lordairgtar Posted January 4, 2015 Posted January 4, 2015 March 31st will be the end of Greenfield News & Hobbies. Starting as Cudahy News & Hobbies, they were in business for many years. Will be sad to see them close. Model Cars, RC, Rail, Military, other oddments, Art Supplies and magazines of all types. Located in the Milwaukee Metro area, it will be missed. I am a sad Panda.
The70judgeman Posted January 4, 2015 Posted January 4, 2015 (edited) Had to get up there today just to confirm it. Talked to Ray in the model department. Sad to see it go. 50 years as a family owned business. Edited January 4, 2015 by The70judgeman
mikemodeler Posted January 4, 2015 Posted January 4, 2015 Wow. Always stopped in there when I was in town. Never spent less than 45 minutes or $10 there as the selection of stuff to look at was incredible.
bogger44 Posted January 4, 2015 Posted January 4, 2015 Very sad news. I have stopped in there multiple times over the years while in town visiting relatives. I was always amazed at the selection and variety of inventory they had. Another one bites the dust........
Watertown Posted January 4, 2015 Posted January 4, 2015 Every time I fly back to Wisconsin to visit family in Watertown, I make sure to make the 45-minute trip to Greenfield News and Hobby and Model Empire stores. Sorry to see such a well-stocked shop shut their doors. Best wishes to the proprietors and their employees.
Phirewriter Posted January 9, 2015 Posted January 9, 2015 (edited) Unfortunately the owners have decided to retire and although the business had been for sale over 2 years they couldn't find a buyer. The owners have 3 daughters, none of whom wanted to take over and run it. Some of the employees have been there over 25 years or more and are really affected by this. It has also come to my attention that long time Milwaukee store(s) Happy Hobby is also closing their doors after many years. (No great loss there however) That leaves Model Empire as one of the last independent stores in the Milwaukee area. I have worked for GNH during their transition from the Cudahy location to the Greenfield store many years ago. Three years ago I was hired back as part of the management team and currently run their art department, including teaching airbrush and art classes. In addition I have been running the slot car department, web site and Facebook page. Oh well on to new adventures! If you find yourself in the S/E Wisconsin area, give Model Empire a visit. Alex has a really great store with lots of automotive kits and a great slot car selection with all scales of cars and track. Edited January 9, 2015 by Phirewriter
Kennyboy Posted January 9, 2015 Posted January 9, 2015 So sad!........one of my favorite shops to buy supplies from. (Bought my airbrush compressor from you Michael.) Always a great experience and always found something I was looking for and something I had not thought of. Happy Hobby now too!!! Maybe now that guy will actually sell something......prices were always ridiculous.
The70judgeman Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 I think Casey will be the only one that'll somewhat miss Happy Hobby. IF, and I mean ONLY if they severely slash their prices to move merchandise out the door before they close would I consider a trip up there with a stack-o-cash. The last time I was at the Burleigh store was at least 10 or more years ago with my dad. Haven't laughed for so long and that hard at a store in my life! Not only at the prices, but I was pointing out kits that were still there from 10-15 years before.
Kennyboy Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 I think Casey will be the only one that'll somewhat miss Happy Hobby. IF, and I mean ONLY if they severely slash their prices to move merchandise out the door before they close would I consider a trip up there with a stack-o-cash. The last time I was at the Burleigh store was at least 10 or more years ago with my dad. Haven't laughed for so long and that hard at a store in my life! Not only at the prices, but I was pointing out kits that were still there from 10-15 years before. Right!........ and in between the kits were buckets to catch water from the leaking roof!! Prices are ridiculous and the place is falling apart......but that being said, I would go up there for a sale if the prices were good enough to move things out the door.
DrKerry Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 Gonna miss it, that was my favorite hobby store and close to home!!!!!
High octane Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 While Greenfield News & Hobby isn't real close to me as far as mileage goes, I've been going there for 'bout 12 years or so and between Greenfield and the "Empire," they are my FAVORITE hobby shops. With rising gas prices over that last few years, I spent less time driving to those hobby shops as it would cost me $20 -$25 in gas just to look around. However whenever I'm in the area I definitely stop at those shops. I also liked when Hooters was just down the street from Greenfield so I could enjoy some of those famous wings when I was in the area. Yes I'm definitely gonna miss Greenfield News & Hobbies.
lordairgtar Posted January 10, 2015 Author Posted January 10, 2015 One of those Happy Hobbys on National Ave. burned down a year or so back. Def sad about GNH. I'll be checking out that store for deals on kits and books and art supplies after Feb 4th.
afxmustang Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 Always sad to see a good hobby shop closed. Always stopped there and Model Empire when I was in town. Seems like hobby shops are a dying breed.
wisdonm Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 Sad to hear about GNH. I try to stop at all the Happy Hobbys when I'm in their area. Every store is an adventure.
High octane Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 Hobby shops have been a DYING breed for a few years now all across the country because of our "electronics age" and online shopping. The world is changin' whether we like it or not, and not always for the better.
Phirewriter Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 (edited) One of the more ridiculous things that I've seen at Happy Hobby is their kit pricing (to address one of the quotes above) For instance, after they would attend iHobby or simply see any kits listed as discontinued, they would a least double the price. One day a kit is $22.99, go in the next day suddenly it's $44.99!! Never-mind there might still be a years worth of inventory in the distribution pipeline. I haven't been to any of their stores for many years now, but when I used to stop in that's generally what I noticed. Just to give you an idea of how goofy they are, and I'm speaking about Dennis at the Burleigh store in particular. He actually kicked me out for basically just shopping. After asking if I was buying anything, I responded no, not right now I'm just looking. His response: "if you're not buying anything just GET OUT, your wasting my time" That was the last time I ever set foot in a Jones family operation. It is amazing, given their attitude towards customers much less all their other offbeat business practices, they have survived as long as they have. I'm sure any modelers on this forum from the Milwaukee area have some tale to tell about Happy Hobby, I've certainly heard plenty from my customers! Anyway, as it stands right now Greenfield will be operating as usual until February 1st After that we will be going into liquidation until the end of March or until we are cleaned out of most of our inventory, which ever comes first. Edited January 10, 2015 by Phirewriter
Phirewriter Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 (edited) Hobby shops have been a DYING breed for a few years now all across the country because of our "electronics age" and online shopping. The world is changin' whether we like it or not, and not always for the better. Actually our closing has nothing to do with online shopping or anything else for that matter. The owners simply wanted to retire - PERIOD! One of Milwaukee's oldest and best art supply stores (Artist and Display) is also closing this spring. Their reasons are exactly the same, they are a very successful business, however the owners are getting older just want to retire and enjoy life. With no family to take over the business they just pulled the plug and that's that!! Edited January 10, 2015 by Phirewriter
Jeff Johnston Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 Happening way too often over the past 10 years or so. The (2) good LHS near me are all gone. Though I do have a nice well stocked real Hobby SHop about 40 minutes from here in Nasuw NH, and about 50 minutes in Marlboro MA.
WigWag Workshop Posted January 18, 2015 Posted January 18, 2015 I loved that place when it was Cudahy News and Hobby! Went there at least once a week, got some Swedish Fish from the candy counter, and would walk the isles munching on them.
lordairgtar Posted January 19, 2015 Author Posted January 19, 2015 One of the more ridiculous things that I've seen at Happy Hobby is their kit pricing (to address one of the quotes above) For instance, after they would attend iHobby or simply see any kits listed as discontinued, they would a least double the price. One day a kit is $22.99, go in the next day suddenly it's $44.99!! Never-mind there might still be a years worth of inventory in the distribution pipeline. I haven't been to any of their stores for many years now, but when I used to stop in that's generally what I noticed. Just to give you an idea of how goofy they are, and I'm speaking about Dennis at the Burleigh store in particular. He actually kicked me out for basically just shopping. After asking if I was buying anything, I responded no, not right now I'm just looking. His response: "if you're not buying anything just GET OUT, your wasting my time" That was the last time I ever set foot in a Jones family operation. It is amazing, given their attitude towards customers much less all their other offbeat business practices, they have survived as long as they have. I'm sure any modelers on this forum from the Milwaukee area have some tale to tell about Happy Hobby, I've certainly heard plenty from my customers! Anyway, as it stands right now Greenfield will be operating as usual until February 1st After that we will be going into liquidation until the end of March or until we are cleaned out of most of our inventory, which ever comes first. Happy Hobby...awfully weird people. Everytime I'd be in the National Ave. store, that guy would ell me tales of how the owners of Greenfield News & Hobby and Model Empire were sneaking in at night to destroy his store with water on the roof and making holes in the roof. Are any fixtures like paint racks going to be sold?
High octane Posted January 19, 2015 Posted January 19, 2015 I believe the fixtures and paint racks will be sold as well as all merchandise. Why would they keep them if they're not selling the business and going out of business?
1930fordpickup Posted January 19, 2015 Posted January 19, 2015 Nick the last one here that closed sold everything. I ended up with a nice 3M sandpaper rack.
jbwelda Posted January 19, 2015 Posted January 19, 2015 oftentimes professional store gutters, for lack of a better word, come around as soon as it is known a business is closing, and make an offer on all the cabinets, display cases, shelves and whatever else might be there, and usually the offer is taken because it is a decent offer for someone to just make stuff disappear without further hassle (when the time comes to actually close the store). so a lot of times the display cases are bought up ahead of time. still worth asking about, a few years ago I got some absolutely killer commercial display cases for 100$ each. that was my lucky day and I sweated every day until the store actually closed that they would sell them to somebody else (they insisted I don't pay until they closed, and promised they wouldn't sell them to anyone else. they kept to their words!). but pretty much everywhere else I tried that over the past 20 years or so, they had already sold all the commercial fixtures ahead of the actual closing date. jb
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