Wings Hobby Shop Inc

This is one of the best hobby shops in the midwest. I travel quite a bit and when I have spare time I’ll go check out the local hobby shop. Wings has the best libraries of hobby books (military and railroad history, Walk-​Arounds, etc) for sale that I have seen anywhere, including what I would consider rare, beautiful, and valuable books.
I get where maybe some of the other reviewers may have felt put-​off by the vibe from the proprietors, but most of the hobbies available here are «quiet» hobbies, and the store has the same atmosphere. They leave you alone so you can study what kit, what locomotive, what book you want to purchase. If you approach the shop like you would a library, then it will be easier to «get it.» And they are really nice people who run the place.

I saw the review for Create-​a-​Cake and was instantly reminded of Wings Hobby Shop. This was one of my favorite stores as a kid. I never got into the model trains because that seemed like a hobby that was expensive. Model cars were cool. One of my weird uncles was in the Korean War. He knows a lot about airplanes and has hundreds of model planes hanging in his basement. I wish more people were into old school hobbies. I may get back into classic hobbying. Ever since about 9^th grade I experienced a shift in interests which is sad. I may be like Uncle Dan soon. Sit on the rocking chair, cracking jokes, then making model planes. The best hobby I ever got into was model rockets. I wasn’t science minded enough to build them or operate the detonator or whatever so my smart older brother did. Boy was that fun! And the name of rocket company was Estes which is funny. I should come out with a rival company named Uts, Crotum or Esticals.

Privately owned hobby stores are sadly fading away due to the internet. This one has some real high lights — if you are a model train fan. Half of the shop is dedicated to train books and memorabilia. The rest of the store is dedicated to plastic models, building and finishing supplies. The selection is somewhat limited, and there are some things on the shelves that have been there a very long time. Service is spotty, often not helpful. If you are not a big train fan, this is not a place for you.

This place could benefit in a huge way from these two things:
1) An update. I realize trains and model car shopping doesn’t really lend itself to a modern store. We’re talking the space in general. Yes, there’s something nostalgic about a old shop that never changes, but this place appears to need a good dusting and a thorough cleaning.
2) An employee that will talk to you and/​or at least smile. I honestly thought the mute woman behind the register was mulling over how much she hated us in her mind. Stink-​eye x1000. Even when we purchased a model she didn’t crack a smile. By the time I left I was racking my brain trying to figure out what I could have done to make her so angry. Yowza.
Besides those two things, this is a good, local option for hobby shoppers. Not only do they sell model trains, but all the things you could possibly need to build a terrain and also repair services. Car, truck, plane, tank and even character models and all the extras.
We purchased a truck model for the boyfriend and his son to work on and the transaction was relatively easy and painless, besides the hate-​stares from the cashier. So, yeah… models are your thing (we’re not talking Victoria Secret ones either), this is a pretty good local solution for you.