Tell us about your local hobby shop

[dadoffour]

In discussing another topic, the thread started to get side tracked (I’m the culprit who started it) with discussion of local sources for models and supplies. @Tim_Kidwell1 suggested we start a new topic so as to not further sidetrack that topic.

Since I started us down that rabbit hole, I thought I’d take a few minutes to start the topic.

Tell us about your local hobby shop. Do you have any close to you?

I have several within 45 minutes of me in the Dayton, Ohio area. I frequent 2. One is near my work and has a great selection of paint: Tamiya, Vallejo, Mission, Revell, Pro Acrylic and others. The other one is closer to home and has a nice selection of kits that they buy from people looking to unload their stash. They also sell a lot of diecast airplanes.

[Cbowling]

Scale Reproductions in Louisville Kentucky. 20 minutes from the house. Large RC department, Train department, Slot car department (with a race track). A huge section of plastic model kits. (A wide variety).

A section that has everything from paint to glue, and everything in between.

[dadoffour]

That is a nice looking store and seems like they have a lot to offer!

[Aggieman]

There once was a bunch of shops in the Houston area. Now there is only one that I am aware of, although I have not been.

https://gandgmodelshop.com/

I am not in the area where this shop is often, if at all. But eventually I’m sure I’ll make my way over there.

Next closest shops that I know of (and have actually been to) are 3 hours away, in Austin and Kyle.

Austin: https://www.kingshobbyatx.com/
Kyle (southwest of Austin): https://lionhearthobby.com/

[Comrade_Shmersky]

The only store that specialises in scale models in the DMV area (close to me anyway, I am pretty sure there are Maryland shops but I do not live too close to there) is Whistle Stop Hobbies.

My complaints:

• Far from me (over 30 mins + horrid traffic)
• Expensive and not within budget

Once a one-stop shop for model trains, Whistle Stop Toy & Hobby in...

[WhatIfRebel]

Three hobby stores that I go to.

Hiawatha Hobbies
Hiawatha Hobbies - Wisconsin’s Largest Full-Line Hobby Store – Hiawatha Hobbies LLC

Hobbytown, Milwaukee
HobbyTown West Allis (Milwaukee Metro) Store

Model Empire, Milwaukee
model empire

The first is Hiawatha Hobbies which is in Waukesha, WI and is only 2-3 miles from me. I have been going to this store for what seems like 30+ years. I would say that the store is probably at least 50-60% model railroading supplies. They do a lot of model railroading business. But they also have the usual model rockets, kites, model kits, paints, glues, and other stuff that you find in a hobby store. They recently added an RC section last year (or the year before?) inside the store.

Next on the list is Hobbytown in West Allis (Milwaukee). This store is HUGE as they just expanded it last year in October. This is the store I go to every month for my local model club meetings (Billy Mitchell Model Club). Their model kit and RC selections are top notch. The Gundam selection is particuarly huge. The store also has a wide assortment of puzzles, games, toys, candy & snacks, and a large area in the back for local club meetings and other events.

Last on my list is Model Empire also in West Allis (Milwaukee). Me and another modeling friend sometimes go to this store right after our club meetings at Hobbytown. Model Empire is roughly 60% geared toward automotive modeling and/or other automotive hobbies. But they still carry all the other stuff you find in a hobby store like paints, model supplies, RC, and other types of model kits, etc.

[Tim_Kidwell1]

@WhatIfRebel pointed out the stores I frequent the most. They are all an hour away from me, but they are what I consider my local hobby stores. If I want to drive a little farther, there are hobby stores in Madison, or if I want to head south, I can hit the Chicago area.

In another thread, @Comrade_Shmersky said she didn’t see the point in going to a FLHS (paraphrasing). I think there are many people who feel that way.

Like with many things we enjoy, it comes down to community. Supporting local businesses is one aspect, and I don’t diminish it at all. However, there’s the community you build by frequenting a store, getting to know proprietors. They get to know you, what you like, and they start thinking about you when they are buying for the store. What’s more, if you have a good experience at the store, maybe you talk about it to your friends and acquaintances, and now they’re going there, too. This is how Tony at the HobbyTown in West Allis, WI, built his business and has been steadily growing it now, and why he has the largest Gundam/mecha selection in the area–he catered to a clientelle that was having a hard time finding a home in the area and buying primarily online. Now, three Saturdays a month, the local Gundam group builds in the store and buys kits directly from him.

You don’t know what kind of community you might find if you visit the Whistle Stop (which I am familiar with–there are a couple of other stores out there in the DC area, too.). And it might not be for you, which is cool. But who knows? You might just enjoy rummaging through kits on the shelves, thumbing through reference materials, and maybe talking models with some of the locals.

When I was with Model Retailer, we used to maintain a listing of b&m hobby shops. I may try to revive that.

[keavdog]

Some GREAT looking hobby shops there.
Lucky here in AZ - 30 minutes from Andy’s Hobby Headquarters.

[the_Baron]

Today we still have a number of hobby shops within about 25 miles of the Lehigh Valley.

In Coplay, which is a small town outside Allentown, we have Tony’s Hobby Shop, which has been in business for 78 years, and is the oldest single-owner hobby shop in PA. Here’s a local story about it, published when the shop hit 70 years:

A little north of Bethlehem and Easton, and just south of Nazareth, along Route 33, is Trains and Lanes, which covers model railroads, RC vehicles, and scale models. It also has a slot car track, and an outdoor RC race track. It used to have an indoor batting cage upstairs, too.

Down in Quakertown, about 20 miles south of the Valley, is Sine’s Five & Dime. Besides selling kits and supplies, you can see the owner’s collection of completed airplane models in the shop windows facing the street.

Down in Boyertown, maybe a little more than 25 miles south of here, is Modellbahn Ott As the name suggests, Ott sells model railroad supplies, especially made in Germany, but sells scale model and other hobby supplies as well.

And down in Hatboro, south of here, there’s Joe’s Train Station, model railroad supplies, plastic kits, including sci-fi, and he also holds meet-ups at the shop.

In a pinch, we also have a couple Michael’s and HobbyLobbies in the Valley, but I figure we’re talking about old-school hobby shops here, not the chain stores.

[WhatIfRebel]

@keavdog

Some GREAT looking hobby shops there.
Lucky here in AZ - 30 minutes from Andy’s Hobby Headquarters.

You are soooooooo lucky. I’m jealous.

[WolfMec96]

I wish we had a local hobby shop here in somd

[Tnonk]

Unfortunately the local hobby shop in town closed down a number of years ago. I’ve learned to rely on a Hobby Lobby about 35 miles or so away.
Other than that I shop on-line (and ebay more often than not).
ebay’s not ideal because of the added freight/shipping charges but I am able to find some of the odd bits & old kits pretty often.

When I occasionally go to Lafayette La. around 60 miles from me to visit my granddaughter, I try to run by Big Boy’s Toys on Johnson Street.. Not a lot of kits I like but they have a pretty nice Tamiya paint selection where I’ve gotten all of my Tamiya paint. It does have a nice selection of RC but it’s not really my thing.

When I’m in Baton Rouge visiting my son and grandchildren, I try to make a stop at Hobby Towne on Airline Highway. Great shop with tons of kits.
Other than that there’s pretty scarce picking in my area.

Regards,
Adrian

[Demolition]

I got two I think with in about 20-40 min depending on traffic, one I’ve been to several times, they have started to focus on rc which I also dabble with but with that the model section is one isle split into paints, glues, etc and the kits. It’s not real impressive. It’s more expensive as well. I find it cheaper and less frustrating just to order what I need. I get supporting local and I do to an extent but travel time, cost, and selection come into play. The other shop that I’m not really sure if it’s even still there is 100% the opposite direction and 1/4 of the size but I have no idea what’s in there. I’ll check it out soon though since I’m thinking about it. I never go out by either of them so it’s a special trip and idk about your areas but the traffic/ general public around here has gotten seriously uhhhh I’m not sure how to say it without using a banned word. Politeness is an often unused trait. That being said BM stores need to step it up a bit to compete.

[MR_TOM_SCHRY]

I have a little brick & mortar hobby store in a different city which is about 20 minutes from my home and then there is a Hobby Town right in the community where I live. I’m in the minority of modelers who prefer buying from a shop in person rather than ordering a kit on-line.

[Aggieman]

@MR_TOM_SCHRY I doubt you’re in any minority. Speaking for myself, if I had more options locally, I would go there first. We do have Michael’s and Hobby Lobby stores, but they don’t stock much that interests me. We had a HobbyTown that was about 20 minutes from my home, but it closed down probably 10 years ago now.

Way back when, the hardest thing I had to do with regard to ordering on-line was to get over the notion that I needed to physically see what I was buying. I still would prefer to walk into a shop and pick up a box to inspect it from all angles, look at the photos/art, read anything written on the box, but it’s just not a viable option for me. Getting to the one shop in Houston is going to be a big trip, roughly a half hour drive as the crow flies but throw in the jerks who drive on Houston roads, all the traffic and traffic controls, and the time it will take, it’s just not a trip that I really want to make.

[Tojo72]

I would definitly enjoy buying in person more then ordering,but it’s just a fact of life for most.Even the best equipped shop can’t carry every kit in every genre,every type of paint or weathering medium or after market piece or figure..Thats where the internet has opened up the entire world to us with so many options.Of course I remember the glory days of having the choice of at least 6 great shops around me all with friendly and knowledgeable owners.Now with the closest shop destroyed,I long for a place to able to get a bottle of paint without having to drive 90 minutes.
So it takes planning to have your ducks in a row when you start or plan a project,but even with the best planning something can be missing,but with the speed of today’s shipping,it usually doesnt put a crimp in your style.

This is the one that I use when I could

HobbyTown · Hickory, North Carolina

[Tim_Kidwell1]

Most shops offer online ordering, and if they don’t have something in stock, they’ll special order it for you. So, even if you can’t go directly to them, you can still support them. I am an unabashed proselytizer for shopping local and locally owned when possible. And yes, the meaning of local can’t always indicate our villages or towns. Does it mean that I have to maybe make an hour drive when I’m suddenly out of Tamiya Flat Clear or need a particular Vallejo color? Yep. But I then try to get something that my daughter would like to build as a surprise. Or I’ll take her along and it’s a couple of hours we get to spend together that we may otherwise not. For me, outings to the FLHS/FLGS aren’t goal oriented. I’m looking to have some fun and enjoy myself while. It’s part of the hobby experience, and so much better than clicking “buy” online. But that’s me. YMMV

[UCPILOT110]

Lionhearthobby. Definitely is recommended if you are in the area. They have a very selective variety of everything.

[NWAN322]

For me there’s not really any good local shops lol. The HobbyTown I used to go to with my dad closed down 5-6 years ago (I really miss it lol). There is a Hobby Lobby, but it just opened and the selection is pretty crummy as of now. For Gundam centric stuff, since I am in the south Bay Area, there’s some pretty interesting places, like Tatsu Hobby and Newtype (although Newtype is online only and relocating to the other side of the bay). A lot of my local K-towns/J-towns, because I’m in a very Asian-influenced area, have a store or two that have kits in stock. Usually though the selection is a little limited and pretty expensive

[Tnonk]

I’ve ordered online from Lionheart Hobby several times and have had great service.