a whole new section of S merchandise with
near-negligible profit margins. Certainly a big hurdle to overcome for
many.
All the information in the Herald's S information package shined some light
into a dark hole -- at least for me. Is a similar package of S information
still available today? If so, how does someone learn about it? If not, why
not? Is there a scale-wide marketing campaign in place -- anywhere? How
about simply listing the web site addresses of 50 S scale suppliers in the
NASG ad on the inside front cover of RMC? Gotta let folks know there is
more than just the ten guys with a small ad. Just an idea...
> I discovered it to be an ideal size.
BINGO !! It would seem to me that some photos with S and HO in the same
picture (held in a human hand, perhaps) would emphasize the size
differential to good effect. Maybe said photo could be placed in the RMC
page within the NASG ad? Just a thought. Looking a closeup photo of a
freight car does nothing to communicate the size differential.
> Once having committed, I've found a good deal more than I expected.
I like this one. Would you like to go on TV?
> The internet is the savior of model railroading, especially S,
You said a mouthful there. Even eBay makes a sizeable contribution. Just
the ticket for low cost advertising for the smaller mom&pop S producer. Not
to mention this Yahoo Group which allows everyone to share experiences and
wisdom in the most minority of all minority scales. Except maybe for
"Double S", aka #1, which is even more minor.
> How do we replace the hobby shop when it comes to modeling supplies?
Go to NMRA and NASG annual conventions and look over the merchandise. Use
online shopping with Walther's and/or 1st Place Hobbies. The shipping fee
is offset by the lack of sales tax. No need to fight traffic downtown to
the hobby shop. Of course, supporting your local dealer is a good choice as
well -- assuming you want a local hobby dealer. Else he might go away.
> S is very muddy.
I wonder if anyone still converts AF to S scale these days? Except for the
dual-purpose rolling stock (such as SHS), does S scale have any meaningful
connection with AF any more? Things have changed since the 1960s when
AF/scale were much closer to each other. Is there an advantage to being
distinctly separated? Or would that be a disadvantage?
> I'm a model railroader. <snip? Where are the <snip> model railroaders
doing somthing with their trains besides drinking beer <snip>?
Out here in California, we drink wine. Beer is for the Midwest. I assume
distilled water or melted snow is for New England where things tend to be
spartan -- like in Maine. :>)
> When my layout is up and running, am I going to have to invite HO people
to operate it?
Not only should you invite HO guys to run it, you should have HO guys
helping you build it. And some O and N guys too. After all, model
railroading is model railroading and trains is trains and scale is
irrelevant. Most of the HO guys have a favorite specialty -- such as
scenery, DCC, trackwork, carpentry, structures, weathering, etc., etc. and
as long as you provide tasks within their preferred specialty they will be
quite happy to help you build a layout. There are many more HO-manhours in
my layout than S-manhours. The nearest S guy is 25 minutes away, but there
are several HO guys within blocks of where I live. Larry Sokol once
advertised a "construction party" and a whole bunch of S guys flew into
Portland, OR from all over the place to lay track and debug the secret
mysterious short circuits he himself had built in. Dick Karnes found the
problem after everyone else gave up. Dick got the gold star award that day.
Larry's wife fixed a spaghetti dinner to spare Larry the cost of serving
meat. Keith Thompson (Maine) and Bob Flieger (Halifax) would probably come
down and help you in exchange for a good meal. Bob likes lobster, but has
been known to settle for peanut butter.
>OK, so I'm an odd-ball.
N-a-a-h......yer just one of us.
Welcome to S scale....
"S"incerely...Ed L.
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