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Model Forum / General / Models / June 2004Hobby Lobby Results
Hey all! I went to both local HLs today. The only thing I could find I wanted was an AM Avenger night bomber. Neither store carries a lot. A guy at one store bought an AM Mistel. Nobody else around. Jerry 47 >Hey all! >I went to both local HLs today. The only thing I could find I wanted was an >AM Avenger night bomber. Neither store carries a lot. A guy at one store >bought an AM Mistel. Nobody else around. >Jerry 47 I visited one in Brea CA on Saturday. Not very impressive. Not many people buying much. How do they stay in business? The Hobby People chain seems to do a better job but none of them can match a real hobby shop like T&A Hobby Lobby in Burbank (not associated with the Hobby Lobby chain) or Smith Brothers in Reseda or Cerritos Hobby in Cerritos. Jim Klein > I visited one in Brea CA on Saturday. Not very impressive. Not many > people buying much. How do they stay in business? By selling LOTS of over-priced silk flowers to our Grandmas and their friends, as well as beading supplies, t-shirt painting stuff, and the picture framing service. They apparently have few expenses, as their sales floor conditions are horrid. And I sense that the employees would be paid better in "fast-food".  Signature-- Greg Heilers Registered Linux user #328317 - SlackWare 9.1 They apparently have few > expenses, as their sales floor conditions are horrid. And I sense > that the employees would be paid better in "fast-food". > Greg Heilers > Registered Linux user #328317 - SlackWare 9.1 Most American retailers will be more than happy to pay you a nice, princely minimum wage as will Mcdillholes or any fast food joint. The only difference is that working in retail means you don't come home smelling like rendered fat. Also the chance of acne and grease splatter scars are not a problen when you are unloading trucks and stocking shelves. I don't know where you are but all the Hobby Lobbies I have been in seem to be clean, well lit, and smell like lovely potpourri and candles. Back to the subject. I went to obtain a Polar lights NX Enterprise and the AMTech mistel. Much to my surprise they restocked Tamiya 1/48 planes for the first time in years. I could not pass up the P-51, P-47 bubbletop, ME-262 without Kettenkrad, and Gekko. I also put back reluctantly the FW-190D-9 and Corsair with tug. Also talked myself to put back the Monogram B-29 as I have two older releases and could not justify buying another for 4 props and a new decal sheet. They also still had the Swordfish, 109E, Corsair1A, Wildcat, 262 w/Kettenkrad and some leftover Beaufighters from last decade. Also they had restocked the Academy airliners, had one 1/32 F-18 and one 1/48 Tomcat. Nice restock for this fathers day sale, IMO. BTW this was not at my local HL as they have a terrible selection but at the nice Aurora Il. store. I spent over a hundred (Visa loves me) and could easily have spent a hundred more. This is my biggest 1/2 off sale haul in a long while. Add to this that they have paint brushes and paints on sale and I could have really gone nuts! Thanks Hobby Lobby!!! Cheers, Max Bryant > They apparently have few >> expenses, as their sales floor conditions are horrid. And I sense [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > know where you are but all the Hobby Lobbies I have been in seem to be > clean, well lit, and smell like lovely potpourri and candles. That, they are....but their shelves also have a lot of "mis-stocks", no indication of retail, etc. Much more so than say, "Michael's". > Cheers, > Max Bryant Signature-- Greg Heilers Registered Linux user #328317 - SlackWare 9.1 >That, they are....but their shelves also have a lot of "mis-stocks", no indication of retail, etc. Much more so than say, Michael's".> The HL in Bettendorf IA is a disaster as far as model kits. If it won't fit into a specified size slot on a shelf dictated by corporate, they won't order it. Right now I have to say the general selection is fair at best (normal), but it's incredibly unorganized (also normal), and no one seems to care one way or another. They have no real way of keeping track of what's sold; they order replacements when a given shelf slot is empty--hell of a way to run a business! While I realize model kits are a small part of their overall business, it IS a part of their business and should be treated as such; after all, the name of the chain is HOBBY Lobby, not Granny's Kraft Corner. Model kits could easily become a larger part of the business if given a little more thought. Ok, I'll shut up now. When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return. --Leonardo Da Vinci > The HL in Bettendorf IA is a disaster as far as model kits. If it won't fit > into a specified size slot on a shelf dictated by corporate, they won't order > it. Although the local stores do many sections of the store that way, they don't do the models section that way. Many new models come one at a time, some never get restocked, and some end up on clearance within a month or two so it would be more work than its worth. Ours always sells the new, big kits fairly quick but this never triggers a reorder. One quirk of the closest one is they pack the top on the shelves solid with lots of kits behind other kits, behind other kits, often without having any of the kits ever being presented down below. The also fill the top of the shelves for the next aisle and sometimes two aisles in the same way. If your 6'-4" like me you can reach up and move stuff around. Just found a Tamiya M16 half track with a clearance sticker of $4.19 that way.... Tom >One quirk of the closest one is they pack the top on the shelves solid with lots of kits behind other kits, behind other kits, often without having any of the kits ever being presented down below. The also fill the top of the shelves for the next aisle and sometimes two aisles in the same way. If your 6'-4" like me you can reach up and move stuff around.>> That's exactly what the Bettendorf store does too, or at least did. But it's still a real hodgepodge, with no organization. I was told some "expert" from a Wisconsin store came down and rearranged things as she thought it should be, with no regard to kit type (other than cars being somewhat together) or mfr. I was told she thought everything being in alphabetical order made sense. To whom? You end up with an Abrams tank sitting next to an AV-8 Harrier, or an SBD sitting on top of a SCUD. Revell, monogram, AMT AMTech, Tamiya all mixed together, many, as you said, buried behind boxes behind boxes behind bigger boxes on upper shelves. I'm 6'2" and I can reach many of them too, but what about those vertically challenged folks out there? They've also gotten rid of so much they're down to one main aisle, and a couple miscellaneous stacks in a center aisle. They've completely gotten rid of an 8' section of heavy truck kits, and filled it with die-cast (another "expert" in Colorado came up with that one!). BTW, which store do you go to, IA City, or is there one around Ames? As an aside, I was told if we, collectively, hit the HL website and send them our thoughts/complaints with the location of our nearest store(s), copies will go directly to them. It may not change anything, but then again it might. But we have to do it en masse; isolated comments will fall on deaf ears. When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return. --Leonardo Da Vinci >> The HL in Bettendorf IA is a disaster as far as model kits. If it won't >fit >> into a specified size slot on a shelf dictated by corporate, they won't >order >> it. They are kind of strange, but I picked up a Tamiya T-55 there today for a little over $20. Glen > That, they are....but their shelves also have a lot of "mis-stocks", no > indication of retail, etc. Much more so than say, "Michael's". > Greg Heilers > Registered Linux user #328317 - SlackWare 9.1 Very true as well. I wish I could take home all the kits I ever picked up at a HL only to find no price sticker. I always say hmm must be free but the police probably would convince me otherwise. Also I hat to ask a HL employee for a price. They usually end up looking hopelessly in a price book. Michaels on the otherhand always has a shelf sticker but way less of a selection. Cheers, Max Bryant > Very true as well. I wish I could take home all the kits I ever picked up at > a HL only to find no price sticker. I always say hmm must be free but the [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Cheers, > Max Bryant No price sticker? Just ask the cashier. She may (or may not) call someone or make up a number. I went back to my local store today and fount the AMtech 1/72 Mistel kit with no price. My inquiry brought forth a quote of $12.99. I chose to take it for $6.50. It never hurts to ask. Milton > They apparently have few > > expenses, as their sales floor conditions are horrid. And I sense [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > Cheers, > Max Bryant I agree, Max. The HL's in KC are nice, clean stores. I think we're lucky to have them and these sales, especially considering that models, trains and rockets are not really where they make the bulk of their money. I also agree there was a major restock in support of this sale - I visited two Monday morning, and both had excess supply lined up in boxes on the floors in front of the model aisle. Saw all the same stock you mentioned. For these particular KC stores, it's the best selection they've had in a year. Walked away with the Tamiya M1A2 and M113 rereleases in the OIF schemes, the Tamiya Sherman 105, and a Revell Vincent Black Shadow. I'm thinking of going back for the Polar Lights Enterprise, and a Tamiya Pershing. I was hoping they might have the Revell 1/72 U-boat (since they seem to pick one or two high end from each line), but no joy. For the rest of you married fellows out there, one of the benefits of HL is that the significant other can almost always find something she wants, too. They can carry all the silk flowers they want as long as they keep selling kits half off, as far as I'm concerned. Hell, I'll carry her purse all around the store for this. :) Chris Kansas City >I visited one in Brea CA on Saturday. Not very impressive. I was impressed with the N. Little Rock store to the tune of about $100. Got their last Minicraft VC-54C (nice kit!), four new AMT, Polar Lights, and Revell car kits, and six of the beautiful Sky Marks snap-together jetliners (I don't normally go for this type of thing but couldn't resist at half off). Will have to check back later this week to see if they get any more VC-54s, any Minicraft 727-200s, or different Sky Marks models. SignatureAl Superczynski, MFE, IPMS/USA #3795, continuous since 1968 My "From" address is munged - click "Reply To" to respond via email. Check out my want lists and eBay listings at "Al's Place": http://www.network54.com/realm/modeleral/ "Build what YOU like, the way YOU want to, and the critics will flame you every time." somebody get me some of the 1/48 american bombers? >somebody get me some of the 1/48 >american bombers?> Such as? When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return. --Leonardo Da Vinci >>somebody get me some of the 1/48 >>american bombers?> > >Such as? the 29? i've built the 24 and 17, but the honker would be fun. Stopped off at four HLs in the Chicago area. Picked up Revell/Monogram 1/48 B-24D and B-25J, and Tamiya 1/48 P=47D Razorback and P-51D. Mike >>somebody get me some of the 1/48 american bombers?>> >Such as?> >>the 29? i've built the 24 and 17, but the honker would be fun>> They had a 29, don't remember the price. If you want it and can't get it, I may be able to talk wifey into letting me buy it to send you. Money is REAL tight at the moment, so it's iffy at best. I know she won't let me buy anything for myself, so.... But if it were something we could get paid back for, she might say ok. When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return. --Leonardo Da Vinci >>>somebody get me some of the 1/48 american bombers?>> > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to >return. --Leonardo Da Vinci if you can get it for half and figure shipping to 92311, i can tell you if i can cover. i would front the dough. |
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