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Classic old hobbyshops

Old 06-20-2002, 01:53 PM
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KansasBill
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Default Classic old hobbyshops

I grew up in northern New Jersey. NEW JERSEY!...... Yeah I know, but don't hold it against me! Flew control line in the late 50's and early 60's. Just wondered what memories you might have of your favorite hobby shops. Our big one was Rich's Hobbytown in Parsipanny. Another was Highway Hobbies on Route 17 and the other was Paul's Hobby Shop in East Rutherford. Lots of great memories of window shopping in these places........

I'd like to hear some others.
Old 06-20-2002, 02:04 PM
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gone.
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Default Hobby Shops

I remember Bills Hobby Shop in Ipswich Mass, at least I think it was Bills, just over the bridge headed for Wenham and Essex Mass and it was there I first found free flight kits and all the other goodies of the late 50's. You've triggered some memories there Kansas Bill !! And I thought my CRS disease wouldn't let me remember last week !
Old 06-20-2002, 03:02 PM
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Default Classic old hobbyshops

The OLD America's Hobby Center...Polks...Rich's Hobbytown...
Old 06-20-2002, 03:24 PM
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Default Tiny Tots

KansasBill,
I grew up in Central NJ and remember Tiny Tots that was on Rt 22 near watchung. Most of the other hobby shops were run by guys out of their garages. I remember 1 guy had his shop on a screened in porch on the back of his house. This was back in the 70's and I was a young Tyke then. I moved to SC about 8 years ago, and last time I was home, I could only find 1 hobby store within 40 miles and they were havin a going out of business sale. Times a change I guess.

Warren
Old 06-20-2002, 04:08 PM
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Tattoo
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Default Classic old hobbyshops

I grew up near Holland Michigan, where I bought my first set up and soloed in 1977...is the Cobblestone Hobby Shop still there?
Old 06-20-2002, 08:06 PM
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KidVermin
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Default Classic old hobbyshops

KansasBull:

I started RC while living in Raytown, Mo. We had the Raytown
Hobbies where I got my first Skylark, and right across the street
was Jack's Sport Spot. Here was a twelve year old with $20.00
from birthday and Christmas and it had to be spent that day. Now
if I planned it right I could get the Veco 19 for $11.00 and have
enough to get a scope for my .22 and two boxes of ammo. What
could have been better in life. It wasn't until '68' when I got
married and moved to the Kansas side, that I found out that I
grew up 4 blocks from a Pattern RC guru with a hobby shop in his
basement. Wow, did I miss out on a honey hole.

Randy
Old 06-21-2002, 04:30 AM
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BillM
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Default Memories of Scranton Pa-a long time ago

I remember the Scranton Hobby Shop on Adams Avenue. Could not get enough of the place when I was a kid about 50 years ago. The store still exists in a new location and under new management several times over but it is merely a shell of it's former self. Very few airplanes and a lot of trains. Steamtown National Park is across the street and I guess they are trying to play off that.
Old 06-21-2002, 08:24 AM
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KidVermin
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Default Classic old hobbyshops

Bill:
As we've talked about; the best memories of the mid-fifties was to
go into the old hobby shops, make two laps of the store looking at the 30 or 40 planes hanging from the ceiling. Row after row of Comet, Veco and Jetco kits. Along the topshelf were those big RC kits in the $20 to $30.00 range that were so far out of my price budget. Then after checking out each plane box, it was on to the 100 or so .69 cent AMT/Revell car and truck kits.
The downward slide of the full stocked hobby shop was about
1960 when the slot cars gained so much popularity. The store
owners had to go with the flow and put in a 4 lane race track or a
drag strip. Racks of kits had to give way to the tracks. I never got into the slots, but I did assemble a division of the little 2", 3"
tanks, artillary and infantry that Patton and Rommel would be
proud to command. Many summer hours were spent at a local
dirt pile setting up the armour and infantry for battle and taking
turns tossing pellets trying to knock-out the tanks and kill radius
on the men. I must have logged a hundred miles on my bike going
to Paffenfuss Hardware/Hobbies to add a couple of Tiger or
Sherman tanks to my collection each week.

Randy
Old 06-21-2002, 12:56 PM
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Bob Yeager
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Default Classic Hobby Shops

Does anyone recall "Tom Thumb Hobbies" in Denver? This shop was located just off E. Colfax near the street (Quebec?) that ran North and South to Lowry AFB and Stapelton Airport. This was back in the days when the street cars ran out East Colfax and had a turnaroud station near "Quebec". This had to be in the early 50's since we didn't have an automobile utill '53. I recall the disabled owner who was so patient with kids that had no money but lots of questions. My mom used to have to drag me kicking and screaming out of the place! As I recall he later moved the shop out on East Colfax. In later years I believe the shop was sold and moved out to Aurora.

Also, does anyone recall the hobby shop that was located in downtown Denver, upstairs in one of the large downtown buildings? This was where I saw my first model of an F4U. I recall that I thought that it was huge! It probably was comparable to a .40 size ship today.
Old 06-21-2002, 03:54 PM
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GrnBrt
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Default Classic old hobbyshops

Ah yes the memories!!! I can't remember the name of the shop my Step-Dad took me to in '53 but it was near Redondo beach Calif. I can still rememeber the smell of balsa wood, dope, paint and fuel. In the early 60's it was 'Culver Hobby' in Culver City, owned by Paul Good. It also smelled like a hobby shop should and for my 16th B'Day my Sister bought me a Torpedo .35 for the unheard of price of $16.96, and yes I still have the engine. It was through this shop that I met Jack Stafford and joined the 'Smog Cutters' club. Well I guess shops like that only exist now in our memories!!!!
Old 06-21-2002, 06:15 PM
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Default Classic old hobbyshops

Bill's Hobby shop in Salem, Mass...I used to go there everyday as a 7-9 Y/O kid. (God I must have drove him crazy) I used to run errands for him like getting him coffee, cleaning the store ect. in exchange for models. Sometimes it took weeks to built up enough "credit" in order to get a kit, but I didn't care !
If your out there and reading this...THANKS BILL !!!!
Brian
Old 06-21-2002, 06:27 PM
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Default Classic old hobbyshops

Bill,
I spent my teenage years in Northern New Jersey too, and I have many memories of "Highway Hobby" on Route 17. But my favorite memory is of what our nick-named for them was... "Highway Robbery"! LOL
Old 06-21-2002, 06:58 PM
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Default Re: Tiny Tots

Originally posted by Warbird Fanatic
KansasBill,
I grew up in Central NJ and remember Tiny Tots that was on Rt 22 near watchung.

Warren
I remember going into tiny tots as a kid and bugging my dad to buy my one of the planes (he didnt of course)

now they stoped carrying hobbies and are now a "wooden play structure" place that sells exspensive swing sets.

luckly right down the road is jerry's hobby were I shop.

its a small place but its close.
Old 06-24-2002, 03:58 PM
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ramcharger
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Default W-K Hobbies

I remember W-K Hobbies in Centerville Ohio. It was run by Bill Keller back in the early seventies. It was like a retail outlet for the
World Engines in Hamilton Ohio. It was a great RC store, drew a lot of really good RC Flyers and you could bank on their advice. All who worked in the store flew in the WORKS RC Club outside of West Carrolton Ohio, and all were really excellent RC flyers. It may still be around but under a different name.
Old 06-24-2002, 04:24 PM
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KansasBill
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Default Edmunds Hobby Shop, Rochester, NY

While I was going to school in Rochester N.Y between the winter of 1972 and summer of 1974 I seem to remember a hobby shop named Edmunds. I think it was Ray Edmunds and his little old wife who ran the shop. Neat, claiis old hobby sotre. I'm pretty sure that Ray was a flyer. Always a fun place to visit.

Anyone from Rochester New York area remember this store?

Bill
Old 06-27-2002, 08:32 PM
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Default Classic old hobbyshops

Like Art, I remember Culver Hobby from the early 50's. (we're brothers from different parents!)

I also used to hang out Evett's Model Shop in Santa Monica during that period.

A couple of years ago I visited Venice/Santa Monica area and lo and behold Evett's is still in business



EVETT'S MODEL SHOP
1636 OCEAN PARK BLVD
SANTA MONICA CA (310) 452-2720
Old 06-29-2002, 01:31 AM
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Default Hobby Shops

I remember when a teen in Orange County Calif, just getting into R/C, the place was Century Hobbies, Garden Grove Calif. What a place! I have missed a real hobby shop untill recently, I found a Real Hobby Shop, just like the good old days! lot's of kits, engines, used stuff, everything in stock! so you can look and touch before throwing down the plastic ..It's a two hour drive for me but worth it, a 5 hour visit is normal for me, Oh ! its Apex Hobbies in Tazewell, Virginia ,, by the way......

The good old days (1971) a 4 channel Kraft $250 used ?????
Old 09-22-2011, 03:31 PM
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Default RE: Edmunds Hobby Shop, Rochester, NY

Yes, I visited Edmund's in its dying days in the early 90s. Edmund had by then sold to a guy who was going thru a divorce and appeared not to have much stomach for the business. It disappeared shortly afterwards.
Old 09-25-2011, 10:28 AM
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Default RE: Edmunds Hobby Shop, Rochester, NY

Hello

I grew up in Brooklyn N.Y. but I couldn't possibly name all the stores that had model airplanes.

the first was a toy? store that had kits and yes I spent hours just gawking at them. let's see I visited A.H.C. and POLKS before they moved to New Jersey, a hobbyshop full of knowledgeable people and some of the most advanced models one could see at the time. you could spend days there and not see it all. I bought my first jet a aluminum F-94 for a Dyna jet in a times square store on lay away.

I hung around a hobby shop in Brooklyn in the basement of McCrory's five and dime for so long they put me to work and opened two hobby shops in Manhattan I worked in the one off fifth avenue, I stayed with them until I joined the Air Force in 1959.

without that job no way I could have afforded modeling as I did, no way!

a hobby shop on flatbush avenue was run by MR. Rostenstock a AMA historian, was also a place I lingered

Memories of flying at Floyd Bennet Airfield in the mirror meet contest still fill my memory.

I could go on for days but I've bored you enough............................................ ..........Happy flying ..............DONNY

Old 09-26-2011, 04:24 AM
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dant-RCU
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Default RE: Edmunds Hobby Shop, Rochester, NY

I grew up in the small town of Alliance, Ohio in the 50's. I lived "out of town" as they used to say then. Our local hobby shop
was run by a man named John Held and his shop was attached to his house and it was well stocked - airplanes and trains! In
the summer I would ride my pony "to town" directly to the shop. I only flew free flight ("launch and prey") then but I could do
that quite well since I lived "out of town". I remember that Mr. Held always had a cold RC Cola for me whenever I visited.

Seems as though back then we could ride pony's, bicycles or walk anywhere we wanted to go as long as we were back home
before supper.

Ah, memories!!

Dan

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