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You've been told .
When you move to a new place , make your first purchases at your local Hobby Town and LHS.
Sprue-ce, I visited a pretty good LHS in Chicago last year called Chicagoland Toys and Hobbies on Northwest Hwy. I thought they had a pretty good selection of WWII stuff. They didn't look like they were going anywhere any time soon. Have they closed?
I just recently moved to the DC area and was surprised at the fact there aren't any Hobbytown USA stores here. There used to be but now the nearest one is a hour or so away. I figured being such a populated area there would have been enough folks that build to keep those stores open.
I feel blessed to live near AAA Hobbies in Magnolia, NJ. Best hobby shop I've ever frequented (aside from the old Squadron Shops which no longer exist).
Barrett, Wild Bill's is a gas to hunt through. There's stuff buried in those stacks that hasn't seen the light of day in years, or there used to be, haven't been by in a couple of years.
Which means I need to go..... :)
Apprentice rivet counter.
Well, I certainly wont' mention what must not be mentioned.......if I knew what to mention..............
Down to two Hobby Town USA stores in the Chicago area though the three that closed did sometime after 2001 while the two that exist opened about 6 or so years ago.
RBaer, I like your approach. DFW does have some great shops. I try to visit Wild Bill's every time I get to Dallas. Great selection. Great owner.
We're fortunate in the DFW area, as far as Hobby Towns go anyway, with three good examples, at least two of which are owned by the same guy, who just happens to show up at at least the two annual IPMS events here, and more in neighboring states. I have seen a couple of truly excellent locally owned genuine hobby shops fall by the wayside though, which given the relatively low profit margin on plastic and accessories and the high cost of keeping a brick-and-mortar open doesn't surprise me one little bit.. Blame the internet all you want, but when most if not all wholesale suppliers ALSO sell directly to the general public, I'm not at all surprised.
My commitment is to buy as much as I absolutely can in the way of sullies, tools and references from the nearest to me Hobby Town, even if i pay a little more. I also pick up just as much in the way of general "art" supplies as I can from local art supply shops, same motivation: to support independent business as much as I can.
There are a couple of independents in the several towns we travel to on a regular basis, and I always make it a point to go in, say hello, and BUY SOMETHING, whether I really need it or not.
Modeling is an excuse to buy books.
Devil Dawg If you ever get up to Fayetteville, NC, you gotta visit Hayes Hobby House. It is an EXCELLENT hobby shop! Did you have a bad experience at a Hobby Lobby? I used to really enjoy their selection of Tamiya and Academy kits (especially with the 40%-off coupons), but the ones in the Charlotte area seem to have only Revell and Monogram kits now.
If you ever get up to Fayetteville, NC, you gotta visit Hayes Hobby House. It is an EXCELLENT hobby shop!
Did you have a bad experience at a Hobby Lobby? I used to really enjoy their selection of Tamiya and Academy kits (especially with the 40%-off coupons), but the ones in the Charlotte area seem to have only Revell and Monogram kits now.
As for Hobby Lobby, I boycott them for personal reasons of which Must Not Be Spoken Of Here.
Well, there's always the Internet. And Michael's. But I know exactly whatcha mean, and I feel the same way. I'd rather go in to well-stocked dedicated hobby shop to buy my hobby stuff. There is The Hobby Stop down in Rock Hill, SC, which is a right turn off of I-77 South Exit 77. I've, and others, have mentioned it previously in this thread.
Devil Dawg
On The Bench: Tamiya 1/32nd Mitsubishi A6M5 Model 52 Zeke For Japanese Group Build
Build one at a time? Hah! That'll be the day!!
Devil Dawg That be da one. The last HobbyTown in Charlotte, and it was closed by the sheriff's department on May 16. I take it you never got a chance to get out there and look around?
That be da one. The last HobbyTown in Charlotte, and it was closed by the sheriff's department on May 16. I take it you never got a chance to get out there and look around?
(sound of chairs crashing, breaking glass, general destruction)
No, I actually used to live just two blocks away in Waterford Square Apts, and used to go there a lot for supplies--paints, glue, styrene, etc. It was a pretty goo shop. Even now, living in the Universtiry Area a little more north, I would go there to get paint and whatnot.
This TOTALLY sucks! I have absolutely nowhere to go for genuine modeling paints and supplies now except like, AC Moore for Testor's liquid cement. I won't step inside of a Hobby Lobby so I'm going to have to make a road trip somewhere now. What a bummer!!!
That's too bad. I've been to that Hobby Town. It was indeed a pretty good one. Well, if you're on that side of town, you still have the Hobby Stop nearby in Rock Hill. I hope everyone who can will spend a few dollars there as often as possible to help them stay open. Barrett
Aw crap, which Charlotte store was this? Not the one in the South Charlotte strip mall near the Carolina Place mall, near Pineville?
The two best HobbyTowns that I've seen are in Augusta, GA, and in Kennesaw, GA. Especially the one in Kennesaw. They bought an old two-screen movie theater and converted it. It's HUGE on the inside, and they have the largest selection of everything hobby-wise that you would ever see. RC, plastic kits, dolls, electronics, puzzles, knitting, crocheting, etc. Just about any hobby you can imagine is in there. Wish all HobbyTowns were like that one........
Wish they put one in my area
Hmmm;
Our Hobby Town enlarged after a move . Now they don't have the R.C.track and stuff . But their plastic model , train and R.C. sections are booming . Their paints are good too.Trains have less of kits and more of Pre-Built stuff - Wah , Wah but Evergreen and Plastruct- Oh ! Mama Mia .You could bury me in it and Paints , well , which brand you want ?
BarrettDuke If we want to keep the last of these stores open as long as possible, we better all of us spend some money there, even if it means a couple more dollars out of our pockets. When we have to pay $3.00 for a jar of paint and $2.95 for shipping on the Internet and wait 2-5 days for it to arrive, we'll all wish we had helped out the last remaining LHS's.
If we want to keep the last of these stores open as long as possible, we better all of us spend some money there, even if it means a couple more dollars out of our pockets. When we have to pay $3.00 for a jar of paint and $2.95 for shipping on the Internet and wait 2-5 days for it to arrive, we'll all wish we had helped out the last remaining LHS's.
My thoughts exactly.
F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!
U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!
N is for NO SURVIVORS...
- Plankton
LSM
Hey, Devil Dawg. I'm glad you are aware of that store. Compared to the rest of the country, it's a fairly decently stocked store for our hobby. I understand your frustration. For what it's worth, every major city in America is down to no more than three well-stocked independent LHS's and a Hobby Town or two. I've been to New York City, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Chicago, Minneapolis, Jacksonville, Orlando, Dallas, Fort Worth, New Orleans, Kansas City, St. Louis, Nashville, Louisville, Denver, Charlotte, Boston, Columbus, etc. It's the same everywhere. Most of the LHS's are owned by men in their 60's or 70's, and they're just holding on. When they die, most of their stores will die with them. I try to buy something in every one I go to just to encourage them and put a little money in their till. It's true their prices are higher often than the Internet and the Big Box stores, but they can't do anything about that. They can't buy in bulk to get the lower prices, and they are committed to providing the specialty supplies the Big Boxers will never stock. I've noticed lately, though, that many of them are bringing their prices down in order to try to compete. Some are beginning to sell on the Internet, too. Many have to do RC to pay the bills. That's alright with me if it keeps them open and they still provide a good selection of models and supplies. If we want to keep the last of these stores open as long as possible, we better all of us spend some money there, even if it means a couple more dollars out of our pockets. When we have to pay $3.00 for a jar of paint and $2.95 for shipping on the Internet and wait 2-5 days for it to arrive, we'll all wish we had helped out the last remaining LHS's.
BarrettDuke You actually still have a very good LHS nearby. It's called Hobby Stop. It's in Rock Hill, just off of I-77. I think you would enjoy visiting them. Here's the info. Barrett 939 S Anderson Rd, Rock Hill, SC 29730 (803) 327-4121(803) 327-4121
You actually still have a very good LHS nearby. It's called Hobby Stop. It's in Rock Hill, just off of I-77. I think you would enjoy visiting them. Here's the info. Barrett
939 S Anderson Rd, Rock Hill, SC 29730
(803) 327-4121(803) 327-4121
Yep, that's the one I mentioned earlier in this post, although I didn't want to mention it by name. It's about a 45 mile drive from my house, and the prices were way above making it worth the trip. Some of the stuff they have there, like the new Monogram PT-17, is more than what Hobby Lobby wants ($16.95). I think they were charging $18.99 for it. Just an example. I was in there back on May 02, and I think I was the only one looking at plastic kits. The store was full of RC people, with a lot of RCers out back racing their cars and trucks, which is what I guess that place is there for. No problem with that - just wish their plastic kit prices were a little cheaper than they are.
Chad
God, Family, Models...
At the plate: 1/48 Airfix Bf109 & 1/35 Tamiya Famo
On deck: Who knows!
Devil Dawg, It is sad to watch the local hobby shops go under. I was in Columbus, Ohio last week and went to a LHS called Hobby Land. The owner used to have four stores around the city. He is now down to one.
(803) 327-4121
stikpusher Ouch! I only came across one Hobby Town in this area, back when those were stating up nationwide. It did not last too long. But in those pre Internet days it had tough competition from several traditional shops around here. Do you have RC or RR hobby shops near you at least that carry supplies like tools and paints?
Ouch! I only came across one Hobby Town in this area, back when those were stating up nationwide. It did not last too long. But in those pre Internet days it had tough competition from several traditional shops around here. Do you have RC or RR hobby shops near you at least that carry supplies like tools and paints?
None. The only thing I can find in Charlotte is a RC helicopter shop listed on the Internet, and they don't carry anything I would need, other than a small selection of tools. Hobby Lobby is pretty good for the tools and modeling supplies that I need. Just gotta start buying more of my kits from the Internet suppliers, I guess. Glad my job takes me to Fayetteville, NC, and Augusta, GA, occasionally.
mitsdude Its not just hobby stores. Mom/Pop convenience stores, drug stores, and appliance stores are near extinction. Mostly relegated to isolated, out of the way parts of town. It almost seems like full service gas stations are figments of my imagination, something that existed in a weird dream.
Its not just hobby stores. Mom/Pop convenience stores, drug stores, and appliance stores are near extinction. Mostly relegated to isolated, out of the way parts of town. It almost seems like full service gas stations are figments of my imagination, something that existed in a weird dream.
Yes. I've thought of this when reading LHS loss threads.
All the HobbyTowns are gone from Charlotte. No more left here. There were three when I moved here back in March 2013 - now, all three have closed down. No local hobby shops at all any more.
Very understandable to lament the passing of those shops. There are a few here that I really miss from back in the day. If your club has not done so already, I suggest that you guys contact any surviving Hobby Town in the area and see what you can do for one another. After all they are independently owned franchises, as opposed to Hobby Lobby or Michaels, and may be inclined to work with you guys to boost their own business.
Yep, I belong to Charlotte Scale Modelers. We're all lamenting the demise of all the local shops around here. As mentioned before, there are no local shops here anymore. Just the nation-wide chains.
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