Hobby Shops in Melbourne

[JimmyZ]

Hi all,

I hope this is the most appropriate sub-forum to post this for good answers.

I'm going to be in Melbourne for work soon, and was thinking I may use the opportunity to bring back some cool stuff that's hard to find in South Africa for my 1/72 aircraft kits.

Can anyone recommend good hobby shops in Melbourne? Preferably close to the city center or where public transport can take me.

I'll be looking specifically for aftermarket decals, photo etch details sets etc.

I doubt I will have luggage space for big stuff like kits, but we'll see.

Thanks for any help.

J

[Jabba]

I found 2 last year, will let you know properly where they are when I get home. If I remember rightly one is at one end of the main shopping atreet, and is a bit like Modelzone, but much better. The other was right outside our hotel and is one the 2nd or 3rd floor of the building that it is in. Will update later.

[chrismac60]

Me too Mark, Im off there for Christmas

Chris

[Jabba]

The first shop that I mentioned is called Metro Hobbies and is on the first floor of 21 Swanston St. This shop is on the right hand side of the street as you walk towards Flinders St station. The doorway to the shop is just a normal door with a staircase that leads to the shop as there is no shop frontage, although there is a sign on the overhead covering.

The second is called Showcase Models Australia and can be found at Level 3, Unit 2, 258 Little Bourke St. This is slightly harder to find and once you get there you are not sure that you are. It is close to the junction of Little Bourke St and Swanston St as you head away from the Flinders St end. As you walk down the left hand side of Swanston St away from Flinders St you will pass a Mercure hotel which is roughly on the junction. Turn left and the shop in a few yards down on the right hand side. Yet again there is a small doorway leading to a lift which you take to the 3rd floor. On leaving the lift go left and then right and the shop is on the right. I am sure that there was a plate at the doorway that roughly tells you this. The person who runs this place is very friendly (for an aussie) and he does often have an ad in SAMI.

Having googled models shops in Melbourne I came across Hearns Hobbies which is at 295 Flinders St which from their map seems to be somewhere around the station. I personally did not find this shop.

Hope that this info is not too confusing and of some help.

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

The first shop that I mentioned is called Metro Hobbies and is on the first floor of 21 Swanston St. This shop is on the right hand side of the street as you walk towards Flinders St station. The doorway to the shop is just a normal door with a staircase that leads to the shop as there is no shop frontage, although there is a sign on the overhead covering.

The second is called Showcase Models Australia and can be found at Level 3, Unit 2, 258 Little Bourke St. This is slightly harder to find and once you get there you are not sure that you are. It is close to the junction of Little Bourke St and Swanston St as you head away from the Flinders St end. As you walk down the left hand side of Swanston St away from Flinders St you will pass a Mercure hotel which is roughly on the junction. Turn left and the shop in a few yards down on the right hand side. Yet again there is a small doorway leading to a lift which you take to the 3rd floor. On leaving the lift go left and then right and the shop is on the right. I am sure that there was a plate at the doorway that roughly tells you this. The person who runs this place is very friendly (for an aussie) and he does often have an ad in SAMI.

Having googled models shops in Melbourne I came across Hearns Hobbies which is at 295 Flinders St which from their map seems to be somewhere around the station. I personally did not find this shop.

Hope that this info is not too confusing and of some help.

Hearns is actually under the station. As you walk west down Flinders Street (from Swanston Street) you will see it just past the Elizabeth Street intersection. You need to pop down a short staircase to the door.

[Will Vale]

I enjoyed visiting all of these, Metro Hobbies also has another location (or two?) further out in the suburbs which was also good.

If you like figure painting or wargame miniatures then you might also try Mindgames on Swanston Street (the other side from Metro and a bit further up). They have a downstairs for board and card games, and an upstairs which has loads of different miniature gaming ranges. I loved it

There's another shop in the CBD called Minotaur which is supposed to be a bit of a Mecca for "geek culture" - i.e. sci fi, fantasy movies and TV etc. Lots of people I know raved about it, I was a bit underwhelmed but they do have a few interesting kits if you're prepared to pay the quite steep prices.

Will

[Homerlovesbeer]

Metro Hobbies

Melbourne CBD Store
Level 1, 21 Swanston St
Melbourne VIC 3000
03 9650 4817

Box Hill Store

424a Station St
Box Hill VIC 3128
03 9890 1144

http://metrohobbies.com.au/

They have a decent range too.....

Edited September 17, 2015 by Homerlovesbeer

[JimmyZ]

Thanks Jabba, TrojanThunder, Will Vale and Homerlovesbeer!

This is very helpful info and I'll visit as many of these as I can.

Cheers

[Jabba]

Hearns is actually under the station. As you walk west down Flinders Street (from Swanston Street) you will see it just past the Elizabeth Street intersection. You need to pop down a short staircase to the door.

I think that I might of gone there 20 years ago, but as I could remember going to a shop where you went down stairs, but I did not for some reason go down that way.

[JimmyZ]

For whomever are interested, I've visited Showcase models and Metro hobbies in Melbourne CBD. Both good shops, but I've especially enjoyed Showcase models. Awesome shop, awesome guy who runs it. Highly recommended.

Cheers

J

[Jabba]

Glad that you found them.