An excellent LHS: what does it take?

First and foremost are the folks running the place. When the are knowledgeable, friendly,and full of helpful advice, and get to know their regular customers, they will make customers want to come back. Next have a great kit selection-not only the new top of the line stuff, but also older affordable stuff and in a variety of subjects. Make it so dad can bring in the kid who likes dinosaurs or Gundams along to the shop and walk out with something for them too. Have a good selection of reference materials, accessories, aftermarket, and supplies. And keep the prices competitive with the online stores. Run sales on various items to keep that stock moving so inventory does not stagnate. Get to know your local IPMS chapter or other model club. If none is around, sponsor one or some hobby activity gatherings. And have a consignment area for regulars to thin out the stash. Those are hallmarks of the favorite shops that I frequent.

I do not know, but I will give you a little idea of what I think it used to take, and make your own parallels:

An omnipresent owner. Not always there, but at least during that same day so that the people behind the counter could say "Bill was here this morning and he brought in some kits".

Good people skills from behind the counter. People with the patience of Job. Able to withstand a half hour questioning session about anything. Mom wants to buy her 8 year old a car model. Rivet counter wants to know if the latest Kato SD-40FP has the upward or downward louvers on the dynamic brake cover. All the same.

Sales. All the time, all subjects. Railroad on even months, paints on ones that end in "H", slot cars on ones that end in "30".

Activities. The R/C car set does well with the little cone set ups out back, but a club to build a layout is a good thing. And.... I spent a lot of time in slot cars. Between the age of 10 and 15. I loved it because the LHS had an 8 lane track. You brought your cars in a shoe box and got a place in line. There was a bench to change your brushes. And you'd get handed the controller for a race and be standing next to a fifty year old guy.

Oh, and one more thing. I notice this a lot and I'm not sure if it's the pay scale. No tv on. No radio. The staff has to engage. I really don't at all enjoy chucking up the Schekels while the clerk has one eye on CNN. I know the pace in an LHS is low, but don't bore the customer.

To be truly excellent, a LHS owner / staff has to put up with more BS than Hercules at the Aegean stables, the patience of 2 Jobs, the money of a Rockefeller, and a love of all sorts arcane strange knowledge.  They have to know electronics, mechanics, woodworking, tool making, the boiling point of various chemicals, how styrene is made...  Oh, yeah,  it helps if you own the building your shop is in, and you can charge rent to other tenants.

We have a really good LHS here in Medford, combined with a bike shop.  I'm surprised they're still in business, but they do a good job of having a decent selection of plastic, RC air & car, trains & misc tools, w/out too much inventory.  They tend to be willing to bend a bit on price if you're willing to give them business instead of shopping the cheapest ON-Line store you can find.

I feel for owners of LHS's.  There are too many people out there where price matters more than service and will come into a shop, ask all sorts of questions, maybe take a look at some gear, and then tell the guy, he's too expensive and it can be found on-line cheaper.

I know my local guy is not going to have everything I want, but I'll sure give him 1st crack at getting it for me.

Service, service and........ luck. 

Seriously my LHS has an okay selection of new kits but quite honestly most of us who now have obscene stashes find pick ups from others thinning out their stash (which my store will often have) or she (yeah that's right) will order new kits for same price what you might find at Sprue or any other cyber store.  She also stocks a good selection of paints, supplies etc., but if you want A/M stuff, again she'll have to order it

Service and a knowledgeable staff are important, but inventory is critical to be successful. There are only three LHS in my area that meet this criteria and I have to travel a ways to get to them. If there is a poor selection and supply of inventory, it is ver frustrating for the builders. With the poor business environment currently, it is difficult for many of these shops to stock a large inventory of items. Remember, the LHS owner has to pay up front for this inventory, and it does not make money sitting on the shelf until it is sold.

My full time day job is a restaurant business consultant. In the restaurant business, the owner purchase food on terms of payment due in 7/15/30 days dependent on their credit history. Usually all of this food is sold before payment is due. For the LHS owner it may takes years for inventory to move and bring a return on the investment. Online hobby stores can do better, because they move more product and have less overhead due to not having a physical store.

Lots of already really good thoughts here. 

One I'd add is a solid selection of supplies, especially paint. There's not much barrier to picking up kits or aftermarket online, but buying paint sight unseen is a nightmare, especially if it's a color you're unsure about (those online color chips are usually awful, to boot). It's also the kind of routine, low-level purchase that'll get regulars into the store more often, and who knows what else they'll buy. More than if they weren't in the store.

That's one thing I wish my LHS did better. They keep a pretty solid stock of Model Master. They stock Vallejo and Tamiya, but selection can be sparse with big gaps (usually exactly the color I need, too). They don't stock Gunze or Mig or AK. 

If I were opening my own shop, first thing I'd do would be stock up like mad on paint. Then I'd set up an online store as well, promote the stuffing out of paint selection, offer shipping and combo deals (orders above $50 get 2 free bottles, over $100 get 4, so on).

bondoman

I do not know, but I will give you a little idea of what I think it used to take, and make your own parallels:

An omnipresent owner. Not always there, but at least during that same day so that the people behind the counter could say "Bill was here this morning and he brought in some kits".

Good people skills from behind the counter. People with the patience of Job. Able to withstand a half hour questioning session about anything. Mom wants to buy her 8 year old a car model. Rivet counter wants to know if the latest Kato SD-40FP has the upward or downward louvers on the dynamic brake cover. All the same.

Sales. All the time, all subjects. Railroad on even months, paints on ones that end in "H", slot cars on ones that end in "30".

Activities. The R/C car set does well with the little cone set ups out back, but a club to build a layout is a good thing. And.... I spent a lot of time in slot cars. Between the age of 10 and 15. I loved it because the LHS had an 8 lane track. You brought your cars in a shoe box and got a place in line. There was a bench to change your brushes. And you'd get handed the controller for a race and be standing next to a fifty year old guy.

Oh, and one more thing. I notice this a lot and I'm not sure if it's the pay scale. No tv on. No radio. The staff has to engage. I really don't at all enjoy chucking up the Schekels while the clerk has one eye on CNN. I know the pace in an LHS is low, but don't bore the customer.

 

I had to scroll up to see where you're from. You just described 1 of my LHS in St. Paul to the last detail. They do however have a TV on, but the only DVDs they play is about Rail Roads.

The ability to weather economic highs and lows, to stay in business to earn customers.

One successful shop about a 45 minute drive away is diversified.

He is a vacuum cleaner shop, a young child quality toy store and has a excellent selection of kits, paints, supplies, tools, airbrushes. 

I was impressed with his stock and attitude. He was humble enough to state the model kits were not his thing yet was willing to order in any kit, offered deals for multiple purchases and held sales often. Impressed with his store I told the guys in the club to check him out. If not for a sizable stash at home I would have purchased a few kits, did order one to see how that goes.

Also his prices were better than mail order when considering shipping, duty and exchange. Figure he is promoting his shop that way and making up through paint ect.

Prices and selection that match the online stores within 15 minutes of my mansion...

I think to stay in business a hobby shop has to strike a balance between catering to the serious hobbyist and the general public.  I believe it is hard to make enough money from the kind of folks who read this list.  The successful shop has to draw from the general public, especially folks shopping for or with their kids.  The local shop in this area that does well and has stayed in business for a long time has more stuff than just models.  They have science kits, and other things that attract kids. There is a lot of money in models other than plastic shelf scale stuff too, like model railroading and the RC stuff.

That being said, they have an awesome supply of scale models and lots of aftermarket accessories.  A great selection of several brands of paint, too.

The Hobby Town here in Little Rock has been VERY successful for a number of reason. The owner is a top notch guy, very intelligent and stays on top of his business. When he's not their, he monitors the store from home via web cams. They have a fairly good selection of plastics that do in fact cater to all skill levels. He carries a number of aftermarket items as well. A shop cannot stock everything for everyone, the ones that try often sit on stock for years without selling it. The HT owner here is enthusiastic about special ordering, all one must do is ask... This keeps him from having a large amount of capital tied up in merchandise that isn't moving. Another big advantage is that he has hired people that are knowledgeable in specific areas to help customers. It is not unusual for the HT to sell 1k worth of plastic kits alone in one day, not including paint or glue... that is HUGE numbers.

The main thing that drives his business though is variety... It is nearly impossible to make a living selling plastic models only or any other thing "only"... His shop does trains, R/C, sports cards, wooden ships and science tech stuff. The R/C and sports card area makes the lions share of the money of course. The owner keeps the stock fresh by deeply discounting stock that has sat for more than 6 months to make room for something else.

In short, you got to have a little bit of everything, have friendly and knowledgeable staff and be willing to special order products which will cut down on stagnate overhead. Pretty simple on paper but harder to actually do...

SuppressionFire

The ability to weather economic highs and lows, to stay in business to earn customers.

One successful shop about a 45 minute drive away is diversified.

He is a vacuum cleaner shop, a young child quality toy store and has a excellent selection of kits, paints, supplies, tools, airbrushes. 

I was impressed with his stock and attitude. He was humble enough to state the model kits were not his thing yet was willing to order in any kit, offered deals for multiple purchases and held sales often. Impressed with his store I told the guys in the club to check him out. If not for a sizable stash at home I would have purchased a few kits, did order one to see how that goes.

Also his prices were better than mail order when considering shipping, duty and exchange. Figure he is promoting his shop that way and making up through paint ect.

Maritime Hobbies by any chance? I was in Halifax this past weekend... I picked up some supplies, Tamiya acrylics, primer & putty, styrene stock and an Airfix kit. The downside - I was looking for ModelMaster "Flanker" colours, no luck there.

Well stocked paint is a good one. I get frustrated if a hobby shop has a virtually bare display rack, especially if the basic colors are missing.

The best one I've found in Houston (G&G), has a really good selection of paints (Gunze, MM, Tamiya..but not Vallejo), tools, styrene, etc. No Alclad, little AM, but I was told they could order it and ship it to me, free of charge (a huge plus). Being friendly with a good knowledge of the hobby and a willingness to take the time to present ideas is nice as well.

I have yet to find an LHS that has kits anywhere near the price I can get them online, however.

VanceCrozier

 

SuppressionFire:

 

The ability to weather economic highs and lows, to stay in business to earn customers.

One successful shop about a 45 minute drive away is diversified.

He is a vacuum cleaner shop, a young child quality toy store and has a excellent selection of kits, paints, supplies, tools, airbrushes. 

I was impressed with his stock and attitude. He was humble enough to state the model kits were not his thing yet was willing to order in any kit, offered deals for multiple purchases and held sales often. Impressed with his store I told the guys in the club to check him out. If not for a sizable stash at home I would have purchased a few kits, did order one to see how that goes.

Also his prices were better than mail order when considering shipping, duty and exchange. Figure he is promoting his shop that way and making up through paint ect.

 

 

Maritime Hobbies by any chance? I was in Halifax this past weekend... I picked up some supplies, Tamiya acrylics, primer & putty, styrene stock and an Airfix kit. The downside - I was looking for ModelMaster "Flanker" colours, no luck there.

Actually Nova Vacuum & Toys in Stellarton (Just outside New Glasgow) Best lill' vacuum / toy / model shop east of Fredericton!

SuppressionFire

 

VanceCrozier:

 

 

SuppressionFire:

 

The ability to weather economic highs and lows, to stay in business to earn customers.

One successful shop about a 45 minute drive away is diversified.

He is a vacuum cleaner shop, a young child quality toy store and has a excellent selection of kits, paints, supplies, tools, airbrushes. 

I was impressed with his stock and attitude. He was humble enough to state the model kits were not his thing yet was willing to order in any kit, offered deals for multiple purchases and held sales often. Impressed with his store I told the guys in the club to check him out. If not for a sizable stash at home I would have purchased a few kits, did order one to see how that goes.

Also his prices were better than mail order when considering shipping, duty and exchange. Figure he is promoting his shop that way and making up through paint ect.

 

 

Maritime Hobbies by any chance? I was in Halifax this past weekend... I picked up some supplies, Tamiya acrylics, primer & putty, styrene stock and an Airfix kit. The downside - I was looking for ModelMaster "Flanker" colours, no luck there.

 

 

Actually Nova Vacuum & Toys in Stellarton (Just outside New Glasgow) Best lill' vacuum / toy / model shop east of Fredericton!

wonder how many vacuum / toy / model shops there are, east of Fredericton!??!  Stellarton's a little out of the way unless I'm heading to the Cape.

Paint is a tough one because of the basic economics of it. A lot of paint sellers will give you the rack(s) for free...because it costs a lot to fill up all of those slots in a Tamiya rack, let alone a Model Master one. Many distributors will not sell paint to a shop in quantities less than the typical six pack they often come in.

Given that the shop is frequently forced to buy 6 jars of a shade, and that they usually pay 60% of retail to get those jars unless there is a special, they have to sell 4 jars before they start to make any profit. Not so tough for gunship gray, but when it is panzer piping pink at an average store, that is not going to happen any time soon. So it can be an investment with a very poor rate of return, in an industry that is already not great at quick turnovers.

I understand completely that empty holes in the racks are a problem, and that can lead to loss of not only paint sales, but kits and other stuff when the rack is not full. But I see the retailers side of it too, when they may be struggling to stay open at all, to not want to invest a lot in paint. 

Some really thoughtful and insightful responses posted on here.  I think those that say the shop has to target more than just the hardcore hobby enthusiast have it right-on.

Ok, so when I win that ridiculous Mega Gazillions jackpot Friday night I'll look to open a store, and look for talent to staff it.  It could happen....  :)

aks801

Some really thoughtful and insightful responses posted on here.  I think those that say the shop has to target more than just the hardcore hobby enthusiast have it right-on.

Ok, so when I win that ridiculous Mega Gazillions jackpot Friday night I'll look to open a store, and look for talent to staff it.  It could happen....  :)

I'll come work with ya. I live here in Houston as well. I could even get Afterburner Decals in the store as I know the owner.

We still have three hobby stores here. The better one is M&M Hobby that has a great selection of kits and paints. Then we have G&G Hobby that has an awesome selection of building materials (sheet styrene and such) and tones of paints. The last one is Larry's Hobby. They have horrible customer service and have very little in kits and the paint selection sucks.

I live a 45 minute drive away of possibly the best LHS in the world.

It has got everything, no really, E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G an aviation modeller could want:

http://www.aviationmegastore.com/?shopid=LM4f57cb4fec9e964eec792b7162&switchlang=EN

Furthermore the owner of the shop lets the SIG Airliners group of the IPMS use his shop for meetings, sponsors an award at the Dutch Nationals, has an anual "garage sale" etc etc.
Bussiness wise I think it is a smart to not only depend on the customers visiting your shop but also have an internetstore.

There are other ok shops in my area but the Aviationmegastore really stands out.

Borg R3-MC0

I live a 45 minute drive away of possibly the best LHS in the world.

It has got everything, no really, E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G an aviation modeller could want:

http://www.aviationmegastore.com/?shopid=LM4f57cb4fec9e964eec792b7162&switchlang=EN

Furthermore the owner of the shop lets the SIG Airliners group of the IPMS use his shop for meetings, sponsors an award at the Dutch Nationals, has an anual "garage sale" etc etc.
Bussiness wise I think it is a smart to not only depend on the customers visiting your shop but also have an internetstore.

There are other ok shops in my area but the Aviationmegastore really stands out.

I've seen pictures of the place, and am thoroughly jealous!!!! 

Too many to read but did anyone say... Just still being in business? 

stikpusher

And keep the prices competitive with the online stores.

I think the only way to do that is to be an online store first and have a physical storefront as an add-on.

Paul

my Local shop started his up by following conventional wisdom,,,,,and having a healthy percentage of toys in his shop

he has been open for almost 4 years now, and has spent the last 3 years having discount sales on the toys, to try and get some of the money back, and that extra space they take up in the shop

he keeps going mostly because of two main things,,,,,,,,to him "plastic is plastic",,,,,the markup and sales of plastic does not matter to him what scale or subject,,,,,,$5 worth of plastic at retail costs him the same as $30 worth at retail,,,,,in other words, $100 worth of retail price costs him the same, whether it is 5 models or 10

his other deal is that he maintains an Ebay store, with the store stock as his inventory in both venues,,,,since the buyer pays shipping,,,,,,again, it does not matter to him if he sells to the in person customer or the online customer

his number one deal though, whether in person or online,,,,,,is to actually care if the customer is getting what he or she wants or needs,,,,,,and he will order anything his supplier carries for anyone,,,,,,even if they don't come back and buy it,,,,,it just goes in the inventory along with the rest,,,,,,"plastic is plastic" applies to those items, too

he gives various discounts, for different reasons, he supports the local hobby show, participates on hobby forums

his only problem is getting the space back in his shop that those toys are eating up

Rex

Yes, my Local Hobby Shop is the basement of Ace Hardware in Berkeley CA.

Boy times have changed, When I said that five years ago ten people posted about why they would never set foot in that town.

Any way, every month it's 10% off on either R/C, trains or plastic models. So you know when your time is coming, and if you call ahead they'll tell you what that month is.

At least twice a year they have a major promotion. 25% off. Or Half price on anything up to $ 50. Or $ 25.00 off anything over $ 50.00 and so on.

I always drop a few $$$ on those days and come away with something special. Like a 49.99 Roden Felixstowe for $ 25.00. Or the trumpeter CV-8 in 1/350 for 99 instead of 139.00.

No better than internet, but no shipping, and I like the owner.

I too like G&G and they have been around since the 60's or something like that. Maybe longer. Anyway. Very friendly and they will order Vallejo for you if you ask. Usually takes 3-4 days to get it in. I try and give them as much support as I can. 

MM hobby is hardly a decent hobby store. The owner of that place needs some serious lessons in customer service and how to treat customers. Not to mention how EXTREMELY overpriced they are. I guess that's why they are closing down. 

Joewat64

MM hobby is hardly a decent hobby store. The owner of that place needs some serious lessons in customer service and how to treat customers. Not to mention how EXTREMELY overpriced they are. I guess that's why they are closing down. 

I thought they weren't. According to thier web site they're not. Just a change of ownership. The former owners are retiring. I've never had a problem with the service. Course I usually don't need any help cause I know what I'm going in for. Gonna go by there next week.

bondoman

Yes, my Local Hobby Shop is the basement of Ace Hardware in Berkeley CA.

Boy times have changed, When I said that five years ago ten people posted about why they would never set foot in that town.

Any way, every month it's 10% off on either R/C, trains or plastic models. So you know when your time is coming, and if you call ahead they'll tell you what that month is.

At least twice a year they have a major promotion. 25% off. Or Half price on anything up to $ 50. Or $ 25.00 off anything over $ 50.00 and so on.

I always drop a few $$$ on those days and come away with something special. Like a 49.99 Roden Felixstowe for $ 25.00. Or the trumpeter CV-8 in 1/350 for 99 instead of 139.00.

No better than internet, but no shipping, and I like the owner.

 

Just curious bondo, does the new $10.25 min wage apply to this store or is it only to SF?  It's a tough business climate and not the LHS owners fault, I really feel for any LHS no matter where they are located...... for that matter, any business owner (I know since I am one).

I think it's at least that if not more.

Me too. Less payroll tax would help.

More money for models....