Personally I dont think its doom and gloom, the hobby may not be as strong as it was 5 years ago but it is probably in better shape that it was 25 years ago. The observations presented are merely reports, any conclusions are personal and should not be considered to be a reflection upon the hobby. However if the number of retailers is considered as a barometer on the health of the hobby, I suggest that there were more retailers in 1983 however they were selling a much smaller range of products. If parallels are drawn with other retail outlets, there does seem to be a reduction in outlets for long–established leisure products whilst those remaining outlets tend to be large scale suppliers. My genuine fear is that the demise of the smaller retailer will lead to the demise of the smaller manufacturer and less choice for the customer.

Hi Tim, That is a major concern with the small manufacturers. Interesting that with the NZR scene in NZ that some of the small manufacturers have ceased operating (and the quality of their production was acceptable) but there are some new guys stepping into the fold as it were and are breathing new life into the hobby. Admittedly they are using cad based output but getting great detail at a reasonable price. Wll I change to NZR modelling? Not likely, but some of it is very tempting. John