Hobby Shops around Los Angeles?

Darth Brass

Sr Member
Hey SoCal guys - I'm trying to buy paint and other supplies to work on my X-Wing. I've been to WalMart and two Michael's and I can't find dick in the realm of decent paints, glues, etc.

Any decent hobby shops around LA?
 
Have you tried "The Art Store", Now called:
Blick Art Materials
7301 West Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: (323) 933-9284
,

or if it's still open:
Aaron Bros Art Mart
2090 Westwood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90025-6329
(310) 446-3263


I buy many of my paint and supplies at:
Pegasus Hobbies
5515 Moreno Blvd.
Montclair,CA.91763
(909)982-6507
 
Many years ago there was a shop in Studio City on Laurel Canyon Blvd right near Ventura. I have no idea if its still there but it was a great shop.

Good luck, and please post if you find a good one. I visit home a couple times a year and would love to do some shopping...

Dan
 
Originally posted by 1138@Jan 3 2006, 10:44 AM
Many years ago there was a shop in Studio City on Laurel Canyon Blvd right near Ventura. I have no idea if its still there but it was a great shop.

Good luck, and please post if you find a good one. I visit home a couple times a year and would love to do some shopping...

Dan
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Oh,it's still there.
Kit Kraft
12109 Ventura Place
Studio City, CA 91604
(818)509-9739
And they have a web site now.
http://www.kitkraft.biz/catalog/
 
Oh,it's still there.
Kit Kraft
12109 Ventura Place
Studio City, CA 91604
(818)509-9739
And they have a web site now.
http://www.kitkraft.biz/catalog/

Yep, that's the one, cool. But thier site looks a little girly to me. From what I remember they have a great suppy of materials and paints though and if you look at the model kit section of thier site they have a lot of built SW kits hanging on the wall.
 
There is a model train shop that sells the red used on the x-wings in burbank. I get all my paint from them. PM me if you want to know more.
 
"Prestige Hobby" in Tustin/Huntington Beach? on Beach Blvd about 3 miles east of the 405. It is on the right hand side in Hobby City plaza. Everything you need, PLUS..
 
Hehe Kit Kraft might look a little "girley" but it's anything but. The same thing can be said for the Doll and Hobby Shop down here in FL. ... their store might front alot of doll merch, but they're definately hardcore into modeling.

Not to plug a company I worked with for a decade but.... ok I will...

Hobbytown USA

Just do a search for a store near you. If they don't have something in stock you need they can definately order it for you. Also you can order the items online if you wish right through their website.
 
Thanks everyone for the ideas - I'll check a few out and let you all know what I come up with. I'm thinking Kit Kraft is where I'm headed first.

Thanks.
 
1138, You might be thinking of Redstone Hobbies in Culver City which sadly closed its doors last year. :cry Redstone was located just a couple of blocks away from Allied Trains on Sepulveda.
 
Darth Brass, Your going to want to use Pollyscale paint. You can get it at Allied Trains (see above post) or any decent hobby or train store. Pollyscale is what ILM used back in the day.
 
Haven't you heard that the LOCAL HOBBY SHOP is dead? It's all online now my friend. Seriously, I try to patronize my LHS when I can (mostly for basics), but most of my hobby purchases are online these days.
 
Guys, I went to Kit Kraft in Studio City and the place was awesome. Very tight but packed to the brim with all KINDS of stuff. LHS may be dying, but if Kit Kraft is any indication, they're far from dead.

Thanks everyone.
 
Originally posted by Less than Super Ostrich@Jan 5 2006, 12:18 PM
Haven't you heard that the LOCAL HOBBY SHOP is dead? It's all online now my friend. Seriously, I try to patronize my LHS when I can (mostly for basics), but most of my hobby purchases are online these days.
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Hehehe man no offense, but you have no idea what you're talking about.

I know for a fact that the hobby shop industry is alive and well, and still growing in leaps and bounds. Yes, the online market has grown considerably, but the solid hobbiests have shown again and again that if a local store carries what they want or can readily aquire the materials they need, they'll shop at the LHS before going online. Especially if the staff is knowledgable and friendly and will help them with any problems or questions.
Granted, not all of the what we call "mom and pop" hobby stores survive, but this is usually because of 2 mitigating factors:

Not a large enough customer base- Although the internet has changed this factor some, as quite a bit of sales can be generated online, there still needs to be a set population size in a particular location for the store to survive.
Turnover rate- The inventory turnover rate in these "mom and pops" is usually attrocious. This is usually what breaks the stores backs, as they just sit on the same inventory for too long. Stores like Kit Kraft, the Doll and Hobby Shop, and the MIM store are exceptions to this rule only because they advertize extensively and have made a large push into the online ordering side of things.

There are other factors, I mean you wouldn't frequent a hobby store where the staff is rude and a-holes all around no matter what kind of inventory they keep onhand, but the two I listed are the largest factors into a stores downfall.

Ostrich, if you honestly do visit your local hobby shop, why do you not try to get your things through them rather than ordering them online???
 
Someone mentioned it earlier but I shop at The Hobby Place,on Pico Blvd. in west L.A.
The actual models they sell are priced a bit high (although they do tend to have some older out-of-stock stuff, but I buy all my paint and such there and there is helpful staff around as well. :D
 
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