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Hobby shop guide


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Here's a new idea I just came up with. You may notice that many people want to know where a hobby shop is if they are going somewheres they don't usually go so they ask someone on the forum or start a topic. My Idea is to start a topic that is pinned and it only contains info about hobby shops in your area, that way if someone wants to find a hobby shop quick they can just come here and look for the area they might be in. I would like to have a format so that everything in nice,neat, and easy to find. It goes like this:

***(Please keep this for hobby shops, not Micheal or Hobby Lobby)

1.Name of shop:

2.Address:

3.General comments:

4.Website(If available):

I will start us off with three that I like.

1. Bobe's Hobby house

2.5719 North "W" Street Pensacola, FL 32505

3. Bobe's has a nice assortment of models,although mostly military he has some excellent automotive kits. Bobe also carries vintage and OOP kits when he can find them. There is a wide selection of paint and a nice assortment of aftermarket parts.

4.http://www.bobeshobbyhouse.com/

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1.John's models

2.1206 E Kingsfield Road, Cantonment, FL 32533

3. John's is off the beaten track but well worth it. His shop is connected to the back of his house and he is a part time hobby shop so make sure to check his hours before you go. John has a great selection of vintage, rare, and current kits.

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1. HobbyTown USA (Murfreesboro Tn location)

2.536 N Thompson Ln Murfreesboro, TN 37129

3. This HobbyTown USA carries a good selection of paints and supplies. As for models It's just regular current production kits. The owner is a really nice guy who knows the hobbies pretty well.

Edited by Austin T
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1. Elm City Hobbies

2. 1779 Route 640 (Hanwell Road), Hanwell, NB

3. Don't try to use a GPS system to find this store, Google can't figure the address out. Scott runs this hobby shop from his home and is the only dedicated hobby shop in New Brunswick. He mostly carries current production kits, paints, accessories, and scratch building tools but every once in a while he will buy a collection to sell off. Whatever he doesn't have in stock he can order from his various suppliers. He also sells and ships worldwide from his website,

4. http://www.elmcityhobbies.com

B)

Edited by kataranga
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Here are two that I frequent most:

1. Greenfield News & Hobby

2. 6815 W Layton Ave, Greenfield, WI 53220

3. This is a little bit of everything store. Plastic models (cars, trucks, ships, planes), RC (cars, trucks, planes, boats, helicopters, and parts), slot cars, paint, tools and supplies, building material (plastic and wood), art department, rockets, various classes, LOTS of magazines and books, trains, and some toys.

4. www.greenfieldnewsandhobby.com

1. Model Empire

2. 7116 W Greenfield Ave, West Allis, WI 53214

3. This is more of a hobby only type store. Plastic models (cars, trucks, ships, planes), vintage model kit section, die-cast in various scales, slot cars and an in-store track (w/track time rental), rockets, trains, building material (plastic and some wood), decals, tools and supplies, lots of P/E parts, Jimmy Flintstone Resin bodies and kits, model magazines, and paint. They also have an on-line catalog, as well as an annual paper catalog to order from. You'll also see them at local and regional car shows/swap meets selling models.

4. www.modelempireusa.com

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Al's hobby shop

121 N Addison ave

Elmhurst, IL.

Mon-Fri 10am-8pm

Sat 9am-5:30pm

Closed Sunday

Alshobbyshop.com

This place has a huge selection of R.C. And train stuffs. They have a separate room for plastics with a display case for builders to showoff their work. They had two discontinued kits. Had being the key word. I bought the el camino. They also have a section for 30% off kits and very healthy selection of kits. From planes to boats to cars and military. They even have gundham(?). No idea what that is. A huge selection of paint and tools galour. The gentleman that helped me was great and very helpful. Nice place and nice staff.

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Slot & Wing Hobbies

1040 W Bloomington Road Champaign Illinois

Old school hobby shop, dating back to the 1960s, family owned. Carries model cars/trucks/military/aircraft, as well as railroad (all scales), slot cars, and R/C cars and aircraft. They do have a decent backstock of oop kits and oddball kits that aren't generally found in the US. In addition, they have a Scratch and Dent section that's a good place to check for bargains, especially if you're looking for a donor kit for parts. Prices are generally very good, average price for a 1/25-1/24 domestic kit is around $13, and they are willing to make deals on kits, particularly kits in damaged boxes. In addition to the hobby business, they also have a hunting and archery business in the same building, and they also are a dealer for vintage sodas (I strongly suggest trying the Dang! Butterscotch rootbeer and MacFuddy Pepper Elixir).

http://www.slotandwing.net/

I forgot to mention, Slot & Wing also hosts the C.I.S.A.B. when they have meetings in the Champaign area.

Edited by Longbox55
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I'm in the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts and there's a really good one not far from me.

Hobby World

171 Grove St, Adams, MA 01220

This is a locally owned store by a gentleman well versed on just about anything hobby related. He always has odd supplies I need and will get anything that's not in stock. He's always friendly and helpful. He serves the model car, diecast, train and remote control cars and planes but serves many other hobbies as well.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hobby-World/110484165688849?sk=info

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Here are two that I frequent most:

1. Greenfield News & Hobby

2. 6815 W Layton Ave, Greenfield, WI 53220

3. This is a little bit of everything store. Plastic models (cars, trucks, ships, planes), RC (cars, trucks, planes, boats, helicopters, and parts), slot cars, paint, tools and supplies, building material (plastic and wood), art department, rockets, various classes, LOTS of magazines and books, trains, and some toys.

4. www.greenfieldnewsandhobby.com

1. Model Empire

2. 7116 W Greenfield Ave, West Allis, WI 53214

3. This is more of a hobby only type store. Plastic models (cars, trucks, ships, planes), vintage model kit section, die-cast in various scales, slot cars and an in-store track (w/track time rental), rockets, trains, building material (plastic and some wood), decals, tools and supplies, lots of P/E parts, Jimmy Flintstone Resin bodies and kits, model magazines, and paint. They also have an on-line catalog, as well as an annual paper catalog to order from. You'll also see them at local and regional car shows/swap meets selling models.

4. www.modelempireusa.com

Two of my favorite places to spend time and money whenever I am back home. Sure wish we had something like them here in the southeast.

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Okay okay it is highly possible that none of you visit here, but in case you do, here are three that are located in Helsinki, Finland.

1.Tietonikkari

2. Ruoholahdenkatu 20, 00180 Helsinki

3.Good place to visit, lots of American Car Models and European / Japanese cars too. Also they sell RC and slot cars and RC & Slot Car parts, model paints, glues, tools and other stuff, some scratchbuilding materials and a couple of Finnish Hot Rod Magazines are also for sale there. Pricing is pretty good and really nice place to visit.

4. Tietonikkari.Fi

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Mallikauppa.

2. Hämeentie 19, 00500 Helsinki

3. Good shop for buying different kinds of scratchbuilding materials, for example different types of Evergreen and Plastruct products are for sale there. Also they have lots of paints and brass tubings, wood etc. There are not as many models as in Tietonikkari, but they do have some. Then there are lots of Railway parts & accessories.

4. Mallikauppa.Fi

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Hobby Point.

2. Fredrikinkatu 61, 00100 Helsinki

3. There is basically everything, for everyone. They have some models, but again not as much as Tietonikkari has, but lots of paints, tools, RC cars, parts etc. Then they have canvas and jewellery stuff, and metal wires etc that can be used for detailing. Worth visit, even if Car Modelers' part of the shop is small compared to the size of that whole store.

4. HobbyPoint.Fi

Edited by W-409
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Al's hobby shop

121 N Addison ave

Elmhurst, IL.

Mon-Fri 10am-8pm

Sat 9am-5:30pm

Closed Sunday

Alshobbyshop.com

This place has a huge selection of R.C. And train stuffs. They have a separate room for plastics with a display case for builders to showoff their work. They had two discontinued kits. Had being the key word. I bought the el camino. They also have a section for 30% off kits and very healthy selection of kits. From planes to boats to cars and military. They even have gundham(?). No idea what that is. A huge selection of paint and tools galour. The gentleman that helped me was great and very helpful. Nice place and nice staff.

Back in the 60's and 70's that used to be an awesome shop for model car builders. Not so anymore.

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1.Hobby Depot

2.216 W Southern Ave Tempe, AZ 85282

3. Specializes in all types of plastic models and accessories as well as aftermarket supplies. One of the largest selections of enamel and acrylic paints, tools, and modeling materials in Arizona. They also have trains, model rockets and slot cars and lots of buildig materials such as plastruct, brass sheet etc.

4.www.thehobbydepot.com/‎

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Bruckner Hobbies

3587 E Tremont Ave

Bronx, NY 10465

This is my local hobby shop. Not a bad place. It is in one of the boroughs of New York City, so don't expect cheap, but it is cheaper than Manhattan and even some suburban places I have been to. Their main focus seems to be RC, but they do have a rather large selection of plastic kits and the supplies needed to build them. The customer service is decent (with a couple of hiccups here and there), and they are good about ordering stuff not in stock. If I call in advance, they will hold things behind the counter for me.

http://www.brucknerhobbies.com/ (currently under construction, but there is a mail-to link for the shop's owner.)

The Red Caboose

23 W 45th St

New York, NY 10036

This is in Manhattan, New York City, so the prices can be up there. It's in the basement, so when you get to the address, you have to walk to the back of the lobby and take the stairs going down. Their main focus is model trains, but they do have a decent selection of plastic kits and building supplies. They have a rather extensive selection of paints. I have found some vintage kits there. The place is small, tightly packed and HOT. The proprietor is a bit odd, but knowledgeable. He will talk your ear off if you let him, but you will end up learning something.

http://www.theredcaboose.com/

Lee's Toy and Hobby

935 Poquonnock Road

Route 1 Groton, CT 06340

Sometimes I take my family on a trip to Mystic, CT, and will end up stopping here. The place is a mixed bag. The selection of plastic kits is extensive, but the prices for recent releases are way too high. I had decided to stop patronizing them after paying about $27 dollars for a Meyers Manx (and having my family followed around the store by a suspicious employee), but ended up going back on my most recent trip to the area hoping to pick up some back issues of MCM. It was then that I discovered that older kits were priced at a steal (and the earlier suspicious employee was no longer there). My wife and I picked up some early-2000's vintage kits for less than $15 dollars a piece. The store has a good selection of supplies, including scratch building materials. They also carry Games Workshop models and paints, for those who might be interested, but the prices are inflated on those, too. There is a decent (not great) BBQ restaurant named Chester's in the same shopping center, just a few stores down, and funky little consignment shop on the other side of the shopping center.

http://www.leestoyandhobby.com/

Dan's Crafts and Things

352 Empire Blvd.,

Rochester, NY 14609

I have been here only once, but I was impressed. It's an arts and crafts store, but they have an extensive selection of plastic kits, and they even had a good number of Pegasus wheel and tire sets and other aftermarket stuff in stock. Prices were decent, about in line with what I would pay at Bruckner Hobbies here in the Bronx. Customer service was good.

http://www.danscraftsandthings.com/

Edited by Danny Lectro
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Here's some shops I know...

Hobby Masters

62 White Street, Red Bank, NJ http://www.hobbymasters.com/

This is a two story hobby shop in downtown historic Red Bank, NJ that has been around forever. It shares the building with their Toy Masters store. The model section is upstairs and there is a fair selection of trains and models. The focus here is more military as one of the owners is a big IPMS guy, so you'll find some military subject aftermarket. Kit wise, they do have a large selection of car kits, including Japanese subjects etc. They don't weed out older stuff so you may find some surprises on the shelf. Occasionally they take in old kits on consignment. They'll shrink wrap these, and there will be initials on the price tag. You can count on them to have supplies, paint and such and keep the racks stocked. They don't stock car specific stuff like Bare Metal Foil or our favorite magazines.

The Hobby Shop

Strathmore Shopping Center, Route 34, Aberdeen, NJ

This was the shop that was closest to my home when I lived in New Jersey so I'd run in there for glue, paint and such. This is a very generic shop that has the very basics for just about any hobby. They recently expanded their train section, but again still only have things a novice would need. They also have a large crafts section, Boy and Girl Scout supplies, toys and comics. They have a good size RC section and repair area which seems to be a focus. The model car section shrinks regularly and they only get one or two of each new release, as their wholesaler ships them. So they never benefit from a good selling kit. The couple who own the shop are nice, but obviously not hobbyists, more retail folks. Stop there for supplies if it's convenient, don't go out of your way to go there!

Avenel Hobbies

1111 St Georges Avenue (Route 35), Colonia, NJ

This is the best choice for model car guys. The shop is owned by a model car enthusiast so the shelves are well stocked. The largest double sided aisle of model car and truck kits of any NJ shop. There are also some older kits mixed in, so look good. They have a good stock of supplies including Bare Metal Foil, the glues and putties we specifically use and most hobby paints. This location is close to our Tri-State Scale Model Car Club meetings and our members hit this shop before and after our meetings.

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1.Hobby Depot

2.216 W Southern Ave Tempe, AZ 85282

3. Specializes in all types of plastic models and accessories as well as aftermarket supplies. One of the largest selections of enamel and acrylic paints, tools, and modeling materials in Arizona. They also have trains, model rockets and slot cars and lots of buildig materials such as plastruct, brass sheet etc.

4.www.thehobbydepot.com/‎

The owners are VERY involved in the hobby industry, and Dick (the husband) is the current IPMS president. And an enthusiast!

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@DON You get around! LOL

yeah, they are the folks at Hobby Depot are good people for sure. Please, even tho most folks may not know it, they are 1:1 car people two, and he and his wife met racing cars.

I see Dick and Suzanne at iHobby every year.

Edited by mrknowetall
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The shop I frequent is CRM Hobby. To my knowledge CRM is the last of the independently owned hobby shops in the St Louis Mo. area that is solely dedicated to the modeling hobby. The shop opened in 1988 and has been responsible for providing the serious modeler with hard to find out of production kits as well as aftermarket and detail supplies. When you walk into CRM you will not find any model railroading, radio controlled cars, remote control planes, die-cast subject matter, slot cars, beads /brick-a-barrack or such.The only thing they stock is aisles and aisles of styrene plastic and that's a wonderful and rare thing now-a- days. The owners name is Chis Merseal; not only is he a very cool guy and all around great human being he is a walking encyclopedia of modeling knowledge and trivia.

The CRM link takes you to their homepage where it states "we are a shop with ambiance", and that's the absolute truth...no bull! In every sense of the word CRM is a "Old School" hobby shop. Every aisle is packed full with kits, paints, tools/modeling supplies, modeling magazines and subject reference books. They cater to the entire spectrum of styrene enthusiast. CRM carries cars, trucks, big rigs, ships, armor, aircraft, military figures,monster figures, space craft etc. And, if Chris doesn`t have what you are looking for in stock he will order it for you. CRM also buys collections and takes in kits on consignment. I have also known him to get intentional orders on occasion. Additionally, CRM is a place were like minded plastic hobbyist regularly congregate to share one another`s company, hobby stories and advise. If Chris is not there he has a friendly and very helpful staff that is always willing and able to assist. So,if you are in the St. Louis area please drop by and if not feel free to contact CRM by e-mail or phone I promise you won`t regret it.

P.S.

CRM may be coming to your town, Chis and his staff travel the model show circuit every summer..so keep your eyes peeled for them and drop by his booth.

Location: 5101 Eichelberger Street St Louis Missouri 63109

Phone: 314-832-4840

E-Mail : crm@inlink.com.

Hours of operation are Mon-Thur 11-5, Fri 11-7, and Sat 10-7

CRMHobby.jpg

Edited by 69NovaYenko
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  • 1 month later...

I stopped by CRM Hobbies a couple of weeks ago when visiting my Wife's family in St Louis. It was a great shop and Chris Merseal was warm, freindly, and personaly greeted me as I walked into his shop. The shelves were packed with many out of production kits and new releases. I had to make myself leave before I spent too much money. Chris said that he isnt the best at online sales but that if I needed anything to send him an e-mail with my wants and he would ship it to me. It is worth a visit if you are ever in the area. I know I will go again next time I am in St Louis. Thank you Chris and thanks for the info on this great shop 69NovaYenko.

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If you are ever in the DFW area stop by Wild Bill's Hobby Shop. They have all the new stuff and out of production kits. The store is packed with RC, Trains, Slot Car, Die Cast and Model Kits. The staff is freindly and will get what you are looking for if they don't have it in stock. They also purchase collections, so you never know what may be on the shelves.

Wild Bill's Hobby Shop

533 E Shady Grove RD

Irving TX, 75060

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The shop I frequent is CRM Hobby. To my knowledge CRM is the last of the independently owned hobby shops in the St Louis Mo. area that is solely dedicated to the modeling hobby. The shop opened in 1988 and has been responsible for providing the serious modeler with hard to find out of production kits as well as aftermarket and detail supplies. When you walk into CRM you will not find any model railroading, radio controlled cars, remote control planes, die-cast subject matter, slot cars, beads /brick-a-barrack or such.The only thing they stock is aisles and aisles of styrene plastic and that's a wonderful and rare thing now-a- days. The owners name is Chis Merseal; not only is he a very cool guy and all around great human being he is a walking encyclopedia of modeling knowledge and trivia.

The CRM link takes you to their homepage where it states "we are a shop with ambiance", and that's the absolute truth...no bull! In every sense of the word CRM is a "Old School" hobby shop. Every aisle is packed full with kits, paints, tools/modeling supplies, modeling magazines and subject reference books. They cater to the entire spectrum of styrene enthusiast. CRM carries cars, trucks, big rigs, ships, armor, aircraft, military figures,monster figures, space craft etc. And, if Chris doesn`t have what you are looking for in stock he will order it for you. CRM also buys collections and takes in kits on consignment. I have also known him to get intentional orders on occasion. Additionally, CRM is a place were like minded plastic hobbyist regularly congregate to share one another`s company, hobby stories and advise. If Chris is not there he has a friendly and very helpful staff that is always willing and able to assist. So,if you are in the St. Louis area please drop by and if not feel free to contact CRM by e-mail or phone I promise you won`t regret it.

P.S.

CRM may be coming to your town, Chis and his staff travel the model show circuit every summer..so keep your eyes peeled for them and drop by his booth.

Location: 5101 Eichelberger Street St Louis Missouri 63109

Phone: 314-832-4840

E-Mail : crm@inlink.com.

Hours of operation are Mon-Thur 11-5, Fri 11-7, and Sat 10-7

CRMHobby.jpg

Best darn hobby shop in the Midwest.

G

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