Hobby Lobby Clearance

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Looks like the Estes rocket section was restocked at my local store, the new kits have several no-painting required options, they should move well. I found their last Nike Smoke which seemed to be hanging in the wrong spot, and no label on a hanger for where it would be restocked, so I grabbed that one. They had a good collection of the new HL exclusive and other Estes kits and launch sets all with yellow everyday your price stickers. No more 29mm BP motor packs on the shelf, bummer.
 
Indeed! Especially when smuggling, I mean "importing", looted religious artifacts under false documents from the middle east!

NikeMikey

I read that article years ago. I know your post was meant to be funny but it is not a full representation of the case. If you read more than headlines, you will realize it is a media kit piece. It is one event and the size of the claim is media was exaggerated. PBS originally claimed that Hobby Lobby was smuggling 40K artifacts for sale in their stores. When called out for being fake news, they change the story to less than 5K and admitted they were purchased for museums or fro display in Christain bookstores.

Furthermore, facts being facts. This event occurred in 2010. The case was settled over a year ago. The facts of the case do not support the term smuggle because they did not direct the packing or mislabeling. It was a purchase that should be a lesson to all. When buying antiquities, you have an obligation to ensure the seller is the owner.

I am not defending them. They admitted fault and returned the items to Iraq. Once again, they corrected the mistake instead of fighting it in court. Hobby Lobby was not ordered to return them. They agreed to do so which is an estimate to their integrity.

I identify with this story. Years ago, I purchased a 100 pound Parrot Artillery shell for one heck of a price at a flea market. To my horror, I found out it was stolen from a museum when I researched the item. I returned it to the museum personally. It was on a mantel and no one would know I have it but me but I could not live with it being there if it were stolen.
 
Indeed! Especially when smuggling, I mean "importing", looted religious artifacts under false documents from the middle east!

NikeMikey

I know your post was meant to be funny but it is not a full representation of the case.

I did not believe the post to be "funny". I took it to be a "smear" of a Christian business, made to appear credible by "editing" the facts to suit an agenda.

Dave F.
 
Either way, people are entitled to their own opinion, but the facts remain unchanged.

Does anyone have a list of all the eight exclusive kits from Hobby lobby?
 
If you can find the Cherokee E- Hobby Lobby exclusive kit, suggest you buy it. Went to three different stores this afternoon in the Birmingham area, no joy. Found plenty of the other Estes exclusive kits, and bought a few--love the ESAM-58...but no joy with the mid-power Cherokee.

This is a win-win for both the retailer and Estes. It drives more traffic into their store from rocketeers, and always Estes to retain shelf space at one of the larger hobby retailers. Wonder if others will start looking for exclusives with Estes now?

Great kits at great prices.
 
This is a win-win for both the retailer and Estes. It drives more traffic into their store from rocketeers, and always Estes to retain shelf space at one of the larger hobby retailers. Wonder if others will start looking for exclusives with Estes now?

Great kits at great prices.

I agree 100%. They should do the same thing for all the HobbyTown hobby shops.
 
Went to Hobby Lobby tonight in Bloomington, IN. Got a Cherokee-E, Citation Patriot, 220 Swift, and a Luna Bug. My big score was a Mercury Redstone that was in a cart/buggy (depending on your location) next to the clearance rack. It didn't have a new "Your Price" sticker, nor a clearance sticker. I asked the manager about it, she checked with someone else and they didn't know if it was clearance or not, so the went ahead and gave me 75% off. Got it for $6.25! Walked out with five kits for $49.44!
 
Went to Hobby Lobby tonight in Bloomington, IN. Got a Cherokee-E, Citation Patriot, 220 Swift, and a Luna Bug. My big score was a Mercury Redstone that was in a cart/buggy (depending on your location) next to the clearance rack. It didn't have a new "Your Price" sticker, nor a clearance sticker. I asked the manager about it, she checked with someone else and they didn't know if it was clearance or not, so the went ahead and gave me 75% off. Got it for $6.25! Walked out with five kits for $49.44!

Nice Score!, I found the Cherokee -E and bought 2
 
I can see that some people got some really good deals from Hobby Lobby. On Labor Day I visited the Seabrook, NH store. They had a good selection of kits and motors. The price tags on the kits and motors read, "Your Price". You could not use a 40% off coupon on those items because they were already discounted. I forget what I paid for my Cherokee E. I paid $15.99 for a pack of E12-4 motors. Full retail is $23.99. Not to mention that had 1 oz bottles of CA for $2.99.
 
So, here is a logical question . . .

With exclusive"Hobby Lobby" Estes kits, are those the only Estes kits that Hobby Lobby will be carrying in the future ?

Dave F.
No. Here is the selection at one south Puget Sound store not long ago. The one in the upper left that's cut off is the Mean Machine. The empty hook on the bottom row is marked for the Space Crater egg lofter.IMG_1592.JPG
 
That is quite a collection of kits. Living in Boston I don't think I will get a chance to go to the Puget Sound store. Looks like it is up to each store to determine the amount of rocketry inventory they want to carry. The last time I saw that many kits at a hobby shop was the Hobby Emporium in Tyngsboro, MA (just south of Nashua, NH).

In the early to mid 2000's Michael's Arts and Crafts used to sell a nice variety of kits, parts and engines up to D12's. I would get those 40% and occasional 50% coupons and I would be in rocketry heaven. The Michael's in the Boston area no longer carry rockets.

Other places that used to sell rockery stuff was Walmart and the now defunct Toys R Us. Floor space in stores is at a premium. If certain items don't earn their keep they are no longer carried.
 
Michaels around here have virtually nothing and the few stores around here that do carry rocket bits carry them at full list or even higher prices. A couple of WalMarts have been off and on, but I haven't seen any rocket stuff in any WalMarts for at least a couple of years now.

There are four Hobby Lobby stores within a reasonable drive for me (I made a loop around to all four of them a couple of times when things started going on clearance). The picture above was from the second nearest one (east hill Puyallup). Since then I've been in the nearest one (Federal Way) and it is stocked similarly. Since GlenP reported that the one up north by him (I'm assuming Lynnwood) is also stocked well at least out here in the Seattle/Tacoma area we're in good shape. Sorry about Boston....
 
I went Luna Bug hunting yesterday and they were all sold out. Not sure when they receive their shipments, but it would be nice to snag one. Too bad it's a HL exclusive, as we have a couple local hobby shops that carry rockets as well.
 
I think the Federal Way store restocks on Tuesdays. Don't know about Puyallup or Tacoma or Lakewood.

I grabbed a Luna Bug a couple of weeks ago and had it with me at Sod Blaster but didn't get it flown. Maybe Saturday.
 
I think the Federal Way store restocks on Tuesdays. Don't know about Puyallup or Tacoma or Lakewood.

I grabbed a Luna Bug a couple of weeks ago and had it with me at Sod Blaster but didn't get it flown. Maybe Saturday.

Lakewood CA restocks on Thursday.

Not sure about the 16 or so other Lakewoods in the USA. or the Glendales. or the Springfields.
 
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