I’m going be in Detroit for the NTS and was wondering are there any “can’t miss” train shops I need to hit while I’m in town? Looking mostly for HO but would look at N. For ease of access keep me close to Cobo Arena if possible. Thanks in advance.
Detroit is a rough place. You might want to wait until you get out of that greater metro area before trying to shop for anything there.
Last time I was in Detroit I went to these two shops, they are not to far from downtown.
Joe’s Hobby Shop
| Address: | 35151 Grand River Ave, Farmington, MI 48335 |
|---|---|
| Phone: | (248) 477-6266 |
Merri-Seven Trains & Hobbies
| Address: | 19155 Merriman Rd, Livonia, MI 48152 |
|---|---|
| Phone: | (248) 477-0550 |
P&D Hobbies in Fraser. Not close to downtown but very worthwhile.
Joe’s is good, P&D is very good… Go straight up Groesbeck NE from downtown… when you get to 14 mile you are there, about a half hour’s drive but worth it. Both Farmington and Roseville are nice burbs, as is most of the greater Detroit area.
I think these two stores are the only game in town, but I’m sure they will be stocking up.
You will not find much shopping within the city limits.
I think Merri-7 closed.
PS. how 'bout a list of all who are going from here and maybe your itenerary?
Oh, and I really like Great Lakes Hobbies. It’s up in Utica… more like 45 minutes from downtown, but it is also very good and Utica is a nice little village, (I grew up there!)
train shop locator
Nope- Merri-Seven was still open as of at least last week. Their hours can be a little funny sometimes- they’ll close for a day or two every so often.
Take the listings on that site (or any site, really) with a grain of salt- that one seems to have been populated from a business directory without filtering out entries that are addresses not open to the public. For example, it lists a warehouse space for Rider’s Hobby on Platt Road in Ann Arbor that’s not a retail location open to the public.
There’s also the usual caveat about lag time in updating information, such as the listing for Hobbytown USA in Howell, which has been closed for some time, now and the Rider’s Hobby in Madison Heights which has been gone for several months. A least I don’t see any listings there that jump out at me as being for shops gone for more than a year.
Another, similar site is Staging Tracks (http://www.stagingtracks.com/shops/states/MI). It too suffers from a bit of update lag, but it also covers clubs and train shows.
these sites are intended to be a jumping off point, with contact information for listed stores, I would definatly contact the shops before heading out, if even just to confirm store’s summer/ holiday hours, or not closed that day for special reason.
mapmuse train shop directory is populated by the shop owners/consumers, not the phone book, and relies on the same people to update/report dead hits.
even mapquest and the others say to confirm that the “ROADS” actually exist before using their route
Merri seven ,joe’s hobby and nankin hardware are good places. I go their all the time
Actually, P&D is at Utica Road (not 14) and Groesbeck and it’s very close to 13 Mile Road. (Town is Fraser.) It’s next to a grocery store in a strip mall. Easy to find. They have lots of O scale, S scale, HO, and N. Books, parts, supplies materials, tools. Good selection of decals. All you need. Plus some non-mrr hobbies.