Model Railroading > Al's Hobby Shop Closes today

My daughter in Elmhurst, IL (Chicago area) said Al's Hobby Shop suddenly announced yesterday they were closing and today was their last day in business. Their website says "under construction, come back later" on it. I go there when I am up there and have several items on reserve for when they come out. I have noticed the last couple of times I have been up there the inventory has been shrinking and some items I ordered seemed very slow coming. This is another LHS biting the dust that had a long history in the business. They were also big in plastic and RC items. The staff was always nice and Ken Craig would find anything I wanted and get it. This forum has seen a number of this type of announcement a number of times in the recent past.


Bruce Stikkers

I'll take a run by there today. Very sad, stopped in there Wednesday and chatted with Ken. They have been going through inventory and was also mentioned that he had never been this empty before.

Posted from Android

It is official. Today is the final day, unknown if there will be a final sale day or not. Another great shop gone...

Posted from Android

This site should add a "shop closing of the week" board so we can keep track.

Sad news for sure. Al's was the first hobby shop I ever visited and that was back when it was on First Street across from the station around 1970. I figured something was up when they cut their evening hours a couple of months ago.

Just got word today another Chicagoland LHS is about to shut it's doors. Supposedly Lombard Hobbies is planning on shutting down in the next couple of weeks

CB

BruceStikkers Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My daughter in Elmhurst, IL (Chicago area) said
> Al's Hobby Shop suddenly announced yesterday they
> were closing and today was their last day in
> business. Their website says "under construction,
> come back later" on it. I go there when I am up
> there and have several items on reserve for when
> they come out. I have noticed the last couple of
> times I have been up there the inventory has been
> shrinking and some items I ordered seemed very
> slow coming. This is another LHS biting the dust
> that had a long history in the business. They were
> also big in plastic and RC items. The staff was
> always nice and Ken Craig would find anything I
> wanted and get it. This forum has seen a number of
> this type of announcement a number of times in the
> recent past.
>
>
> Bruce Stikkers

I just spoke with Jeff at Lombard Hobbies and that rumor is totally false, they are NOT shutting down.
Kirk

CountryBoy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just got word today another Chicagoland LHS is
> about to shut it's doors. Supposedly Lombard
> Hobbies is planning on shutting down in the next
> couple of weeks
>
> CB
>
> BruceStikkers Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > My daughter in Elmhurst, IL (Chicago area) said
> > Al's Hobby Shop suddenly announced yesterday
> they
> > were closing and today was their last day in
> > business. Their website says "under
> construction,
> > come back later" on it. I go there when I am up
> > there and have several items on reserve for
> when
> > they come out. I have noticed the last couple
> of
> > times I have been up there the inventory has
> been
> > shrinking and some items I ordered seemed very
> > slow coming. This is another LHS biting the
> dust
> > that had a long history in the business. They
> were
> > also big in plastic and RC items. The staff was
> > always nice and Ken Craig would find anything I
> > wanted and get it. This forum has seen a number
> of
> > this type of announcement a number of times in
> the
> > recent past.
> >
> >
> > Bruce Stikkers

Comments like this are irresponsible, and if untrue are damaging to the business being mentioned. Information like this needs to be vetted before being blown up through the internet.
Jack Mougin

I seldom come over to this board, but had it suggested to me today, after I made the bike trip to Elmhurst and found the store with black-shaded windows. Biggest shock of my life--they've always been my go-to place for prototype magazines, and, more recently, looks at the ATCS Monitor to see what's close on the UP. I'm not a modeler, so I couldn't support the shop in the way that many customers do.

It may have been handwriting on the wall when they moved the train department back in with everything else, then later shrunk it again.

As for Lombard Hobbies, I went by there on my way home today, and saw some friends coming out with fresh purchases. I'd better encourage them to stock magazines like Diesel Era, PTJ, Railroads Illustrated, and, of course, North Western Lines, as well as books like those from Kalmbach. Not all railroad hobbyists are modelers!

Carl Shaver
Lombard, IL