Caboose

[C855B]

Caboose owes a looooot of money to multiple suppliers.

Oh, dear. That's not good. Obvious by now they built the "new" business leaning on the prior's reputation, and worked good-faith informal lines of credit, letting invoices stack up. Always risk of this in market niches that rely on handshakes and other gentlemanly conduct, these kinds of businesses usually not equipped to pay an army of attorneys to sue for past-dues.

I worked for somebody like that 30 years ago. I was hired as a GM for their production operation and moved to take the job, not knowing that the owner had screwed multiple suppliers in this manner before I was on-board. Spending most of my days shopping for vendors that hadn't declared us COD and then discovering the boss was not paying the new ones either, I tendered my notice after three months having discerned the pattern by then, not wanting to trash my own rep by going along with the scam.

[ednadolski]

 

https://research.catylist.com/api/images/data/og/media/user_uploads/5fcea502993bc50001916f10_10800_brochure.pdf

[ednadolski]

From Trainorders and Trainboard, sad....

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,5154033
https://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/caboose-permanently-closed.135213/#post-1161075

Still no update on their FB page AFAICS.

Ed

[Dave V]

I confirmed this with those in the know in the local scene.

Caboose, which was never quite a worthy successor to the late, great Caboose Hobbies, is dead.

It's certainly a sad thing that's happened, but entirely expected.  The management of Caboose was in over its head from day one.  You cannot sell product unless you actually stock said product.  I'd be fine with a mail-order only model but they couldn't even do that.

I shared pictures I took back in summer of 2019 of the embarrassingly empty shelves.  The virtual shelves of their online presence were equally empty.  When COVID-19 hit and they closed, I figured it'd be temporary.  But, citing Colorado requirements that don't exist, they remained closed both for in-person retail and mail-order continuously since March.  Seems like they didn't want to succeed.

The real tragedy here is that a more competent party didn't buy out the old Caboose Hobbies of Denver.

[Philip H]

You can buy the store:

https://research.catylist.com/api/i...s/5fcea502993bc50001916f10_10800_brochure.pdf

[wcfn100]

You can buy the store:

https://research.catylist.com/api/i...s/5fcea502993bc50001916f10_10800_brochure.pdf

That's not the whole link.

https://research.catylist.com/api/images/data/og/media/user_uploads/5fcea502993bc50001916f10_10800_brochure.pdf

Jason

[wazzou]

@ednadolski posted that just a couple of posts above.

[ednadolski]

You can buy the store:

Maybe someone could turn it into another Starbucks there, just like the one at 500 S. Broadway, Denver.   

https://www.google.com/maps/place/500+S+Broadway,+Denver,+CO+80209/@39.7072955,-104.987666,3a,75y,81.98h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sAHLHqvSUpwa3GAPR6ZUxLQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!4m5!3m4!1s0x876c7f02c7c45c31:0x6bd7be14bc9d05a7!8m2!3d39.707372!4d-104.9873749


Ed

[C855B]

Maybe someone could turn it into another Starbucks there, just like the one at 500 S. Broadway, Denver.   

Yeah, that sure as hell rubs salt in the wound, doesn't it? Like we needed another ******* Starbucks. The real blame goes to the Sam's Club across the street, which turned the neighborhood into a high-traffic area, therefore spiking location value.

I happened to be talking to a friend in Denver earlier today who suggested that one of Caboose's problems was the location. I concurred. Our last trip to the area - shortly after they opened - I griped to Robyn as the time on the road added-up that it was a real PITA to get to, way off the beaten path for our activities mostly on the east side of town. On one hand, it was still "a destination" for this out-of-towner and probably many like me so there was some built-in tolerance, but for local clientele I could see that the difficult access would get old quickly.

[TLOC]

I believe the guy made multiple mistakes as soon as he brought whatever he paid for. How can you buy a iconic shop but not the name? Retail pricing does not sell to locals or online users. I tried many times to support them online but when it came time to ship 3 times, many items were back ordered. I don’t do back orders and got my money back for the items not shipped.

I wonder if Cabosse has paid Ken Patterson and his weekly What’s Neat program as Cabosse was a major sponsor. Too bad for Chris P. would he have left Athearn if he knew this was possible? Like Mike, I have a similar story, but my story ends up the guy went to jail embellishing his own company that the bank was trying to help him straighten out things financially.

TomO

[Dave V]

Yeah, that sure as hell rubs salt in the wound, doesn't it? Like we needed another ******* Starbucks. The real blame goes to the Sam's Club across the street, which turned the neighborhood into a high-traffic area, therefore spiking location value.

I happened to be talking to a friend in Denver earlier today who suggested that one of Caboose's problems was the location. I concurred. Our last trip to the area - shortly after they opened - I griped to Robyn as the time on the road added-up that it was a real PITA to get to, way off the beaten path for our activities mostly on the east side of town. On one hand, it was still "a destination" for this out-of-towner and probably many like me so there was some built-in tolerance, but for local clientele I could see that the difficult access would get old quickly.

TBH, for a guy coming up from Colorado Springs, the new location added a considerable distance...but on the other hand, the new location was much closer to the Colorado Railroad Museum making it a natural two-fer.

Whoever buys the location will have to figure out what to do with that D&RGW caboose in the parking lot.

[TLOC]

Realtors and buyers I believe would consider the Cabosse an eyesore. Notice how it’s not shown in the sales pictures. Unless the owner files bankruptcy I would think he needs to move it. I wouldn’t buy with that there, even if I installed a train shop.

TomO

[John]

Whoever buys the location will have to figure out what to do with that D&RGW caboose in the parking lot.

you know you need that in your back yard

[wcfn100]

Whoever buys the location will have to figure out what to do with that D&RGW caboose in the parking lot.

I wonder what it would take to bring it down to the Trolley museum.

Jason

[John]

I wonder what it would take to bring it down to the Trolley museum.

Jason

probably a good size crane and a flat bed truck .. might get someone to donate the services

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