SEARCH FINESCALE.COM

Enter keywords or a search phrase below:

New Models at Hobby Lobby? Locked

13853 views
138 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
Moderator
  • Member since
    April 2006
  • From: my keyboard dreaming of being at the workbench
Posted by Aaron Skinner on Monday, September 11, 2017 8:58 AM
Guys, We can discuss the merits of kit selection and prices until the cows come home, but it should be obvious to anyone that Hobby Lobby is a hot button issue that everybody has an opinion about. I believe we have exhausted the pros and cons of shopping there so I am closing this thread. Please refrain from reigniting the topic on the forum. If someone posts a thread saying some kit or other is available there, please also refrain from posting your feeling one way or other about the company. Thanks, Aaron

Aaron Skinner

Editor

FineScale Modeler

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Fort Knox
Posted by Rob Gronovius on Sunday, September 10, 2017 8:13 PM
You are right that their selection (unless you are a car guy) is extremely limited. If you build armor, you are limited to a handful of Italeri World of Tanks reboxed kits (sold at much more than they are worth). There are two recent Tamiya kits and a handful of 1970s era Tamiya kits, all the same selection from store to store. They carry a few more aircraft kits. Not a wide selection, but it runs the range of pre-painted snap to larger, more expensive kits. Sci-fi kits are available, like some Star Trek and Star Wars not readily available elsewhere. My nearest hobby shop is around 55-60 miles away one way and closes fairly early on Saturdays and is closed Sundays. Since I don't get home from work until 1 to 2 AM Friday night, by the time I wake up and drive up there, they are closed. Other than online, my only source of hobby supplies is Michaels, which has an even more limited selection or Hobby Lobby, where I can get paint, glue and find some item in the clearance aisle.
  • Member since
    September 2013
Posted by blackdog62 on Sunday, September 10, 2017 7:15 PM

 20170829_092744 by Jerry Richards, on Flickr

just seen this in town i have never been to 1 but here about them all the time in the forums. just so happens are local hobby shop shut down 2 weeks ago. i hate seeing that happen to a mom and pop store close up.

  • Member since
    January 2014
Posted by gobobbie on Sunday, September 10, 2017 7:11 PM
Fortunately here in the Tidewater we do have a lhs that rumor had it sold tamiya extra thin to John Smith. That said we have 50 miles to either hobby lobby. Now with proper planning I can wait for my run to pick up supplies at Denbeigh hobby. I can avoid hobby lobby all together. For those items Dan does not stock or cannot order, mail order will do.
  • Member since
    July 2012
  • From: Douglas AZ
Posted by littletimmy on Sunday, September 10, 2017 5:13 PM

GMorrison
mock all yup want but at least make an effort to come up with reasonable comparisons.

You are correct. My attempt at sarcasem missed the mark. I do apologize for that.

GMorrison
lets say your neighborhood grocer won't sell to black people. Would you still give them business, or is boycotting them too politically correct.

That "IS" the point. But it's  every grocery store everywhere. You cant boycot them all.(Unless you start growing your own food.... not a bad idea by the way. )

GMorrison
I think the better point made here by others smarter than me is that HL kind of sucks anyways

You are correct here too. Their selection is very limited and I avoid them when possable.

But somtimes I need paint or whatever and they are the closest thing to a real hobby store. (HL is 53 miles away. ) When I can I preffer to purchase items from The Hobby Spot in Tuscon (122 miles away ) But no matter where I buy stuff the money goes to a corporation somewhere and eventually gets funelled to somthing  I dont agree with nor support. Hence my quip about "Wittiling our own models from trees". HL falls into the conveniance catagory.... nothing more.

I'm not trying to anger anybody.... My train of thought just gets de-railed sometimes.

Thank's for not beating me with a rubber hose. (The credit reporting companies have that covered already.)

 Dont worry about the thumbprint, paint it Rust , and call it "Battle Damage"

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Sunday, September 10, 2017 3:45 PM

Well Timmy, the thing with being politically correct is that it is usually correct.

mock all yup want but at least make an effort to come up with reasonable comparisons.

lets say your neighborhood grocer won't sell to black people. Would you still give them business, or is boycotting them too politically correct.

I think the better point made here by others smarter than me is that HL kind of sucks anyways

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    July 2012
  • From: Douglas AZ
Posted by littletimmy on Sunday, September 10, 2017 1:01 PM

If we buy models that are manufactured in say North Korea, or China are we paying for WWIII? If we buy models from Britan, or Russa are we not taking away American jobs?

To be 100% politically correct and keep our "principals" do we have to stop buying models and go in our backyard... cut down a tree.... and whittle our way to a 1/48 p-51 Mustang?

I'll go for conveniance..... when China try's to invade my house they will be greeted with defiance..... unless they have a kit I "desperatly" want.

 Dont worry about the thumbprint, paint it Rust , and call it "Battle Damage"

  • Member since
    September 2017
Posted by greghile on Sunday, September 10, 2017 9:31 AM

For me it was model cars, but, yes, my Alpha Beta in West Garden Grove was my go-to place for model cars. I think I also bought paint and glue there, as well, but can't remember for sure ...

  • Member since
    December 2013
  • From: Orlando Florida
Posted by route62 on Sunday, September 10, 2017 9:28 AM

Tojo72
Well for me there was no fuss,just conversation ,I certainly dont see it a great source for models,but when they opened one near me I wanted to check it out.I was glad to see another place to run in and get a bottle of glue I spilled or paint that I needed to finish something,lots of artist oils and brushes also.It is what it is,a craft and hobby store that happens to have a handful of things a modeler might find useful,but certainly no fuss.I buy kits mostly online,but if they hit my sweet spot with that 40 % coupon then great.But I couldnt care less whether they were there or not,just like I feel about Michaels
 

Is that not the problem?  Convienence over principles.

I find modelers tend to be well educated, moral, highly principled group that help others will no though of themselves as is well proven on the many threads just on FSM forums alone.

Big companies, banks, etc  know that with human nature we may give up our principles over convienence.  Since there are less and less LHS and online sources dedicated to our hobby, should we not rise above this tendency and choose our principles?  I get it, in the moment when you are so close to finishing a build and the last supplies are just a few miles away at a hobby lobby, it is hard not to just drive there and get it.

Is that not the best time for our principles to rise above this?  If one thing we as model builders have, it's plenty of patience.  What are a few more days to order from a dedicated retailer to our hobby.

 I'll get off my soap box now.

  • Member since
    March 2015
Posted by Peaches on Sunday, September 10, 2017 7:14 AM

Hey, I don't know what part of the PS you live in, check out Skyway models.  I love going in there.  Also try HobbyTown down in Parkland, if they don't have it, they can generally order it for you.  

WIP:
Academy F-18 (1/72)

On Deck 

MH-60G 1:48 (Minicraft)

C-17 1/144

KC-135R 1/144

Academy F-18(1/72)

Ting Ting Ting, WTF is that....

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: Groton, CT
Posted by warshipguy on Sunday, September 10, 2017 6:44 AM

I checked out their catalog out of curiosity ad noticed that their prices were actually higher than those of my LHS. Kit selection was mediocre to poor.  I'll pass.

Bill

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Western North Carolina
Posted by Tojo72 on Sunday, September 10, 2017 5:59 AM
Well for me there was no fuss,just conversation ,I certainly dont see it a great source for models,but when they opened one near me I wanted to check it out.I was glad to see another place to run in and get a bottle of glue I spilled or paint that I needed to finish something,lots of artist oils and brushes also.It is what it is,a craft and hobby store that happens to have a handful of things a modeler might find useful,but certainly no fuss.I buy kits mostly online,but if they hit my sweet spot with that 40 % coupon then great.But I couldnt care less whether they were there or not,just like I feel about Michaels

  • Member since
    December 2013
  • From: Orlando Florida
Posted by route62 on Saturday, September 9, 2017 11:49 PM

I am curious, what is all the fuss about with Hobby Lobby when it comes to this hobby?  Their kit selection, paints, tools and accessories are meh at best.  Their prices are nothing special and they could care less if model builders bought from them or not.

It seems in the age of the internet, if you do not have a LHS near you to support, are we not better as model builders to support online retailers that take our hobby seriously like Squadron and other similar sellers that cater to us directly?

If HL was the only place to supply our needs for this hobby, I suspect many of us would have lost interest.

I see seveal pages of discussion on this forum dedicated to a company that would not even notice if we all stopped buying from them tomorrow.  I have never seen an ad from them in FSM.

  • Member since
    January 2007
Posted by the doog on Saturday, September 9, 2017 8:59 PM

stikpusher

Guys, this is certainly a political issue when your boycotting a businesses for whatever reason. Especially when we bring ISIS into the discussion. And it has no business on the forum. I could write pages on it but will not for that reason.

And armor is very correct. We have much greater problems out here at home than this. Especially those involving veterans. 

 

Actually, I've been thinking about that and no, it's nothing "political" with me. It's simply an ethical and moral decision. This really has nothing--nothing--to do with politics. It has everything to do with hypocrisy, self-interest, deceit, deception, and feeling like you're above the law--and choosing not to reward that by making an ethical/moral choice. That's it. In my mind, we have NO geater problems than this in America--that bearing, that mindset. If we were talking about the bigotry aspect, THAT would most definitely be "political". But this is about basic morality and ethics. And a store that happens to sell plastic models.

'nuff said. I'm done. Sad

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Saturday, September 9, 2017 7:23 PM

There's a new coupon every week... and when I need more thinner, Tamiya Extra Thin, or whatever, I'll use one... not to mention the occasional kit that they stick and I want like the M4A3E8, Gamma Goat, or AT-ST

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    April 2013
Posted by KnightTemplar5150 on Saturday, September 9, 2017 7:19 PM

Anybody in the mood to assemble some pre-painted 1/144 scale kits from China? I have a 40% off coupon!

 

Anyone? 

No?

 

Didn't think so. Well, that's another coupon that's going to expire unused.

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Saturday, September 9, 2017 6:58 PM

Criminal enterprises rate criminal charges in a court of law... at least theoretically... and working in that area for nearly 30 years now don't even get me started...  federal criminal laws are very political and not applied uniformly... even state and local laws are subject to the whim of the local D.A.

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Saturday, September 9, 2017 6:22 PM

Of course but I can care about multiple things at the same time.

i don't consider this political as I haven't said anything about employee rights abuses.

i just consider the company a criminal enterprise.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Saturday, September 9, 2017 5:14 PM

Guys, this is certainly a political issue when your boycotting a businesses for whatever reason. Especially when we bring ISIS into the discussion. And it has no business on the forum. I could write pages on it but will not for that reason.

And armor is very correct. We have much greater problems out here at home than this. Especially those involving veterans. 

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    May 2017
  • From: ohio I want to leave
Posted by armor 2.0 on Saturday, September 9, 2017 11:35 AM
All the crooked grap going on in this world and your worried about hobby lobby funding issi. Getting money for weapons to use on America soldiers give me a brake. You want to get bent about something how about all the money going into veterans administration and veterans walking the streets and others recently discharged not getting the help they deserve for protecting this country. Now there something to be concerned about.
  • Member since
    October 2016
  • From: .O-H-I-O....
Posted by DasBeav on Saturday, September 9, 2017 11:31 AM

I am fortunate to have a great LHS owned by great guy! I go to his wholesalers website and he orders stuff for me. Mostly the prices are comparable to Amazon and I don't have to pay shipping. I still end up paying  $50-100 every month or two, but I'd rather see him get my money than HL.

I will admit to buying a bottle of paint or getting a great deal on a model, but they are not getting rich off of me. (yes, I use the 40% off coupon on a bottle of VJ)

 Sooner Born...Buckeye Bred.

 

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Saturday, September 9, 2017 10:25 AM

I think it's an entirely appropriate thing to do to choose not to give them business. Reasonable alternatives exist. 

I unfortunately cannot choose who I buy gas from,  it I am saving up for an electric car.

I can and go buy my models online. 

Do I know what kind of ethics are practiced by Amazon? Yes. Do I agree with all of them? No.

So I spread it around on line too.

 

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    January 2007
Posted by the doog on Saturday, September 9, 2017 6:49 AM

stikpusher

Feeling a little "activist" Karl? 

Youve made it quite well known before about your personal feelings on the store on pretty much any thread that pops up. 

Your quoting and reposting of one particular post for the second time is venturing into the political. 

 

Guilty as charged, Stik--I won't even try to sugarcoat it.

It's just that I don't think I've ever seen a more UN-ambiguous moral/ethical choice in my life to be made than to boycott these shameless hypocrites, who have the absolute chutpah to actually write on their website " “Honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with biblical principles.”. OK, so let's overlook the well-documented bigotry of this company--some would see fit to excuse that on grounds of their professed "faith". Whistling But come on--the deceit and self-interest so evident in this latest fisaco---which may have put America lives and interests in danger, especially those of soldiers --seems so blatantly contemptuous of the law and any cynically-offered "Godly" personal standards that I can't believe some of the equivocations and willing attitudes to just "forgive" these manipulators and support their PERSONAL business, all for seemingly the sake of a few dollars saved!?

Let's be clear: this is not buying gas or fuel oil from some monstrous, faceless conglomerate of literally thousands of nameless merchants. This is not committing an irresponsible case of "not paying your mortgage" as someone else here said. This is making a personal choice to buy, after all, what are essentially "toys"--inconsequential model kits which can be had and bought online today with the mere press of a button.

Rant over. I'm out. But I remain deeply, genuinely disappointed. And by the way, yes I DO carefully and conscientiously choose where, and with whom, I spend my money.

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: Groton, CT
Posted by warshipguy on Friday, September 8, 2017 1:31 PM

Back in the 1960s, there were very, very few hobby shops around. Toy 'R Us was the biggest source of model kits around.  Then, joy of joys; the Squadron Shop opened in Silver Spring, MD (My Dad was stationed at Bethesda, MD then) and I discovered Mecca!  I have had a plethora of hobby shops around my travels in the U.S.N. ever since, and there is on where I retired near Groton.  The local Toys 'R Us has no model  kits.

  • Member since
    May 2017
Posted by Roald on Friday, September 8, 2017 12:18 PM

the doog

Just in case you guys who still shop at Hobby Lobby missed this: it bears repeating.

 
route62

"... the Green family had to pay a mutli million dollar fine and lose the artifacts because the way they were paying for the artifacts directly funded isis and they knew it. 

 

You buy stuff from Hobby Lobby.  That money makes its way to the Green family through fair and legal means and capitalism. The Green family buys artifacts on the black market knowingly funding isis.

Isis buys explosives, makes a ied, kills a US soldier.

 

I find what the Greens did to be indefensible and reprehensible. Full stop.

I also find that appropriate legal action was taken, and they paid the appropriate fine. Criminal prosecution would have been nice, but the facts did not support the likelihood of a conviction.

Did they knowingly support ISIS? I have no idea. Prosecution under the relevant federal statute requires a mens rea (state of mind) element. The prosecutor clearly felt that he could not prove this element, hence the plea deal.

Unfortunately, as consumers we are forced to make ethical concessions all the time. When I buy gas, I am supporting companies which do business with the Saudis who in turn fund madrasas that cultivate terrorists. When I pay my mortgage, I am funding a bank which has probably ripped people off, etc etc etc.

It is almost certain that you too, are engaging in economic activity with companies that you disapprove of in some way. The issue is where we draw the line, and that's going to depend on everything from our personal experiences to our political views.      

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Bethlehem PA
Posted by the Baron on Friday, September 8, 2017 12:13 PM

Roald

Just an update:

I stopped in to HL today to pick up some primer and noticed that lots of kits had been moved to the clearance section, and the shelves were half empty.

The guy working there said that a slew of new kits are arriving shortly. It'll be interesting to see what they get in. 

I recall from a previous post, whether in this thread (sorry, I didn't go back through and look) or in another thread, that this is their standard procedure, when a new shipment is due.

The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.

 

 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Fort Knox
Posted by Rob Gronovius on Friday, September 8, 2017 12:09 PM

Roald

Yeah, I haven't seen models at Toys R Us in ages. Used to occasionally buy them there as a kid in the early 80s. K-Mart was my mainstay, though.

 

The most recent model kits at Toys R Us were the Star Wars Force Awakens snap together Revell kits (TIE, X-Wing black and grey and Millenium Falcon). Also right after the Deadpool movie, they sold the Moebius deluxe figure model kit (1/8 scale).

But, yes, they used to carry a pretty good selection of model kits.

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Friday, September 8, 2017 11:09 AM

the doog

Just in case you guys who still shop at Hobby Lobby missed this: it bears repeating.

 
route62

"... the Green family had to pay a mutli million dollar fine and lose the artifacts because the way they were paying for the artifacts directly funded isis and they knew it. 

 

You buy stuff from Hobby Lobby.  That money makes its way to the Green family through fair and legal means and capitalism. The Green family buys artifacts on the black market knowingly funding isis.

Isis buys explosives, makes a ied, kills a US soldier.  

 

 

 

 

Feeling a little "activist" Karl? 

Youve made it quite well known before about your personal feelings on the store on pretty much any thread that pops up. 

Your quoting and reposting of one particular post for the second time is venturing into the political. 

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    July 2014
Posted by modelcrazy on Friday, September 8, 2017 10:36 AM

GMorrison
Sure wish I had an electric car.

 

I have a leaf. Here in Boise there aren’t any places to charge so it's like driving around on a 1/8 of a tank and the only place you can fill-er-up is at home. At a 120v trickle charge that can take up to 12 hours. Good for the battery but not good when you need a car. The driving distance isn't very far since I have an older car, 2012, and therefore an older battery. I can't make it 25 miles without hitting Bingo on the meter. The "estimated" range meter just isn't accurate. I'll get in the car and it will say I have 60 miles. I'll drive 1 mile and it will update to 52miles. I make it to work (7 miles from my home) and it will say I have 32 miles left. You just can rely on it and I drive carefully so I don't run out of power. The winter is far worse. I can BARLY go to work and back, a round trip of 14 miles, without being right at empty.
The older ones just aren’t worth the hassle. Although I do like passing gas stations, especially since my last car was a 2001 F-150 and I spent $80 every 2 weeks for the same trip. It’s a struggle to pay the yearly registration and strangles me every year. I won't get another one if I can help it.
I’ll go hybrid. 

Steve

Building a kit from your stash is like cutting a head off a Hydra, two more take it's place.

 

 

http://www.spamodeler.com/forum/

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

SEARCH FORUMS
FREE NEWSLETTER
By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. View our Privacy Policy.