General Discussion Forgotten Chicago Forum
Feel free to discuss anything related to the website here.
Hobby Shops
Posted by:
Eric F
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 22, 2014 07:13PM
For the most part they're a thing of the past, but back in the 60's there were quite a few as well as numerous stores that sold model planes,ships, cars, tanks, etc. Some of the one's I remember
54th-Winchester (East side of the street)
Joe's Place. Think it was 2449 W 59th-St (I believe it's still standing)
Trost Hobby Shop 3105-11 W 63rd-St
Can't remember the name, but we had another at around 4750 or so S Ashland.
54th-Winchester (East side of the street)
Joe's Place. Think it was 2449 W 59th-St (I believe it's still standing)
Trost Hobby Shop 3105-11 W 63rd-St
Can't remember the name, but we had another at around 4750 or so S Ashland.
Re: Hobby Shops
Posted by:
WayOutWardell
(---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: June 22, 2014 09:52PM
Two I frequented were Stanton on Milwaukee/Lawrence and Ram on Higgins. I think Ram is still in business, in fact.
Re: Hobby Shops
Posted by:
Jeff_Weiner
(---.sub-70-194-102.myvzw.com)
Date: June 23, 2014 12:30AM
Then there was Downtown Hobby, which was located in the Subway Arcade in the Loop. The owners moved up to Edison Park on Northwest Highway. And of course there was All-Nations Hobby Shop on the west side of the Loop, now long gone.
Re: Hobby Shops
Posted by:
trainutlen
(---.lais.com)
Date: June 23, 2014 11:39AM
I used to go to All Nations on lunch in the late 1960's. Also don't forget Hobbymodels at Devon and Western Avenue. Downtown Hobby was at State and Randolph on the second floor and later moved to the arcade at First National Plaza before moving out to Northwest Highway.
Re: Hobby Shops
Posted by:
Dunning1
(216.81.94.---)
Date: June 23, 2014 12:18PM
Our local place was Village Hobby Shop, on the 6700 block of West Belmont Avenue, on the north side of the street. A liquor store now is located in that store. I was an avid builder of model cars as a kid, and remember that the best prices on kits was down at Metro Sales and Blackstone Sales, across the street from each other on Belmont just west of Long Avenue. There was also a hobby shop on the south side of Belmont, just west of Austin, that really didn't have too much stuff. When I asked the owner, however, he had a whole bunch of kits from around 1960 down in the basement. I remember buying a 1960 Lincoln Continental, and (very rare) a 1960 Edsel model kit from him.
Re: Hobby Shops
Posted by:
Eric F
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 23, 2014 01:57PM
I remember being in the Stanton Hobby Shop some years ago. They moved at least once I believe. tThink, the Schuessler brothers and Bobby Peterson were in the store the night they disappeared.
Also remember a hobby shop at 35th-Halsted and the Scottsdale Hobby Shop. There were at least 4 places you could by models on 55th-Halsted in the 60's. The Dime Store, Walgreens, White's Hardware Store, and one other place.
Also remember a hobby shop at 35th-Halsted and the Scottsdale Hobby Shop. There were at least 4 places you could by models on 55th-Halsted in the 60's. The Dime Store, Walgreens, White's Hardware Store, and one other place.
Re: Hobby Shops
Posted by:
Jeff_Weiner
(---.sub-70-194-69.myvzw.com)
Date: June 23, 2014 02:42PM
trainutlen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I used to go to All Nations on lunch in the late
> 1960's. Also don't forget Hobbymodels at Devon and
> Western Avenue. Downtown Hobby was at State and
> Randolph on the second floor and later moved to
> the arcade at First National Plaza before moving
> out to Northwest Highway.
Ah, how could I forget Hobbymodels! They moved over to a location opposite Lane Tech, and yet, didn't last a year.
Stanton's took up a considerable space in the building on Milwaukee that now houses a Polish bookstore, plus an auto parts store and a Chase bank branch. They concentrated into the space at the south end of the building before the owner retired.
-------------------------------------------------------
> I used to go to All Nations on lunch in the late
> 1960's. Also don't forget Hobbymodels at Devon and
> Western Avenue. Downtown Hobby was at State and
> Randolph on the second floor and later moved to
> the arcade at First National Plaza before moving
> out to Northwest Highway.
Ah, how could I forget Hobbymodels! They moved over to a location opposite Lane Tech, and yet, didn't last a year.
Stanton's took up a considerable space in the building on Milwaukee that now houses a Polish bookstore, plus an auto parts store and a Chase bank branch. They concentrated into the space at the south end of the building before the owner retired.
Re: Hobby Shops
Posted by:
Dunning1
(---.dhs.gov)
Date: June 23, 2014 05:16PM
I have to confess that I really haven't grown up, and still collect model cars. I have a sizable collection of 1:18 of diecast cars today, and got most of them from a place called A World Of Diecast, which was on Ogden Avenue, at the corner of Arthur Street, in Brookfield. The whole store was devoted to diecast models. One Saturday I took a ride out there only to find the owner loading the last few cartons in a trailer, and the store emptied out. Yet to find another place like it. Ordering most of my models on line now, both from US and foreign sellers. Where else will you get a model of a GAZ Volga M21?
Re: Hobby Shops
Posted by:
Bill_Baar
(---.8.81.66.valencehealth.com)
Date: June 24, 2014 01:48PM
Zientek's still around. I've never been there but it's on the list.
http://cprailmmsub.blogspot.com/2014/05/zienteks-model-trains-and-formerly.html
http://cprailmmsub.blogspot.com/2014/05/zienteks-model-trains-and-formerly.html
Re: Hobby Shops
Posted by:
rjmachon
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 24, 2014 02:23PM
Dunning 1, wasn't there a hobby shop on the south side Irving Park Road just west of Austin Ave. back in the late 1960's?
Re: Hobby Shops
Posted by:
Dunning1
(---.dhs.gov)
Date: June 25, 2014 12:02PM
I think there was one there, but I never went there. I think the place is now a resale store. My parents warned us to stay away from the Patio Theater when we were kids as they claimed there were "strange people" there so we kind of avoided the area.
Re: Hobby Shops
Posted by:
trainutlen
(---.lais.com)
Date: June 25, 2014 03:20PM
Just as an aside-remember the 1/25th scale plastic model promotional cars from Johan and AMT? I remember buying those as a kid at the drugstore at tne end of my block at Newport and Sheffield, as well as dime stores.
Re: Hobby Shops
Posted by:
Dunning1
(---.dhs.gov)
Date: June 25, 2014 07:22PM
You know, I thought those were a thing of the past. Yesterday I dropped into a hobby shop on Lee Street in Des Plaines, just north of Oakton, in the same shopping center as the Jewel store. While primarily dealing in electric trains, they had a wall full of old AMT models. I believe I read somewhere that Jo-Han is out of business. Shame, as they were my favorites.
Re: Hobby Shops
Posted by:
mikbasile
(---.lightspeed.cicril.sbcglobal.net)
Date: June 26, 2014 02:36AM
Trost hobby shop, that was the best shop in Westlawn, Marquette Park area. Dont forget the human heart model they sold...always came in handy for those science projects,
Re: Hobby Shops
Posted by:
WayOutWardell
(199.101.76.---)
Date: June 26, 2014 02:39AM
Dunning1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You know, I thought those were a thing of the
> past. Yesterday I dropped into a hobby shop on
> Lee Street in Des Plaines, just north of Oakton,
> in the same shopping center as the Jewel store.
> While primarily dealing in electric trains, they
> had a wall full of old AMT models. I believe I
> read somewhere that Jo-Han is out of business.
> Shame, as they were my favorites.
That's another one I went to quite a lot - they've been around for over 25 years at this point, I think.
One of the great things about both Revell and Monogram being in the NW suburbs was that on the occasion I needed a part replaced (I built model cars) I would just go directly to them for it.
-------------------------------------------------------
> You know, I thought those were a thing of the
> past. Yesterday I dropped into a hobby shop on
> Lee Street in Des Plaines, just north of Oakton,
> in the same shopping center as the Jewel store.
> While primarily dealing in electric trains, they
> had a wall full of old AMT models. I believe I
> read somewhere that Jo-Han is out of business.
> Shame, as they were my favorites.
That's another one I went to quite a lot - they've been around for over 25 years at this point, I think.
One of the great things about both Revell and Monogram being in the NW suburbs was that on the occasion I needed a part replaced (I built model cars) I would just go directly to them for it.
Re: Hobby Shops
Posted by:
trainutlen
(---.lais.com)
Date: June 26, 2014 03:18PM
The Johan models were notorious for warping. Back in the 1980"s I believe they were re-released under Johan Ex-L models which didn't warp. I actually have a 1/25th scale 1955 Plymouth Johan model, an original which hasn't warped.
Re: Hobby Shops
Posted by:
Jayg
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 28, 2014 04:28AM
Mentioned in other threads is the long gone Marshall Square hobbies on Cermak near Marshall Blvd. A tiny little basement shop. There was a hand picture in the window, I assume operated by electric eye, when you put your hand over it a little train ran in a circle. The proprietors were kindly Rose and Grumpy Al.
BTW Al's Hobby's in Elmhurst closed last May after 67 years in business.
BTW Al's Hobby's in Elmhurst closed last May after 67 years in business.
Re: Hobby Shops
Posted by:
olafrance01
(---.hsd1.ma.comcast.net)
Date: June 30, 2014 12:14AM
I spent many hard earned childhood dollars at Al's - model cars, trains, airplanes and rockets at various times. That was years ago. The last time I was in Elmhurst a few years ago Hartmann's Barber Shop, which was a real old time barber shop, was gone and the space occupied by a "Uni-sex Hair Salon." Ernie, the barber who always cut my hair, must be appalled if he's still with us.
Re: Hobby Shops
Posted by:
ChiTownJim
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 30, 2014 07:49PM
rjmachon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dunning 1, wasn't there a hobby shop on the south
> side Irving Park Road just west of Austin Ave.
> back in the late 1960's?
I think the name of that hobby shop was Zenith. I went in there in the late 80s when I was starting to get into model trains. I remember the ir inventory was kind of older. I got an old Tyco kit that was long out of stock. I also remember the stanton Hobbies on Milwaukee. I also used to go into Pilot Hobby Shop on Belmont near Central as well as Blackstone and Metro for the model kits.
There was a Bill's Hobby shop on Fullerton near Hamlin that closed just as I was getting into model kits.
There was also Don's toys and Hobbies at the J C Penney outlet mall in Villa Park and I think that was also the one in Harlem Irving Mall.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dunning 1, wasn't there a hobby shop on the south
> side Irving Park Road just west of Austin Ave.
> back in the late 1960's?
I think the name of that hobby shop was Zenith. I went in there in the late 80s when I was starting to get into model trains. I remember the ir inventory was kind of older. I got an old Tyco kit that was long out of stock. I also remember the stanton Hobbies on Milwaukee. I also used to go into Pilot Hobby Shop on Belmont near Central as well as Blackstone and Metro for the model kits.
There was a Bill's Hobby shop on Fullerton near Hamlin that closed just as I was getting into model kits.
There was also Don's toys and Hobbies at the J C Penney outlet mall in Villa Park and I think that was also the one in Harlem Irving Mall.
