Skyway Model Shop

TONS of paint, supplies and TONS of older outdated kits.
90% of their kits are ¹⁄₃₅ or larger. If you want 1÷72−76 you’re not going to find anything. Their prices are inflated. Not sure how they stay afloat. I’d love to support a local store, but it’s the web stores for me.

I really enjoyed shopping here. Friendly atmosphere and great products. They carry all sorts of paints: Vallejo, Tamiya, MM, Humbrol, Lifecolor, AK Interactive, Mig, etc. The kit selection is pretty impressive as well.

Trying to find a model shop in the area is hard these days. There used to be one that was great in west Seattle that I went to as a kid and the owner was always cheery and nice. Now That I’m older and have kids of my own I try to peek their interest in models since its not as popular as it once was.
Almost everytime I go into a model shop lately I seem to get horrible service and usually by the end of my quick visit I remember why these shops are not popular anymore. I have been wanting to visit this shop for a couple months but haven’t had the time. When I did I called to see if they had any metal or diecast models the answer was yes.
The place was hard to spot if you have never been, once I found it I was worried I was going into the wrong shop for a second with the door that you usually would see on a house. When I brought my kids in, there were three people there talking away and didn’t even say hello to me so I went around looking at models and my daughter fell in love with the models that were in glass display and I instantly got happy.
This whole time these two big guys were talking in the middle of an aisle and not even my son would be able to squeeze by them. Granted the aisles are very small but the courtesy was not there so I had to say excuse me to interrupt their conversation. After looking everywhere for what I called about I asked the younger guy at the counter and he looked baffled by my question and I couldn’t believe it I mean I just called and they said they had what I wanted.
Then one of the big guys stops talking and behind me says «you mean diecast, their over in the corner» and goes back to his conversation. What? This guy works here? I couldn’t believe the service I was getting especially knowing I have kids and am new to this again, you would think that is one of the customers you would try to grab.
Going over to the corner I notice this is not a popular area with only a couple models under a layer of dust that were not good looking. The feeling of dust bunnies getting busy over the years in this corner came to mind… I had to get on my knees to look and also wipe off hella dust just to see what the names of a couple models were. Luckily in this day and age I can whip out my smart phone and check if I’m getting a good deal or not, Wow this place was going to charge me $ 8 more, for what? A dirty spot with no help and horrible service?
While I was finishing up looking at these dirty overpriced old models my daughter must of been very intrigued by the models they had in open display at kid height with no sign saying don’t touch right by where we were. My daughter must of touched the model because all of a sudden the big guy stops his conversation, raises his voice to tell my daughter «Young lady do not touch those models, you do not touch other peoples models you should know that.»
I could not believe what I just heard, you do not talk to anyone that way in that tone of voice especially to a 6 year old. I stood up and looked at him and gave him a second to say something else which he instead went right back to his conversation. My anger level was at an unstable point after hearing what he just said and luckily the rickety exit door was right there hoping it would fall off after I left with my kids.
I went out of the way to get to this place and what a waste of time. Luckily there was a park near by and my kids forgot about this place and the rude man. You wonder why people say its a dying breed till you visit this shop, what a joke…

This shop is the Bees knees. Emil (owner) is the best. They get a lot of pre owned kits through estate sales, trade shows, etc so you can find a lot of kits that haven’t been in production for a long time. The prices are pretty fair to boot, most of the «used» stuff has aftermarket parts in the boxes and are priced accordingly. The thing I love about it is I can just browse for hours without someone bugging me… it’s like going to the library but for plastic models! My only beef is that they are in Renton and I have to drive 30 minutes to get to them!

My son has been going here for years since he was just a little kid He loves it. The owner is helpful and knowledgable. Best example of a small business owner. Unfortunately this is a dying breed.

Lots of model kits but most are like 20 years old. Prices are higher then most places, cramped, dirty. If you like old musky hobby shops with maybe some rare old finds then you’ll love this Seattle landmark. Otherwise go to a newer shop. I was in there for over 30 minutes and nobody seemed to care i was a potential buyer.

Website information is out dated, everything is thrown on shelfs with no organization. Asked the guy if they had a model, he said no idea and good luck finding it in the store. Tons of models if you are looking for cars or planes, but specific ones will be hard to find.

if you’re ready to get serious about building models, this is your place. Unburdened by RC cars or educational toys, this shop caters to the serious plastic modeler only. Great selection, decent prices, good atmosphere, Skyway’s definitely got that old-​school hobby shop feel. Rather than buy online, why not keep your money local and keep a great place going? When the mom & pop hobby shops are gone, all we’ll have left is Hobby Town USA. That’s not a world I want to live in.

Hands down my favorite model shop in the region. I’ve been building models since I was 10 but just recently discovered Skyway Model Shop. I don’t see myself going anywhere else for tools or kits.
Their selection is gargantuan, especially considering the size of the shop. If you like kits of planes, ships, or cars you’ll love it here. I’m almost exclusively a Gundam builder but I’m still not let down by kit selection. SMS is also the least expensive shop that I’ve found. (bought a kit there 2 weeks ago and the exact same kit was for sale at the Tukwila Hobbytown for 40% more)
The owner is always willing to chat and seems to really know his stuff.
All around, this is an awesome shop.
I can also confirm the last reviewer’s claim regarding the police. Always there. Always.

I’ve been obsessed with the hobby of making miniature whatsits out of plastic stuff my entire life. Nothing is more fun than slapping together a model of your favorite car, battle tank, or jet fighter, then watching it melt because you used way too much of that solvent glue.
The Puget Sound area is blessed with a plethora of model stores, from chains like HobbyTown to locally owned masterpieces like Skyway Model Shop. Skyway Model Shop is an amazing place, with a deep stock of both the latest and out-​of-​production kits, paint selections from Tamiya, Testors, and others, lots of tools and accessories and publications, and most importantly, friendly staff that are passionate and deeply knowledgable about the hobby.
The store itself is tiny, but don’t let its size scare you off — the rooms are chock-​full, with kits and gewgaws packed floor-​to-​ceiling. I’ve found a lot of great stuff here, and they do amazing twice-​yearly sales where you can pick up amazing bargains.
The advent of discount Internet ordering for model kits and supplies has really killed a lot of great model stores; don’t let this jewel slip away from us.
PS: Skyway Model Shop is in, well, Skyway, in a bit of a ghetto-​fab neighborhood. Not to worry, though, as there’s always a Sheriff’s Deputy parked at the bar next door (I’m not kidding).