The Observation Deck

JOB has an excellent piece in the latest LO about Wings Hobby, which is closing after 49 years.

It is a wonderful bit of nostalgia, but I have a couple practical questions:

*Did the owners make an attempt to sell the business?
*Was the store profitable in its final years? If not, is it because of "macro" issues such as online shopping and changing consumer tastes, or some issue more specific to Lakewood?

Mike

Thanks.

http://lakewoodobserver.com/read/2014/04/01/wings-hobby-shop-we-loved-ya

I have known Al forever.

"It was time."

Was the business profitable, I do not believe Al was losing money.

While he mentioned, "Kids do not have the same interest as before..." He also mentioned
many boys who built models and played with trains did so as adults and retirees.. So the
business was sustainable. A couple things happened in his personal life, like his Dad
dying 3 years ago, and he thought, now is the time, 10 grand kids, and his health.

There are hobby shops in Cleveland that are doing OK.


.

Great bike trip for me as a kid - stopped by Create-a-Cake (my friend's parents owned it at that time so we had "special treatment") and a stop next door to browse the aisles of Wing's Hobby. Good stuff. A couple of weeks ago (before Wing's closing notification) I stopped by Create-a-Cake and then next door to Wing's...with my own children. It's a shame they won't be able to do that with their children (if I ever allow them to date and get married!!).

Corey