HobbyTown — Attraction in Tukwila

Solid place. Excellent help. Had about half of what I was looking for but supply lines have been hard on everyone. I was there because they are the only place to get Tamiya Fine Primer now that Online Railroads in Tacoma closed after 25 years so now this place is my "local" Tamiya slinger. Seemed to be really R/C car focuses or at least had a lot of stock related to it. The prices and organization of smaller things could be a little better but that is something you can fix in an afternoon. A lot of the painting stuff seems to be in the high traffic area at the front of the store which lead to me bumping into people several times as stuff was being unboxed and organized in the same isle. I would move all the paints for all hobbies into a middle aisle and organize it by usage. That would get it out of the traffic area and you'd have a hell of a lot more space to display it all and let customers easily access it. There are several sparse shelves. For lack of product or lack of staging, I don't know. Put it this way, I went there to get one bottle of Tamiya Fine Primer and I walked out spending $256. I consider putting some of it back but I'm pretty sure they need it more than I do. It was just impossible to price some things and I had already bugged and monopolized the helpers time so much that I felt bad asking him to price everything. So I took a gamble. Some things are priced fairly and some things are priced up and down. That's just how it goes and there are margins that stores have to have versus online. I'd happily pay a little bit extra to support an actual store that creates a space for hobbyists. It's just that knowing what that amount is and making sure it's reasonable is important. Ultimately it's on me because I purchased it but I would have felt bad having the guy need to go through item by item and void some stuff out. Oh well, it's just fine and I'm sure they would have if I asked but I was in a rush. I think with a little spring cleaning and OCD organizing, This place could be quite attractive to hobbyists. In the meantime, if you have any needs for something immediately, just go here and get it. I drove an extra hour back and forth just so I could get this damn primer and not have to wait. Nice people, customers are friendly....

Recently, I discovered this store and was very happy to go in and check it out. The first visit, after some prodding, Keith was somewhat helpful in pointing me in the right direction. I was looking at 1/10th scale trucks and he showed me the 1/18th scale Mojave Grom. It got me interested. After doing some research I discovered the Mojave Grom was popular but had a few potential defects. Both V1 and V2 differentials used plastic that was notorious for failing. The smart charger also had a common issue with overheating to the point of catching fire. Keith and David(Manager) promised that was due to people trying to force too many amps into the smart charger. Keith stated using a USB port on a computer would mitigate the charger issue(it didn't) and that keeping the truck stock would mean I wouldn't run into issues with parts failing. Specifically, the differentials. After purchasing the Mojave Grom(8/20/24) and an extra battery for a total of $194, I took it for a test run. A bit slower and underwhelming compared to a 1/10th scale but fun none the less. 2nd time was fun too. Took it out for a 3rd time and noticed the car was moving slow and making strange noises. The rear wheels had stopped spinning. Rear differential is toast. No big deal, I purchased this 8 days ago. I'll get a refund/replacement/store credit. Apparently not. Upon return, Keith said the best the store could do was sell me a stock replacement. Who would pay $20 for the same faulty part? There are now 3 versions of the diff available for the Mojave Grom, all of which seem to have issues. So, here I am, holding a defective product with only one option. Pay to have it "fixed". To the manager, David: I would advise you train all of your employees to be very clear about your return policy before letting them make a sale. If you can't stand behind replacing a defective item within 30 days of purchase, you will continue to have unsatisfied customers and your stores reputation will...

I have a large scale Walkera Helicopter that recently developed an electrical issue. However, when I tried to troubleshoot the problem, I ended up with two possible causes but was unable to prove which it was, as when one component was removed from the system, the issue disappeared, but the same thing happened when the other component was removed from the system. I researched vendors in my area and I liked the sound of Hobby Town the best, as they seemed to have more models in stock than most others and a greater on hand selection of parts as well! My intent was to see if they had both parts in stock and to price them. When I got there, I was immediately approached by a salesman who was extremely friendly and helpful and who spent a considerable time with me and had much technical expirience. He was very patient with me and answered all my questions. I was so impressed with his enthusiasm that I decided to return in a week and purchase another Helicopter from him! I spent about an hour with this man and I learned a great deal from him. I had a really enjoyable and informative time there and as soon as I got home, I employed a couple of his suggestions and was able to solve my Helicopter problem post haste! And it works excellently! From the places I researched, I'm most impressed with Hobby Town! I would give them ten stars, if I could! I now consider Hobby Town to be my place to go to and depend on and I will recommend them to other hobbiests that I associate with, without hesitation! Thanks, HobbyTown! You guys were great! I hope this review helps your business grow and you can display a greater selection of kits and replacement parts in the future! Again, thanks for your help and happy flights or drives or water sports.

With gratitude and...