‘We are the biggest train buyers in the universe.’ I just ran across an add similar to this published on one of our competitor’s web sites.
To be honest, I don’t know if that is true or not. They may be the biggest, baddest, most aggressive train dealers ever seen on this earth and I’m not complaining at all. More power to them!
However the fact that probably they don’t even know if they are or aren’t but still boast it is a problem for me. Although I can’t speak for others. I can only speak for the way we have done, am doing, and will continue to do business in the future.
There are a couple of things that I can say for certain and we have been advertising that way for years and years. We are very honest (or try hard to be) in our dealings. And hopefully you have seen our adds in Classic Toy Trains, O Gaugian, The TCA publication, and others stating our honesty and integrity.
You can’t purchase a reputation, you have to earn it. We have been earning a reputation of honesty now for some 35 years. It is actually the asset that I have earned which I am most proud. Sure no one is perfect and I can remember some times that we have screwed up in one way or the other. But never on purpose. Never on purpose!
I guess maybe we do have something to boast about which I don’t think anyone can dispute. We were the first electric train web site on the Internet in traincity.com. Actually we have been boasting that on that web site and in all of those years no one has ever argued that fact.
I’m getting older as is everyone and I have a feeling at some point I’m going to hang my railroad hat up. Hopefully not soon, but it is getting harder and harder to come into the warehouse every year. I still love doing what I do though.
Another thing we can boast is my son John who has been learning the business now for the past 10 years. And of course the old teacher (me) has pushed the fact that honesty and integrity in business is the absolute most important asset any business can have. Telling it like it is, not pushing the truth. That is what John has learned. And I’m sure he will go by that rule as long as he is affiliated with this business!
I suppose some people feel that specifically lying is an asset that can get you ahead in business and politics for that matter. And maybe it does for some. But I’ll tell you what, I fell sorry for them because that seems to be a sorry way to live. They are living a lie.
Well at any rate, once again whether you are buying or selling trains we appreciate your business from the bottom of our hearts. Hope we can buy some more great collections from our sellers and sell some great deals to our buyers for many years to come!
Charlie
