The lack of availability of kits & paints, glue etc. in neighbourhood shops is sad, and makes life difficult for those not near to a dedicated shop. Pat, I agree with you about Hobbycraft, I have seen kits on sale there at prices above the recommended retail price. So the internet suppliers can capitalise on this, and they do.
In the UK, have a look online at Jadlam - prices include delivery & are still cheaper than RRP, however, they don’t consolidate the delivery charge if you buy more than one kit (so they score there). Time Tunnel Models can sometimes throw up a bargain, too. These are my own observations, I don’t have any connection to these suppliers.
Is Dibble’s still there? I used to buy stuff there…geez, over 30 years ago!
I second this thread, which I started and DM so kindly added to. I’m in the RTP area of NC and Hobbit is ~1hr from me, lots of stuff. Otherwise, I’m looking mostly at mail order, since there are very few model stores left in this area!
I have access to a so-so HobbyTown about 50 miles from me. They definitely cater more toward the RC hobby. The closest true hobby shop would be 100 miles away in Myrtle Beach. Ed’s Hobby Shop. I highly recommend this place and I go every time I go to the beach!
Having said that, I do have a Hobby Lobby and a Michaels so If I get hard-up for a kit or if they are running a 40% sale I can always get something.
Hey Teenage modeler, I was going to mention that place. Pretty much grew up in Glenview and NB. Hobby Town is about the only place I can think of reasonably nearby.
There used to be a huge shop in Buffalo Grove I think it was. Alas they too closed up.
Ikar, remember Orange Blossom Hobbies on 36 St In Miami? Pure hobby heaven!!
Yes I’m in the same area as you and the one in Sanford is Hobby Town which recently relocated to another strip mall. I was hoping for a better selection like they had before but unfortunately it’s mostly RC related and has VERY limited plastics. The last time I was at Colonial Photo and Hobby I found a good paint selection but very little stock of plastics.
My friend living near Ft. Lauderdale about 3 hours south of me has a hard time finding a hobby shop stocking a good selection of both plastics and paints. When I lived in that area prior to moving in 2007, there were 2 huge shops that carried a fantastic selection of anything plastic, paints, tools, airbrushes, am parts etc. One shop closed after the owner passed and his kids decided to sell the business. The other shop grew 3 times larger but gravitated to the RC field.
Hobby stores here died a slow death but a new place opened up called Hobby Sense. Fully stocked and it is so great to be able to pick up kits, paints and more and not order by mail.
That said for all Canadians here, Hobby Sense has a great online shopping and he ships.
We have The Hobby Company in Pearl City and Weller’s Hobbycraft in Kailua.
The Hobbietat in Palolo Valley is primarily RC and open ocean fishing gear, but they also carry a small selection of models. They are the only shop here that has a reliable source of Evergreen sheet, strip and rod stock. And they are glad to order stuff for you. So glad I live in the area.
We also have several anime shops like Mini-Q that carry the Gundam stuff. Their Pearl Ridge Shopping Center store has some armor and aircraft kits. They also have a store in Mililani.
There are also wargaming stores like Armchair Adventurer and Other Realms in the downtown/Iwilei area.
So yeah, we are lucky that we have a number of hobby shops on the island. I’m not sure if there are any on the other islands though. Maui had a good one back in the 1970s ( I bought an Airfix Stirling there), and you could easily find model kits wherever you went up until the 1980s. Sadly that is not true anymore.
Had to drop my wife off at the Acura dealer for a loner car in Chevy Chase MD today. I had a chance to visit one of my local hobby shops in Rockville, MD (Hobby Works). Always love visiting the few true hobby shops in the DC area. Vacationing in Newport RI in a few weeks. instead of google search does anyone know a shop I can visit during my stay?
There used to be quite a number of good hobby shops in the St. Louis area, where I’m from: Harter’s Hobby House, Checkered Flag Hobbies, Astro Hobby (where I worked part-time for a while), etc. Now they’ve all disappeared save for one, which happens to be one of the best brick-and-mortar shops still around: Mark Twain Hobby Center, in St. Charles, MO. If you’re ever passing through the St. Louis area, check 'em out, you won’t be disappointed!
When I was a kid, there was a local shop called Capt. Atomic Models and R/C that had a good selection of kits but they mainly focused on R/C. I also remember the Ben Franklin Hobby and Craft store about 2 hours away had an awesome selection of kits-complete, separate, rows dedicated to aircraft, ships, armor, and autos. They also had a large selection of paints, airbrushes, and finishing products. As well, they sold R/C kits and tons of model railroad stuff. They also sold the normal craft store stuff as well. It was truly an incredible store. I believe they were bought out by what is now Micheals and the focus shifted to more crafts and framing, etc…. Man, I liked that place-bought many a kit there as well as my first airbrush, a Badger 350.
Here at home, Spokane Wa. area we have Valley Trains, he has kit and railroad stuff, very friendly and willing to order. Up on the North side we have B& B Hobbies, a blend of RC and plastic, this place is amazing as you can go in 3 days a week and find something different…funny thing is their inventory reall doesn’t rotate out that fast. Just a fun shop. Finalky we have the obligatory Hobbytown, good general coverage and polite staff, alittle pushy with sales however once they know ya they tend to keabe you alone.
On the wet side in Ballard then the U district there was American Eagle, also had a shop in Tacoma. They have been OOB for years now but if they couldn’t find or have it it wasn’t made. Lastly Skyway Hobbies in Renton, a small well stocked hole in the wall hobby shop that is the " must go to" shop during the Seattle show. Emil has a TON of stuff, big scale OOP, new you name it.
There is a place in Itasca, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, called America’s Best Train, Toy @ Hobby Shop. This place is a real “old school” hobby shop. Lionel trains, American Flyer trains, HO trains, Z scale trains. Jigsaw puzzels and all kinds of toys. Model kits and paints. There is stuff in boxes on the floor. There is stuff on the floor. My wife calls it a junk shop.
All kinds of plastic kits.
Paints of all kinds.
Toys for any kid.
Hundreds of train engines of all scales.
New and vintage Lionel train stuff. A lot of the vintage stuff is in the original box.
Metal cars.
I have no idea what is in the hundreds of little compartments. But sombody must buy the stuff.
Model Empire in West Allis. Mostly car models, die cast, but some scifi. planes, ships, armor. The place has the smell of old models. Oh and they have a slot car track.
HobbyTown West Allis. Not a mom and pop shop but they have a lot of everything. Big on RC and they even have a dedicated area for RC car racing.
Hiawatha Hobbies Waukesha. Lots of models, train stuff, you name it. They stock a lot of different stuff including a good variety of hobby paints. This is a true mom and pop shop. They could do better with a bigger store. It is crammed. Some days you are stepping over boxes.
That’s for sure, I love going there and always come out with something, but I can’t access half the store in my wheelchair. I am amazed they haven’t been hit with some kind of fire code violation.
LOL! RIGHT? I can’t imagine how.you can navigate the store in a wheelchair. Seriously. Last time I was there I was stepping over boxes trying not to fall. And yeah, always walk out with something.
I asked the owner if he is considering a new location. He said yeah, but he is trying to stay in the waukesha area. There is the rub. Cost to do so.
Lol. Great Gif that captures the spirit of the store.
I am with you about downtown Waukesha. I avoid it for the same reason.
Yes. The current location is a good one. It just needs to be bigger! Every inch is crammed. They could also install better lighting. The HobbyTown in West Allis moved to a bigger store and what a difference. Wider isles, lower shelves, and much better lighting. If you ever made it to Greenfield Hobby before it closed it has that same feel. Not as good as, but approaching it.
