Hobbyland

This was always one of the best and still is. The world of the smaller «Ma and Pa» brick and mortar hobby shops is a decreasing options due to the world of bigger generic hobby stores and of course the Internet.
However even though Hobbyland was a small local chain at least this location is holding on for now. Sure the place is a bit more model train friendly, but they do their best to cover all aspects of the model world. I may not be able to get everything I need there, but I know when I walk in, I will find a majority.
Also, in respects of online, they do on occasion have things that I have never found online.

The last of the big geek hobby stores. Great staff and selection. I assume business is good because they always have new stuff coming in. Some niche store might have a better selection of a certain hobby, but no store has this good of an inventory across all hobbies. Considering the Sawmill and east side stores have closed, this is now a mecca in CBus.

My husband mentioned that he used to make model airplanes with his grandfather and would really like to get into it again. So I thought it would be cute to surprise him with a kit that he could get his feet with again.
I stopped by Hobbyland when I was out doing some errands. The man that helped me was AWESOME! I use all caps because I have absolutely NO idea what I wanted or what I should buy or any knowledge whatsoever about model building. He calmly and patiently walked me through EVERY kit in the store so I could get one that was just right. He helped me pick out all the supplies, paints, glues, knives and all the other things you (actually) do need to build this stuff. I know he wasn’t just trying to sell me either, because my husband has used every single item I bought.
I ended up choosing one wood kit and one plastic kit because I had no idea what my husband used to build or wanted to build so I got both. He was thrilled with what I got him and has been slowly putting them together in his spare time. I told him I owe all credit to the awesome guy who helped me pick it all out.
This store was great about helping a customer in serious need of the right direction!

Hobbyland is a very nice shop for model building and trains. They have a fabulous selection of paints and supplies, and the staff is very helpful. The store is clean and laid out very nicely. Its not hard to find what you need. I even had some family visiting from out of state who are into model trains, and they were really impressed with the unique selection.

In the wild, there are a few different species of geek. When multiple species interact, it’s usually pretty amusing. The interaction becomes very complicated very quickly. One geek assumes that the other geek is just as geeky and makes a joking reference. The other geek does not get it, because that reference is not one this species of geek would know.
Hobbyland is a refuge for an endangered species of geek. The traineus modelius geek. You can also find it’s lesser known cousin, the constructivus pletherus geek.
I am only fluent in artimus paintsalot geek, and lolcattus buckitus geek.
When going there, I do my best to communicate, but the language barrier is occasionally too strong. Eventually we resort to pictograms. Squiggly thing with a dot and a square. Upon realizing what i’m desperately trying to communicate in my pathetic pidgin the traineus modellus geek lights up (not literally) and (although… i guess this is absurd enough for that to be literal) goes and collects the item from somewhere in its habitat.
Then there is the ritual where a plastic card is slid against a bunch of things, and a signature, and voila!

Hobbyland is a shop for hardcore hobbiers. For model train enthusiasts, model builders, radio-​control fans and other similar folk, Hobbyland is a mecca. This place has a large selection of accessories and «toys.»
The hobby store is a bit of a dying breed. Places like this shop in Graceland help keep the tradition alive, though.