But times change and we have to 'go with the flow'. I miss the Saturday morning run with the guys to various LHS's, and 'lunch' at the local 'Mr Steak'. Most of my purchases are now over the Internet(Model Train Stuff/Toy Train Heaven/eBay), or through dealers at Train Shows(Caboose Stop Hobbies or Perry's Hobbies). I can drive about 75 mile to the MSP area and Scale Model Supplies is still open, and a little further, Beckers Hobby. The closest LHS for me now is about 45 miles to Ace Hardware in Winona - they have about 3 isles of model train stuff. They eventually became Hendys until Rick Henderson died and the store was closed. When I moved to Rochester, MN in 1984, we had Moon's Hobby(really quite good for being out in a corn field). Woodcraft sponsored a show in Har Mar Mall, and Hobbytown sponsored a show in Northtown Center. Later there was Division Point Hobbies, Hobbytown(not the big current chain), Team Track Hobbies, Railroad Scale Models, Scale Model Supplies(still there) and at least one other one(Scale Hobbies,LLC?). Later on Woodcraft alone sponsored the show. There were at least 10-12 LHS, back in the late 60's and they even had a Saturday morning hobby show on local TV. Woodcraft Hobbies(home store on Lake St) also as big in the MSP area, they had a store in downtown St Paul, Har Mar Mall and later in Signal Hill Center(the old Lightfoots Hobby). The Gager family sold out and it was gone quite fast.
They had everything a guy could look for in trains back in the late 60's. Gagers 'home' store was in downtown Mpls, and they had an excellent store also in the lower level of Southdale Mall out in Edina(First enclosed mall in the US), and in Bookdale Center.
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