# Al's HobbyShop is closed...



## heiki (Aug 8, 1999)

Sadly, after about 70 years of being open, Al's Hobby Shop of Chicago/Elmhurst Illinois has closed it's doors.

It was one of largest hobby shops in the midwest and one of the last.

Going to miss it.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Damn, another one bites the dust.


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## Aurora-brat (Oct 23, 2002)

That is too bad, I hate to see brick and mortar shops closing down. 

But what really upsets me is when I hear people lamenting their loss, while at the same time admitting to purchasing kits from online sellers. Those that do have to understand they are contributing to the demise of the traditional hobby shops. Plain and simple.

My local hobby shop closed several years ago, and I remember the proprietor telling me how so many of his customers admitted to buying kits online, but reassured him they would always buy their paint and glue from him. He laughed and asked how long can he expect to stay in business making $100 per day, if that much. Especially with store rents going up to absurd levels.

Glad I at least have the memory of walking into a hobby shop and enjoying the experience of browsing all those kits on the shelves, perusing the various paint racks for just the right colors and studying the beautiful built up models in the display cases.

Just can't match that with online hobby shops. But can't stop progress either, for better or worse.

Tory


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## ChrisW (Jan 1, 1970)

Aurora-brat said:


> That is too bad, I hate to see brick and mortar shops closing down.
> 
> But what really upsets me is when I hear people lamenting their loss, while at the same time admitting to purchasing kits from online sellers. Those that do have to understand they are contributing to the demise of the traditional hobby shops. Plain and simple.
> 
> ...


Wise post, that...


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## BobbysMonsterModels (Mar 8, 2014)

Aurora-brat said:


> ...what really upsets me is when I hear people lamenting their loss, while at the same time admitting to purchasing kits from online sellers.


Yeah, but one of the dilemmas is that alot of the LHS's carry very small inventories of models that we want. I guess this is a result of our crappy economy (??). I build monsters, and the local Hobbytown near me doesn't have anything I want to buy at all. They've had the same models sitting on their shelves for months now. I even complained to them, "You need to get some new models in." So what is a guy supposed to do? Sit around for months hoping the LHS gets his kit in, or does he just order online and have it at his door in a week? The other problem is that a lot of LHS's mark their kits way up. I shop for price, and if I can get it cheaper online, I will. Shipping isn't bad if you buy models in bulk.

What I have noticed is the LHS's that have really branched out by selling lots of other hobby stuff (especially RC cars) are doing rather well. But you have to remember alot of hobby shops fold for various reasons as well….one of them I knew that closed in the last year, folded because the owner was old, and the demographics of that neighborhood had shifted.


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## Aurora-brat (Oct 23, 2002)

Valid pints Bobby. And I agree that hobby shops that have poor selection and/or mark kits up certainly deserve their demise. But for the decently stocked shop that sells at or just below full retail, it's a shame that they can't compete with online dealers who sell at greatly discounted rates.

But alas, it is what it is...

Tory


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## Rob P. (Jan 26, 2004)

If I had a LHS, and if they carried monster models, they would get my business. But I do not. The closest thing I have to a LHS is Mega Hobby, COPP, Starlighting Projects, Cult TV Man and of course epay. I'll toss Monsters in Motion in there too, but they need to keep their out of stock information up to date. They made a "saving allowance " and doing extra chores happy achievement into an unnecessary lesson in patients for my 9yo son. Anyway if you have an ideal LHS in your neck of the woods, great and you should patronize them. If not keep our online sources in business. Without them most of us are probably in a lurch!

Rob


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I would buy more stuff at my one LHS if they had any sort of plastic model selection. And, if their prices weren't jacked up 20% over MSRP for stuff that has been sitting 10 years on the shelf. They deserve to close. Its a Hobbytown USA and they are pathetic for plastic models. Granted they give a discount to model club members (if the employee of the week can figure out how to do it) but since they never get in anything new, its rather moot.


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## MEGA1 (Jul 18, 2000)

I agree that it is a terrible thing that Al's has closed, that family has been a stalwart in the industry for years. However, what I've learned is that we shouldn't rush to judgment -- a lot of factors go into running a business. We don't know what caused Al's to close, and we may not know for quite a while.

For now, I wish them all the best and hope to see them around the industry very soon -- the hobby is less without them.


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## MonsterModelMan (Dec 20, 2000)

I'm spoiled as I have AAA Hobbies near me in NJ which is a storefront to Stevens International distributor. And to have the best of both worlds...Megahobby is right around the corner too! I order from AAA Hobbies most of the time as the price is a wash with shipping...it is nice to walk in and talk with the staff at AAA and they call me when kits come it...it is a nice relationship.

MMM


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## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

I'm one of those paint and glue guys because, well, I already have a lot of kits and precious little time to build them … hoping for the day when I can dedicate some serious time to them.

If I needed a kit that the LHS didn't have, I'd ask the shop to order it -- I've done that. But if it's from a really small producer like Scott Alexander, I wouldn't expect the shop to order from him, so I'd go straight to Scott. Next time I'll try getting the shop to order it. I'd pay a little premium as well for that.

Price? Yeah … but I have to wonder: what is the norm? The high price or the low price? If I can get a kit cheaper online, am I paying a price somewhere else? Such as the demise of an LHS?

As for speed, I don't see that as a valid reason for going online. Since when did this hobby become about haste? Unless you're entering a contest or have a client. Of course, if we're talking a week online versus months from the shop, then that LHS wouldn't be servicing us very well by taking so long to get something in. If I need a book for a course I'm taking, I'll get it at Amazon rather than wait a month for my local shop to order it. But if I'm not in a rush for a book, I'll get the info from Amazon then ask the local bookseller to order it. 

Can't stop progress? Aurora-brat, I'd say you can't stop _change_, since progress implies _improvement_. But you covered that by saying "for better or worse." 

BTW, two great Toronto hobby shops are:
Wheels and Wings
Hornet Hobbies


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Price is a tricky thing. Most mainstream kits have an MSRP. So if a kit is supposed to sell for $10, a shop usually pays something like $6 or $6.50 for it and will get a $3.50 to $4 profit/mark up. Likewise, a $20 retail kit would cost a shop about $12 and bring in about $8 in profit if sold at the MSRP.

Oddly, some wholesalers offer different MSRP's to their retail outlets. For example, when I had my shop, Great Planes/Tower Hobbies had much better wholesale and lower MSRP s on airbrushes than Steven's International. Steven's tended to wholesale the brushes at what Great Planes said the retail should be. But, Steven's kicked GP's butt on Tamiya paint by the same margin. So, it pays for shop owners to shop around.

For the mail order/online customer, if you buy from overseas you are often cutting out middlemen like importers. Importers can jack the price up greatly on the items they bring in. The now defunct Marco Polo Imports who used to handle Dragon, Hasegawa, etc. had the nickname and reputation "Mark Up Polo". MRC who handles Fujimi and Italeri also has a reputation for jacking prices. Fujimi 1/76 armor kits literally tripled in price overnight when MRC got the line; going from $5 to $15 as soon as the MRC sticker was affixed to the box. You can buy Italeri kits substantially cheaper from Lucky Model in Hong Kong than in the US, even with postage. In some cases the savings are 50% 

As to speed... the problem I have with having the LHS order something is the dickweeds working there know nothing about the wholesale network, where to get things, what they can and can't get. You can ask them on a Monday to order you a pretty common kit. It takes a week for them to check on it. Another week later they order it (from the wrong place) Then they try again from somewhere else... it can take 8 weeks to get a kit that I can get from Tower Hobbies in 5 days and from Lucky Model in Hong Kong in 12 days (and for cheaper).


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## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

djnick66 said:


> ... it can take 8 weeks to get a kit that I can get from Tower Hobbies in 5 days and from Lucky Model in Hong Kong in 12 days (and for cheaper).


Yep, then ordering online would be a good option. If a local shop doesn't know its business, then … well, it doesn't really deserve ours. 

… and not all local shops are good shops. We've been pretty lucky in Toronto, but they're disappearing. We may have reached stability for a while.


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## BobbysMonsterModels (Mar 8, 2014)

Aside from the lack of models I buy at the LHS, they do get alot of money out of me when it comes to supplies. I've dropped alot of money at Hobbytown over the past couple months on paints, and various supplies…in fact, everytime I walk in that store I'm dropping some money, but I don't consider Hobbytown a Mom'n'Pop shop at all. They're a corporate biz. Yes, it is sad to see the small shops fold, but what are you gonna do?


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## TexMexSu (Mar 24, 2012)

MEGA1 said:


> we shouldn't rush to judgment -- a lot of factors go into running a business. We don't know what caused Al's to close, and we may not know for quite a while.


Without getting too messy.......

There is always more to it than meets the eyes. The economy, family issues and health reasons are all contributing factors in the decision made last Thursday. Anyone that has ever worked with family knows that it puts a great amount of stress in your relationship and when you couple that with uncertain economic conditions it can become overwhelming.
For those that have been Al's regular customers for 15, 20 or more years you have seen a few family members come and go. 2 come to mind, one fired and one left for personal conflicts. You have also seen them prosper and grow. I saw it from the inside when things were really good.
With Al's passing and the economy struggling, it slowly took a downward spin.

Am I surprised they closed? Yes, but not for the reason you think.

I am surprised that they lasted this long.

Why? 

All I need to do is look around. Anything from major chains like Kmart, Ace Hardware and Lowes to little mom & pop stores..........gone! 

Restaurants, banks, gas stations, why should I be shocked that a local hobby shop closed it's doors?

It saddens me they are gone, but certainly no more than the multitude of closed businesses that are within a few minutes of our home.

There is always hope that something/someone will intervene and revive the store but it will never be as it was.

However there is always hope that we will win the lottery so........


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## Scott J (Jun 21, 2000)

Sad news. My Uncle frequented Al's for years when Al was still running it. He bought everything there!! Models, trains, RC planes, etc. My uncle has been gone since 1981 but it was always cool to have a small link to my past out there. Hate to see these places go.


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## starduster (Feb 12, 2006)

I'm always sad to hear we lost another hobby shop, we lost one here in Portland Oregon last year Vic's hobbies been around since the 50's but we have a few more, one that has plastic models is Bridgetown hobbies who do everything to help the customer and I've had them order model kits for me and they also call to let me know when the model comes in which is usually about a week along with war games sessions they have ships and plenty of supplies and paint. 

A few more hobby shops Whistle Stop for the model railroader has a fine assortment of trains of all scales and books, and of course Hobby Town and Hobbies Unlimited plastic kits and R/C all within the Portland area there's also Tammies in Beaverton that has a very large assortment of plastic kits trains and R/C so we have a wide selection of hobby shops that as far as I know are doing pretty good I think that with the way prices keep rising these hobby shops may also fall victim to the economy I just hope it come too soon, I've red that even model ship builders are getting stiffed as some suppliers for kit parts are leaving and or cutting down on their stock s of blocks and deadeyes to replace the plastic ones in kits, yea we're all being affected. Karl


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

What got me as a business owner was the nickle and dime stuff that businesses face. I had a business property tax - I had to pay tax on my cash register, counters, shelves, peg hooks, computer, fax machine etc. You have the normal bills - alarm company, electricity, rent. Then we had a CAM - common area maintainance fee at the shopping center. Phone bill. A phone book ad was staggering. In my instance I was also responsible for my own general maintenance so if my a/c went out, I had to pay to fix it or replace it. It seemed like every week there was some new bill. Fire extinguisher refilling, etc. A kicker too was the landlord was redoing the front of the shopping center and wanted each shop to pay for new signage that was consistent in look. That was going to hit everyone with a $15,000 to $25,000 bill and if we didn't pay we would get our doors locked.


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## eradicator178 (Sep 3, 2008)

*Changing Times......*

Unfortunately it is a sign of changing times. As technology progresses old things become archaic. Look at the post office. Estimates are that it loses 25 million dollars a day. The only thing really keeping it open is tax funds for the most part. It is no longer the self supporting entity that it was at one point in time. E-mail, electronic bill pay, competition from UPS and FedEx has just about wiped the USPS out.

Digital downloads and videoing renting machines such as Red Box has pretty much put the brick and mortar video rental stores out of business. 

So unfortunately as times change so do the way we do business. I as much as anyone else hate to see the demise of the ol' time hobby shops, but as long as I can order my favorite models on line and I know that the manufacturers still have an outlet to sell their product I am grateful.


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## Aurora-brat (Oct 23, 2002)

Excellent point!


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## starduster (Feb 12, 2006)

Yea but have you noticed all the ad's on TV for the post office all those ad's cost a bundle and that could've been put into the post office, talk about waist. Karl


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## ChrisW (Jan 1, 1970)

eradicator178 said:


> Look at the post office. Estimates are that it loses 25 million dollars a day. The only thing really keeping it open is tax funds for the most part. It is no longer the self supporting entity that it was at one point in time. E-mail, electronic bill pay, competition from UPS and FedEx has just about wiped the USPS out.
> .


Just to keep the record straight:

This from a Senate report:

According to the U.S. Postal Service, "The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations."
Additionally, USA Today reported in July 2013 that the Postal Service “does not receive federal assistance, getting revenue from postage sales, delivery services and other products. But mail service has dropped nearly 25% from 215 billion pieces delivered in 2006 to a current volume of 160 billion."


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## BobbysMonsterModels (Mar 8, 2014)

eradicator178 said:


> Digital downloads and videoing renting machines such as Red Box has pretty much put the brick and mortar video rental stores out of business.


It use to be really nice to walk into a Blockbuster, and scan through a "wall" of new releases. Now you have Redbox, and are lucky to see 3 new releases in one week (if that). I miss the good ol' days of video stores (the mom'n'pop ones too). Sometimes I think the internet has ruined so many things in our society.


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## Jimmy B (Apr 19, 2000)

As for me I kind of "Split the difference". My nearest HS is about 25 miles away. Avenel Hobby. Great store great owner to talk to. Good selection - Prices fair but more than you'd pay online. Figuring in gas financially I'd be much better off ordering from Mega even with Shipping costs considered. However not only do I like supporting the B&M, there's just that nostalgic feeling of getting in the car and driving to a Hobby-shop
However I'm equally enthused to order from Mega. Just because I've never met Allen (or Rick, or pete) face to face doesn't mean I dont have a good business relationship with them. 
On-line retailers are not the evil empire. Just a different and more cost effective way of running a business


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## MEGA1 (Jul 18, 2000)

Jimmy B said:


> As for me I kind of "Split the difference". My nearest HS is about 25 miles away. Avenel Hobby. Great store great owner to talk to. Good selection - Prices fair but more than you'd pay online. Figuring in gas financially I'd be much better off ordering from Mega even with Shipping costs considered. However not only do I like supporting the B&M, there's just that nostalgic feeling of getting in the car and driving to a Hobby-shop
> However I'm equally enthused to order from Mega. Just because I've never met Allen (or Rick, or pete) face to face doesn't mean I dont have a good business relationship with them.
> On-line retailers are not the evil empire. Just a different and more cost effective way of running a business


I see what you mean, and unfortunately most people indeed do see online hobby shops as the evil empire. Most of us really aren't. A few sites are truly looking to just crush the B&M shops, but most of us are just looking to expand the industry to those who don't really know much about it. I would never try to steal business away from a LHS, but as an online store, we can easily carry more inventory than a B&M shop can -- and that's where we come in. I'm thrilled to hear that you support Avenel, that is a great store and the family who runs it is just as wonderful.

Naturally, I would also love MegaHobby to get someone's business, but as long as the dollars are going somewhere within the industry, we'll all benefit in the long term.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

A problem that I see today is that there are so many model/hobby products on the market that no one shop can carry them all.

Back in the early 70s you had Revell and AMT, some MPC/Airfix planes, a limited amount of Hasegawa and Tamiya kits. Some Frog planes from the UK, and some Aurora stuff lingering around. Even the big companies like Revell had not been in business for much more than 20 years, and they tended to run most of their molds continually. I remember going into shops like Colonial Photo and Hobby in Orlando, and they did have everything. If it was on the market, they had it. Now, not so much. They probably have about 5% of what is available, if that. 

Now you have a bazillion companies. Steven's International lists over 120 companies under "plastic models" which includes both kit brands and aftermarket accessories. No one shop can carry all of that. Plus your long time companies like Revell, which had been around for 60 something years, have enough molds that they have to rotate what they run. Tamiya's MM armor series was new in the early 70s and now they have over 100 kits. There are so many kinds of model paints now... Testors, Tamiya, Humbrol, Gunze, Life Color, Vallejo, Gianotes, Model Master, Mister Kit, etc. 

I think too modeling has become more of a niche hobby. Lots of people have very narrow focuses as to what they build. This makes it harder to support a local shop as niches usually are just that... a niche. Not mainstream and not overly profitable.

When I ran my shop, I tried to carry a lot of the available figure and sci fi kits. Except, outside of Star Trek and Star Wars, most were, honestly, pretty crappy sellers. I could fill my shelves with various horror, monster and sci fi figures, but they just sat there. I think I probably was able to move more than average because I built and painted a lot of the kits and people could see them on display. But, I could sell 50 car kits to one horror figure hands down. And cars sold slower than planes, tanks and ships.


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## Jimmy B (Apr 19, 2000)

MEGA1 said:


> I see what you mean, and unfortunately most people indeed do see online hobby shops as the evil empire. Most of us really aren't. A few sites are truly looking to just crush the B&M shops, but most of us are just looking to expand the industry to those who don't really know much about it. I would never try to steal business away from a LHS, but as an online store, we can easily carry more inventory than a B&M shop can -- and that's where we come in. I'm thrilled to hear that you support Avenel, that is a great store and the family who runs it is just as wonderful.
> 
> Naturally, I would also love MegaHobby to get someone's business, but as long as the dollars are going somewhere within the industry, we'll all benefit in the long term.


But here's a sad confession. Before I drive to Avenel I always make an excuse to call first: "how late are you open", "Do you have such & such in stock", ect. I reality I'm calling to make sure I don't get a message saying the line is disconnected. I would dread pulling up to that store and seeing it boarded up.
Whenever I'm there I always ask the guy how it's going here. His reply is kind of a side-ways nod with a bit of a wince. Reading between the lines I'd say Avenel's somewhere between stretching ends to meet and barely hanging on.


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## BobbysMonsterModels (Mar 8, 2014)

djnick66 said:


> But, I could sell 50 car kits to one horror figure hands down….


I was going to enter a model contest at Hobbytown a couple weeks back, but the owner told me almost all of the entries were going to be cars and trucks. I'm a monster model builder so I passed on the contest as I would have had no competition. If only kids were into building models, then you'd see the monster models being bought alot again, but no, kids are glued to their computer games…and I mean, seriously glued to them.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

BobbysMonsterModels said:


> If only kids were into building models, then you'd see the monster models being bought alot again, but no, kids are glued to their computer games…and I mean, seriously glued to them.


But most kits don't have interest in the kind of monsters they make kits of anyway. So, its moot. My 22 year old son would always laugh at Dracula, Frankenstein. Gorgo would make him die laughing.


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## BobbysMonsterModels (Mar 8, 2014)

djnick66 said:


> But most kids don't have interest in the kind of monsters they make kits of anyway. So, its moot. My 22 year old son would always laugh at Dracula, Frankenstein. Gorgo would make him die laughing.


It's funny though, Frankenstein (the Universal B/W) was released in 1931. I watched in in 1971, when I was 8 years-old…..40 years after it was originally released, and it still scared me, and made me want to sleep with a nightlight on. Being a monster fan, I can honestly say I am not a fan of most modern horror movies today. I pass on about 80% of them….I like scary/creepy, not disturbing/sick, which most of the horror films made today truly are. But you're probably right, due to the horror that kids are exposed today in the cinema, anything from the classic era of horror films probably doesn't even register. I worked with a young girl at my last job who told me she never watched anything that's B/W, and most things prior to 1980….I had to laugh.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Oh I love the old films myself, but I grew up before the "modern" Horror revival in the late 70s and 80s. 

Our big multiplex Imax 3D theater had a Halloween showing of Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein a couple of years ago. It was fairly well attended and I could see a lot of the audience were real horror fans. But you had some "average joe movie goers" who laughed through Frankenstein in particular. Bride fared much better as it was less serious and people laughed at the right moments and were truly touched by the appropriate scenes. 

I tried to get my son to watch the Hammer films and he found those also to be boring.


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## starduster (Feb 12, 2006)

BobbysMonsterModels said:


> It's funny though, Frankenstein (the Universal B/W) was released in 1931. I watched in in 1971, when I was 8 years-old…..40 years after it was originally released, and it still scared me, and made me want to sleep with a nightlight on. Being a monster fan, I can honestly say I am not a fan of most modern horror movies today. I pass on about 80% of them….I like scary/creepy, not disturbing/sick, which most of the horror films made today truly are. But you're probably right, due to the horror that kids are exposed today in the cinema, anything from the classic era of horror films probably doesn't even register. I worked with a young girl at my last job who told me she never watched anything that's B/W, and most things prior to 1980….I had to laugh.


I don't think it's the horror from today's movies as is the ever increasing horror we're seeing on the evening news with all the violence being shown, I think that today's kids are being desensitized that's being seen on a daily basis along from what might be happening in their own schools of late. I too love a good horror but like you not of the gross blood letting I don't know where the idea came from that a bloody cut em and slash em a good movie makes. Karl


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## Cajjunwolfman (Nov 15, 2004)

About movies:

Horror movies today are not at all about making a good movie. They are only about salacious, grotesque, shocking, macabre bloodletting for a generation overexposed and desensitized to violence.


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## Cajjunwolfman (Nov 15, 2004)

I'm very fortunate to have a small but excellent Plastic only LHS. 

The only reason he stays open is because he doesn't care if he make a profit. He just has a retirement job and talks to the people. 

He does have a good consignment program for selling kits. That's been a big benefit for both of us.

The owner before him was an excellent business man and couldn't make it profitable. The money is just not there. That's why all these LHS have R/C. That's an area where it's not just a commodity, the service is important.

Mega I commend you for supporting LHS. 

It's about money. Can I afford to throw my money away? Price differential between. LHS and online is as much as $20 to $75 A kit!!!!! 

What value has the LHS got for that kinda coin?

The LHS is on life support, just a matter of time.


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