My introduction to HobbyTown USA was maybe 8 or so years back in Folsom (Sacramento), CA whilst visiting my sister. With the LHS on it’s slow, downward slope with which we are all so unfortunately familiar, I was super-impressed. I remember they even had quite a few Eduard kits, which I’d never seen a a hobby shop before.
I had since found one and 1 1/2 hrs from me in Kalamazoo, MI and it has been my habit to drive up just to visit that store on occasion. I was talking with my sister the other day, I mentioned the Folsom store and she said it closed I looked up the Kalamazoo store, it has closed.
I was under the impression that these stores were doing ok, if not pretty well. I checked the location map on HTUSA website, it doesn’t even work. I’m a little bummed out over this and am just wondering do you have a favorite HTUSA, is it still open, do you have an opinion or any input?
On almost a side note, the last time I visited the Kalamazoo store, somebody followed me around the store watching my every move. I don’t take too kindly to that and vowed never to return. In hindsight, that might have been the owner and there may have been some serious problems going on.
I have one here in Mason, Ohio, that I usually buy most of my paint and supplies as needed. I don’t usually purchase model kits, and that’s mainly due to my wife being with me, not allowing me too! LOL! They do have a very nice selection of kits, but, I think most of their sales are on the RC side.
They also have a very nice selection of scientific/educational kits. This is where my youngest daughter is drawn too. And they have a bunch of games available that you can’t find at Target or Walmart.
I’ll also add, that I have never had anyone follow me around the store. I have had a few workers that will politely ask me If a need help. And one time I did, I forgot my reading glasses! lol!
Greg, how close are you to Indy? I know it’s about a hour and a half drive from my house to Indy. And i’m about 10 minutes from this Hobby Town.
I have one a town over from me. It is not the best place sometimes. My hobbytown near me is mainly rc cars, planes, and boats. Does not have a huge selection of paints (which 90% are enamel anyway). They follow me around the store also but the one employee i do not mind since he is an avid builder and more so wants to see/hear about what WIP you have. They mainly follow around since the younger kids around my area think its cool to steal from the store constantly so i do understand their suspicions of everyone. I did just find out that Mega Hobby is in my state just a hour or so drive away so plan to check them out also this weekend.
I think the success or failure of a store is largely the fault of the local franchise owner.
The one in Arlington, TX moved from a small shop to a bigger shop, back down to a small shop, to a larger shop, to a big shop. Each was in the vicinity of a regional shopping mall (i.e. rent := big bux). Each time they moved - where are they now? They have now closed. They kept bringing in more R/C (which in and of itself may be a good thing, but is also big bux – need to move inventory). They also had all the other gack which accompanies a Hobbytown, puzzles, doll houses, railroad (Lionel), etc. Thay had a good selection of plastic, but like most of their other stock – was priced dearly. They didn’t move inventory. I just went in for paint. Their stock went from just OK to bad to worse. The franchisee also owned a store in Ft Worth, across from JRB Carswell. It was smaller and seemed to be doing better, but it too has closed. I have heard that the Ft Worth store income was supporting the Arlington store.
Conversely there is a franchisee that owns several stores in Dallas & the suburbs. The store’s arn’t as large and are in strip malls generally away from regional shopping malls. They have much of the standard Hobbytown gack, but less of it. Fewer models but better paint selection. They seem to turn their inventory better. The layout of the smaller stores may also be better for loss prevention.
The success of a particular store is due to the business acumen of the franchise owner and his ability/willingness to push back against the corporate inventory plan to support his community’s needs.
The one down in Castleton close to the mail isn’t as good as it use to be, they had to downsize twice in the last decade. The last time after toysrus closed the landlord wouldn’t renew their lease or two other business around them. Toysrus is now a Tesla car place and the other there shops are a flooring store. They got rid of a lot of their models, last time I was there they didn’t have a single Tamiya kit, only about a dozen dragon and about a dozen trumpeter. Lots of car and gundam still and paint was still the same. They use to have probably close to a thousand kits at any one time, now I doubt it breaks 200
Forgot to mention the one on the Southside of Indy. It’s in a bigger place and they do a great business but mostly with slot car, war gaming and dungeons and dragons and host these types of events. Have good selection of models as well.
Several Hobby Towns that I used to shop at around the country when I was in their towns have closed in recent years. I think they’re also struggling. It should be a reminder to us all that if we don’t spend some of our money in our local hobby shops, we’ll all soon be paying $3.50 for a bottle of paint, paying $2.00 for shipping, and waiting several days before it arrives. Barrett
There is one about 45-50 miles away in Louisville, but I have never made the trip up there. One of my club members owns a shop and there is a small hobby shop in my town as well as a Hobby Lobby. I have shopped at one before when I was stationed in Massachusetts. They tend to carry main line stuff at MSRPs.
There’s one in Camp Hill,Pa. 33 miles away. after that there are 5 in Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey. All of those are at least 1-1/2 to 3 hours away. Never been to any of them. There used to be one in an industrial park in Elverson, Pa. but he was only open for 2 years. He admitted that they picked a bad location. The guys in our club went there a couple of times. Great store but even the GPS had a heck of a time finding it. We bought a lot of stuff on sale when he was closing.
I got a Hobbytown in Asheville,very close.I am quite pleased with it,they have nice selection of paints,weathering products,and supplies.I don’t normally buy kits from stores,but they had a nice selection of newer kits.Dragon,Meng,Takom,and Tamiya.I have to say I’m glad they are here.
I have one in Springfield I visit when I happen to be in that town. It’s about 70 miles away. They carry a lot of different items and at least a third of the store is RC stuff. It leaves their model pickings pretty slim but always worth a stop just to see what might be there. It’s run by some super nice folks and I’ve never have been followed around by them.
Without getting into the state of our hobby too much… unfortunately I believe that’s the way it’s heading anyways. Down here in Corpus we don’t have anything but Hobby Lobby which is pretty limiting in the materials needed. The closest real hobby shops are over 2 hours away so for me this is already the way I acquire kits or materials.
I’ve been to the Hobby Town USA in San Antonio and load up every time I go but I only get up that way maybe once a year.[:|]
I’m glad you posted this Greg. Not because of the Hobby Town in Kalamazoon closing down, but so I don’t waste a trip there. I’m a bit north of you in Benton Harbor so it’s only about a 45 minute drive for me. I liked the store and had been in a few times over the past year and generally found what I was looking for.
I’ve heard there’s a Hobby Town in Granger, but it looks to be mostly RC stuff. I’ve also found a place online called Maple City Hobbies in Granger but haven’t made the trip down there to check the place out. I don’t know how close you are to Granger, but it might be worth checking out if it’s not too far.
I have one just a couple of miles away. Colpars hobbies, now part of the Hobby Town, is about 20miles away. There are several in the metro area, Longmont, Loveland, Colorado Springs area. So Colorado is great for outdoor and indoor activities. 40 years ago we had several more I used to visit. Things do change. So getting kits and supplies has never been an issue for me. I rarely use on line stuff. The stores get it all. Especially Colpar, which I’ve been going too for over 40 years. They have been giving me a discount there for decades.
Tankboy, That former Colpar store is amazing! Even as a Hobby Town, they have maintained their commitment to scale modeling. The place is truly impressive, nearly overwhelming. Barrett
The closest Hobby Town to me has turned into a toilet since going from an independent to the HT branding. The plastic model section has all but disappeared, paint racks are usually 1/3 empty, and anything new is all R/C car stuff. Not worth the hour plus drive at all. And yet teary eyed modelers moan about supporting local hobby shops incessantly? Bad stores deserve to fail, and good riddance to them.
We have 2 Hobby Towns here in Omaha. The one up north is mainly focused on RC. they have a indoor track for racing cars. The one located south is my main go-to LHS. they have a good selection of model kits and supplies.
If you make the trip to Louisville you MUST go to Scale Reproductions. It is a Mom and Pop shop with an excellent selection of models kits and supplies.
I have a HT five minutes from work. That is really convenient for me. They seem to be thriving. They are heavy on RC but they have a good mix of everything else. But, I think it’s RC that pays his bills. The one thing he has going for him is a big empty building behind his store that he uses to promote RC races. In the summer he has people race in the parking lot. He has a good following and people dump good amounts of money into upgrades and new vehicles. I went to his store on a Sunday and they were racing that day. The store was packed. The man it doing it right.