What was your first hobby shop?

[Duke Maddog]

My first one was the Base Exchange on whatever Air Force Base we were stationed at. After that, when I moved out, I found a shop in Fort Walton Beach FL. whose name I forgot; it lasted maybe five or six years anyway.

[speedgraflex]

I grew up in central Connecticut. We had Two Guys, Sears, Toys R Us. I remember riding my bike to TRU to get the Monogram Black Widow. My favorite hobby shop was War and Pieces in West Hartford. Even as a kid I was on a first name basis with the owners. It's been about 20 years since they closed.

War and Pieces

Hartford Courant

April 5, 2007

HOBBY SHOP PAST ITS TIME

War and Pieces, a hobby and game shop that’s been a fixture in West Hartford Center for three decades, is closing — having fought a losing battle against the popularity of video games and competing Internet sales.

Since 1976, the 7 S. Main St. shop owned by Canton resident Rich Petro has been the place in town where modelers could find airplane and boat kits, toy soldier collectors could buy painted miniatures, die-cast collectors could find the latest racing cars, and hobbyists of all sorts could meet to share their interests.

But in recent years, Petro, 58, could clearly see the trends: Young people were interested in video and computer games instead of making model airplanes and his customers were being squeezed by high gas prices and lured to less expensive items offered on the Internet.

“It seemed to accelerate with the advent of eBay and the Internet in general,” Petro said from behind his store counter Wednesday. “We just weren’t seeing the number of people.”

Ron Van Winkle, the town’s community services director, said the closing of War and Pieces is part of the changing retail landscape and part of the hobby industry’s evolution.

“I built models when I was a little kid, but my kids never even thought about doing that,” he said.

“It’s a tough economic environment for the small retailer with the single store,” Van Winkle said. “It’s the nature of what’s going on, all over.”

The retail space that War and Pieces will vacate by the end of the month will be filled by Dream Dinners, a franchise meal-assembly store where customers can buy ready-to-cook ingredients for meals. The food can be taken home to cook immediately or frozen to be cooked later. The store is expected to open in July or August, according to company officials.

###

[tempestjohnny]

I grew up in central Connecticut. We had Two Guys, Sears, Toys R Us. I remember riding my bike to TRU to get the Monogram Black Widow. My favorite hobby shop was War and Pieces in West Hartford. Even as a kid I was on a first name basis with the owners. It's been about 20 years since they closed.

War and Pieces

Hartford Courant

April 5, 2007

HOBBY SHOP PAST ITS TIME

War and Pieces, a hobby and game shop that’s been a fixture in West Hartford Center for three decades, is closing — having fought a losing battle against the popularity of video games and competing Internet sales.

Since 1976, the 7 S. Main St. shop owned by Canton resident Rich Petro has been the place in town where modelers could find airplane and boat kits, toy soldier collectors could buy painted miniatures, die-cast collectors could find the latest racing cars, and hobbyists of all sorts could meet to share their interests.

But in recent years, Petro, 58, could clearly see the trends: Young people were interested in video and computer games instead of making model airplanes and his customers were being squeezed by high gas prices and lured to less expensive items offered on the Internet.

“It seemed to accelerate with the advent of eBay and the Internet in general,” Petro said from behind his store counter Wednesday. “We just weren’t seeing the number of people.”

Ron Van Winkle, the town’s community services director, said the closing of War and Pieces is part of the changing retail landscape and part of the hobby industry’s evolution.

“I built models when I was a little kid, but my kids never even thought about doing that,” he said.

“It’s a tough economic environment for the small retailer with the single store,” Van Winkle said. “It’s the nature of what’s going on, all over.”

The retail space that War and Pieces will vacate by the end of the month will be filled by Dream Dinners, a franchise meal-assembly store where customers can buy ready-to-cook ingredients for meals. The food can be taken home to cook immediately or frozen to be cooked later. The store is expected to open in July or August, according to company officials.

###

I guess I had the timing just right

[tempestjohnny]

My first shop was Pratley’s hardware store in the little village I grew up in - Milton Under Wychwood on the edge of the Cotswolds. They sold Humbrol tube glue and Airfix/Humbrol paints and the only kits they had were Matchbox - which is why I've built some many of them.

I didn't go into a proper model shop until I went to collage in Witney near Oxford, it was at the back of a local toy shop.

I remember going to England to visit my Nana and grandad. Summer of 1983. Spent a lot of my money at Mark's and Spencer's

[cbaltrin]

Modeler’s Haven, Canton, Ohio.. looked all over for a photo…no luck…

[speedgraflex]

My first shop was Pratley’s hardware store in the little village I grew up in - Milton Under Wychwood on the edge of the Cotswolds. They sold Humbrol tube glue and Airfix/Humbrol paints and the only kits they had were Matchbox - which is why I've built some many of them.

I didn't go into a proper model shop until I went to collage in Witney near Oxford, it was at the back of a local toy shop.

Hi Stuart! Wonderful memories! I did look up your village to see the various shops, but I wasn’t able to find the hardware store! Any ideas?

[speedgraflex]

Modeler’s Haven, Canton, Ohio.. looked all over for a photo…no luck…

I did find the address and local articles but you’re right, this is a hard one to research. Which location did you visit? Apparently, the store moved.

[Stuart]

My first shop was Pratley’s hardware store in the little village I grew up in - Milton Under Wychwood on the edge of the Cotswolds. They sold Humbrol tube glue and Airfix/Humbrol paints and the only kits they had were Matchbox - which is why I've built some many of them.

I didn't go into a proper model shop until I went to collage in Witney near Oxford, it was at the back of a local toy shop.

Hi Stuart! Wonderful memories! I did look up your village to see the various shops, but I wasn’t able to find the hardware store! Any ideas?

It's a house now Bruce - in fact when I grew up there it had a bustling high street - but all the shops are gone now - just more houses.