Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon going away

[txlonewolf]

Looks like Hobby Lobby is doing away with the 40% off coupons as of the end of February:
https://www.wsfa.com/2021/01/27/hobby-lobby-end-its-popular-off-coupon/?outputType=amp
Although the coupons have not applied to the Estes line for some time, I've still been using them on adhesives, paint, etc.
Use 'em while you can...

 

[Arsenal78]

I bet they'll lose a good bit of business from hobbyists of all kinds. The 40% coupon makes the prices more realistic.

 

[dhbarr]

I remember when JCPenney did this and it killed them.

Ultimately for whatever reason a lot of people feel better having something marked 1.00 struck through with a .60 instead of just being .60 all the time anyway.

 

[RocketScott]

I think Michael’s stopped doing that a while ago. I haven’t seen a 50% off coupon from them in a long time

Used to be able to use it on Estes stuff too

 

[AfterBurners]

I bet they'll lose a good bit of business from hobbyists of all kinds. The 40% coupon makes the prices more realistic.

probably some CEO wants a fat raise so they get rid of the only thing worth mentioning.

 

[FishnBeer]

The coupon is really just a loss leader. It lures you into the store with the illusion of savings. With a hobby store, you hardly ever go in to buy just 1 thing. Arts/crafts/rockets/paint/models etc all require more than 1 item to complete the project. Like with buying paint, you also need a brush.

Losing the 40% is not a deal breaker for me. I love hobby lobby and will continue to shop there instead of amazon any day of the week (except sunday, of course)

 

[MikeT]

You can't survive giving 40% off in today's environment anymore. Costs from A to Z are gong up across the board.

Mike

 

[dpower]

For the most part, I won't miss it - I do as much as possible of my rocketryshopping at locally owned Brick & Mortar Hobby shops where there's a much better selection. I will miss the occasional blow-out of discontinued items, like when 2 packs of E16/F15 motors were going for something like $6.

 

[HHaase]

I used to use it for buying A8-3 bulk packs, and when they had the PSII ignitors, but honestly I rarely fly A's anymore and they no longer carry the PSII ignitors in the stores in my area.

At least I can clear another app off my phone soon.

-Hans

 

[DeeRoc29]

Don't shop at HL, but way back when I got a kick out of buying Estes Bulk Pack boxes of motors at Michaels with a 40 or 50% single item coupon. It was the best deal on LP motors you can get anywhere. Michaels not only stopped carrying the bulk packs, but rockets altogether.

 

[Flyfalcons]

Everything rocket related has been yellow-tagged for a while anyway. And like others have said, the coupon feels good but when you get 40% off one item out of 23 in your basket, the savings isn't necessarily that spectacular.

 

[JPalmer621]

Over the years I have used there coupon often. Back in the day on motors and kits. Today mostly small stuff like paint brushes and other misc. merchandise. Total purchases did not ad up to much but I did go there vs. Walmart.

 

[David J]

Wonder if Harbor Freight will follow suit?

 

[Marc_G]

I was at HL a couple weeks ago, to get some Bob Smith epoxy, ($12.99 minus $40% off) and the store was pretty crowded, to the point where I was getting a bit twitchy.

I enjoy saving 40% on my most expensive item when I shop there, but I don't actually shop there because of the coupon. I will miss it, but not alter my behavior.

 

[Woody's Workshop]

Never used the coupon other than rocket related merchandise. Since that stopped a while back, it doesn't stop me from taking advantage of a sale when I can. They are probably preparing for the $15 minimum wage law...

 

[markschnell]

At least I can clear another app off my phone soon.

Ha, ha, I had that exact same thought when I heard about this!

 

[markschnell]

Thinking of my Hobby Lobby (they're probably all the same), it is probably 3/4 decorating crap anyway. The hobby type stuff is kind of u shaped section on the outside back walls, most concentrated towards the back. They have those 50% sales all the time. Now if they stop doing that, they're dead to me. How else will I be able to justify buying a metal Scooby Doo sign for my garage, or the other junk that I get sucked into when I see that sale signs?

 

[afadeev]

HL is a private company with owners imposing their VERY weird cultish believes on their business. One of relevance is their cult equating bar-codes with devil, or some such. I recall a discussion with one of their store managers who was describing exotically convoluted inventory management processes designed around the prohibition on scanning bar codes on product packages.
With that in mind, it's not too surprising that they are doing away with scanning 40% OFF coupon bar-codes on cell phones.

40% OFF has become increasingly useless since HL excludes all "yellow tag" items from 40% OFF eligibility.
The dwindling supply of rocketry items in my nearest HL has all been marked exclusively with "yellow tag" prices for more than a year now. Those "yellow tag" price points are between 20-35% off MSRP.
I used to go out of the way to buy few Estes products from HL to encourage them to stock more rocketry products, but it clearly hasn't worked. The section has been getting smaller and smaller throughout the years.

Between the dwindling inventory, Covid store opening restrictions, another weird owner's prohibition on doing business on Sundays, their strange inventory logic of spreading supplies by hobby throughout the floor (try asking an employee where in the store they keep Titebond!), I've stopped trying to patronize HL.
It's no longer worth the drive, for me.

I would rather spend my money on rocketry-focused online retailers that make an effort to cater to our hobby.

YMMV

 

[Antares JS]

One of relevance is their cult equating bar-codes with devil, or some such.

I always thought it was weird that the cashiers ring you up manually, but never thought much about it before.

I actually remember reading about this somewhere. If I remember correctly, the people who believe this point to parts of the beginning, middle, and end of a bar code that read 6-6-6. These are actually markers for whatever device is reading the code and are not intended to represent 6's. That combined with them being used to buy and sell makes these people think bar codes are the mark of the beast.

It probably doesn't help some of these people that might be of the flat earth persuasion that NASA was the first major user of bar codes, to track inventory of shuttle parts.

 

[aerostadt]

I am thinking that if I am near an HL when traveling, it is worth it to stop in and buy Estes D motors (BP). If I buy them from a company on-line, the hazardous shipping costs are terrible.

 

[Antares JS]

I am thinking that if I am near an HL when traveling, it is worth it to stop in and buy Estes D motors (BP). If I buy them from a company on-line, the hazardous shipping costs are terrible.

Do you mean E? D motors need to don't ship HAZMAT unless something changed that I'm not aware of.

 

[aerostadt]

I thought it was D motors. I won't mention the supplier, but it could be E motors. I got burned once and never did it again. That was many years ago.

 

[BEC]

Wonder if Harbor Freight will follow suit?

View attachment 448454

There are so many exclusions on these now they're not all that great.....

Not too concerned about the 40% off coupon at HL.

And be aware that the yellow-tag price on B motors is more than 40% off MSRP.

 

[Bruiser]

I use the coupon to buy my ply, balsa, basswood, CA glue and paints. There's probably more stuff but those are the main things. I'll miss it but I will continue to buy because it is the closest thing to a hobby store within 100 miles.

This is going to influence my paint system choice. I was debating about going to the water based paints and they have them. But at regular price they are expensive.

-Bob

 

[afadeev]

Do you mean E? D motors need to don't ship HAZMAT unless something changed that I'm not aware of.

It's E's and F's:
Orders with "E" and "F" size Rocket Engines will be shipped by **UPS Hazmat Shipping Service

https://www.acsupplyco.com/estes-mo...-engines-24mm/estes-e12-4-model-rocket-enginehttps://www.siriusrocketry.biz/isho...engines-hdw-36/estes-hobby-rocket-engines-95/
I used to buy E's and F's from HL as well, for exactly that reason.
Alas, they had stopped carrying 29mm motors about 2 years ago, and 24mm E's are regularly out of stock as well.
24mm D's are in stock, but more expensive than from online sources:
https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Hobbies-Collecting/Rockets/c/9-183-1397vs.
https://www.acsupplyco.com/estes-model-rockets/model-rocket-engines/estes-c11-d-and-e-engines
If HL restarts stocking 24mm E's and 29mm F's, I might reconsider.
Otherwise,

 

[Flyfalcons]

I always thought it was weird that the cashiers ring you up manually, but never thought much about it before.

I actually remember reading about this somewhere. If I remember correctly, the people who believe this point to parts of the beginning, middle, and end of a bar code that read 6-6-6. These are actually markers for whatever device is reading the code and are not intended to represent 6's. That combined with them being used to buy and sell makes these people think bar codes are the mark of the beast.

It probably doesn't help some of these people that might be of the flat earth persuasion that NASA was the first major user of bar codes, to track inventory of shuttle parts.

Cool story bro

 

[tab28682]

It's E's and F's:
Orders with "E" and "F" size Rocket Engines will be shipped by **UPS Hazmat Shipping Service

https://www.acsupplyco.com/estes-mo...-engines-24mm/estes-e12-4-model-rocket-enginehttps://www.siriusrocketry.biz/isho...engines-hdw-36/estes-hobby-rocket-engines-95/
I used to buy E's and F's from HL as wellf or exactly that reason.
Alas, they had stopped carrying 29mm motors about 2 years ago, and 24mm E's are regularly out of stock as well.
24mm D's are in stock, but more expensive than from online sources:
https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Hobbies-Collecting/Rockets/c/9-183-1397vs.
https://www.acsupplyco.com/estes-model-rockets/model-rocket-engines/estes-c11-d-and-e-engines
If HL restarts stocking 24mm E's and 29mm F's, I might reconsider.
Otherwise,

My three closest HL stores have E motors in stock.

 

[afadeev]

My three closest HL stores have E motors in stock.

That must be the one and only 24mm E12.

Bills Stine (of Estes), has just confirmed that HL will no longer be carrying 29mm Estes BP motors in the future.

 

[tab28682]

That must be the one and only 24mm E12.

Bills Stine (of Estes), has just confirmed that HL will no longer be carrying 29mm Estes BP motors in the future.

Actually, the HL in Burleson, TX has both E9-6 and E12-6 in stock. E12s have the Oct 2020 date code. One of the packs of E9 motors was not yellow tagged, so I got that pack at 40% off. Sort of like playing roulette, as I did not check the lot number before purchasing... I feel lucky today!

Even with the reduced discount of 20% in the yellow tagged E motors, they are still about the best over the counter deal around.

 

[mrwalsh85]

I went straight from HL to the local hobby shop last weekend. $12.99, no coupon at HL, $19.99 at the hobby shop. While I would love to support the hobby shop, they don't support mid power/high power, and Estes is a bit small for my taste right now, so I went for the $12.99, discounted 40% to $7.80 and bought two sets of epoxy (stopped at another HL on the way home LOL).

Might stock up on epoxy at those prices soon... I have ten days left and five HL's in my area. I did just clear out the clearance rockets at four stores, but for some reason did not grab epoxy. Oh well.