Talking Points About Your Local Hobby Shop

Hobby Town here closed many years ago and all I now have is a store mostly dedicated to model railroading. There's one small isle of plastic kits and another for supplies that's mostly Tamiya paint and Model Master. If they have a plan for replacing the MM paint I'm unaware of it. I love having a somewhat local place to buy stuff but he charges full retail so I don't use him as my primary source. I like browsing thru the kits hoping to find something new and interesting but that rarely happens. I would assume he's hanging on at best and don't expect to see him open much longer. It's sad and the story with so many in the retail industry. 

I have been going to Colpars since 1976.  I used to go there twice a week, sometimes three, before I remarried and moved to Westminster.  I still go there once a month, until COVID.  That's OK, as I build mostly 1/35 armor and I have all the kits I need, and a lot I don't.    Colpar means Colorado Partners in case your interested.   I have been friends with the old owners, and still friends with the current manager. 

I feel they are as well stocked as ever.   Dragon kits are going way down though probably due to high retail prices, but the new brands  with larger boxes, Meng, Tasca, Border and others take their place.  I'm not into car model at all, so how they are doing I have no clue.  Same for airplanes and flooty things.  They used to have IPMS meeting there, CoMMieS where they built, chatted and other modeler stuff.  

The paint supplies have changed as Testors has gone away, as I've pretty much gone to Tamiya, it has no impact on me.   I use a Hobby Town 2 miles away from me for emergancies.  But I still go to Colpars.

I like to buy from Colpars,  I like having local hobby shops.  We used to have several in the greater Denver area, not any more.  

I live close to Boulder, I used to live there and know the town well, I can tell you stories. 

You can quote me, why, it's beyond me.   

We had one shop close when he lost his lease.  Another has really downgraded his stock of plastic kits, really focuses on r/c.  His paint line was almost all MM.  The last one closest to me (40 miles) is r/c, train and plastic.  OK selection, but paint is thin on brands.  Best one is 90 miles away with good selection and several paint lines.  I find myself looking more and more to online, but do patronize the 90 mile shop when I get up there.

Tojo72

What local hobby shop ??? 

 

Colpar seemed to be giving up years ago with no COVID going on.  I stopped going there because they never seemed to keep their stock levels up on paint and other supplies...lots of empty paint racks and bins.  Would have loved to keep supporting them as I have since the 80s, but they just didn't seem like they wanted to be doing it anymore.  I didn't feel like I had any choice but to start buying stuff on-line.  Most of the time that means I'm still supporting a mom and pop operation...just not in my own town.

What local hobby shop ???