Hobbyco

I love this toy shop. Whilst it doesn’t have the depth of board games of the usual places I would go, it has a wide selection of board games, as well as a tonne of jigsaws, toy trains, figurines, etc.etc. It’s always busy, and worth spending at least 45 minutes looking around. You’ll always find something of interest. Also it’s in the beautiful QVB so worth it for that, if nothing else.

Awful customer service! There was an aircraft model I was after that was on display but could not find on the shelf. I asked the attendant that I would like to take the display as I am just over from interstate and fly back on the day. His response is that he can’t sell it as it is the display. I noted to him that there is Br much point having a product on display that you don’t have for sale. He then said that they have more stock coming in a few weeks. My response back was fair that I was happy to pay full retail for the display one so they could put a new one on display when they come into stock, again reminding him that I don’t live in Sydney. He continued to refuse to come to any arrangement. I respect a shop to have policy and procedure but given the simple ability for me to purchase online for probably cheaper that customer service and reasonable compromise is what keep bricks and mortar shops open. I would not recommend this store based on that experience. Most of their stock is online cheaper. The main reason I wanted to buy from here is the appeal of associating the trip with the product.

Well the toys here are not cheap but they literally have tons of amazing toys for the picking. It is very model focused but my god do they have a lot. They have models of hundreds of planes, cars, train sets, everything you could want to make a scale model of your own perfect little town. It’s wonderful to see.

Hobbyco as a smaller venture than where it used to be (Mid City Centre) and it just doesn’t seem to cut it anymore. It shelves are groaning under the weight of the amount of toys and models and other hobby stuff you want (you so want!!!). Visual Merchandising just flies out the window, which leads you to imagine this shopping experience as akin to a 2 dollar shop.
I’m sure someone is going to tell me that the old mid-​city store was smaller than the current one, and granted. But it doesn’t FEEL like that.
Enough said — this store has the same eager beaver helpers who love their hobbies, and a fantastic selection that makes men like me drool out the corners of my mouth and recite «Want want want want want want want» over and over again in our minds as we see each new wonderment.
Prices… meh. Not bad, but not good either. Great shop though, and you gotta love the range!

Terrible service — rude, surly, unhelpful, arrogant. Don’t shop here.

This is Toys R Us for the big kids (or those of us adults who still take their toys seriously… very seriously). They have everything a hobbyist would desire (radio controlled cars, trains, rockets, robots, die cast figures and my personal favourite… Legos). The flagship store in the QVB takes up multiple levels and it is really an impressive space. Their motto «Hobbyco is truly a place for people who take their fun seriously» is evident by their incredible inventory and extensive staff knowledge. You can get lost in the aisles looking at all of the interesting items (wooden ship kits, large size animé models and fully functional model train steam engines), playing with the radio controlled cars on the track or trying to figure out the puzzle toys. After leaving the store I made a mental note to start blueprints on my LEGO masterpiece.