Hobby Heaven closed

[gasman]

just read on HH that he just closed up shop. kinda shows what kind of shape the hobby is in right now. although I don't think its going to disappear anytime soon it does look like i'll be spending alot of $$$$$ on Resin kits (which is not a bad thing). I am stocking up on as many kits as I can while I can still get them sorta cheap

[GMP440]

I read the news a little while on the Hobby Heaven site. It's amazing that business was giong for 20 years. That's a good track record. Definetly sad news.

[Zoom Zoom]

RIP Hobby Heaven.

Lots of changes in our hobby. This is a big one. I still remember our club ordering 2 cases of '63 Galaxie Prestige kits when they came out. That was just the beginning...

[Rob Hall]

I'm definitely going to miss HH... I started ordering from Tom in the late '80s, from his mail order catalogs. HH was one of my primary new domestic kit sources for the last 20 years...

[j_nigrelli]

bummer... i always had good luck ordering from there.

[RyanSilva]

Well that sucks! I was about to make a order for a boat load of 5 dollar kits..and now this, dang it. I wish him luck with his next project

[KT EASTMAN]

Hobby Heaven has been around for almost as long as I have been building models!!! It is sad to loose an icon that I grew up with. Hopefully Tom will be OK and will enjoy his next venture!!! BTW, he did say that he will still be selling vintage kits on E-Bay so I guess HH is not totaly dead !! Also he plans on keeping the Message Board alive. All I have to say is GOOD LUCK TOM and thanks for the memories!!!! KT

[Ariel]

Its a real shame to see someone go out like this. After so many years doing the samething how do you just change path.

I suspected something funny when he was having that open warehouse sale. i think this affects alot of people. Us modellers even if we didn't buy kits from him,model companies, model suppliers and even our favorite magazinez that he advertised

in. Thats the first message board that I visited and learned alot of technics from alot of great builders.

[moonmodler]

The HH message board is a top notch forum. I understand Tom Carter will keep it going in some form. I think what I will miss most are the periodic catalogues. They always were fun to receive and read through as a guage of values, especially in the pre-ebay era.

[GMP440]

It's certainly not the end of the world. We still have this great hobby in which to continue to be active in. We'll still buy kits and there will be a lot of sources for these kits.

[Guest Anthony Oteri]

I don't understand why Tom is planning on keeping the board up and running. It's not the only message board on the internet and there have been many unhappy builders who have stopped posting over there and have come here. Why would he still want the bother of over seeing it when he has decided to pursue other interests. He always went out of his way to remind everyone that posts about hobby shops or other outlets that were viewed as competition in his eyes were not allowed. I would think he would want to take a break from all that and devote his time and efforts towards his new interests. I hope that the demize of HH is not a harbinger of things to come. It's bad enough that the LHS is becoming a dinosaur, at least around my parts anyway.

[ScottVS]

I don't understand why Tom is planning on keeping the board up and running. It's not the only message board on the internet and there have been many unhappy builders who have stopped posting over there and have come here. Why would he still want the bother of over seeing it when he has decided to pursue other interests. He always went out of his way to remind everyone that posts about hobby shops or other outlets that were viewed as competition in his eyes were not allowed. I would think he would want to take a break from all that and devote his time and efforts towards his new interests. I hope that the demize of HH is not a harbinger of things to come. It's bad enough that the LHS is becoming a dinosaur, at least around my parts anyway.

He is still going to sell kit but just the older ones and on a different web page is what he said in his post tell that he is closing the doors on HH

[Mark C.]

I don't understand why Tom is planning on keeping the board up and running. It's not the only message board on the internet and there have been many unhappy builders who have stopped posting over there and have come here. Why would he still want the bother of over seeing it when he has decided to pursue other interests.

To answer your question, this is a quote of Tom's from his board:

"I was born with… …an automotive obsessive gene with emphasis on the miniature variety, and it’ll always be my number one priority."

That says it all to me.

[93Z34]

Anyone who can sit here and say our hobby will not suffer from AMT getting out of the model business and Revell being taken over by another company obviously can't see the writing on the wall. Maybe this will be a real indication as to how great the future is for our hobby. Hobby Heaven closing it's doors is just another chapter in a growing saga where we, the modelers, are being forgotten and companies are going for "the next big thing." People laugh at me when I walk up to the counter with 4 and 5 of the same kits, but who will be laughing in another 5 years or so when you can't find them anywhere for less than the price of your firstborn?

Tom's decision only further reinforced my feelings that the automotive modeling hobby is in DIRE straits now. He openly admitted the rising cost of new releases and other industry decisions were a direct influence for him and basically left him with no viable options. Face facts people, our hobby is in REAL trouble this time and I really think it's going to alot more to get the ship righted than it has in the past.

[Mike]

Face facts people, our hobby is in REAL trouble this time and I really think it's going to alot more to get the ship righted than it has in the past.

I don't think the hobby is in any real dire straights. I think the market place is changing. The LHS's are closing up, yet kits are all over on Ebay and other internet sites etc. New and vintage and in between can be found on the 'net via your fingertips. Playstations and World of Warcraft are more appealing to kids than using any creative skills that they may have to build a model and quite frankly, ultimately, the parents are the target for the model manufacturers. They have the money and they need to market that product to Little Johnny and Suzy to make them say "MOM/DAD I WANT TO BUILD A MODEL!". I've NEVER seen a single TV advertisement for a model company during a cartoon and I've NEVER seen an ad for a model company in Parents, Good Housekeeping, People, or any other major magazine other than hobby magazines like Model Cars and the other couple out there. If you don't market your product to an active, or attempt to attract a new consumer base effectively, how can you expect to continue on?

[Guest Anthony Oteri]

Tom's decision only further reinforced my feelings that the automotive modeling hobby is in DIRE straits now. He openly admitted the rising cost of new releases and other industry decisions were a direct influence for him and basically left him with no viable options. Face facts people, our hobby is in REAL trouble this time and I really think it's going to alot more to get the ship righted than it has in the past.

I am going with Brian on this one. It certainaly is not a good sign at all. Kids today have too many video games and soccer games to play. Building models takes too much time, they want everything instantly.

[Jeff Johnston]

If you don't market your product to an active, or attempt to attract a new consumer base effectively, how can you expect to continue on?

I could not agree with that statement more. Used to be (way before my time) they put ads in magazins...they actually marketed thier product.

With Wal Mart not planning to sell kits, they'd better figure out how to sell thier products again.

Everybody on the planet knows what Coca-Cola is...yet Coca-Cola still advertizes thier products...and heavily at that. It's the same for a sloo of other products that like Coke and Pepsi, we'd all continue to buy even if we never saw another ad. If model companies fail to actually market and sell thier products, they will not survive. At least not in the same capacity that they do now (not even close).

I don't even think it marketing to the younger generation. Youger people are not into this stuff....I don't think its nessesarily video games because ther are plenty of Artistic kids out there who will spend hours drawing. I don't know what it is, but you'd think the model companies would..its their business after all.

I did not buy a lot from HH, and I guess I feel a little sad that I didn't support Tom more than I did. It's s sign f the times.

I have to finally believe the hobby is really changing. It's sad to see.

[Zoom Zoom]

I'm glad that Tom Carter posted a personal recommendation for his customers to try out Model Roundup. I've been friends w/Jack from Model Roundup for a number of years (he's local and a great supporter of our club ACME and a heck of a nice guy to talk with) and he told me recently that MR has been swamped w/orders this summer. So while the future may be kind of bleak if Revell/AMT etc. scale way back and change their focus (their lack of creative marketing to grow their business could almost be considered criminal neglect...) at least in the short term customers who liked Hobby Heaven will have an oasis w/Model Roundup, who have excellent friendly service, great prices and keep a good stock of new kits at all times so you shouldn't have to wait for backorders as you may have elsewhere.

I just hope that all the malaise based upon the kit mfgs. doesn't make the majority of modelers still active just pack up and quit. Seems everyone has this doom and gloom prediction, and it's kind of sad to think that the driving force for the doom and gloom is the potential lack of cheap model kits in the future. We already have decades worth of them sitting in our closets, let's keep buying the ones we want and can get and building them before the paint and glue companies fold. It would be nice if we could go for months or years w/o so many doom and gloom predictions slapping us in the face constantly, whether they be real or just internet rumors, or some mixture of both.

[Mr. Can Am Garage]

I'm glad that Tom Carter posted a personal recommendation for his customers to try out Model Roundup. I've been friends w/Jack from Model Roundup for a number of years (he's local and a great supporter of our club ACME and a heck of a nice guy to talk with) and he told me recently that MR has been swamped w/orders this summer. So while the future may be kind of bleak if Revell/AMT etc. scale way back and change their focus (their lack of creative marketing to grow their business could almost be considered criminal neglect...) at least in the short term customers who liked Hobby Heaven will have an oasis w/Model Roundup, who have excellent friendly service, great prices and keep a good stock of new kits at all times so you shouldn't have to wait for backorders as you may have elsewhere.

I just hope that all the malaise based upon the kit mfgs. doesn't make the majority of modelers still active just pack up and quit. Seems everyone has this doom and gloom prediction, and it's kind of sad to think that the driving force for the doom and gloom is the potential lack of cheap model kits in the future. We already have decades worth of them sitting in our closets, let's keep buying the ones we want and can get and building them before the paint and glue companies fold. It would be nice if we could go for months or years w/o so many doom and gloom predictions slapping us in the face constantly, whether they be real or just internet rumors, or some mixture of both.

I don't know about you all but I've got more unbuilt kits to last me the rest of my life.

Yeah, I'd miss new product but there are other subjects out there like airplanes.

[Howard Cohen]

I live in Toronto, Ontario and we are pretty lucky in this area with regards to hobby shops. Within about 100 miles, there are over 2 dozen hobby shops! About half of those keep a good selection of car kits, paints and accessories of some type.

However, when I head to North Bay (about 230 miles north) for work, they have 0 hobby stores. If they want to buy a kit, it's either WM or mail order. I know there are many others in North America in a similar situation of not having a LHS and losing an online or mail order supplier will hurt them.

IIRC, Tom started out selling vintage and collectible kits many years ago and expanded from there. He will still be selling those kits but on Ebay, unless he has something else up his sleeve. He will re-do the Forum soon and I guess that will be to keep his finger in things and help his new venture.

I have bought from Tom over the years and I was always treated well. The vintage kits were well inspected and catalogued. His newer kits were priced lower, often due to his volume, and he had many specials, like $12 for a Lindberg 1/12th Fiat.

The more things change in this hobby, the more we discuss it.

[93Z34]

I, like so many others consider myself lucky to have the kit inventory I do waiting to be built. But, with the closing of outlets such as Hobby Heaven and the manufacturers either selling out or just shutting down the casting production, how long before the domino effect spreads to other companies such as the paint and glue companies, and let's not forget the cottage industries who rely so heavily on new, popular releases to keep the interest going in their products. Companies like Detail Master and Model Car Garage, while they may be enjoying success now, may very well find themselves in the same predicament Tom did, forcing them to downscale, or worse yet, to close up altogether. We also have smaller companies this is sure to impact as well that are too numerous to mention.

Call it being pessimistic if you like, that's ok. But, the bottom line is, with each sellout, production shutdown and closing of model related companies, it only casts a gloomier picture on the hobby as a whole. Yes, there is Tamiya, Dragon, Hasegawa, Fujimi, and other manufacturers, but where are they located? Surely not on American soil. Yes, they will continue to produce kits, but would anyone care to wager which overseas company will turn out the new Dodge Challenger? Last time I checked I didn't see any upcoming releases from Tamiya, Hasegawa, or any other foreign manufacturer that included American musclecars, sprts cars, or any other American Automotive subject. While I do enjoy building aircraft, armor, and foreign automotive subjects, my first love lies with American automotive subjects. I guess in the end, only time will tell just how bad times will get for us. We can only hope and pray for the best.

[BIGTRUCK]

Tom was a standup guy in my book, he spent time at his open house talking with my wife while I did my shopping...he never spoke bad about a kit no matter how bad it was,and stood behind what he supplied to us..... I wish him all the best in his new venture , and hope to catch him in Toledo this year.......

[Darin Bastedo]

I don't think that the closing of Hobby Heaven is a sign that the hobby is in danger. As important as Tom Carter's business has been to us, he is simply one retailer. There are many other factors that went into his descision to close than just the state of the hobby. Tom has openly admitted that his "Miserable Ex-Wife" demanding cash for her half of the business put him in dire straights a few years ago, and that more than anything probably made it harder to weather the current storm.

I don't know how many of you remember the last "Death of the Hobby" in the 1970's, But I do. we aere all lamenting that all the model companies were doing was Vans and pick-ups, pintos and vegas...etc.. a few years later Auto World shut their doors, and we all shouted "the sky is falling" But what we all forget is we are the hobby. as long as we keep building, and teach our kids, nieghbors kids, nieces and nephews to build, there will be a hobby. so long as I have sheet plastic, glue, and paint, I will build, whether there are kits or not.

The great thing about capitalism is as long as there is someone to buy a product, someone will produce that product. we might have to pay more, the fewer of us there is, but it will be available.

[Gary66]

As long as the tooling doesn't get scrapped there is always a chance for it to come back ( talking about Amt). But, that tooling is now in China and they don't play over there, if something is not being used to make product it gets sold for scrap, they are not known for keeping a big inventory of un-used production tooling.

The one thing I find amusing in all this is all the guys who used to post on HH that they "only buy from Tom" and never, ever would buy a kit anywhere else. Maybe that is true, I'll stop short of calling anyone a liar but given that he is closing the doors leads to the assumption that some who posted that were not exactly telling the truth.

Tom has always been 100 percent with me in any dealings I had with him, and I think he will be successful whatever direction he goes in.

Model Round-up is good, so is Model Express ( I order from them every once in awhile, great service), Phoenix Model Company is good IF they have what you want in stock, and I am sure all the vendors who I see at shows with piles of the same kits they drag around year after year are salivating over the current trend in the marketplace.

BSR and SMH will keep the stock car guys busy.

[Mr. Metallic]

I just hope that all the malaise based upon the kit mfgs. doesn't make the majority of modelers still active just pack up and quit. Seems everyone has this doom and gloom prediction, and it's kind of sad to think that the driving force for the doom and gloom is the potential lack of cheap model kits in the future. We already have decades worth of them sitting in our closets, let's keep buying the ones we want and can get and building them before the paint and glue companies fold. It would be nice if we could go for months or years w/o so many doom and gloom predictions slapping us in the face constantly, whether they be real or just internet rumors, or some mixture of both.

Well said Bob. Too much negativity aimed towards the hobby lately. I call it "the sky is falling" mentality. It ain't over 'till it's over.