Just got done reading a recent story about how hobby retailers were tallying up their receipts from the month of September with many of them reporting their worst month ever. What a shocker? Join the club. Go figure. Didn't see that one coming. Pick your cliche or makeup a new one, but things are leaking pretty bleak in the hobby and just about everywhere else right now, but let's not act surprised.

While I'm sympathetic to business owners who are struggling, I have no compassion for any dealer who was banking on a big September only to be surprised when the numbers didn't jive. I'm by no means a big investor type or even somebody who follows basic economic trends that closely, but even the most clueless of people out there could have predicted this one coming.

September is typically a slow month for dealers anyway because of kids returning to school and the back-to-school expenses that goes along with that, but recent tragedies (Hurricane Ike and Gustav) coupled with an economy that is weaker than a Jamie Moyer fastball, and you have a recipe for disaster for those making a living off of other's disposable income.

I have no real advice for dealers or anybody else struggling to make ends meet right now other than hang in there, invest wisely, and plan for the worst. That way, when things do go bad, you don't have to act surprised.