Has anyone else made this observation

One of the members of my local IPMS chapter (Craig Hewitt in Phoenix) purchased Hobby Depot in Tempe. It used to have a lot of RC and some model railroad stuff, but now it's got an even better selection of model kits. I recently got some glue tips; just a small purchase, but worth the drive down to check the place out. I tried to find Great Scale Modeling 2008 but he didn't have any. Maybe I'll try Andy's Hobby Headquarters in Glendale, Arizona, which is on the way to Mother's house. Andy's is a relatively new hobby shop at the corner of 59th Avenue and Greenway Avenue. 

Hobby Emporiem up in Tyngy is a pretty good shop selection wise, but their prices are not good. And several members of their staff can be rather abrasive. You should come down to The Spare Time Shop in Marlborough. Great selecton, great prices and discounts for club members plus the birthday discount. The guy has been in biz for 35 years so he knows the biz. Special orders no problem and I can say after having been in hobby shops in 4 countrys that nobody has the selection of books and mags that this guy has. That's my shameless plug for my favorite LHS that's still in working order. Those of you in the Austin area please join me in shedding a tear for Cedar Park Hobbies and Village Hobbies. Before I left that town I spent many a happy hour in those shops. I was there for the last day Village was open. those were not happy hours. But I have some great memorys and some great kits and a few good friends all from those shops.

 

 

                                            Andrew

 

Before the days of the 'Net (mid 80's)....in Syracuse, NY....there was a LHS called "The Plastic Place" in a strip mall. The joint was about 40x60 with 3 islands of shelves and shelves all along the walls.....all stocked with all manner of kits.....racks of paints, trees full of Microscale decals!

You could wander in with a WIP on a Friday evening and show things, ask advice, look at other folks' work and generally have a great time.....and spend a little cash.

There was a huge balsa R/C model of a B-36 suspended from the ceiling. It never flew, but I believe they fired it up once.

Our local IPMS met in a meeting room of a local bank that donated the space. 

It's the same story in the UK, too.

Kits are now no longer something that can be treated as an extension of the toyshop range. The brand leaders are simply becoming too sophisticated and costly and the pocket money stuff is generally so poor and such hard work that kids are being put off the hobby.

Given the fact that almost everything is now imported, it is only the big specialist places, usually mail order that can compete because that have the ability to create high turnover through enormous bulk purchase. 

Finescale Models in N. Vancouver has to be seen to be believed. This guy has everything! Nicest HS I've ever been in, bar none. I do lots of mail ordering from there, and on the occasion I find myself in Vancouver (1.5 hrs away by plane), I will always find myself on the Sea Bus heading north.

Sorry to revive a dead thread but I can't resist..

NAMREDNEF(Fenderman backwards?...I'm a Gibson guy myself!.)  I remember the Plastic Place very well. He actually had his shop in about four or five different  little store fronts up and down Salina street over the period of a couple years. Then I lost track of him. He was a good guy...wish I could remember his name.(Bruce?) He even let me put some of my amateur builds on display in the front window.

Looking back I see that I should have had more appreciation for a good shop that was within walking distance...at one point it was only a few blocks away from my home.

Great memories of going in at the age of 15 to play the arcade games and then just browsing. Bought my first Tamiya kit there. The T-62A. I held onto that kit for thirty years. just built it two years ago. Also bought a Tamiya "Hetzer", an Italeri M-47 Patton, Tamiya M-113, Pollyscale acrylics (which were completely new to me and a godsend.) and Shep Paines books.

That little store of his kick-started my whole model building "career". Without it I probably would have partied my youth away.

I sure miss those days.

Plastic Place.Thank you for bringing a kernel of joy into my sad little teenage existence.

You will always have a special place in my heart..

Nam is over on Swannies.

yeah man it sucks, there's nothing like going into the LHS to pick up some paint in a pinch, if this guy hits the lottery, I'll open a great hobby shop for us traditionalists

Wow, talk about thread revivals. All the way from back in 2008. That's pretty impressive!

Ive noticed the same depressing thing. I live in Dublin CA which is in the Bay Area. At one time I had a plethora of shops to choose from, my favorite being Wolds Hobbies right down the street from my house. That shop had been there for about 25 years and when the economy went south, they closed up due to increased leases. They were great stocking everything froms model RR to RC to plastic kits and all in between. All other shops followed. Now the only shop close to me is HobbyTown USA which is off in Concord about 45 mins from me. They are great but just to far for everyday visits. Since then I have been forced to hit the web and ebay more than I care to do. Its a shame as their is no decline in the anount of us modeling but a decline in where we can get our fix. If only all these young hoodlums today took interest in something other than skinny jeans and color coordinated outfits, we might have been able to see some shops come back. I guess we just have to accept the days of old are long gone. *SIGH* :'(