Chan’s Trains and Hobbies

Why do people «review» a place based only on the way their phone call was answered? Well, we don’t have Chan’s Trains any more, they’ve closed.

I really like this shop. The gentleman there is very friendly and helpful and there is a pretty broad selection of items you might need for modelling. In addition to trains and train supplies, there is a good selection of car/​boat/​plane models, which is nice. IMO, this store’s prices are comparable to online prices and there are certainly bargains to be had. If you come here, you will probably find what you are looking for and certainly a surprise or two as well.

Horrible customer service and down right rude. Called with a question about train repair and how much it would cost and got nothing but attitude from the guy who does (but apparently really doesn’t do) repairs named «Jim.» Would have paid good money for the repairs and bought extra tracks and train cars from them, but now I’ll just take my business elsewhere. If you ever need to know how to loose a customer… this place is for you.

A quirky shop with all sorts of specialized hobby gear. Great atmosphere and lots of collectables around. I brought in some trains that I had since I was a kid. They weren’t in great shape and I wasn’t looking to sell them. They took them and said they will end up donating them to kids — so my old trains get a new life!
Will definitely come back.

I don’t quite understand the one star reviews here. We have come several times with our son who loves trains. This store is for the serious train collector, but they have a few Thomas wooden trains as well as the Lionel trains. They even have wooden airplanes that are a few bucks. As for service, the gentleman there was friendly and knowledgeable about their inventory. I didn’t get any of the vibes that the other reviewers have complained about. I’m glad a store like this exists in SF.

I was leary after reading the reviews. I guess I was lucky — I got the younger guy instead of the grouchy old owner.
He had a good sense of humor and was helpful. We talked about a number of things like hazmat placards and how to produce them on your own. He’s even given me an idea to look for or produce about SVG format placard graphics. I digress.
It’s strength is O gauge steam locomotives. They have a bunch of older ones on the shelves. There isn’t a huge inventory of smaller gauge stuff, but I was glad I stopped by.

Knowledgeable and pleasant staff (Jim) helped me locate some new old stock N gauge cars I was seeking. Great to see an old fashioned brick and mortar store in SF.

I’ve been here many times, used to come as a kid. My main hobby shop was Franciscan Hobbies on Ocean Ave. which recently closed after 68 years. Chan’s is the last train shop left in San Francisco now, sad but true. I’ve never had a bad experience here, they’re just the typical hobby shop. I’ve read some awful reviews of Chan’s on here, I can’t say I’ve ever gotten that kind of bad treatment. Hobby shops are disappearing left and right, this is one of the last ones around. Come in and see what old school hobby shops were like before they all disappear. I hope this place holds on, otherwise we’ll only have the internet to buy trains in San Francisco.

My sons father bought him a battery operated train from here and it didn’t work. So I drove him back into the city to have the guy fix it or exchange it. When I called to explain what happened, the immediate statement was, «the guy who was here before isn’t here anymore.» I was shocked at his response but told him I was brining the train in for an exchange.
Drove all the way to the city only to my dismay, none of these battery operated train sets were working and this guy couldn’t fix any of them. Not to mention, he was taking way too long.
Pro: Eh, he gave me a few bucks extra for my troubles when giving me a store credit.
Cons: PARENTS BEWARE! I walked into this place smelling as though someone was smoking a cigarette, 3 feet from me. The place was gross, with absolutely NO ventilation. Couple this with a total lack of customer acknowledgement and there you have it, a 2 star, shitty review.
I’ll call to check one more time if they can fix the train set that was bought for my son, but I will never go back, nor do I obviously recommend it. They’ve got a lot of changes to make.

Think twice!
Customer service is a foreign concept here and the product selection is quite limited in a lot of ways. I’m no dummy when it comes to modeling, which is why I don’t like the unfriendly dude in glasses lying about the value of his over-​priced modelling items.
I don’t expect people to jump up & down and hold my hands, but I do expect them to talk to and not yell at me.
Plus, eBay makes this store soooo obsolete! Everything here’s online for half the price … You shouldn’t waste your time here on top of the crappy demeanor of staff

THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU !! …
If you’re looking for a place with absolutely NO CUSTOMER SERVICE, a staff of one who exhibits very little life with the exception of sitting in front of a laptop viewing ?? whatever, a salesperson who gives non-​responsive, single syllable answers to quasi-​complex questions on the general subject of model trains, THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU… I was blown away with the appalling customer service… not an acknowledgement of my presence, a hello, screw you, whatta ya want… nothing…my advice … Don’t waste your time here.

Careful with this place if you are a newbie to the model train world. Being buzzed into the shop is intimidating enough.(But understandable with the amount of product they carry.) Don’t go in there expecting to have a good conversation about the hobby. It also didn’t help that there was a giants game on there TV at the time, they were a little distracted with that. The whole time I was in there I felt alienated and intruding.
I was cheated out of my change that day, I’m certain of it. I didn’t notice until i had left the shop. So make sure you’re paying attention [pun not intended].
I really wanted to give this store a better rating but it’s that «customer experience» thing that will keep me away. I’ll end on a good note. They have a good amount of product there. If you know exactly what you want and how much you’re going to pay there then it should be an easy experience.

Visited with my teenage train nut son. He was desperate to get a certain «O» scale track TODAY and his regular place was closed. I read the reviews so my expectations were low on the customer service front. We were very pleasantly surprised with the warm reception from Jim. There was a whole crate of the track and a shop full of awesome vintage model trains. The place is small and funky, but we had a really nice time. Will be back.

I went here only once to buy a set of magnifiers that fit as a hat. I took it home and the product was ineffective, so I tried to return it. The man said «store credit only».
The entire store is mostly for train enthusiasts, so I asked nicely if just this once…
and the man said no, and said that’s their policy. I asked where, and he pointed
to the counter, where indeed it is written there, but he actually had to move
a bunch of magazines and crap out of the way to show it to me. I said, «well, see?
I didn’t know that. Please?» He said no. Later I got into a heated phone exchange with the man (the owner, I believe), and he basically told me to get lost. I was angry by this time, and threatened to report his business tactics to the BBB; he said go ahead. In exasperation, I said the product still is in its original packaging, and is completely undamaged and can be sold again. Suddenly he changes his tune and says he’ll refund 75% of my money and keep the rest as a restocking fee (I only had the product a few days). I didn’t argue; we made the swap at the store like a dirty drug deal, he and I said no words to each other, and I left, never to come back ever again.

These people, particularly the Chinese-​American dude who appears to be the owner are rude beyond belief. I asked him if he repaired Lionel trains. I have had the train for years. He wanted to know the model number which I divulged. Do you want to sell it, he said. I said no, of course. you can bring it in on Thursday at 11. Any other time and i will reject it, he said. I have heard from others (admittedly hearsay) that their business ethics are less than responsible or even honorable, as well. Read some of the other reviews and you will see a pattern of anti-​social behavior that is unbelievable. How Lionel can recommend this outfit as a licensed repair place for its trains is beyond me. Compare it with the honorable and decent people at Franciscan Hobbies on Ocean Avenue.

I haven’t been in this store but won’t be going there because I called with a simple, to the point question about whether they carried a brand I am looking for. The man I spoke to was incredibly rude! He just wanted to get off the phone, and sounded very annoyed to be speaking with me. Since he was so unhelpful I said I just going to come in to see in person what they carried and so asked what their store hours were and again got an irritated, rude reply. I’m not going to trek across town to take more of that in person! Especially when there are other good hobby stores in town. The whole phone call lasted 30 seconds so it’s not like I was being demanding of his time. You just lost a customer, buddy. :(

I went into Chan’s to have them test my engines and was really disappointed in the customer service. They spent about 2 minutes testing, and told me they would not work. I asked what could be done and Chan told me to buy new ones. He left one of the engines in pieces and I fumbled to put it back together. I told him I don’t think I could put this back together could he give me a hand (at this time he was back to watching TV). He told me that I wouldn’t be able to put it back together and why do I want to do that anyway. I told him that these trains held sentimental value. He then went on to say he should charge me.
There are other hobby stores to buy from or just shop online. My suggestion is that you stay away from Chan’s.

I have to give 5 Stars. This Place was great. I would do business there again. You can tell that this is an owner /​train expert. Which is probably why some of the critical reviews. These guys aren’t out to try to sell you something that you don’t need or want. They are really focused on making sure they sell you what you are asking for. (hence the questions that some people seem to be sensitive too)
I don’t know anything about trains and they explained the different types of scale and helped me find the scale that I was looking for. They also have the San Francisco Street car HO models. Very cool! I wish there were more shops like this left in this world. It was a true pleasure.

I took my 3 year old here to browse. He LOVES trains and was captivated.
The clerk buzzed us in and was good about giving us space to just look at stuff. We spent about 20 minutes looking around and bought a catalog of model trains for about $ 5. When we checked out the clerk turned on one of the train sets and let my son watch. It was a cool father/​son experience.

Since 1973, Chan’s has been around to help model train hobbyists w/​their I, G, Standard, O, S, HO, N, & Z-​scale needs. They carry Lionel, American Flyer, MTH, LGB, Marklin, Kato, Athearn, MRC, Bachmann, Concor, IHC, Micro-​trains, & many other lines.
They also carry non-​train-​related models, such as military, auto, planes, & ship models, toy soldiers & diecast items, but their main focus is trains. Whatever is available in the Walther’s (the hobby’s leading distributor) catalogs are available to them, & therefore, you. Just ask them to order it. You just can’t get any NOCH stuff.
The staff are an interesting bunch, ranging from a politically conservative guy to a self-​effacing, ramshackled-​looking guy that looks like he stepped out of the 60’s or 70’s.
I’ve been going there for years & years. The shop is cramped & dusty, but that has not deterred me from going back again & again…
Santa’s Unilocaler sez: «Interesting conversations/​debates, fun kits, & quirky employees!»