>>Well, I've been over to my local hobby shop, and I have to say, it doesn't impress me much. Most of the focus is on trains and die-cast models. There's also a full shelf of Tamiya diorama figures, and then, way in the back, there's a small shelf to RC.<<

Must be Hobby Town.

That's what we have in a strip mall in my town. I buy a few things there, usually $2-$3 at a time and sometimes a gallon of really expensive fuel. But it's better than nothing. Just don't expect any help. This LHS is usually tended by a teenaged girl who really doesn't even want to be bothered with ringing up a purchase.