Poor selection

HAHA WOW!!!  I thought Hobby Town USA was supposed to be awsome???  I dont have one any were near me so I can't comment on it really. 

Any thoughts out their from people with one near them?

I have a pretty awsome hobby store near by so i use them alot and the internet is amazing.

Hey, I'm still in mourning over Granddad's of Springfield, VA.

Hmmm,...

Whenever im in the USA i visit the one in Kennewick Wa. and i am always blown away by the sheer quantity of models to pick from. Maybe they dont like modelling in sioux falls

Richard

I've never been blown away by any Hobby Town USA that I have visited, so I'm not surprised.

kermit

Hmmm,...

Whenever im in the USA i visit the one in Kennewick Wa. and i am always blown away by the sheer quantity of models to pick from. Maybe they dont like modelling in sioux falls

Richard

And we Dutch have got the best hobby store in Europe: http://www.aviationmegastore.com/ 

Any hobby store pales in comparision the the Aviation megastore! (unles you model cars, ships, armor, figues, sci fi, railroad.....)

The one in San Antonio is okay.  The armor selection is mainly DML.  The staff wasbelow average, didn't even say "hello" to me when I walked in or ask me if I needed assistance (I spent a long time searching for specific Model Master enamels right in front of the cash register).  Their selection of paints was centered on cars and aircraft.  No "panzer" colors from Model Masters and no offer to order some for me.

I doubt that I'll ever shop there again.

MAJ Mike

The one in San Antonio is okay.  The armor selection is mainly DML.  The staff wasbelow average, didn't even say "hello" to me when I walked in or ask me if I needed assistance (I spent a long time searching for specific Model Master enamels right in front of the cash register).  Their selection of paints was centered on cars and aircraft.  No "panzer" colors from Model Masters and no offer to order some for me.

I doubt that I'll ever shop there again.

The two in Austin are exactly the opposite. Best Model Master selection I've ever seen. Decent selection of Tamiya (none of the "newer" colors, no AS rattlecans, etc). But the kit selections are a joke at best. Better than Hobby Lobby, but that's not saying much.

Honestly, outside of paint or pressing brass and styrene needs, I never go there.

Shame, really. I remember Hobbytowns being pretty great when I was a kid. I even have memories of flipping through a rather epic decal collection at one. Nowadays its all RC and silliness. 

We used to have a Hobby Town closeby. Selection was decent enough. Your regular Tamiyas,Academy's and Revellograms, with an odd Trumpy and others here and there. The owner was great, would order anything for you. Sadly, they closed down......50% off everything at the end was great though! The little shop that we have left carries mostly Revellogram with a few Academy's for aircraft, mostly Tamiya armor though. All crammed in a 6' X 6' corner.

I used to live near the largest Hobby Town in the country, in Kennesaw, GA.  They filled up a huge store that used to be a multi screen movie theater.  It was the most awesome store one could imagine.  They had everything I ever needed in the way of tools, supplies, kits, whatever, and the staff was knowledgeable and helpful.  I never had to order anything on-line.

Then I moved to Colorado- it's a small town but we are lucky to have a small Hobby Town here.  The selection is limited, but that's because their business is limited due to the location.  The staff and owner are modeler-friendly, they host our monthly IPMS meeting there. 

So, I guess the quality of any given Hobby Town depends on the committment of the owner. 

Hobby Lobby has chased the serious modelers away, with their recent drastic reduction of modeling stuff.  I rarely go there anymore.  That's stupid management by a clueless corporation.

Each franchise varies...but most seem to be reducing plastic kit inventories in favor of RC stuff and beads...If I happen to be within 10 feet of one I'll go in cause you can sometimes find a few finishing items that are handy to pick up...

Let's just face the cold, hard truth:  this business has succumbed to the internet...deal with it...

I used to work at Hobby Town for a little bit before my first child was born.  It was fun money and my paychecks pretty much ended up going back to the store.  Ha-ha-ha!  But as some have posted, each store is independently owned and operated which means the store is just as individual and unique as the owner.

I love my Hobby Town here in Green Bay.  The selection is very good and if they don't have something on their shelves that I need, they can get it for me in just a few days.  I consider it to be my local hobby shop and I patronize it as often as I can first before deciding to go through the internet.

Eric

Borg R3-MC0

 

 

 

And we Dutch have got the best hobby store in Europe: http://www.aviationmegastore.com/ 

Any hobby store pales in comparision the the Aviation megastore! (unles you model cars, ships, armor, figues, sci fi, railroad.....)

NOT FAIR!!!

VanceCrozier

Borg R3-MC0:

 

 And we Dutch have got the best hobby store in Europe: http://www.aviationmegastore.com/ 

Any hobby store pales in comparision the the Aviation megastore! (unles you model cars, ships, armor, figues, sci fi, railroad.....)

 

NOT FAIR!!!

Those freaky-deaky Dutch.

A. Powers

And we Dutch have got the best hobby store in Europe: http://www.aviationmegastore.com/ 

Any hobby store pales in comparision the the Aviation megastore! (unles you model cars, ships, armor, figues, sci fi, railroad.....) 

That goes without saying ofcourse...

Internet shopping is convenient and easy but i cant help liking to walk around and touch the boxes i am about to spend to much money on

Echolmberg,

LMAO. I always get a crack out of that movie. But i have to admit i have trouble swinging my (golden) wooden shoes behind my shoulders like that...

Richard

Richard,

Then you understand what goes through my mind whenever I see someone with a mole.

Eric

Honestly, with all the reviews online and second hand experience with modelers in the community, that takes a lot of the guesswork out of buying a kit. To me there isn't any real reason to feel the kit in the store. With gas prices escalating, you better know what you want and make sure they have what you want in stock, so you're not wasting your time going to a store. My nearest store is about 8 miles away. So if you look at a round trip of 16 miles at approx 17 miles to the gallon, then if I stop at the store and leave with one jar a paint, that $2.50 jar just cost me $6.50 with the cost of gas added!

Hobby town sounds kinda like A.C.Moore or Michaels in NJ. We have slim pickings in the way of hobby shops that cater to plastic kits. One good one is AAA Hobbies in Magnolia, NJ.  A.K.A  Stevens International...nice sized building with tons of kits on display and tons more in the warehouse.

echolmberg

Richard,

Then you understand what goes through my mind whenever I see someone with a mole.

Eric

mmmm-moley moley moley

VanceCrozier

 

Borg R3-MC0:

 

 

 

 

And we Dutch have got the best hobby store in Europe: http://www.aviationmegastore.com/ 

Any hobby store pales in comparision the the Aviation megastore! (unles you model cars, ships, armor, figues, sci fi, railroad.....)

 

 

NOT FAIR!!!

I know its not much help to you not being in Quebec, but you can check out Udisco (I believe they also have a web store). Canada's biggest hobby store, and the sheer amount of kits in that place is staggering.

There is a really good Hobby Town in Las Vegas just NW of the strip. Biggest one I've gone too. Had a large selection of kits and even a good selection of Mr Hobby supplies.

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know what and where the biggest hobby store in the U.S. is?  I've seen a lot of shops that bill themselves as "the biggest store in the Midwest!" or "Largest shop in the tri-state area" but I'm curious what the largest store in the country is.

Eric

VanceCrozier

 

echolmberg:

 

Richard,

Then you understand what goes through my mind whenever I see someone with a mole.

Eric

 

 

mmmm-moley moley moley

Which one of the Shondells were you?

Sprue-ce Goose

 

VanceCrozier:

 

 

echolmberg:

 

Richard,

Then you understand what goes through my mind whenever I see someone with a mole.

Eric

 

 

mmmm-moley moley moley

 

 

Which one of the Shondells were you?

nope, you're thinking "Mony Mony"!

Chuck,

I've been to that store in Kennesaw, GA.  Pretty awesome place.  I'd have to say it has to be one of the biggest hobby shops in the country. 

Maj Mike,

Have you been to the HobbyTown off of Austin Hwy in SA?  Its been a couple of years since I've been there, but they had a pretty large selection of everything, Plastic, RC, Model RR.  Lots of good paint and weathering supplies too.  Picked up a pretty new DML kit and some Mig weathering supplies last time I was there.  Its not like some HobbyTowns where the stock is all at least ten years old.  

These places are very hit and miss.  As Doogs said, the ones in Austin are pretty much a joke, as they try to have just a little bit of everything, but they have no depth of selection in any of their areas.  Their model RR sections are worse than Michaels or Hobby Lobby, and their selection of plastic is only slighty better than these.  I only stop in if I need something basic like a magazine or some MM paint, otherwise I try to give all my business to King's (awesome store, btw). 

Jeff

We have a Hobby Town here in the Lehigh Valley......   its nothing to do a backflip over. They have a semi-ok selection of kits, some paints, glue's etc.

Anything "special" = internet

Lt. Zogg

Chuck,

I've been to that store in Kennesaw, GA.  Pretty awesome place.  I'd have to say it has to be one of the biggest hobby shops in the country. 

Maj Mike,

Have you been to the HobbyTown off of Austin Hwy in SA?  Its been a couple of years since I've been there, but they had a pretty large selection of everything, Plastic, RC, Model RR.  Lots of good paint and weathering supplies too.  Picked up a pretty new DML kit and some Mig weathering supplies last time I was there.  Its not like some HobbyTowns where the stock is all at least ten years old.  

These places are very hit and miss.  As Doogs said, the ones in Austin are pretty much a joke, as they try to have just a little bit of everything, but they have no depth of selection in any of their areas.  Their model RR sections are worse than Michaels or Hobby Lobby, and their selection of plastic is only slighty better than these.  I only stop in if I need something basic like a magazine or some MM paint, otherwise I try to give all my business to King's (awesome store, btw). 

Jeff

I shopped the one on Loop 410 and Jackson-Keller.  I'll check on the Austin Highway store. 

Thanks for the hint.

There was a Hobbytown here, but about a year after they opened, Hobby Lobby built their store in the same strip mall, about 300 feet away.... B'bye Hobbytown USA...

No H.T. here in River City but the Michaels & Hobby Looby I've already picked over.  As stated many times before, I use my local hobby store Major Art & Hobby for all my supplies and most kits (they'll order them and discount for me) but out of run kits I have to use the Bay.

Just another update from the road trip. Fargo was a bust but there are two very good ones in Minneapolis.

Hub Hobby Center and Scale Model supplies. Scale is down in a basement and is very old school. large selection of plastic kits and also a large RR section if you're inclined. Way in the back they have a partially assembled 1/350th Tamiya Enterprise that I'm sure you could make an offer on. Not so far done that a skilled builder couldn't finish it up.