Old hobby shop Pictures and ads of the past and then some.

[Tony Drago]

Kinda cool.
www.pinterest.com/pin/386113368025018478/

[don boka]

Absolutely fabulous collection and so heartbreaking to see!
Today is so much RTF that building is almost long forgotten.
In the Detroit area we had Joes Hobby Shop which expanded to more of them. Originated by Joe Dallaire who also had a wholesale business. Later on taken over by Don and Jack Josaitis and now there no more Joes, never thought that could happen. Also years ago was Temples Hobby Shop and so many more I cannot even begin to recall.
Times sure have changed!!
I realize there are professionals who do not need paint, glue and cuts on their hands and others who do not have the time or place to build so am not knocking RTF aircraft.
I also realize this message will get negative replies but what I have said is just my opinion.
Don Boka.
AMA 7219

[Steve Thompson]

I would love to see a picture of the men's room at Queen Anne Hobbies in Seattle.

Weird, but...

It was done up like the cockpit of a WWI fighter.  If you were, uh, standing facing the toilet, you were surrounded by cockpit coaming with various knobs and levers that worked special effects.  As I remember, it had machine guns and a countryside scene to gaze off into...

[Juan Valentin]

Thank`s for the link. it brought back memories of Paoli`s Hobby shop that was located outside Ramey AFB. I tried to get my two kids involved in the hobby but they didn`t have the desire to learn how to build models. They enjoy video games like most guys from their generation and anything already made by somebody else. The demand for kits of things that you have to make has gone down with the new generation.My older son flew R/C but I had to fix his planes. Building models helped me develop skills that I have used thru my life. At least both of son`s like motorcycles and working on them like me.
                                                                                                                                 Juan

[john e. holliday]

Yes those were the days.   I still think of Charley's Hobby Shop close to 18th & Chelsia in KCK.  I think he started out as a bicycle repair and parts.  When he was murdered he had most of the Revel and Mongram plastics.   Just inside the door was the case with the latest engines.  Also him and his wife did ceramics.  What I missed most was the Chunky candy square.   He always had the latest kits as the local warehouse would notify him when they came in   

[FLOYD CARTER]

One might conclude that modeling is only about plastic stuff.

[bill bischoff]

 Also years ago was Temples Hobby Shop and so many more I cannot even begin to recall.


[/quote]

My mother's family lived next door to the Temples in Dearborn. She even worked at the hobby shop for a time. (Her name was Eleanor). This is the first reference I have ever seen to Temple's Hobby Shop. 

Bill Bischoff

[don boka]

Hi Bill.
I think Temples was run by Al and Doris.
Might be off on their names,
Been a few years since I bought airplane things there!
A few years?
Don Boka.

[Skip Chernoff]

Thanks for posting.....but looking at those pictures almost brought me to tears. Philadelphia (my home) was and still is a city of neighborhoods. Each neighborhood with it's own identity,racial,ethnic,and religious differences from another neighborhood just one street away. Maybe not such a good thing,but that's the way it was and still is for most of my 69 years here.
However,regardless of where you lived their was a neighborhood "Hobby Shop". I remember arguing with classmates that "our" shop was better than "theirs" .Anyway, I can remember when I was 7 or 8 years old starting to build plastic models,then moving on to 1/2A C/L stuff.Finally building a Ringmaster with a Torpedo 32,and maybe by the time I was 15 or 16 building a GreenBox Nobler, using Ambroid,and Testor's Dope, it took me forever. The smells drove my mother nuts!,Glue all over my right pant leg! My highly used Fox 35 flew it well. It was great! I was a king the day I brought it out to the field.
I loved going to my favorite hobby shop,not the closest,but the best. It was Todd's Models and Hobbies in Upper Darby Pa. Took the bus there (.15 cents). I was told recently that Dan Banjock one of our current National Champs worked there as a young man. Such a small world.
To my knowledge there is only one hobby shop in Philly and it caters to the "Instant Gratification" crowd of today. Damn shame.I'd be very lucky to find one item there that I could actually use.

So that's why I'm sad. I miss those old days.....Skip

[Juan Valentin]

          I miss getting catalogs from Americas Hobby Center in New York. I bought my first K&B engines from them using a mail order cupon from a magazine. I mailed in with a US Postal Money Order and I received back 2 K&B .35 control line engines.
                                                                                                                                         Juan

[Kevin M. Smith]

          I miss getting catalogs from Americas Hobby Center in New York. I bought my first K&B engines from them using a mail order cupon from a magazine. I mailed in with a US Postal Money Order and I received back 2 K&B .35 control line engines.
                                                                                                                                         Juan

I visited their store in the early 70's. I recall that it was two relatively small rooms jammed with kits and glass counters filled with engines and radios.  There were 3-4 guys working behind the counter and it was really busy on Saturdays (just like Polks).   My Dad and I went down there and it was kind of in an industrial section of lower Manhattan, maybe around 20th street (not sure the cross street).  I'm sure that area is very gentrified now with expensive lofts/studios - back then it was in kind of a dumpy area as I recall.

[Kevin M. Smith]

Anyone ever visit Brown's Hobby Shop in Bronx, NYC (on Broadway across from Van Cortland Park ) ?   That was a real classic place and I remember he had a cool wooden engine display case in there with all the twin engine Ross engines.   I used to go there a lot as a kid. 

[Will Hinton]

My local shop was part of a sporting goods store and Steve Wooley worked the counter for them for a few years.  I learned a lot from them and him, and besides AHC I also sent for a lot from Stanton's in Chicago.  I got to visit Stanton's and it was a lot like one of you has described AHC!  I sent for at least three different used engines from them, all were just as advertised and were good.
These days the only browsing type of shopping I get to do that is enjoyable is in the gun stores!  Bring back the LHS!

[Roger Vizioli]

My "Local"Hobby shops were:
White Plains Hobby Center, just off Post Rd near Roger Smith Hotel. (Customer 1948 - 1955)
Wykagyl Hobby Shop, New Rochelle, NY (worked there in the early 50's). (Customer/Employee 1950 -1955)
Name(?) Tuckahoe Hobby, at the bottom of the hill in Tuckahoe. (Customer 1952-1955)

Anyone remember same?

Roger Vizioli