OK OK, so maybe this is just a bunch of bragging but after reading numerous similar posts I figure it is my turn.
So I go to Hobby Lobby every so often and rarely find anything all that interesting. The ones near me have some Revelogram and a bit of Tamiya but nothing that ever felt ‘awesome’ even with a 40% coupon. I usually just stocked up on supplies like blades and glue which are a steal with the coupon. However, today I think I finally hit the lotto, so to speak. Today on a trip inspired by pure boredom, I went to a pair of Hobby Lobbys and picked up a Tamiya 1/48 HE219($20), an Accurate Miniatures TBM Avenger($17), a 1/35 Tamiya Stug III Ausf B($20), and a Tamiya 1/35 Char B($25) all in the clearance aisle. Now I feel a little guilty as I really should not have spent the money and I have so many other kits piled up, but they all seemed like such bargains and I told myself ‘Well, you only live once!’
Well, enough of my horn tootin’. I hope some of you fine folk have a similar experience soon!
That accurately covers my Hobby Lobby visits for the last couple of years. I guess that I should stop in there more often and maybe I would stumble upon a good deal.
Years back while station at MCAS El Toro, I bought the Tamiya 1/350th U.S.S. Enterprise at a local toy store for $29.99. That was the best deal I ever came across.
The down side is that the reason these “deals” are available at Hobby Lobby is that they have been drastically reducing their inventory of kits. They have also reduced the shelf space devoted to models.
That’s ok if you got access to a model show on a regular basis… Doesn’t happen where I live… On the other hand, Hobby Lobby is a half-mile away from me… Dunno why, but Iowa just doesn’t have the model shows that other states seem to enjoy on regular basis…
Well, at least locally, it seems that they aren’t so much as reducing the shelf space…it just wasn’t much in the first place. The three HL I have been to all have a single aisle with kits, paints, and airbrushes. It does seem that they are actually expanding their selection of model cars. It has grown to almost double the aircraft and armor. But that just may be that the holidays are coming up.
i used the coupon for my aztek A470 in wooden box set, paid only 50~65 bucks for it :D. also I went back and bought the compressor for less than 70 bucks. Absolutely love hobby lobby.
When I lived in Texas a couple of years ago, Hobby Lobby ws the place to “SCORE” some excellent Tamiya kits at drop dead cheap prices. I loved that place.
i just hit up a couple stores in Houston while on business. The clearance section did have some goodies but not much I needed. There was some 1/350 Trumpeter ships that were pretty good deals. My big disappointment with these stores is they all seem to carry the EXACT same kits in each store. No need to go to a different one to see what they have on the shelf.
I have about four “locally” and oddly they stock ALMOST the same kits but that one odd kit might strike my fancy? More importantly though when they put something onto clearance they seem to be on the way out the door forever so I’m looking for what the various stores have left.
Made some great scores that way or picked up on multiples of what they’ll no longer carry.[H]