Another hobby shop gone (DFW area)

[Jim Svitko]

A sign of the times.  Yesterday, I received an email from a local club.  In this email was an announcement of the closing of Roy's Hobby Shop in Hurst, TX.  The shop is expected to be closed by Oct. 30 but it could be sooner depending on liquidation of inventory.

I am hoping this email is wrong but that is the way things are today.  As far as I know, there are only two hobby shops left for me--one in Irving, about 30 miles away, and one about two miles from me.  Both might be on the chopping block and gone for good in the not too distant future.

[Bruce Shipp]

Sad…

I remember that Mike’s hobby shop in Carrollton was losing the lease on their building back in 2014. This was about the time we were leaving Texas for Illinois. Did they ever find a new location or are they gone too?

[Jim Svitko]

Sad…

I remember that Mike’s hobby shop in Carrollton was losing the lease on their building back in 2014. This was about the time we were leaving Texas for Illinois. Did they ever find a new location or are they gone too?

I heard that Mike got a good settlement for giving up his shop for freeway expansion.  As far as I know, Mike never opened another shop.  I guess the settlement was very good and Mike saw no reason to mess with the operation again.

[bill bischoff]

I managed Mike's for about 23 years, up to the end.  Mike actually owned the building, but lost it due to the expansion of I-35. The settlement wasn't great, and took a fair amount of effort to get what they did get. The problem with relocating was finding a big enough location with sufficient parking. Our building was 52,000 sq ft, including the store, two indoor RC car tracks, and rental offices/ work rooms. We had 300+ parking spaces, and during big car race weekends they would all be full. Normal warehouse type buildings didn't have nearly enough parking. After more than a year of looking, Mike called it quits. Too bad. It was a great store, and Mike and his parents were great people to work for.

[Jim Svitko]

I managed Mike's for about 23 years, up to the end.  Mike actually owned the building, but lost it due to the expansion of I-35. The settlement wasn't great, and took a fair amount of effort to get what they did get. The problem with relocating was finding a big enough location with sufficient parking. Our building was 52,000 sq ft, including the store, two indoor RC car tracks, and rental offices/ work rooms. We had 300+ parking spaces, and during big car race weekends they would all be full. Normal warehouse type buildings didn't have nearly enough parking. After more than a year of looking, Mike called it quits. Too bad. It was a great store, and Mike and his parents were great people to work for.

Another of our guys lost his auto paint shop due to freeway expansion in Fort Worth.  He is fighting to get a satisfactory settlement.  He is out, but he said the homeless have moved in to his old building.  He can't find another location, either, that is near his house.  Nothing is available for a reasonable price.

I miss Mike's.  There was nothing like it in DFW.

[Ken Culbertson]

As far as I know, there are only two hobby shops left for me--one in Irving, about 30 miles away, and one about two miles from me.  Both might be on the chopping block and gone for good in the not too distant future.

Where is the one in Irving that is still open.  Wild Bills went to the dark side and MAL is gone.  Roy's had an RC shop in Plano that got wiped out a few years back.  Face it we don't support them because they don't have whet we need and they don't support us because we don't buy from them.  I will miss Roy's it was the closest thing to a Hobby shop in DFW.

[Jim Svitko]

The last I heard of Wild Bills is that he was still open but not for much longer.  I have not been to Wild Bills in maybe two years.

If Wild Bills is gone, then that leaves JT's Hobby Shop on my side of town.  But, I wonder how much longer he will be around.

[Mike Griffin]

There will probably not be any hobby shops left in the next 20 years, at least as how we knew them.  My fear is that Brodak and RSM will eventually have to give it up eventually.  Those of us who know how to scratch build are dying out and that skill is not being absorbed by the younger generations with maybe a very few exceptions.

I have tried to be optimistic about the future of the hobby but it is getting increasingly harder to do so.

I have worked with a few young people and when they looked at a plan, they could not envision it becoming a 3D object.    They had no idea where to start.  They also cannot write in cursive or tell time unless they have a digital readout.

Mike

[Steve Dwyer]

I would say Brodak’s will be around so long as they see a large enough sales volume to keep the doors open. It’s my understanding John’s wife manages the operation, I do not know of another source for control line as complete. Horizon and their clunky website can not begin to compare in my opinion. Keep buying from Brodak for the cause.

I still have a vivid recollection of the hobby shop I visited as a kid. You’d step down off the sidewalk to a basement 20’ by 40’ room, the main floor was the owners’ residence and the vacant floor above was used for different clubs to hold meetings. The walls held stacks of kits with the model names protruding on the ends of the boxes. The glass cases were full of engines of all sizes and makes. Racks with Perfect stuff, glues, Aerogloss paints and balsa sat on the cases and on stands. The center of the store was aisles of more kits and model railroad. Model planes hung from the ceiling throughout. The owner would climb to reach a kit so you could pour over it on the counter deciding whether to spend your allowance savings. If we didn’t have the $2.95 we’d come back next week after mowing more lawns. It was a great experience.

The “hobby shop” near me today has one wall with some railroad materials, a few small rockets, several boxed electric foamy RC planes and CA glue. The remainder of the area is filled with aisles of electric cars and trucks, stacked high to the ceiling. They are busy supporting the RC track interest that is growing leaps and bounds. The glass cases that once housed gas engines now display RC equipment. And what I find most ironic is when I look to the ceiling I see many dust-covered model planes that once drove their business. Hey, you gotta go with the flow, can’t blame the owner for trying to survive, I’m going flying the winds are light.

Steve

[SteveMoon]

Wild Bill's (Irving, TX) was bought by the owner of HobbyTown in Dallas.
He remodeled the shop and has kept it open. They carry plenty of plastic
models and RC car items. Not too much in the way of airplanes, some
basics though.

Steve

[Ken Culbertson]

Wild Bill's (Irving, TX) was bought by the owner of HobbyTown in Dallas.
He remodeled the shop and has kept it open. They carry plenty of plastic
models and RC car items. Not too much in the way of airplanes, some
basics though.

Steve

I cleaned up when they had the "fire sale" to rid themselves of all of those nasty building supplies to make room for WOKE toys.  Got a bunch of props, some fuel , monokote, etc. all real cheap.  All of it burned up.  Too bad, it was one of those "old time" shops with stuff everywhere.  Now Roys.  Guess we get all of our stuff now from Okie if he ever decides to actually send stuff.

Ken

[proparc]

Roys was where I was getting all of my Powermaster Stunt fuel. Guess I'm screwed.   Was down there recently, and talked to the owner about his laser. Sure would like to buy that from him. Need one bad.

[Ken Culbertson]

Roys was where I was getting all of my Powermaster Stunt fuel. Guess I'm screwed.   Was down there recently, and talked to the owner about his laser. Sure would like to buy that from him. Need one bad.

The HobbyTown in Dallas carries Powermaster.  Not sure about the one in Plano.  Maybe since they are commonly owned the former Wild Bills might have it.

Ken