TLH101

My Feedback: (90)

Rumor has it we are getting a Hobby Town USA store here. I have never been in one of their stores and am curious what they are like.

HunkaJunk

It kind of depends on the area you are in, I have been in quite a few of them and I would say there is pretty wide variance in their stores, Hobbytown USA generally has a wide variety of hobby products. The closest one to me has a lot of RC car stuff, electric planes, model rockets, static models, model trains. last time I was in they had no plane I.C. engines and very few air radios, but I did buy a 23B Xoar 3d prop. they will order whatever you want, but like any business they stock what sells. I have been in other stores that had a lot of balsa ARF planes and even some SIG kits. I would also note that I don't travel much anymore, so some of the other stores I have been in could have changed considerably due to changes in sales trends.

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

The one near here closed two ago,, it was like watching a cancer patient slowly die in pain over 3 years, the car/truck aspect was all that was keeping them open,,, they just stopped stocking stuff for us airplane guys, no tanks, no props, no covering, not even a decent Dubro rack,, I finally told the guys there, Sorry it's just not worth making the drive over when all you have to sell is Bob Martin CA.

I believe they are franchise owned,, hopefully the owner near you will stock the store to serve his/her local hobbyist.

init4fun

I always had great dealings with my local Hobbytown (s).

And was really sad when each went out of business .

Remember , each hobbytown is a franchise , and as such , there are no two that are exactly alike . The first Hobbytown I dealt with was back in the 1970s when I was flying a lot of control line and the local Hobbytown in Braintree , Mass. was well stocked with all things control line . There was a local control line club I belonged to for a while , and some of the club elected officers were employees , a match made in heaven as all the needed stuff was always in stock . As the control line hobby kinda slowed back and not as many were flying/buying C/L stuff , the focus shifted more to the Lionel trains and the becoming more popular RC planes and cars . By the mid 70s , when the first "Arab oil embargo" as it was called happened , folks really weren't spending on hobby supplies as much , and the place folded ..... Fast forward 30 or so years , and I found a Hobbytown in a town called Ashland Mass. and it's focus was a really great mix of about 70% model plane stuff , 20% model car stuff , with the remaining 10% being Lionel trains and other "toy grade" (like "Thomas the tank engine") stuff . It was a great store and the guy who owned it was awesome . His nickname was "the prop Nazi" , named after the Seinfeld "soup Nazi" and what a character he was . He really knew his stuff and if approached the right way would literally give ya free run of the place , and if treated with attitude he could give it back tenfold . I really miss going into his store but as he aged and health issues got the better of him , he wasn't able to keep running the store and in YET another sour economy found no takers for the sale of a shop that don't sell much in a down economy .

Bottom line I guess is that your Hobbytown will be as good or bad as the owners and employees are , and the product line will cater to what sells in your area . One things for sure , unless you've got a few hundred balsa kit builders and flyers in your town , it's not highly likely your gonna find much in the way of kits and glow engines on the shelves , that's for sure .....

collector1231

My Feedback: (1)

My local HobbyTown USA is a great place, but not as great as my LHS. My LHS just has a lot more stuff and more expertise. The Hobby Town I know of has mostly car stuff. Not too much plane stuff anymore. My LHS, however, has a ton of everything you'll ever need for an RC collection. Found a Losi Strike shock rebuild kit, which is absolutely nowhere on the whole internet. Plan to sell mine, as I sold my Strike long ago.

topspin

Sadly the Hobby Town USA store near me went under about three years ago. They were never great in terms of airplane stuff, they mostly carried trains and RC cars, and not very much in the way of RC model planes but they did have a great selection of paints, glue, Balsa, a good selection of DuBro hardware, APC props and spinners, and stuff like that. I wish they were still around just because they were close. I would have to say that in my experience, they were a kind of hobby general store. They had a lot of different hobby stuff but not always what you needed or wanted.

jcstalls

My Feedback: (7)

Hi,
We have one out here in my area about 1/2 hour away and it's Ok.
Sure does have quite a lot of stuff

Rob2160

I am an Aussie but I have visited several Hobbytown USA stores during numerous visits (actually in Illinois right now)

The one in Wichita Kansas was well stocked and at the time (almost 3 years ago) the prices were low compared to what the same items cost in Australia.

I went into the store planning to buy two DX18s which had been released a few months earlier. They only had Mode 2 versions in stock (My friend and I fly Mode 1)

That was cool, I thought it would be the case from previous visits as it is not easy to find Mode 1 radios in USA stores.

So I asked if they could order two in Mode 1 and they told me Spektrum does not make the DX18 in Mode 1.

I pointed out that they were readily available in Mode 1 in Australia at which they told me the local stores were converting them… Ummm yeah right..

I didn't argue it further but they lost two sales and my friend bought his in Australia two weeks later (Mode 1 from factory) at a much higher price.

The Hobbytown USA store in Tucson Arizona was very poorly stocked for planes and Helicopters in my opinion. They had lots of cars but nothing of real interest for me.

The one in Corona Los Angeles is ok, but I saw better Hobbystores in LA.

Greybeard1

Consider yourself lucky if you have a HobbyTown near you, more so if it's halfway decent. The two hobby shops I used to use both are gone, one, the owner, that knew what he had and where to get it if he didn't have it, retired. Can't blame him,In business for almost fifty years, but the curious thing, nobody else tried to pick the business up. The other, no idea what happened, but over the years it had been going downhill, new owners, and they weren't like the guy that started it, he was a modeler. I have one here in town, but get beyond the Guillows kits, forget it. Models occupy about a quarter of his shop, he caters to the craft supplies. Yesterday I bought the last K&B 4012's he had, to convert them to 4011. He said they'd been on the shelf for 6 years, but they've been there as long as I've been going there, more than ten years. Locally, there is nothing else unless I want to drive into hell, I mean Milwaukee.

Rich.

bullseye000

They are franchised so a lot depends on the effort and experience of the owner. My local HobbyTown is in St. Charles, Illinois. For years no matter what I went there for it wasn't in stock. Owners stock answer was I could order it for you and it will be here in a couple of days. I could order it too and not have to drive back. Finally about a year ago she sold it and it's now under new management. New owner keeps up on things and has decent stock. He's also really good about having the latest stuff on hand and he's knowledgeable about his products. What's went from nothing has grown into the best hobby shop in my area.

countilaw

The Hobby Town we have in Arlington, Texas is more of a toy store than hobby shop. The owner has no interest in any hobby, except for making as much money as possible while he pays his employees just over minimum wage ($8.00/ hr) and only allows them 30 hours a week. How can he expect anyone to live on that? So naturally, the employees are only youngsters that are there only for a job. Most of us hobbyists are thankful for several other hobby shops in the area. There is a Hobby Lobby in the same shopping center that has better prices and more hobby stuff than the Hobby Town or as we refer to it as Hobby Clown in reference to the owner. Going there is just a waste of time when you can go to Wild Bill's or Roys Toys and get everything you need.

Frank

IAMKAOS

the hobbytown near me is the only hobby shop close to me. if you are a glow flyer...forget it...they carry hardly anything for glow flyers anymore. they did several years ago but now no engines,no props for glow engines, no covering and sell only qts of fuel.its all arf and rtf foam electrics. after being out of RC for 6 years and wanting to fly again i'm forced to have to go to mail order unless i drive 33 miles to a shop that does carry this stuff. the good old days are gone in my area

TLH101

My Feedback: (90)

Well, I still don't know for sure when we will get our H/T, but word is we will. I don't usually need much from the hobby shop, but it would be nice to at least be able to get adhesives and hardware without having to mail order. There's not a large number of R/C flyers in the area, so I'm not holding out much hope for a well stocked store. Then again, maybe a decent hobby shop could kick-start the hobby around here again.

DGrant

My Feedback: (4)

As they all said, it depends on the owner of the particular franchise, and how they want or can conduct business. I read about the HobbyTowns that are poorly stocked, and ours here in Fresno (I'm in Clovis, right next to Fresno).. is a poorly stocked store when it comes to many things.. I'd wager it would be difficult if not impossible to go in and buy a whole plane set-up.. I mean everything to make a plane flyable... I've been frustrated with them for years, and basically quit doing biz there because of that, and that I can NEVER go in and get everything on my list.. I'd also venture a guess my own personal stash is better stocked then they are...at least for planes... Adhesives/glues are hit and miss, again I think because they only order a few of everything.. and I too get the "we can order that for you"... blah blah... I know they can... I really try and not take it out on the staff... as they are only there trying to earn some money... they don't need me to tell them what they already know.. This is my local HobbyTown though... I've been in HobbyTowns in southern California that were very well stocked and current too... So.. in any case give it a try... you just might have a nice store coming... I really hope so.. a good hobby shop is a handy thing to have around......

IAMKAOS

yes,but it also has a lot to do with this new generation of RC flyers. if you tell them about building from kits and covering then yourself and installing yor own radio and engines they look at you like your nuts!.its all instant gratification. the hobby town near me did not even know what coverite balsarite conditioner was. never heard of it!,no glow plugs except for rc cars.i wanted a analog reciever battery checker. they did not carry them. its more of a hobby toy store.a buy it fly it deal.

scale only 4 me

My Feedback: (158)

Stores stock what sells the most,,, it just is

Greybeard1

They'll all have batteries, but don't ask for a charger. Unobtainium.

Rich

Rv7garage

My Feedback: (10)

I miss my LHS's desperately- both Al's and Venture are now gone.

IAMKAOS

yep your right. if you are into electrics the store near me has got what you want.

Greybeard1

Stores selling electric foamies, there's one about fifteen miles away from me. That and plastic car kits. Anything I'd want, forget it. Not even worth the drive. I can order from Balsa USA and have it in two days, but they don't have engines, or radios, or something that isn't specific to their kits beyond glues. What they have is good though. Maybe scab I mean walmart will start selling foamies and nothing else that you need to go with it. Just like everything else they sell.

Rich.

OliverJacob

My Feedback: (12)

The Hobbytown stores I visited were rather disappointing. They had a good selection of car stuff, otherwise only small electric models. The last one I visited was in Milwaukee and they had 3 rolls of Monokote, olive green and 2 orange.
Who is in the Madison, WI area - Hobby Horse is one of the better stores, tehy have almost all prop sizes, gas and glow engines, SIG kits, lots of ARFs - and great prices.

Rv7garage

My Feedback: (10)

I've been to Hobby Horse, bought a Saito 82 from them for a good price.

countilaw

So it would be safe to say that the myth that, Hobby Town as a good hobby shop is "BUSTED" !!

Flyboxx

The Hobby Town near me is about an hour away and that would be my only gripe. They have a great selection as well as knowledgeable employees. Although, a year or two ago, a few employees could've cared less about working/helping customers. We've been buying from our Hobby Town ever since I went in there for the first time at 6 years old!