Hobby Shops

Sadly, the Internet continues to kill off Mom & Pop hobby shops around the world. I really miss Hall's Hobby House in Dallas, TX. Of course, "Miss Hall" finally closed the doors when she retired at age 92! Guy Meddlebrooks, (an x-Katy man and longtime Halls employee) tried to purchase the shop from her but apparently her price was too high and the bank wouldn't finance the deal. If you have a hobby shop in your area be sure and support it. Trying to save a few dollars and then receiving an item that is damaged or missing parts doesn't save you anything in the long run and can be dangerous to your health since your blood pressure probably rises to the point of blowing a gasket.

Some of the best coffee in Texas was served at Halls. The pot was next to the Coke (Reg.U.S.Pat.Off.) machine and magazine and book racks at the rear entrance. Not even Starbucks can come close to her coffee...and it was FREE, as was the fellowship!

 

I visited lots of them all over the 48, plus England, France, and Germany. Always enjoyed looking up a new store each time I hit the ground, even though I was limited on what I could purchase to add to my already over-stuffed suitcase.

Have to say that Abajo Depot in Albuquerque was probably the best.
Spotlight in K.C. would be my second best.
Both are gone now.
There was one in NYC on 47th street? (downstairs) that was floor to ceiling with merchandise .. hardly room for two people to pass. Wonder if it is still there?

 

Yeah, Spotlight was very good - once they got to know you. Rod Stewart would send one of his helpers there to pickup stuff when he was anywhere close in the area.

There was a hardware store in Independence that had a "hobby shop" in the back. Mainly plastic models, but in the backroom storeroom, they had an absolute ton of old AHM and IHC passenger car sets. Heavy weight, lightweight, and smoothsided car sets sold at a discount from box price!

In more recent history, Destination Trains (?) in Old Town Lenexa was very good. Again, once he got to know you and learn of your interests, he would alert you to new product announcements and give a decent discount if you committed to a preorder. He closed and moved to the Chicago area.

Doc's Caboose in the west bottoms of KC is good, but an absolute bitch to get to. But if your timing is right, you'll have to wait for the freight trains to pass to get out.

Show Me Model Railroad Company in Grandview is my to go to store when I go to the big city and the Bosslady isn't with me. I was quoted a flat $25 for DCC installation. I forgot to ask about sound installation.

Being that I live pretty much in the middle of nowhere, I buy most of what I need from Internet stores and "that auction site." I do agree that I would rather touch and feel what I am buying.

 

Sorry, can't give you any info on Model Train Crossing. I left Texas in '76 and used to only visit Hall's, MAL and Collectable Trains & Hobbies. I understand that Pat Neil (CT&T) recently passed away. Heard it through the grapevine (Steele Craver---the steam locomotive man at Six Flags Over Texas). Would be cool of Manny could open up a train shop in San Antonio but it isn't easy today with the cost of everything going up. I understand that USA Trains is going to raise their prices on large scale and Marklin's prices for LGB have increased to the point they are unaffordable to the middle class retired senior citizen and mabie a lot of folks who still work for that matter.

 

Sorry, can't give you any info on Model Train Crossing. I left Texas in '76 and used to only visit Hall's, MAL and Collectable Trains & Hobbies. I understand that Pat Neil (CT&T) recently passed away. Heard it through the grapevine (Steele Craver---the steam locomotive man at Six Flags Over Texas). Would be cool of Manny could open up a train shop in San Antonio but it isn't easy today with the cost of everything going up. I understand that USA Trains is going to raise their prices on large scale and Marklin's prices for LGB have increased to the point they are unaffordable to the middle class retired senior citizen and mabie a lot of folks who still work for that matter.

 

Spotlight...wow some long ago memories of that place. Actually my dad bought my Lionel in the early 50's from Leonard when he sold it out of his basement....where Spotlight would eventually be built...on Troost.

 

I miss both Tinkertown and Spotlight, Rick McClellan introduced me to Spotlight many many years ago. Another one that I miss is the Hobbydashery that was located in Springfield, lots of memory's from all.

Brad Slone

 

My first trip to a real hobby shop was to Val Dasho's in, if I remember correctly, Des Peres (St. Louis). I had just got my drivers license and drove from Chaffee to there without telling any of my family I was going (country mouse goes to the big city!). I would have killed my kids if I knew they had pulled a stunt like that! There were a few around here(Cape) like the Hobby Hole, Hobby Horse and Frank Denton's shop where I met Keith Robinson-a long time ago! A very good hobby shop in my area now is Chuck's Hobby shop in Marion Illinois. I have not been there in a few years but it was awesome. Chuck kept anything you might want in stock. I hope he is still open! he built his shop new to actual SP 2 story depot plans from way back when. He and his wife are retired and live in the top story and the shop is the ground floor.


Note from klrwhizkid; Frank Denton was the owner of TJ's Hobbies in Cape Girardeau. Frank was a great guy to work for, a great friend and a friend to any modeler, be it trains, planes, automobiles or boats. I think I converted almost all of my pay into trains, planes, and automobiles.

 

I was reading this thread and decided to chime in since I also live in the middle of no where and do most of my model train shopping online. However, when I'm in an area with a hobby shop, I usually stop by. Here's a few places I like to visit.
1. The Side Track - It was (and still is) my favorite hobby shop of all time but was somewhat short lived due to a totally devastating fire. Located in Amory, MS. The late Luther Perkins was always working in there. Mr. Perkins was wheel-chair bound but he knew model trains and he knew the Frisco/BN...especially the Tupelo, Amory, Aberdeen, Columbus, MS region. He was a true model railroading mentor to me in my early teens.
2. Oak Mountain Hobbies - Now my favorite hobby shop. Located in Pelham, AL (South Birmingham metro area). One of the largest model RR stores - if not THE largest - I've ever been in.
3. Homewood Toys and Hobbies - B'ham metro.
4. Mac Hobbies - I recently discovered this one in Tuscaloosa, AL.
5. American Hobby Supply - Marietta, GA (NW Atlanta metro). It's a smaller store but is PACKED floor to ceiling with model train merchandise. The owner had quite a bit of older HO rolling stock for sale on consignment at my kind of prices. I was in the area earlier this week on a family trip. It's maybe 1/4 mile N from White Water, a Six Flags water theme park. Opens after White Water but closes 1 hour later than White Water. He didn't mind at all that I was still a little wet! After all, my money wasn't wet! HA
6. Hobby Town USA - Sometimes I can get lucky and find useful things on clearance. Most of the time, I leave without buying anything. If it was up to me, they could get rid of all of there RC stuff and be an exclusive model trains dealer... Model Trains USA?
7. Hobby Lobby - No loose locos, rolling stock, or track (except EZ track) anymore...at least not in Alabama or Mississippi, but still a good place to get some stuff for scenery/structures and paint, etc...especially when you don't live near a hobby shop.
For me, it's not the internet that put hobby shops out of business. It was the lack of a nearby hobby shop that made me go online. Like everything else, the business has changed. Customers (me for one) can pay shipping for less than what it costs to drive to a dealer. You also have a lot of people buying directly from manufacturer's websites. A lot of hobby shops have realized the business is changing and have survived by starting websites and opening "ebay stores." A good example of a business with a good ebay business is "The Favorite Spot." I've bought a good portion of my online purchases from them through ebay. I'm sure there are a lot of others doing the same thing but that one was the first one that came to mind.
When I'm elected president, there will be a full service model train shop and real-life passenger train service for every American zip code!