dagrizz Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 I've visited Antics in Coventry twice recently and they don't have much stock for us railway modellers, nor many 'bits and pieces'. I was after some sheets of plasticard last time I went but they didn't have any at all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted March 3, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 3, 2013 I've been using them for some of my pre-orders as Dave was price matching the competitors.I can't see the new 'staff' doing this so after the Hornby 72xx release I have there I will probably go elsewhere .If 298 is correct I'd better use my vouchers up pretty quickly. The stock levels when I was in yesterday were very poor and it did look like its been run down. You'd think in a city of 300,000 people it would stand a decent model shop.It looks like a 30 mile round trip to Leamington then. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold CovDriver Posted March 3, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 3, 2013 Hi Robin I've just read your message you sent me mate I'm totally disgusted at the way they have treated A good friend of mine Dave Wheatley from Antics. And as for making the shop staff redundant and then taking on new members of staff to do exactly the same job on a lower wage is illegal and so wrong !! I for one will never be shopping in or online with antics again they have lost a decent customer who use to spend alot of money and I'm sure there are other people who feel the same way as myself. Colin (Cov Guard) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Sheep Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 I have just spoke to Former Work mates at Coventry Shop.... The above is sadly true. I was Got rid off from Sheffield Branch nearly a year ago... Due to an apparent drop in sales..... Then replaced 21 days later by a student who knew about Balsa wood.... And nothing else... Sad to hear the sad news,But also in the same breath not suprised.... Just to confirm this here are the newly advertised jobs for the Coventry branch. http://www.anticsonline.co.uk/1966_1.html It had been my main shop before leaving the area, and I'd often pop back in to see how Dave and everyone was and continue to support the store. I could understand closing a shop due to cashflow / foot-fall issues but to get rid of the staff that have kept it running and in business and replace them with someone who has "An interest in radio control or railway modeling may be an advantage, but is not essential." is not going to really help with anything beyond looking up what isn't in stock at the warehouse and attempting to order it. if Antics are doing this across the entire chain, I fear it's another bunch of model shops closing their doors. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainwreck Posted April 15, 2013 Share Posted April 15, 2013 Yes sad to hear about Dave Wheatley he was a top bloke. He worked at Castle Trains before and was always polite and helpful, though he's knowledge about Thomas the Tank Engine was a bit sketchey Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Sheep Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 He was at Antics Coventry shortly after it first opened (just as I pitched up as a student new in the city) and defected to Castle Trains before coming back. Hope he's doing ok, i'm certain if he started his own model shop he'd quickly find supportive regulars. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 "Should" Hobbycraft go under or cease stocking modelling items, I'd rather say I made an effort to support them, instead of a larger chain of Model shops or independant small retailers that had unreasonable expectations or failed to adapt to their trading conditions. But since my modelling interests aren't exactly mainstream, they wouldn't see me as a valued customer anyway... Seems I spoke too soon, I called in at Hobbycraft yesterday and the modelling section has moved again so it is now downstairs at the back, on the left. The railway bit occupies about 6' of shelf space and consists of Hornby Track, a train set, and a few bits of TTTE stock. The Tamiya paint just is on a shelf nearby and there are no Woodland Scenics items and just a few Evergreen bits in the clearance section. Hobbycraft show alot more on their website, so maybe it's just the Coventry branch that has chosen not to stock scenery and only hold basic railway items. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold CovDriver Posted July 3, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 3, 2013 The Coventry branch of Hobbycraft has been like this for months now virtually no stock at all when ever they did have stock in it was way overpriced. To be honest I recently visited Classic Train & Motor Bus in Leamington Spa http://www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/shops/136-Classic_Train_and_Motor_Bus#.UdRAVvnWSwU A fantastic little shop with some real gems and the prices are very reasonable well worth a visit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted July 3, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 3, 2013 To be honest I recently visited Classic Train & Motor Bus in Leamington Spa http://www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/shops/136-Classic_Train_and_Motor_Bus#.UdRAVvnWSwU A fantastic little shop with some real gems and the prices are very reasonable well worth a visit. Totally agree and all my future loco will be from here.Just a bit of a round trip from here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted November 1, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 1, 2013 The turnover of staff grows as they are re-advertising for a senior sales person again.Not much Hornby on the shelves but that probably applies to most shops. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold CovDriver Posted November 2, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted November 2, 2013 This might sound selfish but they had a perfect senior sales person in the form of Dave Wheatley, I actually went in to see what state the shop was in a few weeks back and like you say not alot of Hornby stock and what they did have in the display cabinet didn't have any prices on the Bachmann or Heljan stock (not that I'd buy anything from them anyway)!! Has anybody heard from Dave Wheatley since he left Antics ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Phil Parker Posted November 3, 2013 Administrators Share Posted November 3, 2013 Spoke to Dave at the HM Gaydon show. He's now working as a delivery driver for Watirose and much happier it seems. The conditions at Antics in the later days don't sound like a lot of fun. Now he does his job and goes home. Still just as chipper as before and a great loss to the world of model shops. At least we still have Classic Train & Bus in Leamington. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Sheep Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Has anybody heard from Dave Wheatley since he left Antics ? I tried to e-mail, but didn't get a reply, sad to have lost touch as learnt a lot in my brief time working with him in the ol' glory days of the shop. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wirey33 Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 Seems like the Warwickshire area is an absolute dead loss for modelling shops; Antics in Coventry getting rid of knowledgable staff (probably heading for closing), Hobbycraft in Coventry carrying a bare minium of railway items, Castle Trains in Warwick - Closed, Much Ado About Toys in Stratford - Closed. I have been in to Classic Train & Bus in Leamington and I'm amazed at the amount of stock they have rammed into what is effectively a large cupboard. Last time I was there I wanted to get to the back of the shop and three of us had to leave the shop then shunt ourselves into the correct order before gong back in. I can't see them expanding to take up the local "slack" anytime soon though, purely because of their location which is so far off the beaten track you'd be more likely to stumble across Dr Livingstone having lunch with Lord Lucan than finding the place. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 ..., Hobbycraft in Coventry carrying a bare minium of railway items, ... And when I went in a few weeks ago all the trackwork was stuffed into a large ground floor box and the flexible track was becoming unravelled from its sleeper bases. The same applies in Tamworth - last Sunday the track there was in a slightly better condition, but not much. Looked at the tools in Hobbycraft - same as Maplins but twice the price. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted November 28, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 28, 2013 Seems like the Warwickshire area is an absolute dead loss for modelling shops; Antics in Coventry getting rid of knowledgable staff (probably heading for closing), Hobbycraft in Coventry carrying a bare minium of railway items, Castle Trains in Warwick - Closed, Much Ado About Toys in Stratford - Closed. I have been in to Classic Train & Bus in Leamington and I'm amazed at the amount of stock they have rammed into what is effectively a large cupboard. Last time I was there I wanted to get to the back of the shop and three of us had to leave the shop then shunt ourselves into the correct order before gong back in. I can't see them expanding to take up the local "slack" anytime soon though, purely because of their location which is so far off the beaten track you'd be more likely to stumble across Dr Livingstone having lunch with Lord Lucan than finding the place. Yes I agree but it's all we have got in the area now.If he had bigger premises his prices would go up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted November 28, 2013 Share Posted November 28, 2013 There is Hobbyrail in Sutton Coldfield and The Signal Box in Anstey, Leicestershire. Use them occasionally. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagrizz Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 There is also JOTO in Rugby. They don't have very much stock and RTR is at RRP but they do carry a fair selection of paints, plastic, glue, balsa, PECO stuff, scenery and other useful bits and bobs etc which is very handy if you live locally Graham Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted July 5, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 5, 2014 Popped in here today as I was desperate for some paint.I was amazed they don't/won't stock Humbrol now due to being messed around.Revell and Tamiya now.No Hornby either. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coombe Barton Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 Have you tried Hobbycraft on the opposite side of the Kenilworth road to the station? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted July 5, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 5, 2014 Yes John but I wanted to avoid the roadworks currently on going in their vicinity. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
outcastjack Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 in reply to the comments about humbrol, Joto seem to be the only leam/cov/rugby shop still stocking humbrol acrylics although Classic train and motor bus have the humbrol rail (Hornby) acrylics Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted October 27, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 27, 2018 Went to visit these today to find it's shut due to unforeseen circumstances although the shop still has the stock inside. No idea why. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
soony Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 Went to visit these today to find it's shut due to unforeseen circumstances although the shop still has the stock inside. No idea why. Possibly staffing problems........ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold colin penfold Posted October 27, 2018 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 27, 2018 Note on the website just says the Coventry branch is temporarily closed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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