Sad day when hobby shops close...

CraigCam · Mar 14, 2017

It's an Amazon world and another mom and pop bites the dust. No more buying parts locally and talking shop with other pilots. I'm devastated as this place was where and how I developed my skills and passion. Camera drones are my escape and reward from cancer survival (whatever that means) and not having a local outlet is very depressing. Now repairs become time consuming and not possible when it fits my schedule and I'm going to be in **** tracking parts all the time. Kind of glad I did not peruse racing yet as I was wary of entering into such a tweaky and parts obsessive hobby without a local shop and they were it till today.

Rayray · Mar 14, 2017

Sad indeed. Here where I am in East Texas there are no Hobby Shops. Houston is 130 miles away, Shreveport about 100.

Locally, many owner businesses fell out in the past 20 rears or so, they said due to Wally World. Now comes Amazon.

Progress? All I know is I can't turn back the clock.

CraigCam · Mar 14, 2017

Low price with no service is a lousy economic model that we are all feeling across multiple fields.

Ty Pilot · Mar 14, 2017

The whole RC industry here in the states has been headed downward for a while. I started a small RC kitting business in the late 90's but could not compete with the foriegn ARF's pouring in so I closed down and went to work for a major RC company that I thought would last. That job went away 8 years ago and just a few months back; that business was bought out by a Chinese Group. I miss the days of hanging out with other like minded pilots and talking shop.

Pat

gwhuntoon · Mar 14, 2017

Fortunately one of our local hobby shop is hanging on. It's in a new location under new management and was also one of my first jobs. I actually hated it. I thought I'd be selling Burton Boards, Trains, Planes, Boats, Cars, Rockets, maybe Role Playing games but NO. Being the new guy I had to stock, sort, price and weigh beads and doll parts.

I also have to keep reminding my wife and daughter that Hobby Lobby isn't a hobby shop.

Ty Pilot · Mar 14, 2017

gwhuntoon said:
I also have to keep reminding my wife and daughter that Hobby Lobby isn't a hobby shop.

Same here.

Typhoon Charlie · Mar 14, 2017

We have 2 here in Missoula, Montana. One is closing in June (Hobby Town) the other will probably follow since it is owned by well beyond retirement age owners. The American consumer has put the noose around its own neck and China and the Internet is pulling the rope.

gwhuntoon · Mar 14, 2017

Amazon and cheap Internet alternatives definitely have an impact but so does the demographic of hobby consumers. For example, my kids just aren't that interested in hobbies, RC, trains, etc., like I am and was. I know that isn't true for everyone but in general, it's a trend. I would love nothing more than to have my kids join a local RC club, fly or drive in a local school gymnasium during the winter months, then go to the field in the summer and be social. Maybe join the AMA etc. and be a part of something more than themselves, but they have other interests. Clubs and gatherings just don't seem to figure in to their generation.

They would rather collaborate online with like minded friends across the globe in some MMORPG. I think we've reached market saturation and information overload. There are just too many things to occupy their time.

The local train club is mostly made up of older guys. The same holds true for the RC flying fields. Malls don't seem to host RC car races any more.

Personally I'm something of a car guy, yet my kids could care less. My daughter is big into crafts and art but nothing from a true hobby store.

I think it's just change. Unfortunately we're aging and our ranks are thinning. The big thing my youngest son was thrilled with was his new 6TB hard drive. Hobbies just don't figure in.

On the plus side, my oldest son would like to get his son interested in educational hobbies and the like, with the latest being the bluetooth enabled RC cars on a track, sort of modern day high tech slot cars without the slot, so maybe its just skipping a generation.

Ty Pilot · Mar 14, 2017

So true.

NRRTRAINS · Mar 15, 2017

CraigCam said:
It's an Amazon world and another mom and pop bites the dust. No more buying parts locally and talking shop with other pilots. I'm devastated as this place was where and how I developed my skills and passion. Camera drones are my escape and reward from cancer survival (whatever that means) and not having a local outlet is very depressing. Now repairs become time consuming and not possible when it fits my schedule and I'm going to be in **** tracking parts all the time. Kind of glad I did not peruse racing yet as I was wary of entering into such a tweaky and parts obsessive hobby without a local shop and they were it till today.

the Mom and Pop hobby shop are becoming a thing of the past , the Horizon Hobbies and Tower Hobbies are hear to stay . yes Mom and Pop will send in your order for the one part you need and they don't have at their shop , yes you will wait one or two weeks for the part to arrive but you need that part to get back in the air . the bigger hobby shops do keep a bigger inventory and that what drives the Mom and Pop hobby shops out of business free shipping also helps , they can not keep a large inventory that will just stay on their shelf for years . most of the time you can order a part and have it delivered next day to your mail box . Mom and Pop can't afford to order 10 or 15 of the new model to keep on hand that maybe you and your friends will come in and pluck down $2000 in the next couple of months before the next new model comes out that every body wants .
where i live we have one of the original Mom and Pop's hobby shops i hope they stay in business forever , i'm sure they will but it is a business and they have to survive .

CraigCam · Mar 15, 2017

NRRTRAINS said:
the Mom and Pop hobby shop are becoming a thing of the past , the Horizon Hobbies and Tower Hobbies are hear to stay . yes Mom and Pop will send in your order for the one part you need and they don't have at their shop , yes you will wait one or two weeks for the part to arrive but you need that part to get back in the air . the bigger hobby shops do keep a bigger inventory and that what drives the Mom and Pop hobby shops out of business free shipping also helps , they can not keep a large inventory that will just stay on their shelf for years . most of the time you can order a part and have it delivered next day to your mail box . Mom and Pop can't afford to order 10 or 15 of the new model to keep on hand that maybe you and your friends will come in and pluck down $2000 in the next couple of months before the next new model comes out that every body wants .
where i live we have one of the original Mom and Pop's hobby shops i hope they stay in business forever , i'm sure they will but it is a business and they have to survive .

That's not what's closing here. This shop had parts for everything and was quicker then ordering online and to me, worth the extra $. They can't survive on parts as no one was buying the planes and cars in town anymore.

Ranch41 · Mar 18, 2017

SkyDoctor said:
You're just into the wrong hobby. The gun hobby is doing real well in America. Target competitions. Hand loading your own ammo. Hunting. Militia groups. Gun collecting. The gun stores are thriving.

I have to agree with you but I think the driving force may have it's roots in psychological rebellion rather than in a true interest in the hobby. As a CA resident with each attempt to limit our choices by outlawing certain guns or features, gun sales of those items has gone through the roof. Kind of like "better get one now before it's too late". Even people who were not mildly interested in gun ownership jumped on the band wagon and the laws meant to curb gun ownership actually help fuel the gun buying histeria. Oh yeah, that coupled with the BHO presidency.

JTorsrud · Mar 18, 2017

gwhuntoon said:
Amazon and cheap Internet alternatives definitely have an impact but so does the demographic of hobby consumers. For example, my kids just aren't that interested in hobbies, RC, trains, etc., like I am and was. I know that isn't true for everyone but in general, it's a trend. I would love nothing more than to have my kids join a local RC club, fly or drive in a local school gymnasium during the winter months, then go to the field in the summer and be social. Maybe join the AMA etc. and be a part of something more than themselves, but they have other interests. Clubs and gatherings just don't seem to figure in to their generation.

They would rather collaborate online with like minded friends across the globe in some MMORPG. I think we've reached market saturation and information overload. There are just too many things to occupy their time.

The local train club is mostly made up of older guys. The same holds true for the RC flying fields. Malls don't seem to host RC car races any more.

Personally I'm something of a car guy, yet my kids could care less. My daughter is big into crafts and art but nothing from a true hobby store.

I think it's just change. Unfortunately we're aging and our ranks are thinning. The big thing my youngest son was thrilled with was his new 6TB hard drive. Hobbies just don't figure in.

On the plus side, my oldest son would like to get his son interested in educational hobbies and the like, with the latest being the bluetooth enabled RC cars on a track, sort of modern day high tech slot cars without the slot, so maybe its just skipping a generation.

Well said, plus the fact in our hobby of Drones, the regulations and rules are killing allot too!

spongella · Mar 28, 2017

We're kind of lucky here in Flemington, NJ, we have a JerseyHobby that sells RC stuff and Estes rockets, and the same guy runs the NJ Drone Academy which gives drone classes. Hope he stays in business a long time.