# any decent model stores in Orlando?



## dazzo (May 13, 2009)

Hi guys,will be in Orlando at the end of October,any stores worth a visit?


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The only shop to speak of is Colonial Photo and Hobby on Colonial Blvd and Mills Ave. its not far from I-4. It is in Orlando proper, not out in Kissimmee where the theme parks are, etc. That is often called "Orlando" but it quite a distance away.

Colonial is "okay" but I don't know if its worth making a huge effort to get to. Back in the 70s they were a mandatory visit, though. Back then they sold every kit by every company; big and small, both from the US and import. Kits occupied about four or five full aisles. Not shelves but aisles (remember this is in an old supermarket building). Now the kits are on shelves inside the front door.

Today the shelves are about half full with mostly garden variety kits. They seem to get new items in quantities of ONE and when its gone its gone. If you are interested in sci-fi/figure type kits they sell mostly a few Gundam models, one or two Pegasus kits, and maybe one or two of the AMT Star Trek reissues. Figure wise I think a Revell Wolfman is about it. Given the store is in an old Publix Supermarket building, the amount of plastic kits they handle is actually less than a decent Hobbytown, which is odd. 

Colonial does have a decent supply of paints and glues, along with a lot of tools and building supplies.

To be fair too, Colonial is not just a model shop. A good 1/2 of the entire store is dedicated to photography. The remaining half is divided between radio control, model railroading, plastic models, science supplies, etc. The railroad section is pretty impressive.


----------



## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

DJNick pretty well summed up the state of Orlando hobby shops. Colonial is the biggest and the best but the stock of models is small. They also cater to model railroad fans and have a large selection of RR stuff. If you are into photography equipment that occupies about 40% of the store.

Bob K.


----------



## Antsnest (Jul 26, 2011)

When I went to Orlando in 95, there was a comic shop on Visitors Circle opposite Wet & Wild that had a great selection of garage kits. When I went back in 2001, the whole place had gone


----------



## spock62 (Aug 13, 2003)

There's also a Hobby Town in Sanford:

http://www.hobbytown.com/Sanford-FL/Directions/1641/

It's about an hour's drive from Colonial Photo and Hobby going north. They seem to have a slightly bigger selection of kits, but I think Colonial beats them when it comes to paints and supplies.

There is also a Hobby Lobby down the road from Colonial, but their selection of kits/supplies is worse the the other two choices.


----------



## DinoMike (Jan 1, 1970)

I miss Enterprise 1701. Went to that store around 91 and bought my first Billiken kit. ( Billiken USA Predator, actually.) They had everything, Billiken, Horizon, Screamin, Lunar Models...


----------



## Storvick (Jan 21, 2003)

they just opened up a Hobby Lobby in Orlando on Colonial Dr by the Fashion Square mall. and on the est side by the fairgrounds there is Central FL Hobbies


----------



## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

I visited that Hobby Lobby, and a couple of others in the past, just after it opened. I still think they should be called Crafty Dafty. In that huge store there is one small aisle for "hobby" supplies. Everything else is craft and artist related. The models on that aisle were strictly standard fair and recent releases. The one good thing is you can sometimes get a big discount coupon, like up to 50% off, and so you get a good price if you find something you like. But Colonial Hobby would be much better as well as Hobby Town. You won't get any significant discount, if you get a discount at all, at those two places though. I have been buying my Testor's liquid glue and dull coat from Michael's with 40/50% off coupons and that really makes the very inexpensive. Far below mail order even.

Bob K.


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

DinoMike said:


> I miss Enterprise 1701. Went to that store around 91 and bought my first Billiken kit. ( Billiken USA Predator, actually.) They had everything, Billiken, Horizon, Screamin, Lunar Models...


I thought they had moved out Colonial Blvd towards UCF and had changed their name. I don't know if they are sill in business or not, as I had not been to them since they closed their 1701 Corrine Drive shop. They used to be fairly close to Colonial Photo and Hobby.

The big chains like Hobby Lobby and Michaels are ok for what they are. Those stores are not model shops per say, but rather large stores that carry a lot of craft/hobby products including models. 

I live in Lakeland, FL which is half way between Tampa and Orlando... there are NO really great model shops in at least a 200 mile radius from me. I closed my own shop, which specialized in plastic kits. I used to draw from the East and West coasts of FL and from up in Ocala and down towards Lake Okechobee. The surviving shops around like Colonial are okay but nothing to really go out of your way for if you are not close by. Even House of Hobbies that used to be in Clearwater is not worth the hike to get to their Palm Harbor store. It doesn't look like they have any new stock since they moved over 10 years ago! 

About the only shop in Florida that I hear consistently good things about is Bobe's in Pensacola (over near Mobile, Alabama...). I have been there off and on over the years and they still seem to be going strong. Everything else seems to have faded away into mediocrity.


----------



## dazzo (May 13, 2009)

Thanks guys:thumbsup:,will check out colonial,real shame thers not more though


----------



## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

Enterprise 1701 that was on Corrine moved to a shopping center on FL 50 just a quarter mile east of the new overpass at Semoran. They are now called SciFi City. I haven't been in the place in a couple of years but the last time I was there I noted that they carried far fewer models than in the past and each time I went back there seemed to be fewer. I wouldn't recommend stopping in there on the chance they might have something as the chances are much greater there wouldn't be anything. They do have a nice selection of scifi related things but being a very large store it seems to have a relatively small inventory. Here's their website:

http://sci-fi-city.com/

Bob K.


----------



## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Sci Fi City... thats it.

I have to go to Orlando soon to take care of a family matter and will be in that area. I do hit Colonial Photo and Hobby and will make a trip to Sci Fi City to see what they do or don't have. 

Now I haven't been there in years obviously. When they were on Corrine they always had more comic books, fantasy game stuff, war game stuff, etc. than actual model assembly kits. They did have some cool kits. but I would not call them a kit store but rahter a store that sold kits. And what they had varied from trip to trip. I did pick up (and put down) a Lunar Models limited edition, all resin 1/32 scale Jupiter 2 kit once. Sucker was only $99 too. It was not "bad" by Lunar standards at all.


----------

