Talking Points About Your Local Hobby Shop

Now I live in Germany, and decent hobby shops are as scarce as hen's teeth.  There's a big retail chain, Müller (kind of like a Woolworth of old, sells a little bit of everything, from cosmetics to pet food to toys and, yes, models), that always has one aisle of model stuff.  It used to be nothing but Revell stuff (German brand, so, duh!), but lately my local one has started stocking some Italeri, Tamiya, and Zvezda kits.  They used to regularly have 20% off on all model kits, but since the pandemic has started hurting everyone's bottom line, they dropped that.  Of course, since it's not a hobby specialty shop, none of the staff know ANYTHING about models, and special ordering is out of the question.  The nearest hobby shop devoted to modeling is two hours away in Munich, so I don't make it there very often, but anytime I do go to Munich, I make sure I stop in and buy something, anything, to make sure I help support them.

  Luckily, we have one of the best online retailers here in Germany: shout out to Modellbau-König!  Great selection, great prices, fast shipping, and free shipping if I order 30+ Euros worth of merchandise!

What does your local hobby shop bring to the table that a chain like Walmart does not? 

The LBS is called Magic Box, Vancouver, Canada. They bring much, much higher prices as they simply can't compete with big chains or internet stores and real estate/rental places are very expensive in Vancouver

Has your hobby shop expereinced a dip or a surge in sales/customers during the pandemic?

Don't know. When I go there there are only 2-3 people in the shop. You should contact them.

Do they specialize in other hobbies, or mainly plastic model building? 

Lots of other things, RC etc

How long has the store been in operation? 

Long time, but this is a question for them.

Have you (as a model builder/hobbyist) been building/tinkering more due to any restrictions put in place by your state? 

No, the restrictions do not affect my model building.

Are you worried that your hobby shop will close if businesses are told to shut down again?

No. They can simply limit the number of customers in the shop and require them to wear masks and desinfect their hands when entering.

Good luck with your project

This is a quote that is heard quite a bit among the radio control crowd, In today's economy, if you want to start a business in the radio control hobby and have a million dollars at the end of your first year, you need to start with two million dollars.

We have a similar saying in the aviation industry.  "How do you make a small fortune in aviation?  You start off with a big one."

EagleCash867;

 It's the same if you want to bring a new boat to the 30-40' market. Spend three million to get started and make one million in the first two years!

It's also like that with muscle cars, you never get back what you put into them.

I think it takes a special kind of person to own and operate a hobby shop. You have to have a real love for it because I think we all know that you're not going to get rich at it. But, I've heard it said that if you find a job that you truly love, you'll never work again. I don't think I would be well-suited to own a hobby shop, but if somebody wanted to put me to work building models full time at a decent wage I'd be as happy as a pig in ... well, you know.