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Armor/AFV
For discussions on tanks, artillery, jeeps, etc.
Hosted by Darren Baker, Mario Matijasic
The last nail?
Neo
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North Carolina, United States
Joined: January 20, 2005
KitMaker: 916 posts
Armorama: 758 posts
Posted: Friday, April 24, 2020 - 04:22 AM UTC
Maybe this will help them.
Maybe they can band together kind of like my wife's crafts stuff on "Etsy"...
Lots of different small shops anyone can search thus in one place.
Unfortunately the world HAS changed an ppl. HAVE to roll with it.

No situation by itself is good or bad, it's what you make of it.
PanzerKarl
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England - North West, United Kingdom
Joined: April 20, 2004
KitMaker: 2,439 posts
Armorama: 1,980 posts
Posted: Friday, April 24, 2020 - 05:28 AM UTC

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Ever since the closure of Model zone I have not been in a model shop for over 7 years.
I do miss the excitement of going there on Saturdays and looking at the kits and talking to the staff.
Think there is an article on the Liverpool store somewhere on this site.

Karl, if you are on Merseyside, have you tried the Widnes Model Shop? They have a really good selection of kits, wide range of manufacturers and some cheap kits on offer. I only know about it because I visit my daughter in Liverpool (obviously not at the moment!).In fact, even though I live 160 miles away, it may be my nearest LHS! I have talked to the guys who run it, father and son, who are very knowledgeable. They said a previous time I was there that they didn't have time for mail order/internet sales as they were so busy in the shop! They do however have a website:
https://widnesmodelcentre.co.uk/

Steve I live across the water in The Wirral and don't drive so getting there would be time consuming and pricey.
There are 2 local shops but they don't stock anything like Dragon/Tamiya or any of the well known brands plus they stock mostly RC stuff.Closest good model shop would be Chester but even that is 2 train journeys away.
obg153
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Texas, United States
Joined: April 07, 2009
KitMaker: 1,063 posts
Armorama: 1,049 posts
Posted: Friday, April 24, 2020 - 08:02 AM UTC
For me, being able to walk into a hobby shop and actually see & touch the kits & accessories was a part of the whole kit building experience. Sadly, the nearest shop(a Hobby Town) is now a two hour drive one way, and it's downsized from their prior location. Won't be surprised if the current economic issues end up shutting that one down as well. If so, then it will be completely on-line shopping for me, which just sounds sad.
18Bravo
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Colorado, United States
Joined: January 20, 2005
KitMaker: 7,219 posts
Armorama: 6,097 posts
Posted: Friday, April 24, 2020 - 10:05 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Sometimes there are outside influences...
VR, Russ


That pretty much sums up life in general. But to revisit what I said:

The successful hobby shops I've seen have a similar business model. (diversification)

Now I haven't seen them all yet, but I'm working on it.

Here's one from your neck of the woods I discovered when I was test riding a bike from Triumph of Seattle:



Now THAT is diversification. Plus he has a bunch of old sci-fi kits from the 60's. Sounds like the Skyway dude does a bit of the same with his OOB kits.

For even more diversification, here's one from Sequim. I happened to be buying a bike there too, but that's a different story...



And to round out today, one not far from Monarch ski area in Colorado:



I used to visit Ace Hobbies in Manhattan twice a year. No business model could have helped that place. Almost impossible to find unless you knew where you were going, and up on the second floor to boot.

Oh yeah, I ended up buying the Triumph. I know you know this spot:

Kevlar06
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Washington, United States
Joined: March 15, 2009
KitMaker: 3,670 posts
Armorama: 2,052 posts
Posted: Friday, April 24, 2020 - 10:11 AM UTC

Quoted Text

For me, being able to walk into a hobby shop and actually see & touch the kits & accessories was a part of the whole kit building experience. Sadly, the nearest shop(a Hobby Town) is now a two hour drive one way, and it's downsized from their prior location. Won't be surprised if the current economic issues end up shutting that one down as well. If so, then it will be completely on-line shopping for me, which just sounds sad.


I too love a hobby shop you can walk into and fondle the plastic. And my LHS is tops for that. Especially when it comes to selecting kits, tools, or materials I don’t have previous experience with. But there’s also something to be said for browsing the web for kits and supplies too. It can be rewarding to receive something from far away in your mailbox or front porch, and the selection is “endless” on-line too. But sometimes on-line can be as frustrating as a poorly stocked LHS— especially if you’re shopping for something that’s rare or OOP. I’ve been looking for an Academy 1/72 P-38 seemingly forever, but as yet have failed to find one in the LHS or on line. And often, on-line dealers can be misleading as well, “buyer beware” is a motto all should follow when placing on-line orders, it’s a lot tougher to be misled when you’re holding a kit in your hand in the LHS.
VR, Russ
Hohenstaufen
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England - South East, United Kingdom
Joined: December 13, 2004
KitMaker: 2,192 posts
Armorama: 1,615 posts
Posted: Wednesday, April 29, 2020 - 08:09 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Ever since the closure of Model zone I have not been in a model shop for over 7 years.
I do miss the excitement of going there on Saturdays and looking at the kits and talking to the staff.
Think there is an article on the Liverpool store somewhere on this site.

Karl, if you are on Merseyside, have you tried the Widnes Model Shop? They have a really good selection of kits, wide range of manufacturers and some cheap kits on offer. I only know about it because I visit my daughter in Liverpool (obviously not at the moment!).In fact, even though I live 160 miles away, it may be my nearest LHS! I have talked to the guys who run it, father and son, who are very knowledgeable. They said a previous time I was there that they didn't have time for mail order/internet sales as they were so busy in the shop! They do however have a website:
https://widnesmodelcentre.co.uk/

Steve I live across the water in The Wirral and don't drive so getting there would be time consuming and pricey.
There are 2 local shops but they don't stock anything like Dragon/Tamiya or any of the well known brands plus they stock mostly RC stuff.Closest good model shop would be Chester but even that is 2 train journeys away.

I see your problem, but if you could bum a lift off someone, I think it would be worth your while, honestly.
grunt136mike
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Florida, United States
Joined: November 24, 2012
KitMaker: 1,896 posts
Armorama: 1,858 posts
Posted: Wednesday, April 29, 2020 - 09:33 AM UTC
Hi Everybody;

"Yea" I Fell the pain also; Esp; since at my age, going to the local Shop was just A short walk down the R.R tracks to Brookhurst Hobby's which was No larger than A Closet when you walked in the Door ! Now this was Way back in the 1960s so you can tell just about my Age .
And it really Hurt's when we had All Military Hobby shops back then !!!And you were really Lucky to visit one of the Squadron shops which I would visit while I was Stationed at
8th & I Marine corps Barricks !!!

NOW THAT WAS A TREAT !!!!!; MIKE.
Biggles2
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Quebec, Canada
Joined: January 01, 2004
KitMaker: 7,600 posts
Armorama: 6,110 posts
Posted: Thursday, April 30, 2020 - 03:59 AM UTC
Mmmmm...hobbies AND guns...what could go wrong?
https://i.imgur.com/GQosI3r.jpg
18Bravo
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Colorado, United States
Joined: January 20, 2005
KitMaker: 7,219 posts
Armorama: 6,097 posts
Posted: Thursday, April 30, 2020 - 05:27 AM UTC
Firearms and Black Label kits. The perfect combination.
Kevlar06
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Washington, United States
Joined: March 15, 2009
KitMaker: 3,670 posts
Armorama: 2,052 posts
Posted: Thursday, April 30, 2020 - 08:26 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Firearms and Black Label kits. The perfect combination.


Yes, I agree with the uses for “Black Labels as expensive targets”. But just to be clear here, I think both the Record Shop & Models, and the Guns & Models shop have both been out of business for a few years now. The shop I’m referring to is a full service, “Plastic models and plastic model tools, paints and references shop. And so far, they’ve done well sticking to that business model alone. It’s not a large shop, but what’s important is it’s very well stocked. Not just with OOP kits (there’s that too) but with all the latest releases, and stockage levels of popular items are re-stocked. It is in fact, the best “go to” shop in the PNW. And has been in business since 1995. Many of the older shops in my area (at one time, including train, RC stores, toy stores with model sections and department stor hobby shops, we had 40+ in the area. Many that were less well stocked (including one that I worked in after I retired) have gone out of business, for one reason or another. Some of the reasons have been: divorce, death, retirement, bad management, poor location, poor stockage practices, poor connections, combining non-modeling stuff with models (the above are two examples that worked for a while, there’s another in my area that sort of works now, for how long remains to be seen). Bottom line— get a good location, satisfy the customer, be well stocked, without “clouding” the product with “junk” seems to have worked for Skway Models. But even then, other “life event” things can and will happen which can be unrelatedly to the overall success of a business.
VR, Russ
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