Winter time model building thread.

dge467 said

I hear you. We lost two hobby shops around here a few years ago. They were both in business for years. It was great, you could go in there and they would know you by name and you could hang out with the other regulars on Saturdays. Both shops would buy out peoples old model collections and resell them at fair , if not real affordable prices. There is still a couple of hobby shops near here, but they are not the same.

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Good hobby shops are like good comic shops (don't get me going on comics!). Small business guys who relate to their regulars. Even if you don't spend that particular day, they know you'll be back to spend another time and don't mind you hanging out, picking up pointers, sharing tips, even talking about the latest projects. Kind of like the old fashioned barber (I've still got one, by the way, shop full of old guys with no hair, coming in to get coffee and just shoot the bull).

I would spend hours at the hobby shop after school. The guys knew me. Kind of a nice feeling to walk into a store and have someone call you by name when you come in. I can get that at the part stores and the body supply store, the hardware store I frequent, but you'll never get it at the big box chains.

Okay, I'll stop now before I pull a John Steinbeck and start waxing poetic on main street businesses.