JZ Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Received a letter from Ian Allan in Cardiff that says the lease on the shop ends in February and they will be closing. Great shame, must have spent several hundred pounds there since I started on the railway in 2008. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Sad news; there are few enough transport bookshops left in major cities. I used it quite often when visiting mum, catching a train an hour earlier than I needed from Penarth to do so. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Downendian Posted January 10, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 10, 2015 Oh drat, I was in Cardiff yesterday afternoon dropping my son back to University and work related stuff. I could have called in and seen what was available. Neil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Gilbert Posted January 10, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 10, 2015 What a great shame - I've found some real unexpected gems on their shelves Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 I had an hour to kill waiting for a train in Manchester a few weeks back so I popped into my local Ian Allan. Used to work in the centre of Manchester and would regularly visit the shop to see what new books were out, this was pre 2000. Shop was mainly railway books with a bit on shipping and buses then, but now it seems a pale imitation of those halcyon days. I guess the internet, well Amazon, is killing their shop business. I've noticed that not everything by Booklaw gets onto Amazon, I wonder if that is to generate better income on their newer titles. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Barry Ten Posted January 10, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 10, 2015 It's been a nice fixture in Cardiff for many years but I always wondered how long it would last as often the number of people buying stuff seemed small compared to the number of browsers ... I for one will miss having somewhere to go while my wife pops into Wally's in the same arcade. With Modelzone and Ian Allan both gone (or going), Cardiff's not as great for modelling bits as it was a few years ago. Nonetheless we still have Antics near the railway station, and both Lendons and Lord & Butler on the outskirts. I suppose that's still better than a lot of cities. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 It's been a nice fixture in Cardiff for many years but I always wondered how long it would last as often the number of people buying stuff seemed small compared to the number of browsers ... I for one will miss having somewhere to go while my wife pops into Wally's in the same arcade. With Modelzone and Ian Allan both gone (or going), Cardiff's not as great for modelling bits as it was a few years ago. Nonetheless we still have Antics near the railway station, and both Lendons and Lord & Butler on the outskirts. I suppose that's still better than a lot of cities. I often found that Ian Allan were often as cheap and sometimes cheaper for loco's than our major box shifters, five or six loco's in my stud are from there. But looking at my bookshelves, I can see 40+ Middleton Press books, the vast majority of which have come from there, as too have many others. We usually get around 40 minutes turn around at Cardiff and if this is during shop hours, I will usually go for a browse. I have been known to visit twice in a day as I don't get time to look at everything. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NHY 581 Posted January 10, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 10, 2015 That is bad news. Like many, I have spent a few bob in there over the years. Best pop in on the 19th then. Rob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted January 10, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 10, 2015 What a great pity - an excellent shop and with some 'different' Welsh railway titles. Looks like a trip to Cardiff on Monday week, now where's my discount card! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railsquid Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 I often found that Ian Allan were often as cheap and sometimes cheaper for loco's than our major box shifters, five or six loco's in my stud are from there. I was surprised to be able to pick up a weathered Farish 25 at the Waterloo branch in October for a price which started with an "8". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 Best pop in on the 19th then. Rob I have two trips to Cardiff that day. Unfortunately the first doesn't arrive there until 19:45. May have to pop over before I start. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted January 10, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 10, 2015 I guess the internet, well Amazon, is killing their shop business. They're not without an internet presence themselves and have had for some time. The shop in Brum always seems to be doing steady business when I visit (usually Thursdays) and like JZ have had quite a few locos (and books) from Ian Allan. Books are rarely discounted when new, unlike locos, but bargains are often available on the "sale" table Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginelane Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Must be other shop sites available in Cardiff willing to do a good deal on leases Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linners Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Sad news for the shop staff and customers too! I'm sure that another lease could have been found if the shop sales warranted it, but I suspect that the Ian Allan accountants have taken a long hard look and decided that having an outlet in Cardiff did not make commercial sense - which is a real shame as I always managed to find something to buy. I wish the staff well in securing new employment elsewhere. Linners Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold NHY 581 Posted January 11, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 11, 2015 Must be other shop sites available in Cardiff willing to do a good deal on leases The issue is cost. Rent in Cardiff City Centre is high. Over the years I have worked in a number of shops there and the cost was high even back then ( 80s 90s) so I suspect nothing has changed. The site of Ian Allan current premise us a prime site following the recent re development in the immediate area. Therefore the cost of renewing the lease was probably prohibitive. Sad state of affairs but I suspect it comes down to simple maths. Rob Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tim Hall Posted January 11, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 11, 2015 Massive shop, with lots of empty floor space....must cost a fortune to lease. Bought a load of cheap DVDs in there last month, so a bit disappointed, but not surprised as rarely seems busy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prometheus Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 The issue is cost. Rent in Cardiff City Centre is high. Over the years I have worked in a number of shops there and the cost was high even back then ( 80s 90s) so I suspect nothing has changed. The site of Ian Allan current premise us a prime site following the recent re development in the immediate area. Therefore the cost of renewing the lease was probably prohibitive. Sad state of affairs but I suspect it comes down to simple maths. Rob I believe so. My favourite second-hand book shop - Capital Books - was a stone's throw from Ian Allan and it went because of the cost of the new lease. A real shame, good old book shops are an endangered species. I must have spent weeks browsing in there, and a fair few hundred purchasing. If I want Baedekers and Murrays now, it's on-line, and no opportunity to inspect before purchase. Whilst snappy fashion shops and galleries pick up the new leases, they are killing the character of the place. Tony Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted January 12, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 12, 2015 The high cost of rents doesn't just affect the smaller retailers and independents. Recently a Starbucks in Birmingham closed (31 Colmore Row) because the shops are being redeveloped as part of the Grand Hotel restoration I was told by a member of staff they won't be taking a new site in the development (or nearby) because of the high cost of leases would make the outlet unprofitable. (No quips about taxation please!) Even the big multi-nationals find some lease costs eyewatering. Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
darren01 Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 NO!, very sad. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted January 13, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 13, 2015 It was one of the most comprehensive transport book shops, more so than the Brum or Manchester ones. One less reason to visit Cardiff! Dava Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkea1 Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 Bit gutted at this news, so soon after Capital Books went too. Spillers Records is about the only reason to visit the arcade now - trendy clothes shops do nothing for me! Used to rely on them as always having MRJ in stock too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Coryton Posted January 15, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 15, 2015 The shelves are already looking bare (and some shelves themselves have vanished, not just their contents!). Almost all the rolling stock has gone - the big display cases in the centre are empty. And the closing down sale hasn't even started yet. It all looks rather sad. I don't know of any alternative in Cardiff for transport books, but at least for the model side we still have Antics, and it's probably good news for them. I always thought having three shops in the centre of Cardiff selling model railway stuff was too good to last. I hope Antics doesn't go the same way, leaving us with nothing but the tiny Modelzone in Smiths. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 The shelves are already looking bare (and some shelves themselves have vanished, not just their contents!). Almost all the rolling stock has gone - the big display cases in the centre are empty. And the closing down sale hasn't even started yet. It all looks rather sad. I don't know of any alternative in Cardiff for transport books, but at least for the model side we still have Antics, and it's probably good news for them. I always thought having three shops in the centre of Cardiff selling model railway stuff was too good to last. I hope Antics doesn't go the same way, leaving us with nothing but the tiny Modelzone in Smiths. Lord and Butler have quite a selection of second-hand railway books. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted January 15, 2015 Author Share Posted January 15, 2015 The shelves are already looking bare (and some shelves themselves have vanished, not just their contents!). Almost all the rolling stock has gone - the big display cases in the centre are empty. And the closing down sale hasn't even started yet. It all looks rather sad. Unfortunately this is typical when a retailer has several stores. Remove the items that can be sold elsewhere and ship in items that are slow movers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Coryton Posted January 15, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 15, 2015 Unfortunately this is typical when a retailer has several stores. Remove the items that can be sold elsewhere and ship in items that are slow movers. It's hardly unreasonable. I can't imagine they'd sell high value items at a knock down price when they can ship them elsewhere quite cheaply. There might be some bargains on books and on the small modelling stuff that's not worth moving, but I'd much rather have the shop staying open than a closing sale anyway. . When the BHS in Cardiff closed down, they had "everything must go" signs up, but it was quite clear that some of the stock "went" to other branches. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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