Hobby Towns cutting back on models?

[oldcarfan]

Notice: I may be panicking, LOL. We have three Hobby Towns and several Hobby Lobbys in our area. The HLs have been cutting back on the selection of models for a few years, but recently the HTs seem to have started doing this as well. Two of them are having a sale on some kits, and they don't seem to be restocking the way they used to. One of the employees said that corporate is experimenting with going a different way. They seem to be moving more to a general purpose hobby store with an emphasis on bringing in women and children. Can't blame them I guess, but they ran the old line hobby shops out of town and now we may be stuck with buying online.

[Joe Handley]

Kinda thinking it's good I'm no longer with them then.

 

[Miatatom]

35 minutes ago, oldcarfan said:

we may be stuck with buying online.

Seems like that's where everything is going. Panera Bread just started local delivery. Pretty soon, people won't leave their homes for anything.

[Bucky]

All the Hobby Town stores around me have gone completely out. Hobby Lobby has a few stores, but not many kits, or supplies. 

[Eshaver]

6 hours ago, oldcarfan said:

Notice: I may be panicking, LOL. We have three Hobby Towns and several Hobby Lobbys in our area. The HLs have been cutting back on the selection of models for a few years, but recently the HTs seem to have started doing this as well. Two of them are having a sale on some kits, and they don't seem to be restocking the way they used to. One of the employees said that corporate is experimenting with going a different way. They seem to be moving more to a general purpose hobby store with an emphasis on bringing in women and children. Can't blame them I guess, but they ran the old line hobby shops out of town and now we may be stuck with buying online.

Gary, for someone like myself who is an exhibit builder , Hobbytown has been no friend of mine for years . Yes, they blew into town with EVERYONE'S paint line. Thats nice , but try and get a sizeable Plastruct order in .... Wait , wait , wait .....

[martinfan5]

What's a Hobby Town?

 

* that is sarcasm.

[RodneyBad]

Flippin Fantastic.

Finally hearing we are getting a Hobby Lobby in my town and they stop carrying models.

[russosborne]

Hobby Lobby isn't stopping carrying models.

Hobby Town is apparently downsizing their selection.

Russ

[Deano]

3 hours ago, RodneyBad said:

Flippin Fantastic.

Finally hearing we are getting a Hobby Lobby in my town and they stop carrying models.

Must be true; I read it on the Interwebs.

[oldcarfan]

I went to one in San Antonio and the store was larger, but the merchandise was more generalized. They still had models, just not as many.

[mikemodeler]

I'd be more worried about the Germans buying Revell and then stop releasing US car and truck kits. I plan on cashing in my 401k and buying up as many Revell kits as I can!

[martinfan5]

All the Hobby Towns here that I went to( some that I didnt) never had what I would call a impressive selection auto model kits. 

[mikemodeler]

41 minutes ago, martinfan5 said:

All the Hobby Towns here that I went to( some that I didnt) never had what I would call a impressive selection auto model kits. 

Ditto. There was one here in Charlotte that had an okay selection and the owner was nice enough to talk to, but I was mostly there for the supplies as he had Tamiya paints. There is/was one about 35 miles away that had a much larger selection but everything was just about MSRP. I did stop a few times, again for the supplies.

[martinfan5]

1 minute ago, mikemodeler said:

Ditto. There was one here in Charlotte that had an okay selection and the owner was nice enough to talk to, but I was mostly there for the supplies as he had Tamiya paints. There is/was one about 35 miles away that had a much larger selection but everything was just about MSRP. I did stop a few times, again for the supplies.

That too, their prices were always at MSRP or above,  I really dont have a nice opinion of Hobby Town USA ,  for the ones we had here, model kits always seem like a burden to them, a passing thought, R/C was what kept them in their bacon, for a short time anyways.

Ditto, the last one, I too used it for supplies only, if they had stock, which the last few times, they didnt, if it wasnt R/C related, they didnt care to restock.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Because of this thread, I stopped in at my local HT and had a lengthy conversation with several of their very knowledgeable longtime employees. This one has no plans to be cutting back on models...but they don't have as many multiples of the same kit on the shelves as they once did. 

Restocking in some areas seems to be a little lax...styrene shapes and sheet for instance, but the balsa and basswood and paint sections have all been refilled since I was there last...and the three people I know there are just the kind of smart, enthusiastic guys you would have encountered in a well-managed hobby shop back in the '50s or '60s.

[martinfan5]

19 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

guys you would have encountered in a well-managed hobby shop back in the '50s or '60s.

Not me, I wasnt alive yet.

[440 Dakota]

ours has moved 3 times the past few years and gets smaller with each move so guessing it won't be long, no big deal for me haven't shopped there regularly in years anyway cause prices are too high and weak inventory

[High octane]

1 hour ago, martinfan5 said:

Not me, I wasnt alive yet.

I was hobby shoppin' back in those days and it was a whole different ballgame, and nothing like the hobby chains we have today.

[Greg Myers]

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