NY Times story on a hobby shop

this seems more a junk shop over time.  But human interest is what sells. 

And you know this because you've been there?  Enjoy your starbucks coffee and olive garden meal.

 

Pete

Sounds like a great place to browse and purchase some pretty interesting stuff. I'm putting it on my train shops to visit list for sure. 

The fact that it survived speaks volumes.

It is nice to see that there are still some "mom & pop" type stores still out there.  It is certainly a place I'd like to visit.

 

Andy

I love places like that, because they seem to have almost any and every kind of goody, old and new.

We, had a place in a neighboring village, which is now closed.

Whenever you walked in, it seemed as if one entered into the Twilight Zone!!!!!

This place had everything, old, new, WWII tank periscopes, old kits, ready built to run goodies, etc. 

It, was a hobbyist's dream come true!!

Ralph

On my next trip to NY I am there. Every mom and pop store is unique and shows our humanity, warts and all. More power to them!

All the best,

Miketg

Hi Miketg,

You probably might know the hobby shop i've just posted about.

It, was in Baldwin Village on Atlantic Ave., I believe the owner's name was Don.

It, closed about two, or three years ago, now.

I don't know what happened to the owner.

No one took over the business.

Ralph

Great story - thanks C.W. for posting!

Interesting to read about the old style Mom and Pop Hobby Shop.  As the story notes when he retires who is going to carry on with the store. I agree its nice to have restaurants etc but these high end places tend to command higher rents forcing smaller stores like this hobby shop to close..

When I was with FDNY at the 49th battalion, I use to stop in there occasionally. Nice little shop. Not much O gauge, but many models, paints and religious statues!

 

 

Neat story (and store). I'll bet he sees a spike in business in the next few days and weeks. And if you're visiting Astoria, you can see that bridge, the name of which must remain unspoken. 

I go a few times a year. I live in the city and it is one of the five still around. ( 1 statin Island, 2 manhattan, the big Brooklyn one and this spot in Queens)  It is a few blocks walk from the subway. The owner is always nice to me and happy to talk. I usually get something. He's a big Conrail fan so has quite a bit of that. If you ask, more stock is in backstock than on shelves. It I'd always pretty slow but nice that way.

Cool story.   Nice shop.  Thanks for posting the link!

I used to go there in the '80s, when I lived on E. 81 St.  It's definitely not a junk shop, but not really a model train shop either: as advertised, Hobbies and Art.  I bought a lot of paint, scratch-building supplies, and some models there.  At the time, living in rather small places in NYC, I had N and Z gauge and they have very little of that.  One thing they did/do have in spades that you can't get in many hobby/train stores was really good paint brushes - the art connection in their name I suppose.  I still have some really good quality long natural bristle fine brushes I bought there in the '80s.  I was in NYC for the first time in a couple years last summer and went by just to look.  Had not changed much.  

Interesting read, thanks for posting!

 

-Dave

nice story. those type stores are almost gone

Neat store, I like the fact that they have a Robby The Robot model for $22, haven't seen one in a store in years.

 

Jerry

He's not hiding. He has ads in the dealer section in the backs of a few model rr mags. He has been in RMC forever.

Good stuff.

 

That picture reminds of hobby shops of bygone days. Stacked floor to ceiling with product and great for browsing.  A magical place. Going to the hobby shop with my dad on Saturday mornings is a great memory from my youth. 

Yes Miketg your are correct!

I stand corrected!

His name was Dave, not Don and it was in Freeport.

It, is sad to see his place closed.

I have never been to Pete's, but I've been to Nassau Hobbies, Willis Hobbies and I live near and have been to Trainland.

Do you remember Artie's Corner in Baldwin, south side of Sunrise Highway and east of Grand Ave.

He had old and new, reproduced like old, antique furniture and such and there was a display case with beautiful older 1:43 scale sized die-cast WWII British and American Army vehicles.

My wife bought me a few military vehicles, but I would have liked to have bought more.

In the back room suspended from the overhead were beautiful large scale model planes. 

Then, the place went out of business, the one story building got demolished and now some other structure stands there, in it's place.

Shame, hobby shops and R.O.W. trackage are disappearing, not just in Nassau Co., but elsewhere!!!!

THEY HAVE ALL GONE BY THE WAY SIDE!

Take Care,

Ralph

Thanks for the story.

Silver Lake,

Do you, or did you live near Silver Lake in Staten Island, N.Y.C., N.Y.S.?

I used to live near Clove Lakes.

Ralph

Neat story and photos. Thanks CW for the post.

Actually I don't. I took the forum handle as a "shout out" to my summer spot in the Adirondacks upstate at a time I was living in SanDiego CA. I have since moved back east to the city.  Last fall I visited E-Z Catch the one hobby shop in S.I. it was a nice day and I had time  so I walked back to the ferry through Silver Lake as well as some other neighborhoods some of which have seen better days.

       

Reminds me of ABC Hobby in Evansville, IN.

 

The Ye Olde Train & Christmas Shoppe that I repair for is kinda like that, but it's only trains though.

I have to check this store out, thanks for posting it. Store's like this are hard 

to find even in New York.

 

Tin