Kits at HL

I've wondered the same thing.  I remember purchasing a couple of Tamiya's 1/35 Easy Eight Sherman kits from Hobby Lobby.  Back in the day they carried Hobby Craft 1/32 aircraft kits which were reboxings of Trumpeter kits.

tjs

Chemteacher

I wonder why with all the kits Tamiya offers, the only one Hobby Lobby ever has is the M41 Bulldog? I remember back in the day when HL carried quite a few Tamiya kits. Anybody have any insight?

I bought quite a few of their Gama Goats at $7.50, yes, 75% off the retail price when they were put on the clearance aisle.

The average clientele for the model aisle in Hobby Lobby is someone who once built kits as a kid and want to pick up a kit for their kid. They're going to get sticker shock when they see model kits they used to buy for under $10 with price tags in the $30-40 range.

So, they stock lower priced model kits like the Tamiya M41 Walker Bulldog, Monogram M48A2 Patton, the reissues from Atlantis and those screw together armor kits that are predecorated.

I remember when they stocked high end Dragon kits, Academy armor, Revell of Germany armor. It's still my go to for buying Star Wars kits when the 40% sale is on.

Buying armor at HL without the kits being on sale for 40% off is unwise.

I wouldn't buy any kit at HL unless they are 40% off. Generally their prices are over MSRP without the sale discount. They probably did not sell many of those high end over priced kits except on sale or clearance, thus they have disappeared from the store. They have cut back greatly on models compared to 10-15 years ago. What used to be cars all along one side of the aisle, and planes, tanks, ships, scifi, etc. all along the other side is now crammed onto less than one side of one aisle. Along with Gundam and die cast...despite some people in these forums turning their nose up at HL and Walmart, HL used to be a good place to go for models...when there was a coupon or sale, anyway. 

I remember talking with some folks from Squadron 2.0 before their financial issues,  wholesale dealing with Tamiya involves a mandatory minimum price that an item contractually cannot be sold below.  

Perhaps the problem that HL has with Tamiya is that their desires for a low wholesale price and thus low shelf price runs afoul of the 40% off sale price

I don't even think of Hobby Lobby as a place to buy models.  I agree with GMorrison, that the people who buy kits at HobbyLobby are mostly people looking to buy models for their kids.  Most of us have reached the point where the kinds of kits, from the makers to the subjects, are not going to be found in a general hobby department store, but in a specialty model shop or from a specialty online vendor (eg, Sprue Brothers, HLJ, Squadron).

Same goes for Michael's, and previously, for AC Moore, before they went out of business.

That's not to say that those stores don't carry products we can use.  I buy some supplies at HobbyLobby and Michael's, especially because it can be convenient to do so.  But they're not true hobby shops.  So I take their offering for what it is.

Agree and I appreciate the discussion-what I love about this forum...great folks here with enormous amounts of talent.
HL and Michael's are handy when you need something in a pinch and I appreciate having them as I have no local hobby shop. Sometimes they'll have different or new offerings and, with the 40% deal, I just can't pass on them. I just seems odd that the only Tamiya kit they carry is the M41. I wish they would carry a couple of their WW2 1/48 fighters? These are older kits but still great kits.

As with any large retailer, Hobby Lobby probably just has their set menu of models that they stock and that's that.  I have a HobbyTown affiliated shop, Colpar Hobbies, that is sort of near where I live and they used to be a great place to visit.  Not so much anymore, IMHO.  These days they're geared more toward RC stuff.  Nothing wrong with that...just not my thing.  I think the management there has also kind of fallen into the trap of having their "regulars" who just want to hang out and shoot the breeze with them.  They don't buy anything usually, and then the customer service and inventory/administrative duties don't get taken care of.  The last time I was there, they had tons of completely empty paint racks, and I went there to spend a pretty good amount of money to stock up on paint.  An on-line retailer ended up getting my money instead, and I haven't gone back since.  Sometimes the brick and mortar hobby stores can be their own worst enemies.  But, then again, a lot of the on-line ordering I do is from brick and mortar/mom and pop stores...they're just not here in my area...wish they were.

I have a Hobby Town in Asheville,I rate it as B, they have Tamiya,AK-Real,Mission Model,Vallejo Model Color and Air paints.They have supplies,air brushes,weathering products,and a decent selection of kits,Tamiya Meng,Takom,and Dragon.I have grabbed a couple of kits cheaper then or same as online.They are nice to have 25 min away.

There is also a grade A Hobby Town 90 min away in Hickory,it's owned by a modeler and they have everything you would want in a model shop although their prices are high.I have even met with the local model club in the back room,really cool.

Although I primarily buy on line they are nice to have around.

We recently had a Hobby Lobby open up near me. Since it has been five years since our only hobby store closed down, I was pretty pumped to see what they had. I knew not to expect much, and I didn't as far as models were concerned.  What i was most excited about was that I had heard on this forum how they carried Vallejo paints. Finally I won't have to wait a week or more when I run out of paint.

So I finally go the store a while after it had opened to make sure all of their stock was in. It was about as described in that they had mostly car models and a few BanDai kits. Unfortunately the only Vallejo paints I could find were just the basic colors as well as a couple of sets of really obscure camo patterns. Very disappointed to say the least.

cwalker3

We recently had a Hobby Lobby open up near me. Since it has been five years since our only hobby store closed down, I was pretty pumped to see what they had. I knew not to expect much, and I didn't as far as models were concerned.  What i was most excited about was that I had heard on this forum how they carried Vallejo paints. Finally I won't have to wait a week or more when I run out of paint.

So I finally go the store a while after it had opened to make sure all of their stock was in. It was about as described in that they had mostly car models and a few BanDai kits. Unfortunately the only Vallejo paints I could find were just the basic colors as well as a couple of sets of really obscure camo patterns. Very disappointed to say the least.

If you're like most modelers, you'll get you kits at the cheapest option, usually online. At least with a Hobby Lobby, you'll have access to paint, glue, etc. if you find you've run out at an inopportune time.

I'm one of the serious modelers who has bought kits from HL.  Since model kits are on sale about every three weeks, I dont have to wait too long.  I particularly like the Atlantis line they carry, though I have bought Academy, Revell, and AMT kits there too.

I did buy a Meng Toon Tank there,but I never saw anything that I had to have.

Back when HL had a much better kit selection, I bought quite a few models there. The 40% off is hard to beat. Every now and then they will add something new into their inventory that catches my interest. I was hoping to pick up more of the new Airfix kits after they briefly carried the new tool 1/48 P-40B and P-51D kits. But no such luck... Who knows, maybe the pendulem will swing back the other way someday and they will take better care of us scale modelers.

stikpusher

Back when HL had a much better kit selection, I bought quite a few models there. The 40% off is hard to beat. Every now and then they will add something new into their inventory that catches my interest. I was hoping to pick up more of the new Airfix kits after they briefly carried the new tool 1/48 P-40B and P-51D kits. But no such luck... Who knows, maybe the pendulem will swing back the other way someday and they will take better care of us scale modelers.

 

I certainly hope so. It's really a handy place to have. I just wish they offered more models than they do...at least get it back to like it once was...both sides of the aisle almost full with kits. 

Rob Gronovius

 

cwalker3

We recently had a Hobby Lobby open up near me. Since it has been five years since our only hobby store closed down, I was pretty pumped to see what they had. I knew not to expect much, and I didn't as far as models were concerned.  What i was most excited about was that I had heard on this forum how they carried Vallejo paints. Finally I won't have to wait a week or more when I run out of paint.

So I finally go the store a while after it had opened to make sure all of their stock was in. It was about as described in that they had mostly car models and a few BanDai kits. Unfortunately the only Vallejo paints I could find were just the basic colors as well as a couple of sets of really obscure camo patterns. Very disappointed to say the least.

 

If you're like most modelers, you'll get you kits at the cheapest option, usually online. At least with a Hobby Lobby, you'll have access to paint, glue, etc. if you find you've run out at an inopportune time. 

Rob Gronovius

 

If you're like most modelers, you'll get you kits at the cheapest option, usually online. At least with a Hobby Lobby, you'll have access to paint, glue, etc. if you find you've run out at an inopportune time. 

Unless it happens on a Sunday 

And they still have Testors enamel!

stikpusher

 

 

Rob Gronovius

 

If you're like most modelers, you'll get you kits at the cheapest option, usually online. At least with a Hobby Lobby, you'll have access to paint, glue, etc. if you find you've run out at an inopportune time. 

 

 

 

 

Unless it happens on a Sunday 

 

Plan better.

Rob Gronovius

 

 

stikpusher

 

 

Rob Gronovius

 

If you're like most modelers, you'll get you kits at the cheapest option, usually online. At least with a Hobby Lobby, you'll have access to paint, glue, etc. if you find you've run out at an inopportune time. 

 

 

 

 

Unless it happens on a Sunday 

 

 

 

 

Plan better.

 

Thats easy... don't paint on a Sunday  

If HL has a kit I want which is probably going to be something 1950's or older car or truck model, I wait for the 40% off sales. They were running these often for a while but I notice that lately they're spreading them out a bit more. A couple of years ago you just had to wait till Friday and go buy it early before someone else got it. I won't buy a kit from them at full price. As mentioned earlier in the thread you will probably find that's exactly what happened with Tamiya kits. As far as stocked kits, they do have more than Micheals but nothing compared with my local hobby store or online as mentioned already.

My local hobby store is the only one within 50 miles in any given direction and some of those aren't stocked well ( less than my local HL in some cases). My local hobby store while getting for the most part suggested retail prices has just about anything you could want or they will order it in for you if not. If you belong to a registered model club you get a discount ( I no longer do)..

In general, I don't like to shop HL, but they do at least have some models.  My local Michaels stores are slowly but surely clearing out of anything model related.  Last time I was in one, they had some paint and maybe 5 model kits.  No glue, few supplies, lots of empty shelf space.  A far cry from when I was a kid and would spend my entire allowance on model stuff at Michaels, where I could go up and down 3 whole aisles' worth of stuff...

The local HL seems to often be lacking in aircraft models (as in, the empty shelf space is usually around the aircraft, not that they have no aircraft models) but they have lots of vehicles, some armor, and definitely Bandai stuff and Gunpla.  I don't think I've ever seen a Tamiya kit there, but I'm not an armor guy, so I may just not have noticed it.

They still carry the 60 year old M41 Walker Bulldog. It's an easy build, great entry level kit and looks like the stereotypical US Army tank with the white star over OD green. Yeah, it's well past its prime and been bypassed by two other company's M41s, but it's still available.

Hi Gomeral;

       Listen, if you have a Micheals that sells models you're lucky. The Micheals stores around here don't seem to carry much, if at all! H.L. Well, it's catch as catch can. I only will go there because it's closer - 5 miles versus  - 47 miles. and I won't drive to that Spaghetti Freeway, Double Decked, ***-up in Austin to go to King's Hobbies.