I work for AT&T and am in Evansville for a few weeks. I found a hobby shop at 1906 W Franklin Street. It was sort of a hole in the wall type place. I went in and there was the owner. His name is Jack and his dog greeted me as soon as I came in. He did have some N scale stuff and as I looked it over we talked and he told me he was 95 years old and had been doing the hobby shop for sixty years. He said things have really slowed down with the bad economy. For 95 he was really sharp and would have passed for 70 or younger. He also told me I was his first customer of the week(wednesday afternoon). He was very knowledgeable about trains including DCC. We talked for a good while and I bought $70 worth oh stuff and finally went on my way. He told me to stop back by anytime if only just to talk. I would encourage anyone to stop by AAA Hobbies and see Jack. A real treat for me.
Sounds like a great shop. I wish we still had Halls Hobby House here in DFW. Not because it was the best, but because of the history there. I still remember the smells and sights there from when I was a kid unp untill it closed. Today's hobby shops are good, but they lack in the department of the intangible thing that an old shop has. It doesn't have to have the best stock of everything new. it just has to have that "feel" that you miss form the more modern shops. I can't quite explain it, but I'm sure you guys know what I'm talking about. Too bad this one's so far from Texas or I'd be there in a heartbeat.
That’s the shop I wanted to visit last fall and he was closed. I’d heard some good things about him and the shop. Think the wife’s draggin me down that way in April for a wedding, hopefully we can make a stop there
