Reed's Hobby Shop — Local services in La Mesa

When I got back into model trains earlier this year, I had remembered going to this store almost a decade ago to get my first train set and knew I had to go back. As I have gotten into the hobby, this has been the primary place that I go to get new models and materials. One of the best things about this store is the insane variety available. Any scale, O, HO, N, you name it, you will find something for you. As an HO modeler, the left half of the store is almost entirely HO scale cars, locomotives, new and used, and materials to make layouts and working on the trains. The customer service here is outstanding. there is almost always 2 guys at the counter who can answer just about any question you may have regarding model trains (they even have a little dog most of the time!). When I came back for the first time, they were able to help me find what I needed and get me started. This hobby is expensive, so it's hard to leave without spending a pretty penny, but if you need a cheaper option, the consignment section is also very well stocked with second hand rolling stock, locomotives, and unbuilt kits. If you want any new releases, they also have a binder avaliable with promotional materials on upcoming model releases that you can place pre-orders for. In summary, this place is a great one-stop-shop for any model train things you may need. The staff is very helpful, the selection is vast, and the...

This store has massive selections of new and preowned engines and rolling stocks at descent prices. Whether you’re looking for O, HO or N scale, they have a great selection of it to choose from. I’m not sure if they have G, Z, or On30 scale stuff, I’m not really interested in those scales so I don’t look for them. This store also has a great selection of layout supplies, again, at descent prices. In addition to train stuff, they also sell other model kits (cars, etc.). The sales people are knowledgeable and helpful. I know some reviewers posited that sales people here lack customer service skills, the truth is, they are not that bad. They are not the jolliest people in the world, however, all the times that I’ve been here and asked them questions, they didn’t give me any attitude or problems. Besides, I’m here for the trains, not for the sales people. Finally, going to this store eliminates the need to pay shipping and handling fees, additionally, I don’t have to track my model train...

Customer service very poor, we drove 4 hours to visit this fantastic store a couple of weeks ago, walked in they didn’t even say hello. My husband has brought in a train to get service and parts and hopefully some information. They didn’t even act like they wanted to help. We offered to pay anything to get his engine running. The guys ended up taking the engine and gave us a ticket for it and said they would check with someone else and give us a call. 2 weeks later nothing. I had a bad feeling and had my husband call. They said it was still sitting on the shelf. We ended up coming back up and spending 6 hours in a car to get it to hear they didn’t even touch it. My husband spends lots of money on his hobby and I enjoy his happiness, but I will tell you. Don’t go into this store to shop.. I hate shopping on line but they were as antisocial as ordering online.....