# Show us Your LHS !



## Airframes (Mar 3, 2015)

Inspired by Chris's thread giving the sad news of his local, long established hobby store closing, I thought it would be a good idea for those of us fortunate enough to _have_ a local store, to show us all what it's like.
I've been fortunate in this respect for most of my life, wherever I've lived, having either a local Model Shop, or one close to my place of work, or, in the days when I was 'on the road' as a technical rep, stores in the places I visited regularly all over the country.
Although, like most of us, I admit to using on-line outlets such as Hannant's for some of the more specialised items I might need, I'm extremely fortunate in having a little gold mine of a model shop just half a mile from where I now live which, for a relatively small shop, stocks a surprisingly large amount of kits, accessories, tools, paints and lots of other stuff too. Also, if at all possible, if an item is not in stock, Iris, the proprietor, will order it in within a few days.
So, to start things off, here's my local shop, 'Cheshire Models'.
Let's see your shops across the World, and always remember - Support your local shop ... Use it, or Lose it !

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## Wurger (Mar 3, 2015)

Great !!!


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## rochie (Mar 3, 2015)

Mine as it used to be when I was young






And now a few hundred yards from its original location on stockton high street

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## Lucky13 (Mar 3, 2015)

Awesome!


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## Airframes (Mar 3, 2015)

Good one Karl. I think I might have been to the old shop, back in the early 1970's.


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## pbehn (Mar 3, 2015)

rochie said:


> Mine as it used to be when I was young
> 
> View attachment 286332





Too young for Leslie Browns Rochie?







Not only a great model shop with minature railway and scalectrix but THE place to buy records in the 60s early 70s

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## pbehn (Mar 3, 2015)

pbehn said:


> rochie said:
> 
> 
> > Mine as it used to be when I was young
> ...



Woolworths was also great for models until it moved to the "new" centre.


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## rochie (Mar 3, 2015)

pbehn said:


> pbehn said:
> 
> 
> > rochie said:
> ...


Wow I totally forgot about Leslie Brown's !
Thanks mate


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## pbehn (Mar 3, 2015)

rochie said:


> Wow I totally forgot about Leslie Brown's !
> Thanks mate





My wife works with young "Mr Brown"s wife.


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## Njaco (Mar 3, 2015)

My very first Hobby Shop was my father's! He owned his very own store right on our property. Sadly he sold it to a larger model store and the building was torn down in 2005. The pics are the store, the truck my father used for deliveries with us kids on the running board (I'm on the right) and my father with his 'product'. This is about 1966.

.

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## Totalize (Mar 3, 2015)

Here's a link to one of LHS stores in Toronto. Too many pictures to post but heres a link. THe store has a great selection of paint and often has resin add-on for aircraft such as wheels, etc. There are two floors chocked full of model kits a main floor and a basement.

Wheels and wings Hobbies

Wheels Wings Hobbies - Toronto hobby shop - Store Photos

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## Capt. Vick (Mar 3, 2015)

This is my (not so) local Hobby Shop, Bayshore Hobbies. This place is a gold mine!






Will get interior pictures when I get out there next and if Bob allows.

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## herman1rg (Mar 3, 2015)

This is a good idea, unfortunately I buy 100% online


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## imalko (Mar 3, 2015)

There was a time once when I could buy a model kit in local bookshop or toy store in my home town. It's a long time since this is not the case, so for years now if I want to buy a kit I have to make a 30km trip to Belgrade. Apart from offering one may find at toy departments in large shopping malls (mostly Revell products), there are two excellent specialized hobby shops that I know of. I usually buy my stuff at M-Hobby. They also have an option for online ordering, so I don't have to go there myself each time. It never occurred to me to take a picture of the place so here's one photo from their website.

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## Lucky13 (Mar 3, 2015)

Here's the link to my local, younger than I thought, only been in business since '92....

Jamieson's Models

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## Wurger (Mar 3, 2015)




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## Wildcat (Mar 4, 2015)

You guys are lucky, my closest shop is about 45min-1hr away in city traffic.


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## Wayne Little (Mar 4, 2015)

Excellent.


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## Airframes (Mar 4, 2015)

Lucky13 said:


> Here's the link to my local, younger than I thought, only been in business since '92....
> 
> Jamieson's Models



I don't think that's the one I thought you meant when you told me about it some time ago. The one I used to visit when in Glasgow was down by Glasgow Cross, a couple of streets up. Can't remember the name of the street, as last time I was there was probably around 1990, but I thought the shop was Jamieson's too.


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## Lucky13 (Mar 4, 2015)

I _think,_ that there _might,_ be another two in Glasgow, can't remember the name at the moment, need to google it...


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## Lucky13 (Mar 4, 2015)

Waddell's Models on 56 Bell Street, but that's more a modell railroad shop...another one is Pastimes on 126 Maryhill Road..


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## Airframes (Mar 4, 2015)

Nope, don't think they're the ones either. It could well have closed as, from memory, the owner was getting on a bit even back then, so maybe retired - or taken over by the now defunct 'Model Zone' perhaps ?
Unless it _was_ Jamieson's, and they've moved ?


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## JKim (Mar 4, 2015)

Here's mine...







You can click on the thumbnail below to get a Google tour of the place...

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## Crimea_River (Mar 4, 2015)

Great thread! There are actually 4 or 5 that I can choose from here in Calgary. It'll take me a while to gather up some pics.

Terry, I see a rack full of Tamiya paint at your local store. It's time you stopped bitchin' about your Humbrols and try these out.

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## CommanderBounds (Mar 4, 2015)

Unfortunately I have no real LHS near me. The closest I've got to one is a Hobbytown but that's more R/C and Slot cars sort of hobby store than model kit store. It's got a crap ton of cars and a miniscule collection of Aircraft, Figures and Armor. Better than nothing I guess?


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## Airframes (Mar 5, 2015)

Crimea_River said:


> Great thread! There are actually 4 or 5 that I can choose from here in Calgary. It'll take me a while to gather up some pics.
> 
> Terry, I see a rack full of Tamiya paint at your local store. It's time you stopped bitchin' about your Humbrols and try these out.



Whaaat !
Acrylic paints are the work of the Devil, and Tamiya is Lucifer incarnate !
But I do use acrylics sometimes, when stuck for a decent enamel - but very rarely, and preferably not Tamiya !


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## Totalize (Mar 5, 2015)

herman1rg said:


> This is a good idea, unfortunately I buy 100% online




Me too and mostly from Asia or Europe (UK,Poland). I use to buy a lot from the U.S. but the US Postal Service rates for international shipments to Canada which is just over the border have gone through the roof in the last year. Not to mention the high U.S. dollar which makes most U.S. suppliers (i.e. Sprue brothers) to international buyers really uncompetitive. It's actually cheaper to purchase product further away.

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## Capt. Vick (Mar 10, 2015)

Capt. Vick said:


> This is my (not so) local Hobby Shop, Bayshore Hobbies. This place is a gold mine!
> 
> View attachment 286371
> 
> ...




Your well ordered hobby shops are so quaint. Welcome to Aladdin's cave...





View attachment 286936


Two isles





View attachment 286940


Some detail. Want more?






Even train books for Jan...

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## fubar57 (Mar 10, 2015)

Wow...nice. I notice the railroad books are front and center, to drive a certain someone into a tizzy?

Geo

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## Aaron Brooks Wolters (Mar 10, 2015)

George. Excellent thread Terry! I will get photos as I return to the three in my area.


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## Catch22 (Mar 10, 2015)

There is nothing like some of those packed full stores here. There is basically one good one, three ok ones, and a couple that really are for paint only. I'll also grab pics next time I'm at them. Two of the ok ones are a chain, and they have decent items but they are overpriced.


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## Lucky13 (Mar 10, 2015)

Capt. Vick said:


> Your well ordered hobby shops are so quaint. Welcome to Aladdin's cave...
> 
> View attachment 286936
> 
> ...



I could buy a book or two.... 
Probably don't ship internationally...  

Great stuff guys!


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## Capt. Vick (Mar 10, 2015)

A few more..

View attachment 286949


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## Capt. Vick (Mar 10, 2015)

Lucky13 said:


> I could buy a book or two....
> Probably don't ship internationally...
> 
> Great stuff guys!



Don't you know your Uncle Jim would hook you up?


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## Lucky13 (Mar 11, 2015)

For a bottle of whisky of three...


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## Njaco (Mar 11, 2015)

Capt. Vick, there used to be a shop like that when I was younger but it was 1 hour away. We would save our money and then my dad would take us kids there about once or twice a year. It was heaven.


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## Capt. Vick (Mar 11, 2015)

Yeah... There used to be a train shop like that when I was young. Still there, but it's not the same.


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## Njaco (Mar 11, 2015)

Those pics brought back many good memories....................


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## Airframes (Mar 11, 2015)

I've been thinking (and yes, it hurt!) .... when I first moved to this town, 22 years ago, there used to be no less than _*seven*_ model-related shops, all within half a mile of each other, in a town with a population of just over 62,000 !
There were two branches of a family-run toy and hobby shop - one branch with three floors selling toys for all ages, plus bikes, sports goods, prams and pushchairs and baby furniture etc, plus a few kits, with the other having a larger model and model railway section. Then there was a model railway shop, also selling a few kits, just two doors up from the LHS already posted, and the art shop also sold kits and modelling stuff, and was a huge place with three floors and rooms all over the place - now down to one room on the ground floor, a quarter of the size of the original ground floor space, but no modelling stuff.
There was a 'Toymaster' store, which had the usual few Revell and Airfix kits and good old 'Woolworths', which often had some great offers - got a Airfix 1/24th scale Bf109E for £7, instead of £30 a year or two before they closed!
Apart from these. there were also a few 'local' shops such as newsagents, which had the odd couple of kits. 
The only one left now is 'Cheshire Models', as shown in the first post of this thread !


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## Capt. Vick (Mar 11, 2015)

Oh I miss Woolworth. I like places I can eat and shop in.


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## Capt. Vick (Mar 13, 2015)

Lucky13 said:


> For a bottle of whisky of three...



Something can always be worked out if you see something you want...

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## Lucky13 (Mar 13, 2015)

Are there still B-29's sitting about?


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## Capt. Vick (Mar 13, 2015)

In 1/48 scale?


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## Crimea_River (Mar 13, 2015)

Jim, that place looks a lot like the best model shop we used to have here in Calgary (Uncle Bill's) until Rick, the Owner, died of cancer last year and all his stuff was shipped to Hong Kong.

I made it to 3 of mine today, all in a futile attempt to stock up on some Alclad paints. Seems our customs people have trouble with Alclad and Tamiya paints and there are long periods between shipments. When the shelves get stocked they get emptied pretty quick by hoarders. Anyway, after I came up dry at the first place I went to, I forgot about this thread and didn't take a picture, though it's the second of two locations for this place:







This is by far the largest store in Calgary and stocks a wide range of hobby items, including pink, fluffy, crafty stuff for the ladies. Below is one of the model aisles with planes on the nearest shelves on the right and on half the shelves at the left. Beyond are cars on the left and ships on the right. In the next aisle over you'll find the armour models.






Here's the paint aisle with racks of styrene rod, sheet, and shapes in the middle and diorama stuff on the shelf at right.






I used to frequent this place as it was the closest to my home. It specializes in trains and used to have lots of models at decent prices but it's become one of those places that carries a lot of sci-fi stuff now in addition to trains. As a result, the model stock has been depleted to make room for the sci-fi stuff. When I asked about Alclad paints, which I could not find, the guy wanted me to spell it as he never heard of it. Not going there any more.






Sorry for the crap picture - cell phone from the car.


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## Capt. Vick (Mar 13, 2015)

Looks good to me amigo!


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## Lucky13 (Mar 14, 2015)

Capt. Vick said:


> In 1/48 scale?



In full scale!


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## Airframes (Mar 15, 2015)

Nice one Andy. And I agree with your decision re the second shop !


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## fubar57 (Mar 18, 2015)

This is where I buy supplies, paint, glue and plastic. Maybe about 50 kits of various scales but none that I need. My only choice for paints are Tamiya and Vallejo, the latter I'm learning to love. Next door is a convenient Tim Hortons that I send SWMBO...






...the sad part of this is it's a 4hr round trip. I actually drove down and back once for 3 bottles of paint.

Geo

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## Crimea_River (Mar 18, 2015)

That's expensive paint then!


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## Wayne Little (Mar 19, 2015)

Dedication George!

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## Airframes (Mar 19, 2015)

It sure is !
I notice that Wayne hasn't shown his LHS - but as the shelves there are empty, the contents being at Wayne's house, I'm not surprised !

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## Capt. Vick (Mar 19, 2015)

Hahahaha! No doubt!


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## Wurger (Mar 19, 2015)




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## Lucky13 (Mar 19, 2015)

_....or,_ Master Wayne _being_ the LHS!! He just doesn't like to _sell_ any of the kits!

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## Catch22 (Mar 28, 2015)

Went around to 4 of the local shops today, only to find out one of them is closing. They had everything at 50% off in a sale that started a full month ago, so I missed out entirely on any deals, besides some paints that were still laying around. The good news is, they're closing after 37 years because they want to retire, not because they couldn't afford to keep doing it. Unfortunately they were the best stocked for paints, even if they didn't have the greatest kit selection, so that will hurt.

Anyway, here are the different shops:

Comex Hobby






There are two locations in the city, one in West Edmonton Mall, another in a different mall. While they have a decent selection and a few brands that nobody else carries in the city, such as Kitty Hawk, their prices reflect the overhead they have in the malls. You're almost better off ordering online than buying from them sometimes. Even with our dollar being crap compared to the US, I could order a Seafire kit they had there for less from spruebrothers. For instance, they had a 1/48 Meng Me 410 for $109.99, while another store in the city had the exact same kit for 74.99...

They also deal with some board games, action figures, and a lot of Japanese anime stuff, which I personally have no interest in.

Great Hobbies






This store is a national chain, though they only have 4 stores, but they have some online ordering. They're nothing special but their prices are ok, generally slightly lower than elsewhere. They deal in a lot of RC stuff, so I think that's where they make their money.

Hobby Wholesale
















These guys are probably the best store in the city in terms of both general pricing and selection. They have some random items pop up from time to time, but mostly it's fairly generic, with the odd weird kit laying around. Lots of Italeri, lots of Tamiya, and lots of Airfix. Not a lot of Revell. Nobody really carries Hasegawa here anymore. They're the healthiest probably because while they have dealt in RC stuff for years, they also expanded and now sell a lot of Lego, Playmobil and other toys. Their selection in that respect seems quite good, so I imagine they make their money mostly through that and the RC.

Kites and Other Delights is the store that's closing (I didn't bother taking a picture since the place was basically empty), while I didn't go to the other Comex location at West Edmonton Mall, and I didn't go to either location of Hobby Alley. Hobby Alley is ok for paints, but that's really only because it's the closest to my house (basically all the other ones are the opposite end of town). Their kit selection is generally poor to bad, and they are overwhelmingly an RC store. Nobody carries aftermarket decals here, nor are there a lot of books aside from Squadron books, and Kites had more of them than anyone. Basically, if a kit is in town I prefer to buy it here, but there's a lot of not completely generic kits that never show up, so I'm forced to shop online.

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## Crimea_River (Mar 28, 2015)

Good post Cory. I can get the Meng 410 for about 75 bucks here in town as well. The owners of your shop there must be smoking something.


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## Catch22 (Mar 28, 2015)

It was unbelieveable. They must stay open because of their other items. The Seafire has been there for ages, but there seems to be other new stuff, so I'm not sure what the stock turnover is like, as I haven't been to that location in quite some time. Once the 410s started showing up in stores here I felt a lot better about my auction "victory" for $40 down in your neck of the woods.


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## Airframes (Mar 29, 2015)

Good stuff Cory.


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## javlin (Apr 19, 2015)

Cory you give me a LHS like that and my bank account would be deleted!!I drove to Mobile the other day about 1hrs drive and walked out with a book on the 'Admiral Hipper Class" not single kit jumped off the shelf at me.The LHS and the one Mobile are catering to the bigger bucks in RC cars,planes and boats whilst the plastic continues to shrink.I have heard it's tough to put that much money into an inventory and wait for it to move but just like the other day when it shrinks only the stuff no wants is left.


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## Bad-Karma (Jun 24, 2015)

Capt. Vick you ever visit Willis Hobbies in Mineola? That's where I used to go when I lived in Queens and later when I lived down the block in Roslyn Heights. 






Will have to snap a picture of my new local spot in Rock Hill next time I pick up some paint.


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## Wurger (Jun 24, 2015)




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## Capt. Vick (Jun 24, 2015)

Bad-Karma said:


> Capt. Vick you ever visit Willis Hobbies in Mineola? That's where I used to go when I lived in Queens and later when I lived down the block in Roslyn Heights.
> 
> View attachment 295474
> 
> ...



I have Sir, many times. They have a selection of the usual generic kits. Mostly a train and R/C shop. The whole upstairs is R/C everything. I think they can also host kids parties in the basement with an R/C race track. Good place for sheet styrene, brass and aluminum materials.


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## Ohm-men (Jun 28, 2015)

This is my LHS, Situated in the center of Antwerp, almost right next to the cathedral.
I still have a soft spot for this shop and it's owner. It a family buisiness since the mid 70's.
They have a huge selection of scale trains, cars both models and die cast and RC + a large selection of kits, paints, airbrush systems etc...
They are the only ones I know that have both Gunze, Tamiya, Humbrol, Revell and Model Master paints.
I got offered my first job there and worked at the plastic model department for a year.
It's a well known shop with visitors from all over the world...


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## Wurger (Jun 28, 2015)




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## fubar57 (Jun 28, 2015)

Nice. That '36 Ford seems to be a fixture in every LHS.




Geo


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## Lucky13 (Jun 28, 2015)

D*mmit....it's there too!


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## Capt. Vick (Jul 9, 2015)

Just received an email from Salon Modelarski JadarHobby with a YouTube video tour of their shop in Warsaw:


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpkKyYsoll8_

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## Wurger (Jul 11, 2015)




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## Lucky13 (Jul 11, 2015)




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## Robert Porter (Nov 13, 2016)

A great local Hobby Shop I found in my area. Website is here: Hangar 18 Home Page

It is called Hanger 18 Hobbies. Very friendly staff and has lots of plastic kits, RC Cars and Planes and Drones, as well as a large gaming community around Warhammer. Great staff, reasonable prices! It is in Cary NC USA.

Couple of pics!

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## Wurger (Nov 13, 2016)

Nice.


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## Lucky13 (Nov 14, 2016)




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## Wayne Little (Nov 16, 2016)




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## Crimea_River (Aug 4, 2020)

I'm resurrecting this one as Jim reminded me of it in the recent purchases thread. We're down to two shops in town now. The one at the bottom of post #44 closed its doors a couple of years ago. I never did post a picture of the other one called Model Land.


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## Airframes (Aug 5, 2020)

Similar thing here too. The shop I illustrated closed down late last year. 
Not many years ago, there was this shop, plus two other stores that also stocked model kits, paints etc, and now they're all gone. I have to get everything on-line these days.


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