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Model Shops UK


binbrook87

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Not sure if this is posted in the right place or not but I've been looking to see what 'actual' high street model shops are still around and wondered if it would be an idea for anyone who knows of model shops still trading to post some recommendations on here (or mention any that have ceased trading to avoid wasted journeys) Sometimes its a bit difficult to see how good a shop is from a website or Google maps. 

Post lockdown I think these guys are going to need our help! 

 

I live in the West Midlands so here are a few that I know of that I've visited that are localish.

I'll add more when I come across them or visit them. 

Thanks for looking 👍

 

Mike's Models Birmingham - great shop selling a wide range of kits and modelling tools, probably one of the best in the region

 

Parabellum Birmingham - another well stocked shop crammed full of kits, mainly armour but also has a great selection of aircraft too

 

Emodels Stoke - mail order / Web based warehouse offering collection service only, but fantastic range of kits

 

*Affinity models Stoke - sadly closed last year but still trading on the show circuit. Was one of my favourites when open. 

 

Malcs Models Ilkeston - another well stocked shop although mainly model railways also has a good selection of model kits aircraft and armour

 

South Yorkshire Air Museum Doncaster - one of the best model shops I've been to for aircraft kits. I've been told that you don't need to go into the museum to visit the shop but the museum is well worth a visit if you're in the area

 

Salter Street Toys Stafford - not a model shop but has a small selection of kits and some paints, worth a visit if in the town

 

Think Tank Models Shrewsbury - small outlet with a few model kits but nice selection and worth a look if in the area.

 

Newark Air Museum - brilliant range of kits and awesome museum

 

Access Models Newark Notts - great selection of kits, aircraft and armour

 

Additions;

Midland Air museum - Coventry
Clifton Curios - Ashby de la Zouch
Frome model centre
Bob museum - Hawkinge
Toy & model warehouse - Pickering
World wide shopping mall - Malton
Yates Malton
Salisbury Model Centre
Marcway Models - Sheffield
Denham - Edwinstowe (railways mainly) 
Geoffrey Allison's gWorksop (railways mainly) 
Jancos - Barnsley
Halifax Modellers World
The model shop - Northampton
Antics Gloucester, Stroud, Bristol etc
Cheltenham Model Centre
Mr Models - Birmingham
Tornado books and hobbies - Birmingham
Penn models - Kingswinford
P&S Hobbies - Scarborough & York
Monk Bar Models - York
Yorkshire Air Museum
Croppers - Bridlington
Redcar Models
Stockton modeller
North East model centre - Chester le Street
Boyes stores various locations
 

Edited by binbrook87
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We had a thread like this a few years ago but it vanished 🤷‍♂️

 

Not before I used it to track down an elusive kit I'd been after for a while. 

 

Anyway, to add to the list, another from the midlands:

 

'Clifton Curios' in Ashby-De-La-Zouch. Small shop but I'm amazed just how much Mike manages to fit in there. What he doesn't have he's always willing to try and source. 

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@binbrook87 Clifton Curios relocated to 3a Bakery Court, (off Market Street), Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire LE65 1AF.  The shop used to be at Breedon-on-the-Hill. Opening hours 9:00 - 4:00 on Friday and Saturday, 10:00 - 3:00 Sunday and Bank Holidays.

Paul

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I can vouch for Frome Model Centre, Frome, Somerset.

 

I drive down from Bristol (45+ minutes), or pop in if I’m in the area.

 

They have a good selection of various plastic kits, an online shop and visit a lot of the local shows.

 

They also stock model railway, wargaming and general hobby stuff including paints etc.

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The Battle of Britain collection at Hawkinge near Folkestone usually has quite a nice selection of Airfix kits. Will be visiting them at end of July/beginning of August, awesome place and well worth a visit, they have reopened.

 

There is also an Art supplier in Cheriton, Folkestone called Pencraft, has a selection of Airfix and Revell kits.  

 

We are a bit short on Model shops in the south east side of Kent unfortunately.  Our local model shop Hythe(Kent) Models closed in 2006.

 

All the best

Chris

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This is a good idea for a thread. I often look for places as I travel around and I think there has been a gradual increase of shops selling models after the decline of the late 90s and early 2000s These are a few in my part of North Yorkshire. I will add more as I think of them.

 

In Pickering the Toy and Model Warehouse is worth a look if you are in the town. It is hard to find as it is located up an alley (for want of a better description) off Market Place (the main shopping street). At the moment you can't browse because of the covid restrictions. It has a relatively small selection but it does often have the latest kits from the main brands. New releases seem to arrive here quickly. Prices are usually good.

 

In Malton there is a great shop in the World Wide Shopping Mall - the old cinema. It is still shut as of late last week because of the virus but it was always one of my favourite stops when shopping in town as it has a very good and substantial selection of models.

 

Not a model shop but when in Malton, Yates is work a visit a they have a few interesting kits and the standard Vallejo Paint selection. In any case if you haven't been there it is an amazing place.

 

Boyes in Malton has a selection of model tools and paints but no kits.

 

I'm not connected with any of the above - apart from supplying them with my pocket money whilst my wife is doing the food shopping.

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Thanks for the links to the North Yorkshire area 👍 Ive been thinking like you that there seems to be more shops around than i realised but hard to tell which are worth a 'dedicated visit' as it were as opposed to just popping in if in the local area. A lot seem to specialise in model railways though with plastic kits as an afterthought.

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Salisbury Model Centre

Salisbury Model Centre

37 Fisherton St,

Salisbury SP2 7SU  

Phone:01722 334757

 

Great shop, owned by Declan who is always welcoming, helpful and informative and a  keen modeller himself. 

 

Good stock and also does model railway items.

 

Also he plays a very active role as a member of the Salisbury IPMS branch.

 

https://www.salisburymodelcentre.co.uk/

Edited by alanmac
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There are a couple of museums and long established shops around an 1 hr from my home.

 

  South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum at Doncaster has a decent range of model kits and accessories, as does the Newark air museum. 

 

 The traditional shops I know of include:-    Access Models on Castlegate in Newark -on- Trent. Again,  with a good range of kits and accessories.

 

Marcway Models on Attercliffe Rd, Sheffield,  a long standing shop still going over 40 years after my first visit. 

 

And finally, a couple of long established model railway shops :-

 

 Denhams of Edwinstowe, Notts have a good range, but will order Airfix kits as well.

 

Geoffrey Allison's on Cheapside, Worksop, again have a good range of merchandise.

 

 

 

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9 hours ago, alanmac said:

Salisbury Model Centre

Salisbury Model Centre

37 Fisherton St,

Salisbury SP2 7SU  

Phone:01722 334757

 

Great shop, owned by Declan who is always welcoming, helpful and informative and a  keen modeller himself. 

 

Good stock and also does model railway items.

 

Also he plays a very active role as a member of the Salisbury IPMS branch.

 

https://www.salisburymodelcentre.co.uk/

Establishing how many shop proprietors take a role in supporting local model clubs would also make a good topic.

 

Many, many years ago when I was actively involved in rejuvenating the IPMS Swindon Branch, Malcolm Toogood (who ran the late lamented Wings and Wheels Models in Bath) and Tim Perry actively supported the club and contributed to its re-birth. They could both be relied upon to bring the latest kits and aftermarket products (which were a bit of a novelty in those days) along to our monthly meetings. Malcolm had originally got into the business through collecting US manufactured car kits (AMT etc) and was always giving us a hard time for focusing on aircraft and AFVs but he did reasonably well each month with some sales. I haven't heard anything about him since the early 90's but Tim is, of course, still on the scene although no longer manufacturing or trading as far as I know.     

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Colin at Jancos, 51 Park Road, Worsborough Bridge, Barnsley, S70 5AA, pre Covid was a big supporter of the local modelling and wargaming scene. There is a build  Saturday  once every two months and the local wargames club has the other Saturdays and a late night. Not the biggest selection of aircraft kits, mainly Airfix but he has some interesting and unusual AFVs and Trumpeter ships. 

 

Probably the best shop in Yorkshire ( and therefore the world :) ) is Halifax Modellers  World, 25 Horton Street, Halifax HX1 1QE. I regularly do the 70 miles round trip as he has so many different paints and finishing materials as well as the largest stock of kits I have seen outside of Hannants warehouse. He also has a varying amount of second hand kits with some really hard to find gems hiding in the boxes. Just don't go on a Wednesday as it is shut. He a big supporter of local shows and clubs.

 

as Radpoe Spitfire said, Marcway and the Doncaster Museum shop are both well worth a visit.

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Here's another:

 

The Model Shop

230 Wellingborough Road

Northampton

NN1 4EJ

 

Great selection of kits. I managed to track down a kit that I'd been after for quite a while in there, one that everywhere else had been out of stock for a couple of years. 

 

(@Mike could we have this thread as a pinned post possibly? This could be a good resource especially at the moment!)

Edited by treker_ed
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The one I use a lot is 

 

Antics

81 Northgate Street

Gloucester

GL1 2AG

 

Tel 01452 410693

 

They have a great selection of kits and accessories with many brands, and are on the web too

 

https://anticsonline.uk/

 

They also have a number of other branches in the South West, and I highly recommend them. A fabulous crew run the Gloucester store.

 

Cheers, Ray

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Another West Midlands one: 

 

Mr Models

35 Abbey Road

Bearwood

B67 5RA

 

Reminds me a little of the model shops my dad used to take me to as kid in the 80s with kits literally floor to ceiling, prices are reasonable for a bricks and mortar shop.

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Great thread!

 

Another one for Brum

Tornado books and hobbies (ex Ian Allan)

68-70 Dalton Street,

Birmingham

B4 7LX

 

and

Penn Models

134 Moss Grove

Kingswinford

West Midlands

DY6 9ES

 

Also Cosford Museum shop always have a few kits for sale.

 

@binbrook87 - Would be good if you could update the first post to include all the subsequent additions so there is one up to date list?

 

Malc.

Edited by Malc2
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To add to @Pete F list:-

 

P&S Hobbies, Scarborough and York.

Monk Bar Models, York.

Cutty Blacks, York, (trains and diecast.)

Boyes department store, Billingham and York used to do models, unsure at the moment, but all? shops carry paint, glue and tools.

@binbrook87 nearest to you will be either Coalville, Heanor or Ripley.

Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, nr. York.

Croppers, Bridlington.

Redcar Models, Redcar.

Stockton Modeller, Stockton. 

North East Model Centre, Chester le Street.

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12 minutes ago, PhoenixII said:

Boyes department store, Billingham and York used to do models, unsure at the moment, but all? shops carry paint, glue and tools.

As above also in their Darlington and Northallerton shops. On occasion I've seen cheap Hobby Boss kits but perhaps only half a dozen at the most.

Roger. 

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On 7/6/2020 at 6:21 PM, Avgas said:

We had a thread like this a few years ago but it vanished 🤷‍♂️

 

Not before I used it to track down an elusive kit I'd been after for a while. 

 

 

@Avgas I asked mike about it some time ago - every so often they have a cull of old chat messages. They clog up the system otherwise, and sadly this was one of the casualties of the culling!

(I was using it to look for shops and needed it for an address - couldn't find it and messaged mike)

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Thanks for the links so far! Brilliant. I've added a few onto the original list. I've not added each individual address as I would be here all day! 😀 They're pretty easy to find on Google maps or suchlike. 👍 Lots in the North by the looks of it. Great stuff keep em coming, and any updates would be useful if any have ceased trading or do not sell kits any longer. 

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I haven't been to Newark Air Museum in an age, must get over there. Their shop is great.

 

I have a Boyes near me and they carry a good range of tools and full range of Humbrol paints. I never seem to be out of the place right now. When it was closed during lockdown I was paying a fortune in postage charges from Humbrol and Hannants online...

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2 hours ago, binbrook87 said:

Thanks for the links so far! Brilliant. I've added a few onto the original list. I've not added each individual address as I would be here all day! 😀

Thanks, you are doing a great job here, I think you may have this task for life!!!

A long time ago, before the internet was a thing, the IPMS issued a pamphlet called 'Shops That Sell Models', it was titled as such because a lot of shops sell models alongside other stuff. I may still have a copy somewhere.

 

Malc.

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In the Greater Manchester area, MJR Models has aircraft, armour, maritime and automotive kits, along with slotracing and model railways. I can't give an address as they are in the process of moving to new larger premises, which will open when

Mike decides it's safe to open up. Meantime he is trading on Facebook as "Model Kits for Less"

 

I have no connection with this firm other than as a satisfied customer . . .

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On 7/11/2020 at 6:13 PM, bigbadbadge said:

The Battle of Britain collection at Hawkinge near Folkestone usually has quite a nice selection of Airfix kits. Will be visiting them at end of July/beginning of August, awesome place and well worth a visit, they have reopened.

 

There is also an Art supplier in Cheriton, Folkestone called Pencraft, has a selection of Airfix and Revell kits.  

 

We are a bit short on Model shops in the south east side of Kent unfortunately.  Our local model shop Hythe(Kent) Models closed in 2006.

 

All the best

Chris

And i remember serving you in the much missed Hythe shop! Still got the dark blue beetle?

 

Other excellent places in Kent are:

 

The hobby shop - Faversham

 

Excellent shop with a wide range of choice.

 

Aviation Bookshop - Tunbridge Wells.

 

Obviously just aircraft, but a great selection of aircraft kits and then a truly amazing selection of books! Obviously. Good prices too

 

Simon

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