Hobby Shop Poll

to date, all of my purchases have been made at hobby shops 30 or more minutes from my home. the drawback is that all to often they are not carrying what I would like to purchase. as a result I wind up with something other then what i wanted. I never leave the hobby shop empty handed. I have mail ordered from VLS a couple of times which I liked. that was before I had a computer. now I'm thinking of ordering online seems like that is the wave of the future. In my heart I'd really like to see a local hobby shop that is not so focused on RC modelling. In talking with one of the local RC shops his remarks were that he had tried carrying plastic models once, but it just cost him to much to maintain inventory. semper fi, mike

i mostly buy from the local hobby shop. But in the rare cases where a kit IS cheaper after shipping online than in the LHS, i buy online. that's how i got my 1/72 uboat.

i didn't vote again.......really i didn't.........but, i did try one of the LHS's today......again..........for some reason i keep hoping they'll finally have something in there besides just a few kits and all that RC ca ca..............i was silly enough to even ask about a compressor.........and "he" tried to hand me this teensie weensie air pump..........any others would be at Christmas or he could order me one.........sight unseen.......hope he gets his next car that way
and they don't carry AB's.......not that i need one.......
rant........rant......rant...........rant..........blah.......blah......blah...........
i'm really not that difficult to please............really i'm not
online shopping.........SHOULD put this guy under.................i hate feeling that way but, waddya all know about a screen doors in submarines[:0]

I am extemely lucky as I have three LHS 15 minutes from my house, just TOO easy to slip out and buy some goodies. They are all good at what I want, they are also great folks. Zokissima, where do you shop?

I've been very fortunate in having anywhere from 4 to 6 local shops over the past 15 years or so, with a further 4 shops within decent driving distance. (albeit in another country!)

Of the local shops, however, only one has been what I consider to be a well-stocked shop, offering the whole ball-o-wax; kits, fixins (brass, resin, etc), decals, books & rags and paint.

About the only thing this one particular shop lacks is tools, but I was also fortunate in having grown up in a household which contained more tools than have been made! I've also been taught to make certain types of tools with stuff that's laying around, if it's at all possible. So I'm set for three lifetimes as regards tools.

Anyhoo, despite the plentiful supply of local shops, the majority of my modeling-related purchasing in the last fifteen years has been at shows. The one well-stocked shop here doesn't have all that I want in the way of decals, fixins and books; and I will almost never buy these things without seeing them first, especially decals.

So I'd have to say that, for me, shows are it. And again, I'm fortunate in being able to attend anywhere from 4 to 8 shows a year.


Fade to Black...

I am extremely fortunate with my LHS's. There are three that I look into at least once a week. Two of them are less than 5 min from my house, and the third is 20 mins away. Between the three, there isn't much I can't get on the spot. Each of them seems to have a strong point. The one that is furthest away is the largest hobby warehouse in Canada, or so their web site (www.udisco.com) claims. It is huge, with a massive stock of kits. They claim to stock 60 000 items. But they are weak in aftermarket goods, at least for armor, in diorama materials and refernce material. Between the two that are close to me, one is the best source for paints and tools, and the other for reference materials, AM, diorama stuff, plus a very healthy stock of kits. They will also order anything that isn't in stock. I haven't had to order online yet, though I do need an accessory kit that none of them have in stock. I am a very lucky modeler.

Hello,
Most of the bulk of my buying has gone to the National shop because of price and location. But whenever I can I go to King's Hobby in Austin!! They are privately owned and specialize in models, trains and figures. They really know their stuff and love what they do!!! It's just I'm on the outskirts and it's a good 30 minute ride there with 2 Hobby Lobbies and another privately-owned hobby shop!! ( way over-priced & the owners are just shady!!! Which Sucks!!!)
So I actually haven't been to King's in awhile!! But I do go out of my way to give them business because they are just so amazing!!!! They are the only place that I know of in town to get Alclad II and BMF!!!! I even got to meet Mr. King one day!!! He is a brilliant modeler he was so helpful!!! He's getting up there in years so he's not there most of the times I've been there!!!
Cheers & Happy Modeling Everyone!!!!
Kelley

I usually do my shopping at Hobby Lobby which is 45 miles from home. I go about every two weeks now. Otherwise I go to Squadron about every 6 months. It's 85 miles from the house. These are the two closest to me except for some that are RC only.

I'm like Woody I have to drive around Three hours to go to a LHS. But hey I found out me and Woody live 40 miles away from each other

........unfortuneately where i live now there are two hobby shoppes and neither satisfies any need i have for commraderie, tools, decals, paint selection........etc.........etc......etc.
i voted other due to new circumstances and a cruel world............

just visited mom's back in the states and if i had not shipped what i've collected over the years in supplies and kits, i'd have to revert to mail order from Hannants or Squadron and though i've mail ordered plenty i'm still gun shy as to what i order and what i'll receive

whoa is me.........Phil's of Dallas with Terry & Mike Bobe......Cliff, Mark, AT, The Professor, Rick..........et al.........without them and that therapy shoppe.........it's like trying to find a way to carry on with the only solace being here in the forum or sanding down the seem lines on a new project............whether i'm near that hallowed ground or not......the mere fact that the shoppe no longer exists is sad enough........
thank God for the people of this great hobby..............and thank you FSM for this forum...........
here's an interesting scenerio........i asked if could display a finished Sf3D / ZbV3000 Gustav in one of the LHS's and was refused because i had not purchased it from them................now, how does that promote the hobby ???????????
what do you think.....would it be good poll subject ???????

G'day Rob,

Thanks very much for your e-mails and all the advice again. It is invaluable. Whereabouts are the hobby shops you mention above?

Bob

There are 4 Hobby Shops within 15mins of home 3 of which are in the City.

Rob.

I try to give my lhs the bizz.

most of the time i use ebay for kits and oop stuff , the store i use is hannants in the uk for paints etc , and greatmodels in the usa for other stuff

The nearest one to me is about an hour away. Its a Hobbytown USA in Charleston, SC. So as you can see its not a trip that you would take everyweek so i only go maybe at least two times every few months. so when i go i stock up. Ive never ordered online, but have been thinking about it.

QUOTE: Originally posted by ArmorMaster I have 3 hobby shops within a 15 mile radius of my house! Wow, I think I'm lucky! But (as you can image) I've never ordered online before, never need to!

I am also fortunate enough to live within about 10 miles of three hobby shops: Hobbies Unlimited (My favorite), Scenario Game Shoppe, and HobbyTown USA.
If they don't have what I am looking for then I can cross the bridge and go to San Antonio Hobby Shop in Mountain View which is only about 20 miles. This store is huge and has 15,000 sq ft of hobby supplies.
http://www.sahobby.com/
A little further south and probably about 25 miles away and I can go to D&J Hobbies in Campbell which is also well-stocked. http://www.djhobby.com

Mike

Seems to me in recent weeks, the LHS I'd been going to in Tempe (about a twenty minute drive from my apartment in Phoenix) has gotten lazy about getting paint and stuff in. Now a few days ago, I went to the IPMS Craig Hewitt chapter and learned that a brand new hobby shop just opened in Glendale, which puts it more or less on the way to my mother's house. I'll have to check out this new hobby shop on the way to her house sometime soon; the shop ought to get a lot of business from people on the west side of the Phoenix area.

I rely on mail-order. The closest decent hobby shop is in Saginaw, a 3hr drive. The locals talk a good talk with their ads and commercials but they hardly carry anything. Try to buy paint! A bottle of this and a bottle of that.

I go to my LHS at least once a week, but I order a lot off eBay. Great to find older kits, and tools. And of course Micro-Mark online ordering


Cheers
Thom

It used to be that there would be several shops in any town which had a reasonable selection of models, but now it is so hard to find a halfway decent model shop within driving distance I seem to be shopping almost exclusively online. Shame really as there's nothing better than going in and having a good browse before buying

Paints, glues and some kits from the LHS, however often its significantly cheaper even after postage, to go on-line for kits, especially 1/43rd which just aren' catered for here.

I buy most of my kits and accessories online, but for paint, glue, sheet styrene, tools, etc. I usually go to the hobby store.
I do this because there is much more selection online. I can order whatever kit I want, not just what a store has in stock.

I've really just starting building a tool collection and most of my tools have been purchases from One Dollar stores. Clamps, pliers, etc... These are the kinds of tools would would use on any thing heavey duty, but adapt to the plastic world really well.

As for brushes and paints... Wal-Mart usually.

On occasion, I'll purchase a tool from a hobby shop, but I'll look around local hardware stores first for the same thing at a cheaper price.

As for the plastic itself, I get that from LHS's or On Line.

Don

Will buy all of my paints and small suppies from two LHS's and kits and hard to gets from online stores.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Kit Built I just heard that we are getting a Hobby Town this June. Because I’m somewhat loyal to my LHS, (the only on in the city) I’m not sure if I’d like a new store or not. My LHS is closer to my home and has a very good selection, but on occasion I have to wait three to six weeks for special orders. I’m concerned that HT may draw me away from the LHS if there selection is bigger and prices are lower. I would hate to see my LHS go out of business because of a national chain store.

Hobbytown USA's are all locally owned and operated franchees. So technicly they are LHS's.

I have to go 45km's to get to the city - but there's 3 very good hobby shops there - quite a good variety available.

I quess Im lucky that I have 3 resonable hobby shops within a 30 min drive of home. occassional I use mail order to get so add on parts.

I stumbled onto the LHS I used for 3 years while on Okinawa, great little shop, aisles full of plastic. I did and still do get some specific things from online, but usually after I've looked far and wide for a "real" shop that has it first. Now that I'm settling back down in NC, I started to look for a new LHS for my patronage, but I got called away for a few months and didn't really get to deep into my search. My wife and I make it a part of any trip we take, she looks for scrapbook shops and I look for hobby shops.

I'm fortunate to have a really well stocked LHS that specialises in plastic kits & accessories about a 20 min. drive away. Only things I might buy at shows or eBay would be OOP kits/accessories that the LHS can't order.