Going Somewhere Else For Models

I gotta admit, State College wouldn't be high on my list of places to look for shops. I thought they only played football up there...;)
Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

I've noticed this phenomenon of "the grass is always greener on the other side of the state line." I figure once we've driven to another town, driving across town to another store doesn't seem like the chore it does locally. Plus, when we get there, we haven't looked through that selection and arrangement dozens of times, so it all seems fresh to us.

Well,it's all the more golden when you find a kit you never seen,or,isnt around your''stomping grounds''.Youreright it is a phenom!.

This is my greener grass This is the 50 mile trip that I mentioned earlier in another post, and the shop I used to frequent before I moved to a county further away from New Jersey. It's nickname was "Highway Robbery" :-) Click on the 'Models' link for some pictures inside the store.

Danm!,that's almost worth the trip!.

teem wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
There used to be a good hobby shop in town (I used to work there) but when "management" stopped listening to customers and employees, I quit my job. Now it's only RC and Railway modeling. Not my cup-o-tea anymore.
But, as The netherlands isn't that big a country (100 miles X 200 miles approximately), I don't mind driving to different parts of the country once in a while, for a (well stocked) hobby shop. Together with my best friend/modeling buddy we make it a nice day trip.
I just looove rummaging through old stock of all different model shops.
And I do/have to search for a hobby shop whenever I visit another town/place.
Cheers,
Dennis

Hmm... that's about equal to my roaming area; Columbus, Dayton, and Toledo, Ohio, with occasional extensions to Ann Arbor, Michigan.

I took the trip Saturday. Actually, it's only 40 miles. They had a large selection of plastic kits in various skill levels. Besides the ones that have to be fully assembled, they had the snap together models and some quick models (apparently for kids) that are already painted and decaled with only a few parts to be glued on. Their military stuff was displayed by country. US, then British, then German, then Japanese, etc. I picked up about $45 worth of stuff that I carried out in a small bag, which $45 would have bought a shopping cart full back in the 70s. Anyway, it was good trip and I spent about an hour walking around the shop reacquainting myself. There were only about 6 or 8 shoppers at one time in there during my 1 hour visit and this was a Saturday. Well, I didn't have to wait on any lines. :-)
I also found a small hobby shop closer to me. It was in a strip mall on Rt 17M in Monroe, NY. 'Hometown Hobbies' (no website). Not many models, but had a lot of the small stuff to finish the models, i.e. paints, thinners, decal setting solution, glues, tools, etc. While I was in there, there was only one other person besides the shopkeeper and he apparently was just a friend as they just talked to each other around the register counter the whole time I was there.

That can be a hazard of knowing the owner as a friend. I almost hated making a dash to Smitty's here because I inevitably got tied up in a conversation. Usually I didn't mind too much but the wife took umbrage. ;)
Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

As did I, some 30-35 years ago, as a student. I last got back to Summit/Portage counties for model shopping a few years ago. Unfortunately, you don't seem to be a 'Car Guy'. ISTR that "Ma & Pa Kittle's" shop down in Barberton was still open (Second or Third St., I think) and they have, in addition to a boatload of OOP cars, paints, and modeling supplies, some military stuff. Very little *new*, though. OTOH, it's only a short jaunt over there on I-76. It could be worth a trip to you. -- C.R. Krieger (Been there; done that)