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Bercher & Sternlicht, Basel, is Closing Down


GoingUnderground
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I received the following e-mail on Wednesday, from Bercher & Sternlicht in Basel, Switzerland.

 

"Endstation für Bercher & Sternlicht AG - Wir schliessen für immer!

 

Sehr geehrter Kunde

 

Mit grossem Bedauern müssen wir Ihnen mitteilen, dass uns stetig rückläufige Umsätze dazu zwingen, unser Modelleisenbahngeschäft auf den Sommer 2018 zu schliessen.

 

Aufgrund des Liquidationsprozesses können wir Ihnen Ihre vorbestellten Modelle leider nicht mehr liefern. Auf Wunsch senden wir Ihnen gerne Ihre Rückstandsliste.

Über allfällige Märklin/Trix/LGB-Insiderclub Bestellungen werden Sie in den kommenden Wochen informiert.

 

Falls Sie bei uns noch offene Reparaturen haben, werden wir Sie separat über deren Stand informieren. Dies kann einige Wochen dauern - wir bitten um Geduld. Sie werden Ihre Modelle auf jeden Fall zurückerhalten.

 

Wir bedanken uns herzlichst für Ihre Treue. Es war uns stets eine Freude Sie in unserem Laden begrüssen zu dürfen.

 

 

Freundliche Grüsse"

 

which translates as:

 

 

"Terminus for Bercher & Sternlicht AG-we close forever!

 

Dear Customer

 

With great regret, we must inform you that constantly declining sales are forcing us to close our model railway business in the summer of 2018.

 

Due to the liquidation process we are unable to supply your pre-ordered models. We will be happy to send you your list of outstanding orders on request.

 

You will be informed about possible Märklin/Trix/LGB-Insider Club orders in the coming weeks.

 

If you have any open repairs with us, we will inform you separately about their status. This may take a few weeks-we ask for patience. You will certainly get your models back.

 

Thank you very much for your loyalty. It was always a pleasure for us to welcome you to our shop.

 

Kind regards"

 

So it's not just in the UK that model railway retailers are under pressure. It probably speaks volumes for the long term future of the hobby if this is happening in affluent and successful countries with a thriving rail network like Switzerland.

 

I shall be very sad to see it go. I always called in for a look round, and to buy a souvenir or two whenever I was in Basel on holiday. 3 floors of model railway magic soon to be gone, forever.

 

Bercher & Sternlicht, thank you for the pleasure you gave me.

 

When the time comes, R.I.P. Basel won't quite be the same without you.

Edited by GoingUnderground
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I received the following e-mail on Wednesday, from Bercher & Sternlicht in Basel, Switzerland.

 

"Endstation für Bercher & Sternlicht AG - Wir schliessen für immer!

 

Sehr geehrter Kunde

 

Mit grossem Bedauern müssen wir Ihnen mitteilen, dass uns stetig rückläufige Umsätze dazu zwingen, unser Modelleisenbahngeschäft auf den Sommer 2018 zu schliessen.

 

Aufgrund des Liquidationsprozesses können wir Ihnen Ihre vorbestellten Modelle leider nicht mehr liefern. Auf Wunsch senden wir Ihnen gerne Ihre Rückstandsliste.

Über allfällige Märklin/Trix/LGB-Insiderclub Bestellungen werden Sie in den kommenden Wochen informiert.

 

Falls Sie bei uns noch offene Reparaturen haben, werden wir Sie separat über deren Stand informieren. Dies kann einige Wochen dauern - wir bitten um Geduld. Sie werden Ihre Modelle auf jeden Fall zurückerhalten.

 

Wir bedanken uns herzlichst für Ihre Treue. Es war uns stets eine Freude Sie in unserem Laden begrüssen zu dürfen.

 

 

Freundliche Grüsse"

 

which translates as:

 

 

"Terminus for Bercher & Sternlicht AG-we close forever!

 

Dear Customer

 

With great regret, we must inform you that constantly declining sales are forcing us to close our model railway business in the summer of 2018.

 

Due to the liquidation process we are unable to supply your pre-ordered models. We will be happy to send you your list of outstanding orders on request.

 

You will be informed about possible Märklin/Trix/LGB-Insider Club orders in the coming weeks.

 

If you have any open repairs with us, we will inform you separately about their status. This may take a few weeks-we ask for patience. You will certainly get your models back.

 

Thank you very much for your loyalty. It was always a pleasure for us to welcome you to our shop.

 

Kind regards"

 

So it's not just in the UK that model railway retailers are under pressure. It probably speaks volumes for the long term future of the hobby if this is happening in affluent and successful countries with a thriving rail network like Switzerland.

 

I shall be very sad to see it go. I always called in for a look round, and to buy a souvenir or two whenever I was in Basel on holiday. 3 floors of model railway magic soon to be gone, forever.

 

Bercher & Sternlicht, thank you for the pleasure you gave me.

 

When the time comes, R.I.P. Basel won't quite be the same without you.

 

That leaves no model railway shop in Basel!

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That leaves no model railway shop in Basel!

There was one in Spalentor that seemed to specialise in Maerklin kit. I've never been in it, as it always closed whenever I passed. Has thst closed as well?

 

There was, and may still be. a much smaller model railway shop in Rodersdorf. I once went there to collect some purchases as the owner didn't do mail order. He invited me, and SWMBO, to come behind the shop counter to see his own personal layout. It was marvellous. I could have stayed for hours, but SWBMO, started getting restless, and we left and caught the No. 9 (IIRC) tram back into Basel. We only realsed after we were back in our hotel that our Basel Tourist Travel Card didn't cover trips as far as Rodersdorf. Happy days.

Edited by GoingUnderground
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There was one in Spalentor that seemed to specialise in Maerklin kit. I've never been in it, as it always closed whenever I passed. Has thst closed as well?

 

There was, and may still be. a much smaller model railway shop in Rodersdorf. I once went there to collect some purchases as the owner didn't do mail order. He invited me, and SWMBO, to come behind the shop counter to see his own personal layout. It was marvellous. I could have stayed for hours, but SWBMO, started getting restless, and we left and caught the No. 9 (IIRC) tram back into Basel. We only realsed after we were back in our hotel that our Basel Tourist Travel Card didn't cover trips as far as Rodersdorf. Happy days.

The Spalentor shop had ceased to be when I did my regular tour of the area last December. Hamwa also seems to have disappeared. Basel now seems bereft of dedicated model railway shops. I will investigate Rodersdorf.

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The Spalentor shop had ceased to be when I did my regular tour of the area last December. Hamwa also seems to have disappeared. Basel now seems bereft of dedicated model railway shops. I will investigate Rodersdorf.

It's Modelleisenbahnen Jorg, it's website still appears to be active www.modelleisenbahnenjoerg.ch The owner doesn't speak English, but we managed. Edited by GoingUnderground
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Off topic I know, but still about closure of Swiss model shops, does anyone know if Wemoba at Pieterlen near Biel has also closed?

 

Wemoba is now in the Festo building at Pietrelin, about twice the distance from the station!

 

It's Modelleisenbahnen Jorg, it's website still appears to be active www.modelleisenbahnenjoerg.ch The owner doesn't speak English, but we managed.

 

Is that Rodersdorf? If so, my apologies!

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Wemoba is now in the Festo building at Pietrelin, about twice the distance from the station!

 

 

Is that Rodersdorf? If so, my apologies!

No problems. The fault was mine, I didn't make it clear that it was the model shop in Rodersdorf.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Really sad news. When I lived in Allschwil in the 1990s it was my go-to store. There were at least 4 model train stores in Basel at that time. My Swiss friends tell me that because of the relative strength of the CHF to the Euro people mail order stuff to a postbox just across the border. When I was in Allschwil last year I was surprised at how many empty shops there were.  :O

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There was, and may still be. a much smaller model railway shop in Rodersdorf. I once went there to collect some purchases as the owner didn't do mail order. He invited me, and SWMBO, to come behind the shop counter to see his own personal layout. It was marvellous. I could have stayed for hours, but SWBMO, started getting restless, and we left and caught the No. 9 (IIRC) tram back into Basel. We only realsed after we were back in our hotel that our Basel Tourist Travel Card didn't cover trips as far as Rodersdorf. Happy days.

 

I am incredibly disappointed with myself - I spent 4 months living in Witterswil and never managed to stumble upon that shop!

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Don't know if this might help, but I came across this site when hunting down an alternative to the model railway shop I usually went to in Locarno (where one of my brothers-in-law lives) which appears to have shut. You have to scroll down a little to get to the Swiss stores.

 

http://www.flaviocapra-bernina.net/plastico-negozi.html

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  • 1 month later...

Off topic I know, but still about closure of Swiss model shops, does anyone know if Wemoba at Pieterlen near Biel has also closed?

 

I plan to check that out over Christmas as their website appears inaccessible.

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Thanks JohnDMJ. Hopefully I shall be there at the end of August and intend to visit the Wemoba premises. At the moment I still cannot access the website or the telephone number so am not very hopeful.

I will post what I find on my return.

 

David

 

 

 

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