Goodbye, FLGS!

[pyat]

Hamilton Hobby Specialities is closing down, after something like 40 years. I went there regularly from 1983 until about 1993, when he stopped stocking RPGs. I started buying model airplanes, then model rockets and 1:72 scale soldiers. 1:72 was my chosen scale because it was cheap. I spent many hours in the backrooms, trying to decide whether or not to spend my $4 on a box of 1:72 Zulus or a 1:72 Fokker triplane.

In 1988 I discovered his RPG section, and bought (over the course of 5 years):

James Bond
Justice Inc. - I remember excitedly telling my friend Bill, "It's like an RPG for Doc Savage!"
Champions - I described this as "Like Justice, with more points."
Paranoia
And a bunch of Doctor Who supplements and D&D minis.

In 1993 or so, his RPG stock disappeared, and I never summoned the nerve to ask where it had gone. I still went there a few times a year to pick up 1:72 figures for specific game settings, or look at (but never buy) military and airplane model kits.

Comments

[paka.livejournal.com]

I didn't know you used to build models! I used to build 1/72 scale model kits too when I got extra money for it, but more because they were small and took up less space. But I understand the cheap thing because that was part of the appeal, you could get several tanks for the cost of one of those big beautiful Testors or Tamiya models. What happened, just too much moving and stuff to keep doing it?

[doc-mystery.livejournal.com]

I've never heard of this hobby-store, but given that they don't carry RPGs I'm not surprised. I've heard from Rose that there are very few new persons (ie. pre-teen and teenaged boys) getting into the modelling hobbies any more.

I did get a good laugh at your description of Champions above!

::B::

P.S. Maybe he still has his dusty RPG stock in boxes in the back? If he does, snag some old Dr. Who RPG stuff for me!

[pyat.livejournal.com]

I think at first it was just because I was spending all my disposable income was being spent on RPGs. :) Later, when he stopped carrying RPG stuff, I wasn't going in as often, and then in university I had less time.

I might get back into it, someday!

[pyat.livejournal.com]

It's a good store, even with the lack of RPG stuff. I think I did ask once, around 1998 what had happened to the stuff, but the clerk didn't know what I was talking about.

[commanderteddog.livejournal.com]

::SOBS::

If I had known, I would have stayed overnight and popped in.

The last time I was there was 2003. That's when I had to give up the rocket habit because of dorm rules (couldn't store anything that could blow up on campus, as I explained to you earlier) and then my father died in 2004 and I didn't have the heart to get back into it.

So.... yeah.... CRAP this hurts more than it should.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

They're open till they sell the building! You still have a chance.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Doc! Doc! THEY OPENED THE RPG VAULTS!!! They still had everything in the basement!