While they carried little Lionel, and even less 2 rail, Al's Hobby in Elmhurst, Illinois closed their doors Saturday, May 3rd at 5pm. Couldn't weather the current economy.
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Guess that leaves America's Best, Berwyn, Chicagoland and DesPlaines left in the western burb's.
Rusty
Another one bites the dust.
That was a biggy to the model car guys. Al's carried a lot of 1/43 car kits....I still have a few in the box sitting waiting to build. I went to the shop every time I attended the RCHTA (iHobby) show. Sad news....but kinda SOP.
really disappointing when i lived in Chicago this was definitely one of the best shops. always had a lot of new kits lots of scratch building supplies and a ton of 1/43 cars both diecast and kits. i guess looking for the best price to save a few pennies on the internet caused another great one to go down.
I have known Al(deceased) and Judy for many years. I met them first in Hawaii on a trip we won from Great Planes. Over the years their daughter Cindy took over and ran the place and became the "face" of Al's Hobbies while never owning a piece of the business. The business went to his wife and sister upon his death. Cindy over the years has become a close friend and fellow NRHSA member (sheis the current chairperson) and we ran many events at the annual show here in Vegas. Last year she almost died (and she came as close as a person can get) from Legionares Desease. After returning to the business she just couldn't handle it and last week decided to leave. She called me Saturday telling me they were closing the doors. She has a new job at the local Harley Dealer and she is also helping her husband Dennis working at Hobby Puplishing Mag. Sad day for a icon store. Charlie
Thanks for all of the memories, Al's Hobby Shop folks.... I have envelopes with Microscale decals from there and postmarks back to 1968.....
Now this is a darned shame! I have been going there for some 40 years. They were well know as the Chicago area's largest RC car & plane hobby shop.
I've been trying to phone them ever since reading this. It would be nice if someone changed/up-dated their answering voice message, though.
Tuff times I guess.
this is sad to hear, however the last time I was in their it looked pretty bad
Charlie, that's a nice testimony to the folks behind this hobby shop. Good for you.
I too have fond memories of going to Al's over the years. I frequented it mostly when I was in HO and N gauge and it was a great shop. And it was very close to the UP's mainline that ran west from their Proviso yard. I usually had a treat of visiting the hobby shop and seeing some awesome UP motive power on display.
Very nice comments Charlie, it helps put things in perspective. I wish the family the very best in the future and they will be missed.
Art
Originally Posted by Charlienassau:
I have known Al(deceased) and Judy for many years. I met them first in Hawaii on a trip we won from Great Planes. Over the years their daughter Cindy took over and ran the place and became the "face" of Al's Hobbies while never owning a piece of the business. The business went to his wife and sister upon his death. Cindy over the years has become a close friend and fellow NRHSA member (sheis the current chairperson) and we ran many events at the annual show here in Vegas. Last year she almost died (and she came as close as a person can get) from Legionares Desease. After returning to the business she just couldn't handle it and last week decided to leave. She called me Saturday telling me they were closing the doors. She has a new job at the local Harley Dealer and she is also helping her husband Dennis working at Hobby Puplishing Mag. Sad day for a icon store. Charlie
WOW!! I live in Elmhurst and shopped there for over 40 years heard nothing about this until I read it here. The sign on the door said they had been in business for 67 years....I was in there last week to buy a magazine!
Charlie you are forgetting a couple of folks beside Cindy there was mom Kathy and I remember Cindy's sister Donna worked there for many years and so did Karen (I think that was her name.. she's been gone awhile) who used to run the plastic dept.
They were all wonderful people who took time to talk to you. Kathy always over the years would ask about family..children and later grandchildren. I will always remember the pleasure of shopping in a true old fashioned hobby shop!
I will really miss the store but I will miss the people more....
Sorry to hear this - I wish them the best in their new endeavors!
--Greg
Well said, Rich. We hear so many people complain about their LHS and not enough singing their praises.
Art
That's a shame, Though they've moved further away from the train hobby over the years it was one of the premier businesses in Elmhurst. We would still stop in there on our way to the Club when I went back to visit. I remember before they moved around the corner when it was directly across from the North Western Train Station on First St. Then it had a great selection of trains planes and automobiles. It was also just a few doors down from where the Chicago Model Train Club (name?) was set up in the basement.
Al was a major benefactor of my weekly allowance back when I was growing up.
