I went to my local hobby shop the other day, it is like going back in time. This place is not Hobby Lobby, but a real hobby shop with reissues of model kits from the 60's and 70's on the shelves. I always get a kick out of seeing Moebius, and AMT reissues of Star Trek, The Phantom of the Opera, on the wall of new kits.
I don't buy as many kits anymore, I have a stockpile, but I go there for supplies, and spend a great deal of money yearly on them. But there is another reason to support them, I love the sights and smells of the store, anything I need to finish a kit is there without having to go on line, also a great staff who I can ask questions and advice, and a community of like minded people, this the heart and soul of brick and mortar, whether if it's a record store, book store, or video rental store, all have suffered in this buy online mindset.
Support your local hobby shop while you still can.
I'm the same way here in Houston. The only "real" Hobby Shop left is old G&G Models (now on the SW Frwy) and they are my primary go to shop for paints and supplies.
I do - occasionally - buy an actual kit but, mostly the latest FSM (et al) and supplies...
We still have a few in the St. Louis, MO area - they are all full service shops. Plastic kits, model RR, slot cars, R/C. Unfortunately plastic kits aren't the main money makers for these shops and the sci-fi/figure kits even less so.
We've got 5 here in the Portland area that I go to about once or twice a month not just for supplies but for kits as well.
they are HobbyTown, Tammies, Hobbies Unlimited, Hillsboro Hobbies and another in outer north east Portland.
I neglected to give a shout out to my local hobby shop, AAA Hobbies in Magnolia NJ, a full-service hobby shop. Not too far from Mega Hobby, the huge on line store, in the same area. I am so blessed to live where I live. Remember our hobby is Ride or Die!!!!!!
I live in a small town in Oregon, so if I get to a hobby shop, I head to the Portland area. When I lived in Minnesota (and whenever I go back there to visit) I ALWAYS make time to visit "Scale Model Supply", one of the LARGEST hobby shops I have ever been to. It's located in the basement of a Napa Auto Parts store.
AND I always make time to visit a White Castle Hamburger "joint". And even though I spend most of my Minnesota visit in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area, I ALWAYS make the hour or so trip to St. Cloud, MN for my favorite pizza (that I discovered back in the early 70s, attending college there) at "House of Pizza"!.
All we have in Toledo is one HobbyTown USA and the crafts stores. Like a lot of you, I don't buy many kits these days; mostly its aftermarket stuff for the models I already have. I still need to crate some more stuff up and sell them at IPMS shows. I do try to go to the dedicated hobby store for supplies - paints, glue, etc.
With the closing of Evett's Model Shop in Santa Monica (after being in business for 70 years!), I believe there are no more brick-and-mortar hobby shops left on L.A.'s Westside. My closest hobby stores now are Kit Kraft in Studio City and House of Hobbies in Burbank.
The Hobbytown works - Wild Bill bought a franchise with them, rather than the other way around...
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