ATTENTION - MODELZONE PURCHASERS

Pete Mc · August 30, 2013, 03:08:36 AM

I had a reason to go past the former Modelzone shop in Doncaster yesterday afternoon,formerly TAG's.I read a link to the local weekly rag that is Doncaster Free Press saying rhat the former owner,who sold out to Modelzone in 2009,had kept the leasehold to the shop in his posession.

A little sceptical of this I took a little detour along the road that it is in and can confirm that it is indeed being repainted and looking likely to reopen once more as TAG's.

Hopefully,the once great shop before Modelzones national buying policy took hold,won't reoccur and it'll be a good place to buy model railway stuff again.As it'll be an independant shop,he will be able to respond to what the local market requires.I am considering offering my services as a n gauge dcc sound installer if he and the local market wants it.I am not holding any hopes for this but if in the slightest chance that he decides that this is something he might wish to offer,then I would be happy to provide this service.As a sometime customer of Modelzone,former work colleague of one of the staff in there,I regularly,over the last 8 minths showed them my work.Their opinion was that had TAG's stayed independent,this would've been a service they could've provided.Without talking to the owner,I can't say whether this'll be the case now but offer my services I will.

Modelzone always had a policy whereby they would sell an item,lets say for instance,a nitro powered r/c car,but if the owner broke it while using it,they wouldn't bother repairing it even if they made money from such a repair.This is where the independent shop can make a bit of money.

I'll just have to wait and see.

Pete

OwL · August 30, 2013, 09:35:16 AM

Good luck to you Pete. I hope a phoenix arises from the ashes in Doncaster and that you are able to some work out of it.
All the best

MikeDunn · August 30, 2013, 06:08:25 PM

Anyone know if the Birmingham store is still open, and what the levels are like ?

Heading off to the Princess Elizabeth AGM tomorrow, & SWMBO says I can call in for some supplies

OwL · August 30, 2013, 06:50:50 PM

Quote from: MikeDunn on August 30, 2013, 06:08:25 PM
Anyone know if the Birmingham store is still open, and what the levels are like ?

Heading off to the Princess Elizabeth AGM tomorrow, & SWMBO says I can call in for some supplies

Good news for you, I was in there this afternoon!

Still got N Gauge but even with 20% off they are still on par with other retailers, got lots of paint and brushes left though.
Don't build up your hopes as there are lots of empty shelves!!!

MikeDunn · August 30, 2013, 07:33:01 PM

well, fingers crossed for Woodland Scenics stuff then

B757-236GT · August 30, 2013, 09:44:34 PM

I bought some in Bristol yesterday (last day) and it was £1 a bag. Needless to say stocked up big time!

Richard

Agrippa · August 31, 2013, 05:24:06 PM

Glasgow central branch still open, not much N stuff, GF green horsebox , suburban coach
and a few wagons. Still quite a lot of paints and scenics, 50% off.

diesel · August 31, 2013, 05:58:45 PM

Went on the off chance that the Sunderland branch was still open but no such luck now closed

MikeDunn · August 31, 2013, 09:23:20 PM

Quote from: OwL on August 30, 2013, 06:50:50 PM
Still got N Gauge but even with 20% off they are still on par with other retailers, got lots of paint and brushes left though.
Don't build up your hopes as there are lots of empty shelves!!!

Called in before I headed to Tysley to see Lizzie this afternoon ...

A bit disappointing ... had vague hopes there might have been an airbrush compressor in, but they went (50% off) the first week ... Picked up some WS stuff @ 20% off; that'll keep me going a while

Pretty much all the Hornby stuff was left (I would have thought they'd have collected by now, but no), and a lot of Bachmann & GraFar - but as Owl says, those prices just came to what I can get them for elsewhere (with a return in case of issue as well).

They close on the 12th apparently; seems daft to me, closing on a Thursday ? I would have thought doing it on the 14th would have been better ?

DCCDave · August 31, 2013, 09:34:01 PM

Quote from: MikeDunn on August 31, 2013, 09:23:20 PM
They close on the 12th apparently; seems daft to me, closing on a Thursday ? I would have thought doing it on the 14th would have been better ?

Two days extra pay, electricity etc.

I guess they calculated that any additional revenue from those two days would not be more than the costs. Last days at retailers often have more to do with contract terminations/availability of transport etc. than customers.

Cheers
Dave

Agrippa · September 03, 2013, 07:15:27 PM

In MZ Glasgow today, N rolling stock down to about 10 items,
still a lot of paint, scenics etc , plus a few Kestrel kits and
Peco lectrics and some N Track. Still tons of planes,
tanks, ships etc.

Agrippa · September 14, 2013, 11:37:52 AM

Glasgow MZ closing today, called in on the chance there might be an " everything must go for £1" event , but
no luck, blue GF class 25 still sitting there at 30 % off ie about £60. Bought quite nice Airfix biplane kit to
renew my aircraft modelling skills. Staff still friendly despite drawn out closure. I know MZ wasn't everyone's
cup of tea re prices and range of N stuff, but it was handy to buy small Peco items , paint, materials etc,
and the people there were always mannerly and polite.

MikeDunn · September 14, 2013, 07:08:04 PM

As I was in town, popped across to MZ Birmingham, "just in case".

No such luck; doors locked, almost all shelves cleared, large boxes on the floor, and a single member of staff wandering around desultory (so that part was the same

)

Looks like it's purely Ian Allen from now on.

Mike

SymonC · September 16, 2013, 10:02:01 PM

Can confirm that the Signal Box in Rochester closed last week, they had put a handwritten "Goodbye" sign on the door which thanked their many loyal customers. Must have been a very hard thing to do!

It will be greatly missed by me as was only a few miles away

trkilliman · September 17, 2013, 09:39:34 AM

Whilst in Chester last week I visited the modelzone shop , that had just 3 days before closing. Not much N left, and what there was had 30% off. Paints and glues were 50%, and I managed to buy some of the American embossed plastic sheet at 50% off that is normally a silly price. It's finer than Slaters but retails around four times as expensive.

Chatting to the manager it was formerly his family business and he sold out to M/zone a few years back. Asking about the 30% off he said he could not reduce anything more than directed. He said the receivers did not care if stock was left they would simply auction it off. The demise of M/zone will put many out of work and goad many more to shop online. Nothing wrong with online shopping, but it's nice to have a choice and a local supplier. Sadly I envisage more small shops closing as they find it hard to compete with their overheads.

Steve

Falmouth