February 2012

Business Basics - An IOU for the IRS

What happens if you can’t pay your taxes on time?

Behind the Counter - What QR codes can do for you

What are they exactly? What do they mean? What are they used for?

Product Report - Ignite spring rocket sales

Try these new products to launch your sales higher.

Margin Makers - Glue

To you, glue is essential to maintain profit margin. To the customer, it is essential for almost any modeling project.

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Atlas buys O scale Cornerstone Structures tooling from Walthers
Atlas Model Railroad Co. Inc. has announced an agreement to purchase all O-scale structure tooling and existing O-scale structure inventory from Wm. K. Walthers Inc. These structures, previously sold ...
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Hitec RCD founder dies
Seungsun Park, founder of radio control manufactuer Hitec RCD died Jan. 25, according to a release from the company.Park created Hitec in 1983 and sent his son, Chun Park, to the U.S. to organize the ...
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Stevens International offering to fly in business
Hobby product distributor Stevens International wants business. So to entice dealers, the company is offering what could amount to free trips to its New Jersey headquarters.In Stevens’ “2012 Travel In...
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Aeromax hires new vice president of sales
Aeromax named toy industry veteran Jim Gunderson its new vice president of sales.He takes over for Mel Davis, who is retiring after six years in the position. Gunderson joins Aeromax j...
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Walthers debuts EXPRES IV web-based ordering system
Wm. K. Walthers debuted Jan. 16 the new EXPRES IV (Version 1.0) web-based ordering system for hobby dealers. According to the company, the system has many customizable features and provides fast and t...
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Hobbico announces Tx-R Transmitter-Ready R/C aircraft
Hobbico is rolling out an R/C aircraft that can be controlled by any brand transmitter using a radio adapter.The 12 aircraft in the line are factory equipped with a 2.4GHz SLT receiver and are branded...
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Athearn reports loss of manufacturing partner; says short-term product delivery will suffer
Athearn Trains posted on its Facebook page Jan. 14 the loss of one of its “close manufacturing partners” that has had to “discontinue business.” As a result, Athearn is expecting some short-term delay...
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Courtney Force, Traxxas team up for 2012 rookie funny car run
Courtney Force will finally get to show what she can do on the track as the driver of an 8,000-horsepower Ford Mustang sponsored by radio controlled vehicle manufacturer Traxxas.The 23...
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Fire doesn't stop Woodland Scenics' manufacturing
The Jan. 5 fire at model railroad scenery manufacturer Woodland Scenics’ plant in Linn Creek, Mo., hasn’t stopped the company’s production.“While we still have some clean-up to do, our dedicated Woodl...
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CHA Board appoints new CEO
The Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) Board of Directors announced Jan. 10 it has appointed Andrej Suskavcevic (Shoosh-kav-chev-itch) as its new president and chief executive officer. CHA Vice Preside...
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Welcome to Model Retailer.com!
Model Retailer covers the business of hobbies, from financial and shop management issues to industry trends and the latest in product releases. We provide hobby shop entrepreneurs the tools and information they need to be successful retailers.

If you're a hobby store owner, this magazine is for you!

What's your outlook for 2012 and how will it be better or worse than 2011?
Chris Merseal of CRM Hobbies, Saint Louis, Mo., said: I'm being optimistic. I think the first part of the year will be good, but I'm not sure ...
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What have you changed in the last two years to keep your operations costs down?
Anthony Furfferi from Empire Comics, Rochester, N.Y., said:I've increased prices online to stay competitive with others. You don't always need to ...
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How strongly and in what way do past trends affect your ordering?
John Olson, Jim's Junction, Billings, Mont., wrote: Not much! Model train stores tend to carry area-specific items. With everythin...
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What is your holiday sales outlook?
Jerry Anderson from Jass Collectibles in Red Deer, Alta., said: Good. It’s taken a couple years, but I now have a solid base of repeat cus...
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Our annual Hobby Industry Business pages contains almost 2,000 listings of manufacturers, distributors, publishers, associations, show promoters and service providers, and much more. Download it now

How to Build Realistic Scenery
This special issue gives proven techniques you can trust to make scenery as realistic as possible.
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Introduction to Model Railroading
Veteran modeler Jeff Wilson also breaks down the basics of planning a layout and building supporting benchwork.
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Historic Trains Today
Explore the history and heritage of railroading with Historic Trains Today.
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The Model Railroader's Guide to Mountain Railroading
Respected author Tony Koester offers insight into layout and track planning, and compares narrow gauge with standard gauge railroads.
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