stevesig Posted September 3, 2013 Share Posted September 3, 2013 (edited) The Locoshed, Whitefield is still there (it's just up the road from my Mum's house - 5 mins walk) and has been my source of Plasticweld for a while now. They have a good stock of Humbrol paints, filler, plasticard, etc. The small stock of kits tend to be second hand stuff so some interesting finds can be made. It has a real old fashioned flavour with stock all over the place and not much floor space! Oh, and one of the proprietors hails from Snifnal, but being a railway nut did not know about Scalemodelworld! Not been to F&S for a while so cannot report on its status. Edited September 3, 2013 by stevesig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMD70 Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 F&S still open although I've not been through the door for a couple of months. I do need to pick up some Tamiya paints so I may use that as an excuse for a little mill around one lunch time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 Called in F&S about a month ago very friendly couple who owns the shop, a good range of kits and tools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prowler0000 Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 Anyone been in the Bromley shop recently? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam1314 Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 what is the situation in cambridge branch? Is there plenty stock of aqua color? it should receive some deliveries from closed stores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sturmovik30 Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 Anyone been in the Bromley shop recently? Anyone been in the Bromley shop recently? Anyone been in the Bromley shop recently? been popping in regularly ,very little in way of kits and paint,closes on the 12th i believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwh Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 Called in at Eastbourne branch today, not much model wise on the shelves, some of the more expensive Airfix stuff still sitting there, same price, most of paints gone except for some of the Humbrol enamels A few airfix/revell kits,plenty of Revell Klingon cruisers. Still plenty of die-cast and R/C stuff though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 Was in Brighton yesterday. Very little on the shelves with standard 20% discount. A shelf full of damaged kits with 40% off although the Airfix Furies were up to 17.99 before discount. They were 7.99 undamaged before! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleeperService Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 Was in Brighton yesterday. Very little on the shelves with standard 20% discount. A shelf full of damaged kits with 40% off although the Airfix Furies were up to 17.99 before discount. They were 7.99 undamaged before! That, in a nutshell is the underlying reason they haven't survived. It seems like sharp practice forced on them by the level of debt the company carried. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Popped into the Bromley store and noticed that kits are now 30% off. Bought some Airfix kits and Vallejo. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roo Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 I went past the Thurrock Lakeside store today, and the kits are also 30% off there now. There is not much choice with a plethora of the Klingon battle cruisers at a greater discount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostbase Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Have been in Doncaster this week so popped along to the former TAG / MZ model shop in Nether Hall Road. The shutters are down and it is definitely closed however there was a sign stating that a new shop would be opened by the former owner of TAG models (as posted here) however there was no indication regards timescale, no signs of life at all. Michael 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 I found out this evening that, unfortunately, the only other toy shop which sells kits in Leicester's city centre, has gone into administration this morning. Dominoes has been one of the best known stores in Leicester since 1983. When it was announced that Modelzone was in trouble, a while back, I nipped into Dominoes to see what they had in stock and was surprised that they seemed be low on kits and model railway items. I mentioned this to one of the assistants but she just told me they were running the modelling department down. I'd gone into Dominoes this evening to pick up Tamiya's Yamaha YZR-M1 (Estoril Edition) motorbike kit, which I saw they had yesterday with 50% off. When I got inside this evening I realised that the stairs up to the first floor, where the kit department was, had a barrier across. I mentioned to one of the assistants on the ground floor that I'd come in to buy the kit and she kindly offered to go upstairs and get it for me. While I was waiting one of the other assistants told me about them going into administration. According to The Leicester Mercury a buyer is being sought but they had already let go of 18 of 28 staff this morning - hope they are all able to find suitable other employment. Not a good day for anyone in Leicester who is into kit building or model making. Or children of all ages who like toy shops!! Cheers, Stix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 If a town the size of Leicester can't support a single model shop its all getting a bit worrying. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanSAR95 Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 According to Google, there is 2 more model shops in Leicester, Tonys models and hobbies and midway models. Obviously never being here, I don't know there status. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanSAR95 Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 It actually appears that Tonys models have closed. Must be a mix of internet sales and the local modelzone eating away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 (edited) Hi Nigel - my thoughts exactly. I'm also fairly sure that, in the East Midlands, Derby won't have a full model shop either after Modelzone closes. It does have one shop that sells mostly model railway items and die-cast stuff but that's all. Nottingham only has Gee Dee Models which, if Dominoes does close, will be my local model shop and I live south of Leicester! Otherwise I suppose there's also the Ian Allen Bookshop in Birmingham and Joto Hobbies in Rugby. I don't drive and prefer to travel by train so it looks like most of my stuff will be coming off the internet from now on because by the time you include travel costs, unless I'm visiting somewhere for other reasons, it's cheaper to get stuff with free p&p - but I will miss browsing and finding the odd gem! Hi Dan - thanks for your post but I think Tony's was for RC stuff and Midway is collectables rather than kits. Cheers, Stix Edited September 7, 2013 by PlaStix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roymattblack Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 Unless anyone in the area can tell me otherwise, the only proper model shop in almost the whole of Suffolk now, is the one in Bury st Edmunds! Very sad. Roy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanSAR95 Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 The lack of model shops in the UK is certainly worrying, not least because of children being introduced to the hobby. We are all guilty of writing as if modelzone will definitely close and while this looks more likely every day, who's to say the staff from individual branches won't open there own shops. It may even be bought, some of the profitable shops, on their last day of trading or soon after that day. The original founder may open some stores on their sites. I say this with my fingers crossed. There is still a big market for models of all kinds, it doesn't take a genius to see this but, the other worrying thing is that it doesn't take a genius to see that you can get kits for a fraction of the price online. It's certainly a confusing world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 The main problem anyone trying to open a model shop - or any niche shop is rent and rates. To get enough footfall to make the shop a success you need to be somewhere people will visit, but these locations are now costing ridiculous amount of money as the landlords know that the big franchises will be able to pay their inflated prices and they don't really care that nobody else can. It was the quarterly rent day that triggered the final collapse of MZ and there seems to be a constant stream of news about shops closing because they just can't afford the rents so you end up with streets of Tesco local and the same chain shops everywhere. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadders Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 Just been to Derby and they were just unpacking a small delivery if Revell kits. Kits are now 30% off, but some have gone up in price!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 It looks as if specialist model shops will be a thing of the past, Hannant's and the like being exceptions to the rule. I can see areas in larger toy shops, or newsagents/card shops like the one near me being the go to place. Probably worth frequenting them to encourage sales. Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonhoff Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 Big shame about Dominoes in Leicester - model department was one whole floor once upon a time and had a really good range of stuff Visited London a few years back with a friend and went into Hamleys - and was slightly underwhelmed with it compared to Dominoes Think MZ moving into Highcross wouldn't have helped their turnover either. There is a kiosk selling kits and Tamiya paints in the Beaumont Leys Shopping Centre on the outskirts of Leicester if that helps otherwise it looks like Boyes in Melton Mowbray (Humbrol / Vallejo paints) or Geoff's Toys in Loughborough for Airfix and Humbrol. As for Nottingham there is also Malc's Models in Ilkeston and the Railway and Barter shop in Long Eaton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanSAR95 Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 (edited) It looks as if specialist model shops will be a thing of the past, Hannant's and the like being exceptions to the rule. I can see areas in larger toy shops, or newsagents/card shops like the one near me being the go to place. Probably worth frequenting them to encourage sales. Trevor Like Joplings in Sunderland. That had a great hornby section. Sadly this store has also gone, it was a few years ago mind you. You're right, toys r us, smyths, they all should stock kits. Supermarkets should sell kits aswell, I know some do, but asda, sainsburys, they all should sell them, not just starter sets, but a decent range. If a shop like asda sold kits, they would sell like free money. Edited September 7, 2013 by DanSAR95 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prowler0000 Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 I'll be dropping into the Bromley shop on sunday, want some TS cans & another nose thru the Vallejo... wonder how many Klingon cruisers they have left???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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