Is there a true, high quality, model car (1/18, 1/43, etc.) store in Orange County? In Europe - they're all over the place - F1s, Touring cars, etc... I think OC has the market for it - but is there one out there?
I think there is a store in LA that is all die cast type and racing collectables. This is the hobby store I go to for RC cars. They are great, and a very large store with very knowledgeable staff. They have lots of model car as well. http://www.ultimatehobbies.com/
But as far as die-casts in OC - there are no good ones right? Anyone wanna fund a hard working 25 year-old and help him open a store How's this for a concept -- combination of memoribilia / die-cast cars along with a lounge / plasma room where races and events are shown. Do you think something like this would fly in OC?
Beverly Hill Motorsport (website of same name) has pretty much everything from hot wheels to the really expensive stuff. Most everything is in stock, plus they have some good memorabillia as well. They are on Robertson in LA. I don't know of anything in the OC. -Kevin
In OC, there is a place in Stanton, just down the street from Knotts Berry Farm. Hobby City and Adventure City 1238 S. Beach Blvd., Stanton Anaheim California (714) 527-2323 The Hobby City features over 20 hobby shops and more tha 3,000 antique dolls. The park is in a half-scale model of the White House. The Adventure City is popular theme park for children Plenty of die cast models, some are nice to have but their prices are not the lowest.
I don't know the name but there is an Awesome shop in Beverly Hills right off Rodeo. If you go to the end of Rodeo (towards Jamba Juice), then make a right right before you hit that small park, if i remember correctly its on that street somewhere on the left side. They had some crazy stuff when I was there last time. Also there is a small booth at fashion Island that sells those Maisito or however you spell it models that are fair quality. Anyways the one off rodeo was awesome so I'd recommend that.
IMO it would be tough. It's too easy to just buy them off of Ebay, online or get them at a discount place for a lot less. I think that Europeans are a lot more fanatical about this kind of thing. It might make sense to tie into a retail store that already gets a lot of traffic like an exotic car place or similar.
The place in Beverly Hills is the Exoticar Model Company Inc. (they are a chain). They have some cool stuff, but, it is more of the commercial type quality, not the niche higher end stuff, but fun to look at nonethless! The only thing I have had bad experience with is their catalog or online ordering. Very slow, with poor customer service should you have a problem, with alot of stuff showing in stock, but it is usually backordered. However, maybe this has improved, as I haven't ordered from them in a while (never again however). -Kevin
Yeah - I have a feeling this would be a hard thing to do --- Americans definately aren't as fanatic (in general) about this sort of thing. Other than Fchatters - I'd have no customers
Prestige Hobbies @ Hobby City is a solid shop - hopefully they're still there (they recently sold the land that Hobby City is built on so they've asked all the tenants to move)... Another great shop is in Pasadena (not OC) - the official AUTOArt store, some great models there...
