Hobby shops that aren't

From reading FSM for several years and now the comments on this forum, one thing about us modelers becomes crystal clear: if ever there was a resourceful batch of people, we're it!

Do any of you find the cost of hobby tools in proper hobby shops to be a bit over the top compared to equivalent tools not marketed specifically to the hobby available in other places?

Sure, you could buy some special little purpose made spring clamp in a hobby shop at say, 1 for 10 dollars, or you could by a bag of clothes pins and a couple of mouse traps at a local department store that could do the job of that clamp at half the cost.

Have you noticed the cost difference between CA glue marketed to the hobby specifically versus what you can get in a hardware store? You can get thin or thick CA and even gel CA usually at a very favourable cost to hobby specific brands and they work just as well.

Sanding tools: why spend five dollars on a hobby specific tri grit sanding stick when you can get a larger one for two bucks in the nail care section of your local drug store?

So many times I've been in a non hobby shop looking for non hobby things, yet still seeing things that I can apply so easily to the hobby that could cut costs and save a trip halfway across town to the hobby shop when all I wanted was a sanding stick or some CA glue.

So, what sort of hobby supplies do you find outside of hobby shops?


Here's just a short list of non hobby shops that serve my hobby.

Electronics shops: wires and solder to replicate plumbing in engines and landing gear, small electronic components that are often a near perfect mimic for a structure on the real thing.

Fishing shops: light guage fishing line is great for wire antennas on WWII aircraft, casting weights come in a wide variety of sizes and are very good aircraft nose weights.

Music shops: piano and guitar strings are perfect for mimicing hoses that have ridged surfaces.

Pet shops: aquarium air line fittings come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be used to mimic many structures on real things, plastic aquarium plants can sometimes be used to mimic terestrial plants in dioramas.

Drug stores: the nail care section of a well stocked drug store will carry enough abrasive tools to keep even the best modeler happy.

Hardware stores, department stores and art supply shops: these places are virtual gold mines and the things they can supply that you can apply to the hobby with just a bit of imagination are far too numerous to mention.

So, what non hobby items have you found in non hobby shops and how did you apply them to the hobby.

Maybe we can save ourselves a whole wad of cash with a "bargain shopping" forum here!