LHS Love

[67 GT-Five]

I Think It's Time For Us Modelers To Show Our Appreciation And Love For Our LHS's. Where Do You Guys Get Your Stuff? Give Some Publicity And Appreciation To The LHS's That Give Us Our Fix.

Personally, There Are Three That I Frequent, Hanson Hobby of Hanson, MA (Which Is Pretty Much A House Which Half Of Which Is A Hobby Shop), Harry's Hobbies & Collectables of Norton, MA Which Is One Of The Only Shops That Sells As Many Tools And Gadgets And Extras As ModelKits And Paints,

And There Is My Personal Favorite J&J Diecast Collectables, It's A Small Place In The Back Of A Building Near A Police Station. Very Run Down And Hard To Find, But It's A Haven. And The Guy Will Even Let People Come To His House To Look Through His Stash Of Kits!!

Thanks To All The LHS's For Keeping Our Hobby Alive. LDLD

[jrmullens1]

I Think It's Time For Us Modelers To Show Our Appreciation And Love For Our LHS's. Where Do You Guys Get Your Stuff? Give Some Publicity And Appreciation To The LHS's That Give Us Our Fix.

Personally, There Are Three That I Frequent, Hanson Hobby of Hanson, MA (Which Is Pretty Much A House Which Half Of Which Is A Hobby Shop), Harry's Hobbies & Collectables of Norton, MA Which Is One Of The Only Shops That Sells As Many Tools And Gadgets And Extras As ModelKits And Paints,

And There Is My Personal Favorite J&J Diecast Collectables, It's A Small Place In The Back Of A Building Near A Police Station. Very Run Down And Hard To Find, But It's A Haven. And The Guy Will Even Let People Come To His House To Look Through His Stash Of Kits!!

Thanks To All The LHS's For Keeping Our Hobby Alive. LDLD

J&J Diecast in Taunton, I did the Hot Wheels and Johnny Lighning logos engraved in his counters, I stop by there when I go up that way to see my oldest daughter. i love that shop

[67 GT-Five]

J&J Diecast in Taunton, I did the Hot Wheels and Johnny Lighning logos engraved in his counters, I stop by there when I go up that way to see my oldest daughter. i love that shop

That Was You? That's Some Nice Work Man. I Like Those I Love His Shop Though. It's Probably The Shop That Kept Me Into Modeling Recently.

[jrmullens1]

That Was You? That's Some Nice Work Man. I Like Those I Love His Shop Though. It's Probably The Shop That Kept Me Into Modeling Recently.

Great Shop, really nice guy. I did those engraving when he used to be in the back of building.

[MR BIGGS]

Well I don’t really deal with hobby stores but when I got to its only Pegasus hobbies. The best part is they give me 40% off everything so I cant complain. I get all my stuff directly from the manufacturers when I need something we got a 7,000 square ft warehouse full of models and toys where we sell wholesale or on the internet on our ebay store.

[RodBurNeR]

Here in Omaha we have two Hobby Town stores. Two or three Hobby Lobby's, One or two Michael's, one Mangelson's, a few train and collectible shops that carry a little model stuff and before wally world quit selling, there was 9 super centers i could buy from. Where do i get my stuff most of the time? My appreciation?

I barely EVER buy from the locals. I buy emergency items such as bare metal foil or paint...that is about it. I don't and won't buy kits that cost $18-$24 when i can buy them online SHIPPED for $13-$15. I am not the only one that feels this way around here.....I speak "mostly" of Hobby Town on this though. The prices are too high PERIOD. Sure....Hobby Town supports the hobby, puts on a couple contests each year and has some sales for us......BUT what i don't care for is the customer service to begin with. Most shops i have been to (not just in Omaha) care more about trains and R/C than they do models. How do i know? If they cared about models as much , they would hire someone who KNOWS what is going on in the plastic modeling world. I can't even have a conversation with the store manager about AMT/MPC coming back, they don't even know about it. I ask "do you have the new testor's lacquer?".....uh, they have no clue and when i get them to look on the computer, they are so edgy about buying it that i was told to buy a CASE of each color i wanted because they were afraid it would not be a good seller. WTH? I tell them everytime i bring something up they don't know about...... "if you don't have it on the shelf, it will NOT sell".......that should be a clear indication to anyone with good business practice.

Don't get me wrong, i know how the economy is and how hard it is to keep a shop open. I realize they prices are jacked up because of inflation.....LOL....hmmm ok. I think if the prices were a little lower and if the employees were not rude (in Omaha) and actually knew something about models......i would buy from them! Heck , even with the high prices i would buy something if the employees seemed knowledgable or at least pretend to care.

Seriously, i could walk in and ask about R/C and i would have a Technician, Salesman and Manager at my feet to help me with whatever i want. If i walk in and ask for after market parts or certain paints all i get is dumb looks and the "i have no idea" responses. Why? What happened to hobby shops? I thought these shops started because of MODELS?

The only place i used to frequent in Omaha was the 3rd Hobby Town that my late uncle owned. I got a discount and it was family....i could hang in there and talk and my uncle was one of the reasons i started building when i was little. I could ask him anything about models and he KNEW. Face it .....at least from my experience, the generation that knows plastic modeling don't work in hobby shops.

Ok , that was not meant to be a rant...but a "point of view".

I buy everything from friends ,eBay, business owners that i know will treat me right and the occasional yard sale find or auction. Those are the people i really care about, the one's that care about me and i show my APPRECIATION to the REAL hobbyists!

[mikemodeler]

Like Bob said about Omaha, here in Charlotte the LHS are geared more towards R/C than models. I understand that R/C is bigger bucks and the instant gratification that comes with it. My own kids have a hard time sitting down and building with Dad because of the time involved, but once at a LHS they remarked they would really like one of those $400 R/C cars because they are ready to go.

I travel the Southeast so I search out the LHS wherever I go, but as of late I have been hitting the Hobby Lobby or Big Lots because I can find some bargains. I also try to hit as many shows as possible because that has been the best way to find resin and old kits here.

I will be going back to the Milwaukee area in a couple of weeks and am planning to hit Model Empire in West Allis, Don's Hobbies in Kenosha, and if I have time, Venture Hobbies in Wheeling. I love these places and ALWAYS buy something whenever I am near them because they are great hobby shops. Don's is a throw back to the old days that I remember and Model Empire is very similar as well. The selection offered by all three is vast and hard to choose what to buy.

Yeah, if there was a plastic oriented LHS near Charlotte, I would definitely be hanging around and supporting them but have yet to find it.

Mike

[lordairgtar]

I support my LHSs, but we have good ones in the Milwaukee, Kenosha, and Racine areas. First, Greenfield News And Hobbies is excellent. Lot's of kits plus everything else like magazines (all kinds) from model mags to car mags, craft, news, political, science, art, music, writing, puzzles and even those...uh...the ones you find under Gregg's bed! :D:D:o:o<_< Can be pricey but atleast our model club gets a discount, plus it is where I can buy my art supplies. Then, Model Empire is also a great one, great kit selection and our club displays our builds there. They also have OOP kits for sale, plus military, rockets, Breyer horses and the largest selection of photo-etch I've seen anywhere. Prices are low, and there is always the shelf with the new release stuff at discount. I rarely buy online anywhere as I am in the process of going completely debt free and have cut up all the credit cards save one.

[evilone]

big ups to

PEGASUS HOBBIES in montclare

they may cost alot but they have alot of model stuff there

[jrmullens1]

I have maybe 2 LHS's, Apponaug Hobby, HOBBYRI.com, not much for modelers, 2 sets of shelves, but he has ships, armor, electric trains, slot cars and stuff like that, I only buy BMF or a magazine from him once in awhile. AA Hobbies, right around the corner from my work, but all TRAINS, SHIPS and ARMOR. Darlington hobby in Pawtucket, but I don't drive that far if I don't know whats in stock, been a long time since I've set foot in there, he had a TON of OLD kits but priced out of my range. Most hobby shops don't tend to last around here, between high rents, high cost to supply as a small business, cost have to be past on to the consumer, but the thing that gets me is when the sign says open at 11AM, your there at 12:30pm, UPS labels stuck to the door and the lights are off. Or close at 8pm, you get there at 7pm and lights are out. Can't make money if you ain't open. That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

[samdiego]

We gots Phillip's Hobby Headquarters in El Cajon (ca-hone), a Hobby People a few blocks away from that and a Hobby Central north of Mission Valley. If you want to hang out and talk plastic, go to Phil's, that's all he sells, even though he keeps threatening to stop carrying cars. He's also the only place I know of to grab an MCM in SD County. Whenever I want to be ignored because I don't speak RC, I go to the other two. Yeah, Phil is higher than Walmart but I'm glad he's there and will patronize his place to help keep him there and because I know that he cares.

[CaseyG83]

I shop Top Shelf models in Owasso Ok, the guy who owns it, Royal, is the best! Great selection, great prices and very helpful! The only other place I shop is the local hobby town (only cause royal doesn’t carry Tamiya acrylic paints) and because I’m not buying $500 r.c. cars and planes they’d never miss me…

[MicroNitro]

Here in the Indy area, you can't beat Big Four. They have great prices and friendly people.

[jrmullens1]

67- Nice to seeu finally started a thread rather than u'r usual

JR- Ive been there many times (J&J's) --- VEEEEERRRY NIIIIIICE WORK!!!!!!!!. If your custom bases are that Kick-A$$ SIGN ME UP DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BTW I support the same LHS's as 67 being that I am his transportation. I have also heard tell of another LHS in Pawtucket RI that Ive heard good things of. (any details JR????). all Im waiting on is my next pay check and some directions from a buddy of mine (dont feel like gettin lost in "the bucket") and I'm There.

Darlington Hobby on RT15 is the only one i know of, there used to be one called Parent Hobby, i wen there once in the 80's, only place i could find purple spray paint to paint the old 83 Lake Speed WYNNS Oldsmobile stock car.

[Billy Kingsley]

I love that Petty Superbird avitar shot, nice!

I have two LHS within 5 minutes of my house. One, the closest, is simply called Hobby House. They stock Tamiya paint which makes up the majority of my purchases from them. The other, Dutchess Train & Hobby, stocks MCM and the regular Testors Enamels (Hobby House doesn't) which make up the majority of my purchases from him. Bob, the owner of Dutchess Train & Hobby (which I refer to simply as Bob's) had me sign a copy of the issue with my MASSCAR 2007 coverage and added it to his collection of customer magazine articles!

Most of my kits, however, come from one of the TNMCC members. He doesn't have a shop but he sets up at the meetings, and club members get a discount. I would say since I joined in 2002 that 90% of all my kit purchases have come from him. The rest would be old stuff or the occasional oddball thing I buy at the NNLs.

I also have to make mention of Racing City Hobbys in South Glens Falls NY, and Centerline Hobbies on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Racing City was the first hobby shop I ever went into, back in 1996 or 1997 when he first opened, and it's where I got my first Scale Auto (#131) which led to me joining the internet modeling hobby-which led me here. He also carries the Testors Lacqers and whenever I run out I usually just drive the 3 hours to get to his shop instead of waiting for Hobby House to order it! LOL! (It means another trip to Lake George) Centerline Hobbies in Massachusets has the BIGGEST car kit variety I've ever seen and stocks several kinds of paint I've only seen there. Every time I go to the Cape (all too rarely!) I make a trip to there and end up leaving with on average $100 less then I had before!

Bob, that stinks about your HobbyTowns. I have one of them fairly locally-it's in Conneticut but only about an hour away-and the owner actually IS into model cars, and carries some stuff that I don't see anywhere else, namely foreign kits, and he's the only place I know that carries Italiari and Hasegawa on a regular basis. Unfortunatly like all HTU's he's a little pricey though.

[gasman]

I've got a few.

Hobby Express in Cranberry. always has the latest kits in stock. and at the cheapest price in the region. They also have a great selection of OOP kits. I don't go as much as I used too though. with gas at $4 a gallon its kinda out of the way for me. this shop seems to do well. considering it in the same shopping complex as a Target. and is less then a mile away from a Wal-Mart

Esther's Hobby shop in Millvale. best selection of paint in the area. they are mostly a N scale train store. but they got a small selection of kits. this hobby shop is celebrating its 70th year in operation this year. which is something, since it was heavily damaged by a flood in 2004.

Hobby Town USA in Robinson Township. this is the one I frequent the most. since its not out of my way and its on my home from school. good kit supply but there $$$$$. decent paint and supply selection.

A.B. Charles and Sons. great old hobby shop, they've been around for 60 years. great selection of kits. there a big RC store. I havent been there in years though. its really out of my way. I used to go once a week becouse I used to work in the area. but they closed the manufactuering plant I worked at and I havent been in the area since.

[67 GT-Five]

I've Heard Of The One In Pawtucket (Darlington Hobby) From A Friend Who Loved It When She Was Younger, She Just Can't Get There Now. Hopefully Me And Led Will Be Going Down There Soon.

I'm Graced Enough To Have Hobby Shop Owners That Are Actually Into Modeling. I Think One Of The Best Shops I've Seen - When You Look At Diversity In What They Sell, Friendliness, And Interesting People Who Know What They're Talking About - May Be Harry's Hobbies & Collectables. They're Real Good To Me And Led As Well As (To My Knowledge) Everyone Else. They Give Us A Discount For All Our Support, And They're Some Nice People To Just Chat With. They Carry Everything I Can Think Of From Tamiya Paints And Model Masters To After Market Parts And Tools Galore!

[jrmullens1]

67- Nice to seeu finally started a thread rather than u'r usual

JR- Ive been there many times (J&J's) --- VEEEEERRRY NIIIIIICE WORK!!!!!!!!. If your custom bases are that Kick-A$$ SIGN ME UP DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BTW I support the same LHS's as 67 being that I am his transportation. I have also heard tell of another LHS in Pawtucket RI that Ive heard good things of. (any details JR????). all Im waiting on is my next pay check and some directions from a buddy of mine (dont feel like gettin lost in "the bucket") and I'm There.

BTW, Led and 67, if you like those logos I did at J&J, wait until you see my car portraits.

[RodBurNeR]

Bob, have you checked out Tony's Toys & Collectibles at Crossroads Mall? It's on the west end, in the old K&B Toys space. Tony is a good guy to deal with, & carries some nice aftermarket stuff. I do agree with you on Hobbytown. Mangelsons is where I got my Model King Monte Carlo Super Stocker reissue, the only kit I've bought there, but they do have some of the older Testors enamel colors that are hard to find anywhere else. I do most of my buying at Tony's or Hobby Lobby, usually only getting Model Cars Magazine & Scale Auto at Hobbytown, though I will buy the occasional kit there, plus it's the only local source I know of for Tamiya paints. I frequent the one in La Vista, off of Giles, as there's a Hobby Lobby across the street, (& they carry the full line of Testors lacquers, (except they don't yet have all the new "One Coat" series), & it's a short drive, (relatively speaking) to 72th & then down to Crossroads to Tony's.

DOH! yes i forgot about Tony Stark..... i have known him for 15 years. I have not been to his new store in the Crossroads since he has been Ill and i don't care to see anyone but him.

Since we are plugging Tony, i should mention that what i said about buying from "friends"...i totally meant Steve Kohler aka Star Models too. He is right here in Omaha and we have been friends for many years also. I did run into an ebay seller that lives here , much to my surprise we have a LOT in common. He builds too! I guess between us modelers, we always have a place to turn.

Edited June 3, 2008 by awbcrazy

[RodBurNeR]

I love that Petty Superbird avitar shot, nice!

I have two LHS within 5 minutes of my house. One, the closest, is simply called Hobby House. They stock Tamiya paint which makes up the majority of my purchases from them. The other, Dutchess Train & Hobby, stocks MCM and the regular Testors Enamels (Hobby House doesn't) which make up the majority of my purchases from him. Bob, the owner of Dutchess Train & Hobby (which I refer to simply as Bob's) had me sign a copy of the issue with my MASSCAR 2007 coverage and added it to his collection of customer magazine articles!

Most of my kits, however, come from one of the TNMCC members. He doesn't have a shop but he sets up at the meetings, and club members get a discount. I would say since I joined in 2002 that 90% of all my kit purchases have come from him. The rest would be old stuff or the occasional oddball thing I buy at the NNLs.

I also have to make mention of Racing City Hobbys in South Glens Falls NY, and Centerline Hobbies on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Racing City was the first hobby shop I ever went into, back in 1996 or 1997 when he first opened, and it's where I got my first Scale Auto (#131) which led to me joining the internet modeling hobby-which led me here. He also carries the Testors Lacqers and whenever I run out I usually just drive the 3 hours to get to his shop instead of waiting for Hobby House to order it! LOL! (It means another trip to Lake George) Centerline Hobbies in Massachusets has the BIGGEST car kit variety I've ever seen and stocks several kinds of paint I've only seen there. Every time I go to the Cape (all too rarely!) I make a trip to there and end up leaving with on average $100 less then I had before!

Bob, that stinks about your HobbyTowns. I have one of them fairly locally-it's in Conneticut but only about an hour away-and the owner actually IS into model cars, and carries some stuff that I don't see anywhere else, namely foreign kits, and he's the only place I know that carries Italiari and Hasegawa on a regular basis. Unfortunatly like all HTU's he's a little pricey though.

yeah Billy, the last Hobby Town in Omaha that was run by a person who liked and built models was my Uncle Bob's place. He knew how to detail ships and how to wire hyrdraulics on a lowrider model. He was a true hobbyist. I can't totally blame the shops here for not caring....if you saw the Hobby Plex here you would understand. Check these pics and see what our Hobby Plex looks like....they make tons of money on R/C. I just wish they had someone there that cared about models.

it's bigger than it looks, there is indoor helicoptor flying and there is a LOT of double sided workbenches. on a busy day there are about 60 plus people in this room racing and all the workbenches are full.

Hosted on Fotki

they took this out, i have no idea where slot racing is now.

Hosted on Fotki

looking up into the store from the indoor track. the model contests are held down there on the R/C workbenches

Hosted on Fotki

this is about 2/3 of ALL the R/C stuff.....ONE isle on other side of room for models and of course the paints etc are mixed in with the other supply.

Hosted on Fotki

another shot of indoor track from inside the shop

Hosted on Fotki

don't forget the R/C outside for the dirt guys

Hosted on Fotki

they don't even carry MODEL CARS MAGAZINE anymore at "this location". If they do....it's been invisible for many many months.

[CAL]

Here in Omaha we have two Hobby Town stores. Two or three Hobby Lobby's, One or two Michael's, one Mangelson's, a few train and collectible shops that carry a little model stuff and before wally world quit selling, there was 9 super centers i could buy from. Where do i get my stuff most of the time? My appreciation?

I barely EVER buy from the locals. I buy emergency items such as bare metal foil or paint...that is about it. I don't and won't buy kits that cost $18-$24 when i can buy them online SHIPPED for $13-$15. I am not the only one that feels this way around here.....I speak "mostly" of Hobby Town on this though. The prices are too high PERIOD. Sure....Hobby Town supports the hobby, puts on a couple contests each year and has some sales for us......BUT what i don't care for is the customer service to begin with. Most shops i have been to (not just in Omaha) care more about trains and R/C than they do models. How do i know? If they cared about models as much , they would hire someone who KNOWS what is going on in the plastic modeling world. I can't even have a conversation with the store manager about AMT/MPC coming back, they don't even know about it. I ask "do you have the new testor's lacquer?".....uh, they have no clue and when i get them to look on the computer, they are so edgy about buying it that i was told to buy a CASE of each color i wanted because they were afraid it would not be a good seller. WTH? I tell them everytime i bring something up they don't know about...... "if you don't have it on the shelf, it will NOT sell".......that should be a clear indication to anyone with good business practice.

Don't get me wrong, i know how the economy is and how hard it is to keep a shop open. I realize they prices are jacked up because of inflation.....LOL....hmmm ok. I think if the prices were a little lower and if the employees were not rude (in Omaha) and actually knew something about models......i would buy from them! Heck , even with the high prices i would buy something if the employees seemed knowledgable or at least pretend to care.

Seriously, i could walk in and ask about R/C and i would have a Technician, Salesman and Manager at my feet to help me with whatever i want. If i walk in and ask for after market parts or certain paints all i get is dumb looks and the "i have no idea" responses. Why? What happened to hobby shops? I thought these shops started because of MODELS?

The only place i used to frequent in Omaha was the 3rd Hobby Town that my late uncle owned. I got a discount and it was family....i could hang in there and talk and my uncle was one of the reasons i started building when i was little. I could ask him anything about models and he KNEW. Face it .....at least from my experience, the generation that knows plastic modeling don't work in hobby shops.

Ok , that was not meant to be a rant...but a "point of view".

I buy everything from friends ,eBay, business owners that i know will treat me right and the occasional yard sale find or auction. Those are the people i really care about, the one's that care about me and i show my APPRECIATION to the REAL hobbyists!

That has kind of been my LHS experience.

Pretty much a total lack of customer service, care, thoughfulness, and the list goes on and on. Their prices are high, too. on average $2 on a basic Revell, Monogram or AMT kit, and a lot more on more expensice and exotic models - the new Hase Ferrari 250 and a set of wheels was almost $100 with tax. I am not going to pay full retail, sometimes higher to be ingnored, abused, or otherwise put off by the LHS staff and managment when I have found several people and business on line that are more than egar to earn your business with great customer service at a lot less finacial cost. It's a no brainer. To bad the LHS owner and managment hasn't figured it out. They have been so bad at times they have made their way to the Tom Martino show more than once. It's too bad because as far as their inventory goes, it's one of the best shops in the country - certainly in the top five, but I have walked out more than on one occation with a bitter taste in my mouth. I have had some good experiences, too, but the bad ones way over-shadow the good.

I go there for "got have now" items only, but most of my hobby dollars are spent online and ebay.

There are a couple of Hobby Towns, but they are a drive to get to and haven't had stellar service from either on of those either. Their plastic selection is limited and I have literally have been in the store for over an hour and not a single person acknowledge my presents, and there was at least three employees working in the store. 1. busy stock shelves, 1. busy repairing an RC vehicle and another showing a customer (I think) how good he was on the G2 flight sim.

I don't need the headach and nonesense of going into my LHS much less given them any attention or love.

[Mike]

The only LHS's around here are -

Hobbytown USA - in town Grand Forks. John's a great guy and has a small store, but is more than happy to order anything

Hobby Hut - Moorhead, MN where my friend Mark and I go for our club's monthly meatings

Dave's Hobbies - Bismarck, ND where I was this past weekend and snagged these

[samdiego]

One thing I think needs to be said. It's insanely expensive to operate a small business. I think it costs an employer about double what he pays an employee to have an employee. Rent here is off the scale. Insurance, I don't want to know. Kit prices are high, everything is high. I think that the Walmart thing, obviously, will send more people to the LHS. A good thing. I would just hate to lose these guys.

Does anybody know what happened to Mike's in Tucson? I've heard that it sold. It was a small shop, but it was jammed with nothin' but 1/24 and 1/25 cars with a healthy selection of OOP. He'd advertised the shop for sale in the mags for a few years.

[Phil Patterson]

I'd like to give a shout out for Hobby Stop in Bridgeport WV.

Hobby Stop 11-7 m-f sat 10-5

142 W Main St

Bridgeport, WV 26330

(304) 842-2742

It's about 5 miles east of where Route 50 and Interstate 79 intersect.

While mainly a model railroading place, they have a full selection of modeling paints and supplys and J.R. Reid has some nice model cars he's built himself in the display case.

It's about the only place in Central WV where you can go get Bare Metal Foil, Testors Lacquers, thinners, etc, etc, wiring kits and more than I can list here.

It's just a little brick building one place down from the Dairy Queen, but it's been a lifesaver for me countless times!