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Has M G SHARP closed


Matador

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At one time the range of product sold at M G Sharp was superb. Not just the obvious RTR from all sorts of suppliers from all over the world but lots of detailing parts, decals, body shells etc etc. Whilst Bill could have his moments I found him quite endearing in that he was one of those people who'd probably struggle to fit in anywhere now on account of being a bit of a character. Which is not to excuse some of the behaviour mentioned here as you can't excuse the things that others experienced but I think the world is a duller place without the sort of characters that we once had. At the risk of sounding like a genius with the benefit of hindsight I was pretty sure what would happen to the business when he passed it on and sadly I wasn't far wrong.

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I remember my student days at Sheffield during the early 1990s and often visited MG Sharp's either by taking the bus from Broomhill (the "student district") or even walking to Attercliffe Road.

 

It used to be such a pleasure browsing and buying there and even made a handful of special trips to Sheffield to visit that shop after I left Sheffield Uni.

 

Really saddens me to see the criticisms here ( and the fact that the shop did not quite manage to have a decent web site - the peculiar use of capital letters at the start of every word! )

 

Oh well, time goes on.

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T'was MG Sharp who got me into American model Railroading. I bought some HO there, just a loco and a few wagons. The guy was very helpful, explaining the ways of American railroads, even bought a book from there  "How to operate your Model Railroad" by Bruce Chubb, still have it, very good book.

 

On my second visit around 1981 / 2 he had a lot of Atlas "O" gauge locos & stock. F9 BoBo diesels at £15 each - large central can motor, 8 wheel pick up & 8 wheel drive. I bought (over the next couple of years) 14 of them, along with quite a lot of box cars, stock cars, gondolas, ore cars etc for around £8 a pop. He even let me trade in my HO stuff.

 

Later I found Victors, Kittle Hobby and other shops sold American O scale, but it was MG Sharp who got me going in US O gauge, as I couldn't afford (either then or now) to have a large garage size UK O gauge layout.

 

I stopped visiting when he sold the last of his stock to me- (at a discount even !!) mid 80's. "Glad to see you again - your just about the only guy who wants this stuff" !!

 

As mentioned above, shame it went sour in the end.

 

My layout link http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/52775-rock-island-in-the-rockies/

 

The F9's still all run quite well.

 

Brit15

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The only encounter I've knowingly had with MGS was at the one-and-only (and never again! Hell really is other people) Warley show that I went to.

 

One of the female assistants on the MGS stand had a particularly low-cut top and quite a lot up front. Every time she leaned forward, it was a bit like "Pride & Prejudice", but with boxes of models.

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I've been shopping up the road for the last 40 odd years too Mickey, always a warm welcome.

 

MGS was a place I only visited occasionally as looking around was not welcomed. If your wallet wasn't open in your hand when you walked in the abuse started. My Dad nearly decked the bloke the only time he ever went with me.

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In 2006, just before I came to Cape Town, I spent my bonus of 600 GBP in the shop. Outstanding selection of American N gauge. However, someone in the back room was getting a real earful and so was I and the sales assistant who was obviously embarrassed! Luckily I had business in Sheffield so I visited the shop regularly.

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A bit of humour and Open All Hours customer service style can be entertaining on a good day, but characters with attitudes like this can't expect to run businesses in this day and age. Having to bang on a shopdoor to get in for goodness sake! Says a lot about the owners enthusiasm for his business.

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Having to bang on a shop door to get in for goodness sake! Says a lot about the owners enthusiasm for his business.

There's a music shop in a neighbouring town to me like that - every time I've visited, the doors have been locked but all the lights on inside, so you can peer through the grimy windows & see a veritable Aladdin's cave of rare guitars, amps, etc.; a sign on the door gives a 'phone number to ring if you wish to gain entry, which rings the telephone on the counter in the empty shop... :banghead:

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...Having to bang on a shopdoor to get in for goodness sake! Says a lot about the owners enthusiasm for his business.

 

There's a music shop in a neighbouring town to me like that - every time I've visited, the doors have been locked but all the lights on inside, so you can peer through the grimy windows & see a veritable Aladdin's cave of rare guitars, amps, etc.; a sign on the door gives a 'phone number to ring if you wish to gain entry, which rings the telephone on the counter in the empty shop... :banghead:

 

The late Tony Crook reputedly ran the Bristol Cars showroom near Olympia in this fashion for many years. If he didn't like the look of you as a potential customer for his cars, there was no way you were going to be allowed through the door, regardless of how filthy rich you might actually have been!

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There's a music shop in a neighbouring town to me like that - every time I've visited, the doors have been locked but all the lights on inside, so you can peer through the grimy windows & see a veritable Aladdin's cave of rare guitars, amps, etc.; a sign on the door gives a 'phone number to ring if you wish to gain entry, which rings the telephone on the counter in the empty shop... :banghead:

A mate of mine used to work at a computer shop.

The owner used to sit at his desk with his feet up. The phone used to ring & he'd just complain that he hated that sound & ignored it ringing.

The phone rang less & less & eventually stopped and closure resulted, obviously.

My mate pirated his database & started out himself. Sadly, he'd learnt bad habits & never followed up customers.

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The late Tony Crook reputedly ran the Bristol Cars showroom near Olympia in this fashion for many years. If he didn't like the look of you as a potential customer for his cars, there was no way you were going to be allowed through the door, regardless of how filthy rich you might actually have been!

I believe he was so determined that even if a magazine reviewer borrowed a car from a customer who'd bought one to review then that customer would be blacklisted. He was famously averse to quite a few motoring journalists and saw off quite a few celebs he didn't like the look of.

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I believe he was so determined that even if a magazine reviewer borrowed a car from a customer who'd bought one to review then that customer would be blacklisted. He was famously averse to quite a few motoring journalists and saw off quite a few celebs he didn't like the look of.

He detested motoring journalists with a passion, and request to test a Bristol car was always met with the word "No". It is said that one journalist not only had the word "No" against his name, but "No" written 40 times, in green ink.

 

If you had long hair, tattoos, or jeans....or worse, all three, you definitely were persona non grata in the showroom. Another story I read about is that he allegedly spotted Michael Winner walking towards the showroom, so quickly flipped the sign on the door to "Closed", then disappeared into a back office until Mr. Winner had passed!

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He was a proper character he was! Bristol were one of those brands that were full on marmite, looked at rationally they were pre-historic in most ways. Even the Fighter was not a cutting edge car. The styling might best be described as anti-fashion. Those cars I have seen had panel gaps that'd be criticised on a Dacia or Yugo never mind a car selling in the £100,000's. Yet for all that the brand generated an almost obsessive loyalty and affection from those lucky enough to be considered worthy of buying one and the automotive world is a much less interesting one without manufacturers like Bristol.

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He was a proper character he was!....

You've just reminded me of Peter Elsee (now deceased, I think) who infamously ran the Protofour Society's supplies of things like Studiolith wheels, etc. If you weren't a card-carrying Protofour member, he refused to sell to you, and woe betide if you were the enemy, i.e. a member of the Scalefour Society!

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You've just reminded me of Peter Elsee (now deceased, I think) who infamously ran the Protofour Society's supplies of things like Studiolith wheels, etc. If you weren't a card-carrying Protofour member, he refused to sell to you, and woe betide if you were the enemy, i.e. a member of the Scalefour Society!

It wasn't a members-only arrangement - the public were allowed to purchase, as I did; it was just the 'defectors' who were barred.

I knew someone who felt the need to use an alias in connection with his Scalefour Society activities, in order to remain eligible to give Studiolith his custom!

 

The Nim.

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Can anyone remind me of the year Bill passed away; Dave F and I last met him at the annual Glasgow Show but the years slip by so fast these days that we aren't sure when. I knew Bill both professionally and as a friend and also manned the Trade Stand at various Shows.

After his passing and also my retirement from the Midland Bank we have had little or no contact with the shop, its all a little sad!

 

Ernie

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It wasn't a members-only arrangement - the public were allowed to purchase, as I did; it was just the 'defectors' who were barred.

I knew someone who felt the need to use an alias in connection with his Scalefour Society activities, in order to remain eligible to give Studiolith his custom!

 

The Nim.

The trick was to hang about until he went for a cup of tea and then buy from the stand. His wife would sell to anybody!

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The trick was to hang about until he went for a cup of tea and then buy from the stand. His wife would sell to anybody!

Didn't work for mail-order though, if "your name also is on Ze List"!

 

The Nim.

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