# A sad day in Tampa Bay



## The-Nightsky (May 10, 2005)

Today I learned that one of our most beloved hobby shops in the area is going out of buisiness.Franks trains and hobbies will close its doors in 3 weeks....This is a place I grew up on and even purchased many memorable models from including my Pl C57d.............A Sad day indeed!!


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## dgtrekker (Jul 23, 2001)

I feel for ya...I remember when our hobby shop closed thanks to that W store which never has anything in stock in the first place!


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## Zorro (Jun 22, 1999)

My boyhood hobby shop shut it's doors about three years ago. It really does hurt.


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## sbaxter (Jan 8, 2002)

The-Nightsky said:


> Today I learned that one of our most beloved hobby shops in the area is going out of buisiness.Franks trains and hobbies will close its doors in 3 weeks....This is a place I grew up on and even purchased many memorable models from including my Pl C57d.............A Sad day indeed!!


Wow ... I _loved_ going to Frank's whenever I was in Tampa, even though they were located in one of those "you can't get there from here" places (from Land O' Lakes anyway, which was usually my starting point when I'd go). Sorry to hear the place is closing down.

Qapla'

SSB


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## Dave Hussey (Nov 20, 1998)

Drat!!

I'm planning a visit to the Big Mouse and some down time on the beaches around St. Petes for next May and my next question was going to be about where are the good hobby shops in that area.

Huzz


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## ChrisW (Jan 1, 1970)

Night-sky - at the risk of sounding callous, if you can't prevent it, you might as well benefit from it. Take advantage of close-out sales, but also go the next step - find out if there are any kits, displays, factory built-ups, etc. that got stuck away in a corner, hidden away on a shelf or lost in the storage room. There may be some treasures waiting to be found. And don't be shy about asking, either. If they're closing shop, they need to get everything out.


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## sbaxter (Jan 8, 2002)

Dave Hussey said:


> I'm planning a visit to the Big Mouse and some down time on the beaches around St. Petes for next May and my next question was going to be about where are the good hobby shops in that area.


Dave, I tried to send you a PM but got this in response ...


Hobbytalk BB said:


> Dave Hussey has exceeded their stored private messages quota and can not accept further messages until they clear some space.


Qapla'

SSB


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## The-Nightsky (May 10, 2005)

models are 50% off...might as well benefit......Dave, we still have a couple of good hobby shops around, Charlies hobbies and Phils is still around....be glad to give you a tour if you make it this way


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## Dave Hussey (Nov 20, 1998)

SB - I just deleted a mess of PMs so you should be good to go.

Nightsky - thanks! I have no trouble finding a Checkers Burger joint but it'd be real nice to walk into an honest to gosh hobby shop, even if its just as revenge for the wife spending all day at the Prime Outlet Mall over in Ellenton!

Huzz


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## model happy (Dec 13, 2003)

It does not suprise me that Franks is going out of bussiness he kind of went down hill when he moved his new location was not as good as his old store. It is a shame he had a good hobby shop. not many left in tampa area


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## The-Nightsky (May 10, 2005)

model happy said:


> It does not suprise me that Franks is going out of bussiness he kind of went down hill when he moved his new location was not as good as his old store. It is a shame he had a good hobby shop. not many left in tampa area


You know...His new location is actualy his first location.....But I agree the other store was much better...Either way gonna miss em!!!


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## enterprise_fan (May 23, 2004)

What are the names of these hobby shops in Tampa? How about a street address for these stores for someone over here in Auburndale Fl. The only hobby stores I know of in my area is HobbyTown USA in Lakeland and Colonial Photo & Hobby in Orlando. In the years that I have been down here in Florida I have seen a lot of independent stores go the way of the DoDo.


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## PhilipMarlowe (Jan 23, 2004)

I'm going to be in Tampa this weekend, we're going to see Superman in Imax 3-D, any recommendations for any other good model or sci-fi stores would be appreciated. And how do you get to Franks?


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## sbaxter (Jan 8, 2002)

enterprise_fan said:


> What are the names of these hobby shops in Tampa? How about a street address for these stores for someone over here in Auburndale Fl. The only hobby stores I know of in my area is HobbyTown USA in Lakeland and Colonial Photo & Hobby in Orlando.


Frank's is over in Oldsmar, if I remember correctly. There's a fairly decent Hobbytown down in Brandon, or there was last time I was there. I think there's one in Tampa proper on Dale Mabry, more or less across the street from Borders. Last time I went exploring, there was another pretty good place in Tampa along one of the other "main drags." I don't know street addresses for any of these because I actually live four or five hours away. Hobbytown probably has a store locator on their corporate site. The one in Brandon is part of the Regency Square shopping center, across the street from the Brandon TownCenter mall.

Here's the site for Frank's -- there's a link for directions on the linked page:

http://www.frankstrainshobbies.com/

Here's Hobbytown's store locator page. Enter Florida to get a list of all their stores in the state, with addresses and links to maps for each:

http://www.hobbytown.com/locator/results

Qapla'

SSB


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## model happy (Dec 13, 2003)

I did not know that the new store was his old store .I have been in the Tampa area for about 5 yrs . When I first saw Franks I only seen the old truck parked on tampa road and never thought to go there. When I did I was suprised it was a cool store lots of models and trains ,they even had beanie babies which my then 8 yr old daughter loved (buy a model for me and a beanie for her )Always sad to see a good store go under. FYI there is also a very good hobby store in Tampa its called House of Hobbies its on US 19 in palm harbor tons of models


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## The-Nightsky (May 10, 2005)

I know all about house of hobbies....have been going there since i was 8 and they had 2 stores back then....one in New Port richey and One in clearwater,A couple of years ago they combined the 2 into a new store in palm harbor....His prices are just a bit High..


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## model happy (Dec 13, 2003)

Yes HOH is kinda high everyone I know says that . The wife is very helpful though. Where is phils and charles hobby shops I never heard of them? I live in Spring Hill now, but I travel almost anywhere for a good hobby shop.Got back into the hobby when I moved to Florida bought my first model at franks (the munsters living room)as well as many others at franks. I also run trains so franks will be missed


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

It really SUCKS when these hobby shops close down that have been around for 
so long..Sure..you can get most anything on the internet..but part of the 
fun was going into a shop and seeing it on the shelf, not to mention making
friends within the hobby that one would meet there....


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## The-Nightsky (May 10, 2005)

model happy said:


> Yes HOH is kinda high everyone I know says that . The wife is very helpful though. Where is phils and charles hobby shops I never heard of them? I live in Spring Hill now, but I travel almost anywhere for a good hobby shop.Got back into the hobby when I moved to Florida bought my first model at franks (the munsters living room)as well as many others at franks. I also run trains so franks will be missed


Phils is on park blvd id pinellas park and charlies is on west waters in tampa


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## model happy (Dec 13, 2003)

Thanks for the info Nightsky I will have to check them out.


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## lisfan (Feb 15, 1999)

i was up in laconia Nh recently , they have an old 5&10 the wife and i like to poke around in. they have some models but the hobby store down two doors was gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i always look forward to looking while i am i there. they had a whole down stairs at one time committed to models then it was an aisle up upstairs. should of seen the writing on the wall...........


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## SPINDRIFT62 (May 29, 2006)

There was a place here in Scarborough Ontario Canada calld Collector's Lane, it was a massive store. I bought many a childhood memory kits there as an adult like the Spindrift etc... Being on a limited budget the prices were fair. I was saving up for the Back to the Future III Delorean on the tracks. Without warning it was gone virtually over night. I feel the pain like you all do when your favorite hobby shop goes away. Now I have to go way out of town on a few hour bus ride to get the same thrill I did as shopping at my ole CL shop.


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## Cro-Magnon Man (Jun 11, 2001)

find out if there are any kits, displays, factory built-ups, etc. that got stuck away in a corner, hidden away on a shelf or lost in the storage room. There may be some treasures waiting to be found. And don't be shy about asking, either. If they're closing shop, they need to get everything out.[/QUOTE]


I was just thinking the same thing as I came to ChrisW's post saying this about checking if the shop has some old and out-of-production items. Give it a go! Most of the factory built-ups on ebay nowadays seem to say "from a model shop near here which had been in business for over 50 years and has just closed".


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