HobbyTown — Local services in Knoxville

Really, really, REALLY disappointed! I have seen HobbyTown advertised in RC car magazines since I was teen, but I'm an adult now - a post midlife crisis aged adult, so they have been around forever. I finally got my first opportunity to visit an actual location, and was geeked about it. I was buying parts for a Raminator project, and I earn enough income to throw money at it to get the project completed. I knew what I was looking for, but wasn't sure where to find it. The staff saw me looking confused and never offered to help, and when I approached them to get help, I was told they didn't have the parts I needed without looking online or checking any racks for them. This is a sizeable store with a pretty robust inventory on display and lord know what's all in the back rooms. It's too large of a store to remember the entire freaking inventory. No offer was made to order the parts I needed, or suggest alternatives or anything to help me spend the money I came in to spend. So I purchased the few items I could find and prepared to leave. The staff guy then had the audacity to ask me if I want to sign up for some rewards program. Why? So you can NOT help me spend more money to earn reward points in the future? NOPE! This was my first and last time in a HobbyTown. I wasn't rude to the staff, so not sure why this was my experience. I akin this to meeting your favorite wrestler and he's drunk and incoherent - this is not the greatness I expected. Absolutely regret going...

No Inventory on basic building supplies, ie. brass tubing. I was told they have problems getting orders from K&S Brass. I find it hard to believe since I ordered a large quantity $178.00 worth of tubing last week from K&S. I was told by the K&S rep that K&S has a minimum $100 order. So the problem isn't K&S, the problem is Hobby Town chooses not to reorder the minimum dollar amount until it's all depleted. So the employee at Hobby Town either lied to me or is unaware of how the ordering system works. I assume they use an auto-reorder system. Buy one item, system automatically re-orders item sold. Since they havent sold all of their previous $100 worth of brass, they will not reorder. Simply just a "Walmart" hobby store. They only carry inventory for Traxxas brand kits or model trains. They should rename the store to Traxxas Town or Train Town. Just order from their suppliers Horizon Hobby or Tower Hobbies and save yourself time and money. Until Knoxville gets a real hobby shop I will have to order anything that i need from Gizmo Motors, CC Racing Engines, BH Hanson...

Back in the day I would had given this place 8 stars. Loved it. I would go there and spend hours there. I moved away for a few years and just moved back and the place has expanded and gone way down hill. The rc area is ran by someone that rather set and talk to other employees then help people and if he does help you his sure to let you know how dumb you are for sure. None of the cars on the wall is priced so you have you go back and forth asking for help so when they are dealing with others, or busy talking like the leader, then you can never figure what your going to get. It is NOTHING like it use to be. I even went to talk to the manager about things and ask why things wasn't priced and if it was going to change she seemed to have a attitude. From the get go and assured me how wrong I was and how I knew nothing. I hate how bad this place is now it breaks my heart. I spent a lot of time here before I moved. Now I have to get all my stuff from on line and Horizon...