Few businesses make me think of how New York used to be, and what it's lost in the last 15 years, than hobby stores. What sane person today would try to open a hobby shop in New York today? Such businesses of minimal profitability and marginal necessity—once an option in the City's economic universe—are virtual impossibilities in the ruthless world of today where the only indy businesses that can possibly survive are high-end bars, restaurants, bakeries, boutiques and other enterprises connected to status-driven immediate gratification. There's no such thing as an artisanal hobby store. Hobby stores are incurably uncool in today's world, even if they feed an important need in humans to find an interest or skill in which they can excel in a small way and take their minds off the infinite cares of the day.
The owners of the few remaining hobby shops in the five boroughs have nothing but my admiration. It must be a hard slog. But if they can still excite even a small proportion of the City's kid population that hasn't become inextricably addicted to video games, God bless them.
Rudy's Hobby Supplies in Astoria looks quite old. And it is, sort of. The store was founded at this address in 1939, but it was called Rudy's Confectionary. It was an ice-cream parlor—another kind of shop that tickles kids. The owner was Rudy Oest. It went on that way for nearly a half century.
By the late 80s, ice cream wasn't as big a sell as it had been. So Marvin Cochran, a model-train collector, who had married Rudy's daughter Teresa and inherited the space (which he owns) in 1964, turned it into a hobby store in 1993. He started selling model trains and went on from there. When a nearby art supply store shuttered, Rudy's began selling art supplies. It did the same thing when a neighboring store selling religious artifacts disappeared. All this made Rudy's, in the words of a recent Times profile, a "one of a kind" place.
It won't last. Cochran is in his mid-70s. "This isn’t really something you do to make a living anymore – I’m doing it to keep myself occupied as much as anything," Cochran said in a 2011 article. "I’m able to pay my bills with the business. I own the space; otherwise I wouldn’t be able to afford the rent here. We have no reason to sell it, it’s carrying its own weight."
Marvin is a stand up guy. I've shopped at his store since he first opened.
ReplyDeleteI've been building models for 46 years. I've gotten my eleven year old son involved as a way to provide him with a creative outlet which isn't dependent on electronics. He loves to show his friends what he built b himself.
It's a real shame that the brick and mortar local hobby shop is almost extinct within the five boroughs. One of the things that I, and a lot of my friends, looked forward to on Saturdays was a trip to Jack's Hobby Shop on Nassau Avenue in Greenpoint. Getting that new Aurora "Glow in the Dark" monster kit or the latest AMT "3 in 1" car model was the highlight of the weekend.
There are still a few hobby shops kicking out there. Red Caboose seems to be doing all right. There are newer places, like Tinkersphere, which don't seem to get much coverage but are great as well.
ReplyDeleteYou forgot "Goldbergs Pizza" 1st.ve. near 14th' St. Manhattan
ReplyDeleteIt really is a shame people as well as kids can't express themselves with art supplies and plastic models going into a hobby shop, in the 60's I bought almost every AMT car model that Nagengast hobbies had on Fresh Pond Rd in Ridgewood. prices af art works are expensive but create your own art by shopping at a hobby shop that sells oil paints, instructions are available on educational TV shows like Bob Ross and Yarnell. hobby's show the creativity in children we need more of them not less.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Aurora Universal Monsters,
ReplyDeleteEd Roth's customized Rat Fink dragsters....
That was part of my childhood.
Now it's all zombie smartphone crap.
Brooks, I think you have hit the nail on the head! The way for hobby shops to survive is for them to start branding themselves as the ultimate artisan thing to do....where you yourself become the artisan! Brililant, eh? And to go along with the branding they would have to advertise that they had "curated" their selection! There must be some very high end, uber expensive model kits out there that could be sold to the status seekers in this way, which would let the shops stay open and continue to sell the more regular stuff to the rest of us!
ReplyDeleteoh wow. I have to take some time and visit him/his shop. my dad would take me there when i was a little kid to buy RC car magazines. then i took the plunge and bought a car model kit (it was a snap-tite, but still). wound up being a monthly treat to get something from that store. Recently was hanging out in astoria again, after umpteen years, and saw the store was still there.
ReplyDeleteI have lived in Astoria since 1977. I would go to Marvins for breakfast. He makes the best home fries. His and I would sit and talk about Weight Watchers lol. I still go in now and then to buy some art supplies. It. I hope that he finds someone to take over for him when he decides to retire.
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