OK, so I’ve been visiting hobby stores around the country and here’s my assessment of where things will be when the dust of the internet and the changing culture settles. Except for the rare exception, there will be five kinds of hobby stores left:
Craft stores, like Hobby Lobby and Michaels
Fad stores, dealing in the latest thing, like RC
Game stores, like Games Workshop, but some independents
Enthusiast stores, probably mostly dealing in trains because there is enough money in that to survive
General, franchised stores, like Hobby Town
Most of the mom and pop hobby stores will morph into one of these or disappear. The first 3 will have a models section because they get some customers but the employees will have little knowledge. The enthusiast stores that do scale models like ours will be hard to find. The franchised stores will be best for us, but they will be driven by the need to stock for what sells best not for specialty needs and they will generally not know our trade. We could do worse than Hobby Town, though. I was just in one in Apex, outside of Raleigh, that stocked pretty well for us. And we’ll be really grateful for the internet, even though it will kill most of our favorite hobby stores. I’m probably not saying anything new here, but figured I’d put it out there. Your thoughts?
In my town I see the hobby shops dying one by one, with exception of one that is going dual action - real life as well as internet. And that would be an option you didn’t include - I see a lot of shops like that in Europe - with an inventory typical of an internet shop, but also gives the customers the opportunity to buy face to face. Other shops in my home town were, sad to say, poorly run. They used to annoy me before the internet, and after the internet arrived I didn’t have to put up with that any longer. Examples: one shop I told the owner/operator I can buy a model on the net, but would prefer to buy it from him, as soon as he gets it. I waited three months for it. Other shop wanted to go online, but they decided to make the employee who was dealing at the counter to take all the photos “between the customers” - and so it all took many months to complete and in effect backfired. I miss those shops anyhow, but it’s clear to see they didn’t operate smooth enough to survive.
In the Detroit area there a just a few left. It’s really a shame that a kid won’t be able to go to their local hobby shop and see the models on the shelf and dream about these things. Like many other established hobbies, if the kids don’t get involved this hobby may dwindle. It’s really to bad because personally I think this hobby with all the new techniques, specialty items and really great kits is still just peaking. It’s a great time to build models.
Kids are used to surfing the net, anyway. I’m not sure if they’d appreciate browsing through a shop. I know I like to surf and poke around on Scalehobbyist. Lots more selection than my LHS on there, too.
Sadly, the LHS in this town is only good for paints and tools and supplies these days. Years ago, there were many LHS where you could get kits and anything else you needed for the hobby. But that was 30 years ago….
The only edge they have that I can see is the the social kind. Always fun to talk with other modelers and owners. Still have a few good shops in this area that I try to patronize,but some of the online pricing is too good to pass on
There are 2 locally run shops not too far from me, so I consider myself lucky. One of them mostly focuses on arts & crafts, but they have an OK selection of models and supplies. The other one is much larger, but is more of a general hobby story (trains, games, RC, you name it). There is also a Michaels in the area, and a Hobby Lobby about 40 minutes from here, but I much prefer the local shops, if for no other reason that to support a local business. And oddly enough, the local shops have a better selection of kits and paints than either Michaels or Hobby Lobby.
There used to be a Hobby Town in the area, but I think they pulled out of this state a few years ago.
I’m 47 and I grew up without a hobby shop around. The closed to me is in St Louis, 75 miles away, and they carry models, RC and trains, they are also on the internet. I had a Hobby Town about 30 miles away, but they closed 4 years ago. So I am stuck with using the internet a lot. I do like Hobby Lobby for paints and supplies, but their kit selection in weak and mostly older kits. I get excited when I travel to find hobby shops to stop at. My wife thinks I am weird. I also like to find tanks and planes on display.
There are two superb traditional stores within a 30 minute drive from my home. Both are well stocked and staffed by folks intimate with the hobby, and have customer bases that will surely keep them in business for many years. One is smaller and more focused, while the other is larger and has more diverse stock beyond our hobby to include die cast, trading cards, and various games. Unfortunately these two ( plus a couple others) are all that remains of a once thriving bunch of hobby shops that have dwindled here. But I do not see these two folding anytime soon. And I do what I can to help keep them afloat.