Pittsburgh Hobby shop closing

I'm really saddened to hear they are closing. A.B. Charles was the fist shop I ever visited. As a kid, my father and I would go there every Saturday morning to see what was new. I would be able to pick out one Matchbox or Corgi car each visit, but then I discovered Tamiya kits and it's been downhill from there. I left Pittsburgh in 1978 and never had a chance to get back for a visit. That will truly be the end of an era.

Dan

Is there still a Bill & Walts hobbies in Pittsburgh? I remember going there as a kid (more years than I want to admit) with my dad and was overwhelmed by what they had packed in that little store which I think was on Liberty Avenue.

Ron

No Bill and Walts is also gone.Was sold years ago and finally closed the doors, it was on Smithfield Street downtown

once erich fuchs on tremont st closed, there was nothing in boston. it had been the only place in boston for about 20 years. while primarily a rail store, it always had good models. hard to believe the hub of the universe has no model shop. ebay and chains do not a hobby make.

I didn't know you'd been to Lancaster recently. ;) We do have some good railroad shops but the closest we get to a hobby shop is a store that sells G-rated adult toys like die-cast cars, rc planes, baseball cards and, oh yes, a few models in the very back of the store. The owner is a worshipper at the Walmart business style altar. I envy Big Al having access to Testors new lacquer paints. The futz here won't order anything like that. He already has acrylics. Why take up more space? So my paint money goes to Squadron or AC Moore's.

Amen brother!

Bill Banaszak, MFE

I was amazed when I went to NYC sometime ago and looked in the phonebook under "hobbies." I could find only ONE hobbyshop listed. In NYC!?!?! Don McIntyre Clarksville, TN

altar.

i had belonged to a couple of boston modeling groups. when i looked for thm 30 years later, there were none. there may be an ipms chapter, but i didn't have a listing. the right coast seems to have lost a lot of clubs, not just modeling but bowling leagues, pc clubs, coin collectors, etc. sports leagues are still going. i suspect people have less free time.

"Don McIntyre" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

Get a rope.

Yes and no. The owner expanded to another place whilst still holding onto the original shop. That one just has merchandise for the pilots - charts, desk models, small GA plane parts, etc. The kits were moved up the Lititz Pike to another store where they ended up back in the one corner. The rest is filled with train sets, sports memorabilia and cards, die-cast cars, video games, blah, blah...... My friend is the manager over there and he finds it frustrating to not be able to get supplies for the modelling crowd because they're not on the list. Heck, I can't get "Model Cars" magazine because Kalmbach doesn't handle it and the owner won't get anything they won't carry. Next time I'm up there I'll have to check on the Alclad. I'd like to try it for replacing chrome.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

Must all be busy making salsa......;)

Bill Banaszak, MFE