[billorights]

What a great question. Hell yes to answer. There were several in this area. The one I miss most was a small local chain, I think 3 or 4 stores, was called Hungates. Loved going in there and always found something I needed or had to have. But when I was a kid of 11 or 12, I would order model kits. Mostly Revell, and I think directly from them. Sure had a lot of fun building, then destroying most of them.

 

[yep380]

Yep, hobby shops and radio shacks stocked with parts, kits, staffed with knowledgeable people who could actually fix things.

Good times.

 

[Combatcomm]

Great subject. I use to spend hours in one in my small Ohio town. What my kids have missed out on. I don't think the internet has made up for their loss. My wife is from the Philippines and I wish she could of experience 1960's small town USA. Sigh!

 

[Houser52]

This thread brings back a lot of good memories growing up in the 60's. Seems like all of us guys put together model planes and had them hanging from the ceiling also model cars on their dressers. Most of my models came from the Western Auto or the town "dime store". Seemed like every store had those little balsa wood glider planes. Marbles was also a big thing too. If you could find a good "toy" marble you had struck it rich.

We would ride our bikes and pick up empty drink bottles off the road. A little country store would give us a nickel apiece for them and we thought we were rich. Each trip made us enough money to buy a RC Cola and a candy bar plus still have enough left for essential kid stuff.
Fun times.

 

[seagravedriver]

I still model railroad... I struggle sometimes getting what I need. Wish we had a time machine!

Michael

I had a large amount of HO stuff, some Lionel as well when I was a kid. Then I grew up and got into cars and girls. (But, I kept ALL the train stuff)!

 

[papershoot]

Built a bunch of airplanes but ships and armor, too. Sadly an overabundance of fireworks wiped out my collection.

I did the same thing. I built fire crackers into model airplanes for better results.

 

[BSA70]

Gosh this post is crazy! I just happened across ed s hobby shop downtown myrtle beach today. Told my wife we had to stop. Going in immediately took me back to the 80s. I could not believe the shop could even exist today. It seemed to focus on r c cars but had all kinds of other hobbies.

I terribly miss the hobby shops and old radio shacks. Another thing these young folks care nothing about

 

[JohnnyE]

My first real job, meaning it wasn't set up by family or friends, was at a genuine, old school hobby shop. I was 14 and peddled my bike to The Big Balloon and took care of all the model railroad merchandise. I even had a customer hire me to build a small HO scale model railroad so he could give it to his son for Christmas. That is kind of sad in a way, but I did, and got paid extra for it. My mom drove me to their place to do the work. My that was so long ago.

Most of those old school places are gone now.

 

[HollowHead]

When I was a kid, Red Caboose was the hobby shop in NYC. It was kid nirvana. HH

 

[Glock-O-Rican]

My buddy who was on the cutting edge of the Slot Car Racing Boom, in the mid 1960's in Southern California use to refer to his Slot Car Shop & Track as his Hobby Shop.

His nitch in market was every nite there were free races, and trophies he picked up from pennies on the dollar. His profit was quarters in the Track Timers, selling Kits, Componants, Hand Controls etc. Let say he got in at right time, out at right time, and did very well.

Hot Rod Magazine even did an artical about the business, let say it was a great shot in arm. He got the idea after working in Europe were the sport was born. He was like the second such business in Southern California on the tip of the wave.

 

[Zerodefect]

I'm only big on the ones that have tracks. Or support airfields.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D0JjvamWis

 

[as400guy1]

Growing up, there was one across from the library.
When i got older, there was the squadron shop in elmhurst, il.
I now live in chicago and there is an old type nearby called Ram.

 

[Desert Kraut]

I used to build models of all kind and really miss it. My favorite hobby was building and racing slot cars at a great race track next to the hobby shop. Those were the days.

 

['Ol Grandad]

There is/was one of these in Kennewick a while back. I haven't been there in years. I'll have to check next time I'm down that way.

 

[BobbyS]

yup, remember the old hobby shops in the early 60's. R/C gear was wayyyy before digital proportional got going in the later part of the sixties. rubber band escapements and early reed multi-channel radio systems were the thing then.

In the seventies I worked at an old school hobby shop with all the latest digital proportional tech for r/c airplanes and cars, both fuel powered and electric. most fun job ever.

 

[Tombstone]

I miss a bakery we had in Independence, MO when I was a kid called Dodds Bakery. If Mr. Dodd was there when you came in with mom he always gave you a free cookie. God I loved that place!

 

[k9medic]

We still have one rather local to us.

Growing up (late 80's and early 90's) I would spend all day on Saturday racing slot cars at the one in my hometown. I can remember spending every last dollar that I had there.

 

[Inyo Tim]

When I got too old and uncoordinated to fly RC, I could finally pass by a hobby shop without going in and buying something. I've got a storage shed full of airplanes and don't know what to do with them.
I do miss going in the shops and browsing around though.

 

[ede]

I've never seen or been in a a hobby shop except Hobby Lobby. Too poor and rural where I grew up to have them.

 

[Zerodefect]

We really couldn't afford hobbies until we were all adults. Over here.

Did have one car, and some rockets though.