prostreeter69 Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Hey Guys: I will be visiting Chicago this next week and wanted to get suggest for local model shops in the area that I could check out. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High octane Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Where abouts in Chicago as a lot of shops are gone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Al's in Elmhurst closed down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Yup, mine is one of the few left. There are a handful of HobbyTown franchises, I happen to work for the one in St. Charles, then there's a couple down in the Joliet area, I think there's a train oriented shop in Elgin still, not sure about Prosek's between West Chicago and Winfield, I think they're now just flowers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Al's in Elmhurst closed down. Yup, we did end up hiring their best known R/C guy a couple weeks ago though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 There's a decent hobby shop out in Rockford. I forget the name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrKerry Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 There's a decent hobby shop out in Rockford. I forget the name. Royal Hobby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prostreeter69 Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 I'm stay in Elk Grove Village. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrKerry Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 There is Venture Hobbies in Chicago outer area. Not sure if it's still open or not but that was always a good one to go to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 There is Venture Hobbies in Chicago outer area. Not sure if it's still open or not but that was always a good one to go to. Venture closed a couple years ago too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 I'm stay in Elk Grove Village. The Schaumburg HTU will be one of the closer ones for you then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exotics_Builder Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 If you are staying in Elk Grove, there is Des Plaines Hobbies in Des Plaines. Main focus is trains, but they do carry car plastic and have a large paint selection. There is also a shop in Mundelein. The closest Hobbytown to Elk Grove is the one in Schaumburg. I haven't been to the Saint Charles one, but other CRAS in Miniature members speak highly of it. There also is one in Northbrook that has a big auto model section. There is also America's best train shop in Itasca, but I haven't been by there in years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 What about Revell? They're right there in Elk Grove. I don't know if they sell or give tours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Don't know about that Jim, I hear a couple of their guys seem to be pretty active in the local model car clubs a couple friends/cutomers are members of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prostreeter69 Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 A tour of Revell would be cool! I will have to see if that is possible. We have a Hobby Town here that carry's a lot of models but not much in the way of detail stuff, can you tell me if the ones up there do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 The one in Schaumburg has a limited selection, the one Joe works at in St. Charles has a much better selection. But St. Charles is a haul from EGV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 True, depending on where you're staying, it could be 45-60 minutes to my store. Going crawling at Busse Woods, it could take 30-45 minutes from home in West Chicago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 The two biggest and best hobby shops in the Chicago area (Al's and Venture) are long gone... the one in Des Plaines is somehow still in business, but their kit selection is nothing special, just typical. Besides that one, we have the same franchise stores (Hobby Lobby and Hobbytown USA) that pretty much everyone else has. I guess I'm saying if you're hoping there's some super-cool hobby shop here that'll knock your socks off... there isn't. You're not going to find a whole lot up here that you can't also find right there at home (or online). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prostreeter69 Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 I'm driving up from Arkansas so maybe if I'm close coming or going? I'm staying at the Holiday Inn in Elk Grove Village. Never been north that direction new adventure for me and the wife. Going to hit the arch in St. Louis as well and then some fun stuff in Chicago and a little work the reason for the trip. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Des Plaines Hobbies is the closest to Elk Grove Village... it's just minutes away. Look at google maps... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prostreeter69 Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 Just like to look in new areas when I have the chance. What about St. Louis? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Just like to look in new areas when I have the chance. What about St. Louis? Hot and humid... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exotics_Builder Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 (edited) A tour of Revell would be cool! I will have to see if that is possible. We have a Hobby Town here that carry's a lot of models but not much in the way of detail stuff, can you tell me if the ones up there do? I've been to their offices a couple of times. Revell, here, is just corporate offices. including design teams. There is no manufacturing here. They do have a storage area where they have some kits. This is where they go for customer service parts they send out to us. The hobby shops around here that are left do not carry a lot of detail stuff either. As Harry said, there is no knock your socks off place left. Edited July 3, 2014 by Exotics_Builder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prostreeter69 Posted July 3, 2014 Author Share Posted July 3, 2014 Harry that sounds like Arkansas! Well thought I would ask considering I'm going to be in the area anyway you never know where you will find that one thing you've been looking for. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemodeler Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Jon, If you are up for a little more travel, head up to Milwaukee and visit a couple of good shops there- Greenfield News & Hobby, Model Empire, & Happy Hobby (?) They are full of kits and other related items and Model Empire is more like the "old time" hobby shops with all kinds of goodies. Sadly, the couple of good hobby shops mentioned here (Al's and Venture Hobbies) were once destinations for us modelers but like many others, have gone out of business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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