Niagara Hobby closed

Sorry to hear that.  I was not a frequent customer, but I knew of them because of going to school up there. I seem to recall there might have been a full size  caboose in the parking lot back then (early 90's)?

I visited them at least once, possibly when I visited Buffalo for my freshman orientation (or maybe even before then when I first went up to the area for an open house at the school) many years ago.

{edit: I guess the caboose was (is?) still there the last time the imaging satellite Google uses passed by.  I just saw it was still there on-line}

-Dave

Thats a bummer. Not the best train store but a great place for every other supply. Tools, paints, die cast vehicles, etc.

Pete

I just got some plastic to build my scratch ES44. I saw 2 pieces of 5' G scale track and grabbed that too.

Had I known, I would have bought more stuff. I hope they re-open again. It's a tuff age for the brick and mortar as we all know.

I need a new place to get my testors paint now. 

Too bad. It was a nice, full line hobby shop. Went there many times with my family during our visits to Buffalo.

Sorry to see this.  I visited the Niagara Hobbies every summer after finishing a music seminar at SUNY Fredonia.   I began doing this back in 2007.  Back then I was really impressed with the variety of their inventory, including a huge doll house selection .... which I found lots of things that worked on my O gauge layout.  At that time their train selection was pretty good and they a nice in store layout.  They seemed to carry some train related things that I could not find anywhere else.   

On one of my visits, I bought a Lamar Outdoor advertising bill board that used to be part of their store layout.  On my layout it proudly welcomes visitors to 'Patsburg Home of the Free State Junction Railway'.  A piece of Niagara Hobbies layout now keeps living on my layout.  I also bought window flower boxes from their huge doll house inventory. 

Over the last few years I noticed the train selection dwindle a lot. Last year all the doll house inventory was gone and that section of the store was pretty much empty.  They always had a lovely real caboose outside!   I did not stop by there this summer.  Sorry to hear they are gone.  

Sounds like it was a traditional, old-style hobby shop for the modelers and craftsmen in our ranks who like to engage in great scratchbuilding projects.  Those kind of stores don't get replaced very easily today.

That's sad to hear. I am up in that area occasionally and stopped in a couple of times. They had an actual restored caboose in the parking lot. I understood the train section had dwindled some from years past but did make a point to buy a few things to try and support a local shop. It was the only shop I knew of in the area. 

Sorry for your LHS loss. But you scared me though... I thought you were talking about the Hobbyshop across the border in Downtown St. Catherines, Ont. That's were some of my remaining relatives live.

Oh wow, that's terrible. This is the Hobby Shop that I grew up going to. This is the shop that got me into trains. I would always press the big button to activate the main layout. When I was a kid, their selection of trains was enormous. Over the years, the trains started to dwindle as they brought in more RC, model airplanes, more dollhouse stuff, etc. But was still always a blast to go to. Can't say how many times I climbed around in that caboose as a kid.

Sad day.

They are open today, Saturday 16th, for a 70% off clearance sale.

Pete

I was told earlier this year Niagara Hobby was winding down.  After visiting them when I was in the area for the 765 Buffalo-Corning excursion a few years ago, it is almost hard to believe.  There isn't many of us full-line, full-service hobby centers in Upstate New York (West of the Hudson River) left.  Very few hobby stores east of us, nothing north or south and very little now to the west.

We welcome all new customers from the Western New York area down the thruway to visit our store!

Actually, there is a small shop about 90 minutes south of JR Junction in Windsor, NY, Village Trains.  http://www.villagetrainandhobb.../pages/Services.html

On my frequent trips to Binghamton/Ithaca I always stop in and buy something, just on general principles. They have an operating layout, maybe 10 x 20. I have never seen them advertised or mentioned here. There are about 3 minutes off NY 17/I-86.

As to Niagara Hobby, they were a nice place when I got back into the hobby in 2009, I used to stop in when in the area. But last Easter I stopped in and the shelves were just about bare.

PLCProf posted:

Actually, there is a small shop about 90 minutes south of JR Junction in Windsor, NY, Village Trains.  http://www.villagetrainandhobb.../pages/Services.html

Village trains is a very nice store I don't get up that way very often,  but when I do, I always stop in. a nice guy runs it too!

 

Wow!!! You want to see a shop have customers? Have a 70% off sale. The line wound threw every isle up and down the store!

I would bet it would have taken an hour at the least to check out. So I walked in,.... and after 30 seconds, I left. I wish them well. I had to make the grandsons football game so I couldn't wait. I have never seen a line that long anywhere. As I walked in people were asking where the line ended. No one knew!

 It looked like chaos. To make things worse, I followed an ambulance crew inside with a stretcher!! People didn't seem to want to move aside to let the stretcher by. So I knew they were waiting for some time.

Actually, there is a small shop about 90 minutes south of JR Junction in Windsor, NY, Village Trains.
 http://www.villagetrainandhobb.../pages/Services.html

On my frequent trips to Binghamton/Ithaca I always stop in and buy something, just on general principles.

They also run the area's only train show. at the VFW hall up the blockby Route 11 in Binghamton., NY. The next show is December 2?

That's where I got this for a song!

Sorry to read this sad news. I visited the store some years ago when I was attending an LGB Club National Convention in Buffalo. It was definitely a large, full-line, well-stocked shop and the owner was a gracious, informed, and knowledgeable host.

 I believe the original owner passed away. I can only guess on what happened after that. I believe there was an attempt to keep things going.

It reminded me of when we lost Ridge Road Station. That owner had health issues and shortly after that store closed.

I can only say I will miss them.

They were booked for the  event then

they were gone so I've been told.

Not good for the hobby but times change

We must be strong and move on.

Got an email today they are selling remaining stock along with fixtures inside and out. No idea of hours or days but it appeared they were open today.

Pete

The father who started the business many years ago moved from the wholesale side of the hobby business and opened a retail store in the early eighties. It was one of the best hobby shops early on and he was willing to stock almost everything an avid modeler would need. The attached craft store was no second rate operation either. He was very pleasant and virtually rolled out a red carpet whenever I stopped by after drill weekends in my military uniform. I was one of their train repair persons for a couple years and purchased a lot from them. Upon his passing, his son inherited the business. He too was very nice but he is also an avid race car driver in a professional racing touring circuit. This fueled his passion for the slot car operation which began to push the trains out the door. He had an offer to lease the space to another business and decided to leave the hobby business. I spoke with the president of the Buffalo Central Terminal Restoration Group a couple weeks ago and he spoke highly of the son as he was very generous to the local Railroad Historical nonprofits while open and during his closing. A true Buffalo NY original store rivaling the great Spoonley the Train Man in popularity now gone.