This topic gets covered in a round about way on a regular basis - the Hobbytown USA post etc. It seems to be important to people… Thought maybe You all would like to informally nominate your favorite LHS and give examples of why its so good, where it is etc. These people put it all out on the line to open a business like this - they don’t exactly open with broad customer base in mind - they’re market is narrow hence they’re survival is always on the edge. Recent years have brought many new threats their way and how they weather them is beyond me, and totally dependant on us! Super Evil Mart (no one should shop there for about a Jillion other reasons models and paint aside…) , Hobbytown chains, the internet. It a wonder there are ANY left!
So… Here’s to the LHS and they’re brave owners! Mine goes out to ACE Hardwares Basement wonderland in Berkeley Ca Privately owned, they do carry allot of Choo Choo nonsense but they’re stock of A/C is like browsing E-Bay - the rare, the obscure Just off the line - you name it A/m - Binders of decals… all there. Lacking only in the paint dept. - but thanks to the valiant effort of its devoted employees the seeds of change are showing Every time I return! Worth the drive always, look them up if you ever come to the Bay.
Honorable mention - the loose Caboose, Napa Ca. I just moved here and am still recovering from living just down the St. from above mentioned Ace. If you cover your eyes run straight to the back you can avoid all the creepy train stuff and find a niced little stash of kits and a decent wall of paint along with every glue known to man, and great tools! I go in often and always chat it up with the owner and nag him to carry some more specialty paints I’m gonna pass him a bottle of white ensign for one of his A/C projects to try and convince hime to carry it… that would bump him to 1st place in my book!
All we got in cruddy Knoxville is a Hobbytown USA and a Hobby Lobby. I can’t find any local privately owned hobby stores. I used to live in Tampa and the selection there was much more inviting.
If anyone knows of any LHS’s in the Knoxville/Maryville Tennessee area please let me know.
Pipers Hobby, Chantilly VA. No R/C just scale modelling, literally from A-Z. Another point in thier favor is the fact that they are about 10 minutes from the Air & Spce Udvar-Hazy Center @ Dulles.
Honourable Mention:
Mundens Junction. Closed down back in 1985. Was the hobby shop of my formative years. They would let me stand there as an 8 year old and just page through the catalogs for hours on end.
My goes to Charlies Hobbies in Tampa, Florida! Has always a full stock of MM and Tamiya piants, a very wide variety of aircraft and armor. Little racks full of stuff like photo-etch, white metal, and resin parts. There’s something in every nook and cranny. One of those old school hobbie shops you can just get absorbed into and loose yourself in for hours. Everything for the military modeler and car modeler. The surprizing thing though is he specializes in RC planes! Thanks Charlie![bow]
Haye’s Hobby House in Fayetteville, NC is the place for me. Plenty of kits, paints, resin, P/E, decals, A/B accessories- and all the free advice you could ever want. If they don’t have it- they’ll order it for you at a great price.
I’ll throw in my 2 cents worth here. I 'll vote for a little place that was called Hobby Heaven right here in Coldwater. You could go in there and always find something that was interesting. It had R/C, trains and models. Plus it had a tremendous selection of paint and supplies. The owner would order what ever you wanted and help if you had problems with your models or equipment. Unfortunately his health began to slip and he decided to close up. At the going out of business sale I bought all of his Humbrol and Monogram paint that he had in stock plus the display cases for the paint. I counted them and I ended up with over 400 of those little metal tins of paint, all for the $50 that he said he wanted. I miss the man and the place. Right now if I want to go to a good shop I have to drive at least an hour to get there. So I don’t go very often anymore. Although I do keep Squadron busy.
In Reno it’s High Sierra Models for me, located on Kietzke Lane next to Peckham. They have a great selection of armor and aircraft kits. Their prices are reasonable and if they don’t have something in stock, Tom can get it for you very quickly. They are very active and supportive of our local modelers club the “High Rollers” and have been around for a long time. I can always find something that interests me. They also carry the full line of Tamiya Acrylics which I love to use! They’re open 7 days a week, perfect for that unexpected paint “emergency” on a Sunday.
I’ll add BC Hobby & Shaver in Kelowna BC to this list. Jim and Harry are great to do business with. Sure they sell Shavers, and R/C and Trains and Die-cast, but they need to in order to survive. Having a diversified business in a small town (110,000 pop.) is the only way to survive. They stock a pretty good selection of kits, “some” AM, tons of paints (Humbrol, Tamiya, Testors, Model Master & Pollys Scale Railroad) and treat me real nice. What they don’t stock they will order in if you have the part number. They have a (bigger) sister store in Victoria BC that stocks quite a bit more and they can pull from their inventory.
What really ties me to the store is the support I’ve received when making up a package to send to the troops overseas. They really came through by donating kits, paints and brushes, and discounting what I was purchasing.
Little town called Antioch, right outside of Plant City. I don’t remember much of the hobby stores…it was ten years ago and I was only 13 when we moved up here to redneck-ville.
Venture Hobbies in Wheeling, IL. They cover scale models and RC, and have a small but excellent model rail section. Not big on figures other than the small scales. Plenty of accessories, tools, aftermarket, and reference. If they don’t have it and it’s available they’ll get it for you. Call them and ask if they have something—they’ll find it and hold it for you. Need advice—it’s yours. I’ve been going there for over twenty years, and I don’t think I’ve ever gotten less than good customer service—it’s usually excellent! These folks are customer oriented!
I’m actually glad they are about thirty miles away (1.5 to 2 hours travel, one way, in the colossal disaster of suburban Chicago traffic). Or I’d have impoverished myself there.
Wow, I must consider my self lucky, Calgary has 5 good hobby shops (out of about 10 in the city) but of those there are three that really standout from the crowd.
First is Uncle Bills Hobby, this is the classic basement shop with models crammed into every available space and only models, no RC or Train stuff. He also has a huge selection of AM and PE goodies. Rick has just about everything you can think of lots of out of production kits and new kist and everythig inbetween, if he doesn’t have it, he can get it. I shop here the most and the good thing is he is supposed to be moving to a location on my route home!!! Woohoo![}:)]
Second would be Invader Hobbies, if Scott doesn’t have it he can get it. He’s been trying to get me to buy more at his shop. This one too is on my way home from work![}:)][}:)]
The third is Hobby Land. A great selection of plastic kits but he also has a lot of RC and Train stuff but I don’t go there much as it is way out my way. [:(]
I guess an honourable mention goes to PM Hobbies. A decent selection of kits and they too are on my way home from work ([}:)][:)][}:)]) but there is almost no customer support as it is mainly a huge arts and craft store with more focus on the RC and other crafts then models. I just picked up a Dragon T-34 on sale there but I wish I had more money as they are currently having a 25% off everything sale!
I’ve gotta include J-Bar Hobbies in Tecumseh, MI (SE). You couldn’t ask for a better selection of rare vacuform and resin kits, and family owned, too. For a person like me, who loves the oddball and obscure, it’s a dream come true!
Here’s one for Hobby Express in Cranberry, PA. They aren’t my LHS anymore, but I stop in when I pass by. They have TONS of models, all scales, genres, and manufacturers. You can get whatever you need supply-wise. In the back, the RR section has all the landscape stuff I use. They have pretty typical LHS prices on kits, but I have gotten some pretty good deals there. I wish I still lived nearby.
My favorite LHS is Phillips Toy Mart an hour away in Nashville,Tn . They carry my favorite paint plus finishing tools, supplies etc. . They have a good model section and carry magazines that no one else has.Keep some limited run kits in addition to the usual Tamiya, Monogram, Hasegawa etc. .A big plus for me is that if you want to see what’s inside the box they’ll open it for you .If you want a kit and they don’t have they will special order it . Plus they have sale prices on kits and the staff is friendly and helpful .After problems with some internet purchases and tiring of the kids at the local Hobbytowns attitude, they are my main source.I know what I’m getting and they care about my business.
One of the local Hobbytowns has been bought and the new owner has made changes and is stocking more paints and kits . It’s OK but Phillips is my favorite.
Woodward’s in Oklahoma City gets my vote! When I lived in California the two best LHS’s were San Antonio Hobby in Mountain View and D&J Hobby in Cambell. We also have Hobbytown, Hobby Lobby and Wally World. I’d rather go to the old Mom and Pop hobby shops before a chain retailer anyday.
I remember Mundens Junction. Not a bad shop at all, I remember when it closed. Piper’s is good, but I haven’t been there in ages.
AB Charles in Pittsburgh also is up there on the list. They’re in process of moving locations but expect to open in a new storefront around September.
I"ll throw a nomination for another now-closed storefront, Nostalgic Plastic that was in Silver Spring, MD. Loads of aftermarket, new kits, a whole room of OOP/older/“pre-owned” kits, good selection of decals and books. Just scale models, again. The owner sold the place back in '03, the store stock went somewhere else but he kept the name and runs an online/mailorder/go-to-shows business now.
Joe I’ll have to ask my mom to drive me there. Where in VA are you? Im in Fredericksburg and the only LHS we have is a not very good one thats way over priced on kits.