Very fortunate to have a local shop that has a wide variety. RC cars and aircraft, plastic models, trains, and all the associated goodies. If they dont have it they will order it for me, always cheaper than I can find in online. They have recently got into Gundam, not intresting to me, when they hired a younger clerk. BTW been shopping there 50+ years. Really great family.
Gundam brings in the younger crowds. That’s where the money is. Gundam is the gateway model. 
Hopefully it’s starts them down the path and they move on to genre’s of model making.
We have only 3 brick and mortar hobby shops here on Oahu - Hobby Company, Hobbietat, and Weller’s Hobbycraft.
Hobby Company in Pearl City is probably the go-to store, as they have the largest selection of model kits, RC, and craft supplies.
Hobbietat in Kaimuki started out as a deep-sea fishing store, but branched out to RC in the 1970s, and now they stock some model kits, mostly Gundam but some car/military as well. They have an extensive selection of glues and other supplies and are the only shop in town that stocks Plastruct shapes and sheet.
Weller’s Hobbycraft in Kailua is the shop that most resembles the old brick and mortar hobby shops from the 1970s. They sell plastic kits and craft materials, but no RC. They sell a bunch of secondhand kits on commission.
There are a few other stores like Mini-Q in the Pearl Ridge Shopping Center, but they mostly cater to the Gundam/anime crowd. But they do carry Gunze paints and supplies.
Speaking of Gundam, I noticed during my trip to Japan last October that scale models appear to be declining in the stores. There are some places like Yodobashi Camera, Volks Shop and Leonardo that still carry a large selection of aircraft, armor, ships and autos, but I noticed a lot of my usual stops have switched to selling blingy anime junk.
Yamashiro-Ya in Ueno Tokyo used to have a great selection of scale models in addition to Gundam type kits on a dedicated floor, but now they carry no scale kits and even the Gundam stuff occupies just a small back corner of the store. Yellow Submarine in Akihabara Tokyo used to have a funny poster on their door with a big red circle and diagonal line, with a “No sci-fi kits sold here!” message. The place still carries scale kits, but the majority of the store is overrun with the blingy anime merchandise.
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I live in St Charles County, west of St Louis. Mark Twain Hobby is a 30 minute drive from my house and is my go-to for hobby supplies, MTH has been around since about 1976 and they’re located right off I-70 so they are easy to find.
MTH has plastic models, RC aircraft, cars and boats, model railroading, and accessories. Since I’m only interested in plastic aircraft, I can’t comment on their inventory for other interests.
Plastic aircraft: all the common brands – Airfix, Academy, Tamiya, Hasegawa, Trumpeter, Hobby Boss… Also the more unique brands; Eduard, ICM, Roden, Clear Prop, Dora Wings, Horizon and more.
When I go there I make a mental list of kits I’ll buy if they have them. Last trip I left with a 1/48 ICM Mig-25RBT. Last summer I bought a Kotare Spitfire I. They also had Clear Prop F-86A, but I passed. An Airfix Gannett was calling to me but I resisted. There are a couple of HK Models Lancasters on a shelf. Their prices are competitive, sometimes less than on line dealers. Unless the price is way out of line, I’ll buy from them to help them survive. Around here Hobby Lobby and Michaels are NBC (nuthin’ but c**p).
They carry a nice selection of tools, supplies and paints: Tamiya, Vallejo, AK, Mission Models, Humbrohl, Revell. I usually visit monthly with a list.
We’re lucky to have a well-stocked brick & morter
Gundam is a gateway drug, er, introduction to plastic models, but I went in the opposite direction. I used to be a hard-core scale-only guy until one fateful summer day in 1983 when I bought my first Gunpla kit. It was all downhill after that!
But not all is lost. I initially scoffed at the “World of Tanks” on-line game, thinking it to be nothing more than “Girls und Panzer” for the Westerner masses, but it has driven a resurgence of interest in armor kits. I think the game can be blamed for the appearance of prototype and what-if designs as plastic kits. I for one am really liking this!
I have met some younger people who have an interest in building scale models because of these on-line games, but the learning curve can be steep for them. The Gundam kits are much easier to build and come molded in most of the correct colors. So yes, they are a great gateway to building more complex scale kits that require glue and paint.
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I lived in St. Charles back in 2000-2001. I would visit Mark Twain at least once a week. I still have product with their price tag on them.
There’s only one hobby shop near me (near being an hours long drive.) Other than that it’s a trip to phoenix and that is an entire day trip at that point.
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Still have some brick & mortar hobby stores in the Milwaukee (and surrounding communities) area in Wisconsin.
There’s Hiawatha Hobbies in Waukesha which is only 3 miles from me. It’s the main hobby store I go to the most. Been buying from them for 20-25 years.
Next is Hobbytown on 108th St. in West Allis. It’s where I go for my monthly model club meetings. The place just had a MAJOR expansion last year in Oct./Nov. If you’re looking for GUNDAM kits, this place has them!
And last is Model Empire which is also in West Allis. At least 60-70% of the model kits and accessories in the store are automotive related.
But of course there’s also a Hobby Lobby in Brookfield and one in Waukesha. But I rarely ever shop there for anything model related. Not even kits. Seems like they are getting more car (and/or Gundam) model kits in and pushing all other types out. 
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I moved from STL to San Francisco in 1993. After retiring in 2018 we moved back. In the Bay Area the best plastic model shop is Berkeley Ace Hardware. MTH is better. First time in I almost cried. So many models….
I was born in 1983, and just bought my first Gunpla kit after years of military scale modeling. What have I done…
Thanks “WhatIfRebel” I’m in Oshkosh and you’ve given me some great choices to look into. Years ago I stopped in to Greenfield News & Hobby and was floored by their inventory.
@MR_TOM_SCHRY
I remember Greenfield News & Hobby! I started going to my first model club meetings there years ago. Boy do I miss the place. They had a lot of great models and supplies. And the magazine/book selection was awesome too.
Toimi_Tom,
Sorry son, you are doomed. 
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Winnipeg also has Tiger Hobbies…
https://www.jjfpub.mb.ca/product-category/tiger-hobbies/
I haven’t been to Winnipeg in a few years, but they always had an amazing selection of aftermarket stuff (mostly armour related).
Calgary has a couple hobby shops (PM Hobbies and Model Land) that have good kits selections while also carrying other gear such as RC, trains, crafts, puzzles, etc. Also one large gaming store (Sentry Box) with lots of miniatures, paints, accessories etc.
Vancouver has a great place by the airport (Imperial Hobbies) amazing selection of everything you would need for modelling, miniatures, etc. they also have a large comic book section.
These are my go to places to visit in these cities.
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This morning I saw a video on you tube about a hobby store in our area of Wisconsin(about 60 miles for me)called “Model Empire” in Milwaukee. I haven’t been there myself but from the video I plan on going there soon. There are still some great brick and mortar stores out there guys.
@MR_TOM_SCHRY
Yep, I saw that video on Facebook. The store is roughly 60% (?) automotive type stuff. Not my “cup of tea” so to speak as I have no interest in anything automotive. But I still visit there with another modeling friend from time to time to check out what they have for armor, aircraft, sci-fi, and other model kits.
I have been to Model Empire several times. I go there every time I am in the Millwaukee area. It is a great store with current models and a large selection of old out of production stuff.
There is also a store called Happy Hobby you should go to if you haven’t yet. They are packed full of old kits. And black mold. So bring a mask.
I’m in the RTP area of NC, and I think of there being two hobby shops, a train store, and a bunch of craft stores around.
For hobby shops, the closest seems to be growing (yay!) but has mostly been gaming oriented. They have quite a few plastic models, but not a huge aircraft (my preference) selection. They do have sci-fi, which I appreciate, and a ton of gunpla, which I have not yet fallen victim to (sorry @RealG and @Toimi_Tom). When they expanded into the space next door, they added more paints and kits, but mostly added tables for gaming and in-store build stuff. I should probably go more often to check them out, but time seems to always be against me.
Anyway, the second hobby store seems to be about 70/30 RC to plastic models and is far enough away that I only consider going if I’m on that side of town. Last time I was there, they had a pretty large kit selection, but minimal paints/supplies (for me).
I haven’t been to the train store yet, but it seems like it would be a great shop: One of those old local places that has its own building and is stacked so tight that my gut and my butt would be dragging on opposite sides of the aisle. I should head over that way just to check it out, but it doesn’t look online like they have much more than trains and it would be a good 30 minute drive.
As for craft stores, there are two Hobby Lobby stores in the RTP area, one being completely on the other side of Raleigh from me, so it’s not an option. There are three Michaels stores close enough that I don’t even consider the seven others that are further away but technically still in the “metro” area. There was a Joann that I used to pick up glues or miscellaneous supplies from, but they’re closing all of those, so…
I guess this is to say that I have a couple of hobby stores and a bunch of craft stores I can “fall back” on, but those all have limited options. Heck, the last time I was in a Michaels, I found the plastic models under the “Kids’ Crafts” section and it was all of 6’ wide and about half-stocked. Better than nothing, but about the same for me (poor selection, paints I don’t use, minimal supplies).
There is always the Hobbit hobby store in Fayetteville, but that’s a helluva drive for me. Pretty good selection of models, though.
@ctruss53
@MR_TOM_SCHRY
I would STRONGLY suggest not going to Happy Hobby in Milwaukee. I have heard a lot of horror stories about that place and the way the business is run from fellow modelers and friends. Avoid it like the plague. Some of the things I’ve heard about that place is that the aisles are so small and jam packed with stuff that you can barely get down them. Another is that the owner or whoever is running the place charges “full price” for kits no matter what condition they are in. Even if they’re water damaged, missing parts, etc., etc.
Whistle Stop Toy & Hobby is one of the few near me which has a good selection of models and paint. The owner is a bit grumpy though, and the prices…aren’t amazing.