Customer Testimonial

Marvin,

This idea is incredible!

You never stop to amaze me!

I'll be tooting my horn on a gig and have to miss this event but wanted to take this moment to drop you a line and once again say hello!

Best wishes always my friend,

John M. Somers, Orchestra Leader

Somers Dream Orchestra

Star Student Awards.... at The Hobby Shop in Aberdeen

Student Rewards Program at The Hobby Shop celebrates its 18th Year!

Get your final grades turned into $$ in our store

Go to http://www.hobbyshopnj.com/announcements.html for more information and a full list of rules.

Please let people know about this FREE giveaway. The Hobby Shop does this as a community service, so someone, other than the parents, reinforces the rewards of hard work and good grades to our children. This is the 18th year that The Hobby Shop is doing this and they are hoping to issue more certificates than last year. We need your help to pass the word along and encourage you to let others in your school, on your street or in your scout troop know about this "winner of a special program". Every kid should enjoy a hobby and as our customers say: "If you can't find you here .... you may not find it anywhere!"

News from a Hobby Shop Fan

You could really spend the whole day at the Aberdeen Town Square Shopping Center! After the movie, we went to Denino's and had the most delicious, crispy pizza! Then, we walked next door to The Hobby Shop to "browse." Jakey and Ethan had a blast "looking" at the toys and playing with the train table. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE The Hobby Shop--they have the best selection of books, puzzles, arts and craft projects, games, and cars and trains! I could spend the whole day there, and I think that Jakey could buy up the whole store too! Luckily, they had some inexpensive items by the cash register, and I managed to get out just spending $1.29 on a Cars sticker book. Did you know that The Hobby Shop also hosts special events? They are holding a Family Game Night on 2 consecutive Friday nights: August 14 and and August 20. Check out their website for more info: http://www.hobbyshopnj.com/announcements.html . In addition, they have a special Student Rewards Program in which you can get your kids' final grades turned into money at their store. See the column below for more detailed info!

Which authenticator should you trust ?

Which authenticator should you trust? Or just how much more is a graded card really worth?

What a nice idea ….. some one considered an expert in this field to guide a non-expert buyer as to the fact of whether the autographed item or baseball card you are looking to buy is real or fake and how this card or autograph ranks in a scale of 1 thru 10. (10 being purfekt!)

When it comes to authenticating sports collectible items, the “expert” authenticators are generally split into two groups. One group is the “sports guys”. This group tends to believe that it has seen so many “samples” of each item that they can spot a real one from a fake one. They also claim to know from the actual media whether the timeline for your hero could possibly match the availability of that particular media.

The second group is the “science guys” who also use “comparisons to known autographs” in addition to some kind of forensic science to attest to the media and ink of the autograph as well. One might give the edge to the “science guys” here.

HOWEVER: Whoever the authenticator is and in order for them to BE KNOWN AND SUCCESSFUL they must authenticate a lot of items. After all there is just a small amount you can earn by just doing a few items.

Question: How does someone become “successful” in the authentication business?

Answer: By “teaming up” with large auction houses (the prime buyers of these expert opinions). One very large example of this team up is EBAY and PSA/DNA. Since EBAY merchandise is not pre-screened a user can request a “quick look” and pay a small fee for the “experts opinion” of the authenticity of an autograph they are thinking of purchasing. Then, the authenticators “appear to look” but do not actually even look at the item for sale and have the nerve to call it a “probable fake”! And they charge you for this questionable on-line service to boot! PSA gets paid and EBAY gets its percentage and in this way neither has any potential risk. But this certainly is not fair or honest! Admittedly they will be right 90% of the time. The seller usually gets much less for his item unless he has it “authenticated”. Once authenticated more buyers appear to be interested and the bidding usually ends up higher.

Other than this fool proof public fraud other “team ups” tend to cause the auction houses (the income providers) an advantage over the authenticator. When a questionable item comes up where the authenticator wants to say “I don’t know about this one” the rule of needing to make a living comes into play. The auction house will try to make a big client (who is trying to sell) happy and try to leverage the decision by “threatening” to terminate their agreements if the authenticator cannot “work with them”. Even if the threat is not obvious it is always “implied”. A small individual collector does not have this “volume clout”.

So it is never black or white ……it’s just plain grey! Most of the times both groups will tend to disagree with each other on questionable items. It is always “safe” to call an item “questionable”. If one group calls the item “authentic” and the other calls the same item “fake” which one is right? There is no guaranty even from the most well known! If an artist can paint your face on paper and it really looks like you this same artistic skill can fool any authenticator. Buy wisely! Research carefully! And if you can get an authentication letter (if you really must) …. Be happy!

Just remember, the grading on your card is a subjective number. There is no computer involved where the outcome is always consistently the same We are all human, there is no diploma issued by any college for grading sports cards. If you had thousands of samples to sort thru you could certainly rank them from best to worst. or too close to call … most of the time these samples are in far limited numbers to do a ranking process. So would the 9 be a 9 always? Or could one grader call it an 8.5 (a real tough grader) or a 9.5 (a grader who is looking to please). How much extra will it cost to get that 9.5 rated a 10 since on EBAY 10’s seem to go for much higher prices. Is there any governing body overseeing these graders? Trust me, no one is monitoring this process. To us it just seems out of control.

Our suggestion is to trust your own eyes and buy your collectibles from a reputable retailer where you can see and touch the item. Buying from a picture on the internet is not always a good move. Back to the key question: which grader do you trust? The answer will be to check out auction results to see which graders name will garner the highest bids when it comes time for you to sell your collection. Then compare their fees to see if you can come out ahead of the game.

Lionel Licenses M.T.H. for Tinplate

Lionel Licenses M.T.H. for Tinplate 12/31/2008

Yesterday, an electric charge rippled through the model train boards when someone managed to find a draft of a press release on the M.T.H. web site that was not otherwise available to the public, and post it on OGR. And while the timing was off by a week or so, the facts are correct. Since the news leaked yesterday afternoon that Lionel is going to license M.T.H. to use its name on historical tinplate Standard and O Gauge model trains and accessories, a lot of questions have been raised, and I’ve heard everything from, “Wow, great for the hobby,” to “Wow, say it ain’t so.” I understand that the idea of Lionel and M.T.H. working cooperatively, so soon after settling our long and bitter lawsuit, is a shock to a lot of people, especially those who became so personally invested in that conflict. I can only say that the model train hobby isn’t about lawsuits or personal enmity, it’s about exciting products, the fellowship of enjoying them, and ultimately, it’s about making sure that our hobby is stable and strong. I’m sure I can speak for Mike Wolf, when I say that the best way to repair the damage that was done to our hobby as a result of those hostilities is for our two companies to do exactly that. Before anyone starts singing Kumbaya, or wondering what happens on the color spectrum when you mix Orange, Blue and Purple, I’d like to issue a reality check and answer some of those questions that were raised: Lionel and M.T.H. are two, entirely separate companies with entirely different business models and destinies. We fiercely compete, and will continue to fiercely compete, in the core, O gauge segment of the model railroad hobby, especially in the arena of high-end engines and Operating Systems. However, our interests do not conflict, to any great extent, in other gauges and markets. Both companies are equally committed to making great trains and, where we do compete, both companies are equally committed to convincing hobbyists that they do so better than the other. And none of that will change. The agreement between Lionel and M.T.H. is a conventional and straightforward, multi year license, in which Lionel will be paid a royalty on each tinplate train that is sold. As an acknowledged and acclaimed maker of tinplate trains and accessories, M.T.H will now be able to do so using the historical and authentic Lionel and American Flyer badging that made them historical and authentic in the first place. While M.T.H. will be solely responsible for manufacturing the new line, Lionel will work with M.T.H to select the trains that will be made over the next few years, and will do whatever it can to help make them the success they deserve to be. Yesterday, before the thread that broke the news was taken down, in response to a post that expressed strong negative feelings, someone quoted the great, old Nick Lowe song, ‘What’s So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding?’ I can only add that we live on a very small planet and we participate in an even smaller hobby. And while I don’t anticipate that M.T.H. and Lionel will begin exchanging Valentine’s Day cards, it’s not too much to work on items one and three. Below you’ll find the press release, as it was intended to be released next week. Happy New Year. Jerry Calabrese LIONEL LICENSES M.T.H. FOR TINPLATE New York City, NY, Dec. 31, 2008 -- Lionel Electric Trains announced today that it has entered into a multi-year licensing agreement with M.T.H. Electric Trains, in which the Columbia, MD, model train maker will create a new line of tinplate Lionel Standard and O gauge products. The license will also include tinplate Standard and O gauge offerings for American Flyer, which has been part of Lionel since its acquisition in 1967. Using its extensive collection of tinplate tooling, M.T.H. plans to issue new versions of Lionel and American Flyer classic tinplate trains and accessories that were originally released between 1900 and 1942. These products will be packaged in all-new boxes with iconic Lionel and American Flyer advertising images and logos from the prewar tinplate era. Promotion of new tinplate Lionel and American Flyer products will begin in early 2009, with full-color catalogs. A Web site, dedicated to the new product line, will also offer product videos, sound clips and other information not available in print catalogs. “I’m very pleased that M.T.H. and Lionel will be working together on this new Lionel and American Flyer tinplate line,” said Jerry Calabrese, Lionel CEO. Calabrese went on to say, “In times as difficult and challenging as these, I hope it’s reassuring to all model train fans that both our companies will be joining forces to write a productive new chapter in our hobby’s history. There is no better way to express our mutual belief and commitment to the future of model railroading than for Lionel and M.T.H. to collaborate on something as imaginative and exciting as these new Tinplate products. “This collaboration builds on what we’ve accomplished with our Tinplate Traditions line over the past three decades,” noted M.T.H. President Mike Wolf. “It is no secret to those who know me that Lionel’s history has inspired me since my youth.” Wolf went on to say, “By working together, our two companies will be able to offer products that even more faithfully evoke the beauty and artistry of the toys that Lionel and American Flyer turned out in the prewar years, as well as make those trains available to a wider audience. Wolf added, “Putting aside the differences our firms have had over the years, Jerry and I have always recognized how much synergy exists between Lionel and M.T.H. Together we sat down and worked out this agreement with the express goal of expanding on both firms’ longstanding commitments to grow our hobby.” Based in New York City, Lionel has been making model trains and accessories since 1900. It is one of the world's leading model train companies, and among the most widely recognized brands in America. Based in Columbia, Maryland, M.T.H. Electric Trains is a seasoned model train manufacturer with a long history of innovation. In little more than a quarter century, M.T.H. has created an appealing multi-gauge product line.

The Rokenboker - March 2009

Technorati Tags: rokenboker,hobbies,hobby shop

March 2009
Mr. Rokenbok's Corner Of all the fun things I get to do, participating in the Rokenbok Forums is one of my favorites. The Rokenbok Forums is where we host our Architectural Building Challenge and watching the new builds go up in the Building Challenge over the past month has been a blast! We simply had no idea how creative Rokenbokers could be and what they were able to build.  Take a look at these photos recently posted to the Architectural building Challenge, and you can see why I love our forums so much: NASA's Space Shuttle Crawler NASA's Crawler in Rokenbok Monorail Station with Conductor Rokenbok Street Scenes Cathedral "Rokenbok" There are a lot more great entries and dozens of photos you can see Cheers, Mr. Rokenbok (a.k.a. Paul Eichen)
Building the Brain A Low Floor and a High Ceiling - Construction Toys Provide An Ideal Learning Environment Obviously, children learn by playing in all sorts of ways. A child can benefit by chasing a ball, talking with a teddy bear and playing checkers. Seymour Papert, a renowned MIT professor and a seminal figure in the field of technology and education, set out on a mission years ago to determine what a child's optimum creative environment might be. He ultimately concluded that a toy or technology presents the ideal creative environment for children when it offers what he calls a "low floor" and a "high ceiling." What does Papert mean by that? A toy that possesses a low floor allows a child to play without needing a lot of advance experience or knowledge. Blocks provide a wonderful example. Even toddlers with pudgy fingers can stack blocks and knock them down. What makes toys like Rokenbok and other sophisticated construction toys ideal is that they also possess a "high ceiling." As a child ages, the toys grow with them and provide tougher challenges. While a two-year-old might not be able to stack more than a handful of blocks, his older sister might be constructing block skyscrapers or, with Rokenbok, complete interactive cityscapes. The best construction toys offer progressive levels of challenge. Many children end up playing with Rokenbok, LEGO, and K'NEX well into their teen years by making increasingly more challenging and intricate structures.
February's Rokenbok Hall of Fame We are pleased to announce February's Rokenbok Hall of Fame inductees, David and Ben from Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, for their entry 'Tri Rock'. David and Ben wrote: The reason this build is called Tri Rock is because it is built on top of 3 different tables, all at a different height. There is one long drive you can take that goes to each table, but it is to be driven by professional Rokenbokers only. Every chute system in this creation leads to the 3 conveyors where the ROKs will be recycled and processed continuously. We ran out of room on the tables, so we made a path containing many ramps down to the ground. Down on the ground is the mine, where the monorail dumps ROKs into a continuous sorting chute system. Building on top of these tables with limited space was a challenge, but the result was awesome! In addition to their induction unto the Hall of Fame, David and Ben received a $50 ROK'n'Buks gift certificate:

Check out The Hobby Shop Commercial

Just Arrived!

NEWS FLASH

For Immediate Release

Just Arrived!

According to Mike Wolf, President of MTH: "This is the most beautifully detailed engine I've ever made!" 

According to Marvin Schutzer, owner of the Hobby Shop: "WOW!" Come and see it on display before it is sold out!" 

Those loyal hobbyists who buy one of these engines will have the option of reserving the Orient Express matching five car passenger set which is due to arrive some time soon.

Click Here to Check out the locomotive in Taylor's November 2008 Product Update VIDEO.

Stop by The Hobby Shop today and see what awaits you!

You can also:

Call 732-583-0505 or email sales@hobbyshopnj.com

Visit www.hobbyshopnj.com

Toys and Games and Crafts, Oh My!

The Toy Fair is coming to New York in mid-February and some of the The Hobby Shop staff will be attending. Visiting Toy Fair, one of the premier toy and game events of the year, has over one thousand exhibitors that come to show off their best stuff – both tried and true and brand new.

Toy Fair leaves nothing to the imagination as toys and games come alive while fair participants get to try new games, watch demonstrations, and become acquainted with what toy experts believe will be the next "must have" products.

As we visit this exciting event will be searching for the latest, greatest and innovative products that we believe will be of value to you and to the enhancement our store’s various departments such as Arts and Crafts, Science, Games, Toys, Plush, Models, Radio Control and Special Needs.Stay tuned as we report back on our expedition through The 2009 Toy Fair Extravaganza!

We Value Your Opinion!

As the New Year gets underway, we are interested in learning more about what you, our valued customer likes most about our store but also what suggestions you may have regarding improvements or changes. In addition we are interested in knowing if there are items that you would like to see us carry or expand upon. Since we value your opinion, we have jotted down information and questions regarding our store that we hope will solicit an informative response from you.

Hobby Shop Information and Questions

Are you aware of the following Hobby Shop services?

The Hobby Shop Website
Free gift wrapping
Gift Cards
A Gift Registry
Special Orders (some restrictions may apply)
Hobby Shop Coupons always available on our website

Did you know that our store is comprised of the following departments/areas with experienced and knowledgeable staff?

Comics
Arts and Crafts
Die Cast/Models
Games
Girl and Boy Scouts Official Headquarters
Radio Control/Slot Cars
Science
Special Needs/Educational Products
Sport Cards, Collectibles and Memorabilia
Toys
Trains

Did you know that we service what we sell in our Train and Radio Control Departments?

Did you know that we run the train layout every Saturday, which is the day our train engineer is here.

What do you think about our store, its staff, and merchandise?

Tell us about your shopping experience here.

Tell us what you think about our website.

We are open seven days a week with 3 late nights..... Do you need us open longer? When?

We are looking forward to hearing from you as we believe that this dialog will establish a great way for us to learn how to better serve you while continuing our efforts to maintain a quality store as well as an informative blog!

By the way, please feel free to become a Hobby Shop Blog Author and pose any question, suggestion, or comment you would like addressed!

Boy & Girl Scout Headquarters

Did you know that The Hobby Shop is an official headquarters for your basic scouting supplies? Whether you need help getting items for your child’s uniform or for your pinewood derby car, just ask for Gail. You can reach her by calling the Scouting Department at 732-583-0505 ext. 4 or by stopping in at 1077C Hwy. 34 in Aberdeen.

FREE Newsletter

Go to www.hobbyshopnj.com and sign up for the FREE Hobby Shop newsletter. Receive email updates, VIP promotions & special offers!

Toys That Teach/Special Needs Toys and Hobbies

We specialize in toys, games and educational products for children with special needs or those needing help building developmental skills such as fine, gross, auditory, language and socialization skills.

Ask for Cathy if you are interested in getting some help in finding just the right toy, game or educational items for your child.

Take a look at our Toys That Teach Shopper’s Guide and the Special Needs Category listed on The Hobby Shop website for product suggestions.

Post your questions and comments here about special needs/education hobbies and toys

Sports Cards and Sports Memorabilia at The Hobby Shop

Our sports department features a variety of sports products from such companies as Topps, Upperdeck, Steiner, Highland Mint, McFarland, Mounted Memories, and Tri Star.
Interested in learning about card collecting or sports memorabilia items? Bob can help you out. We also purchase sports cards.

Bring Your list of comics requests to The Hobby Shop

We reserve comics every week for our regulars.... Just bring in your list and speak with Brenda. You can also email the list to sales@hobbyshopnj.com. You can also request certain comics right here by commenting to this post.

The Hobby Shop Hours

REGULAR HOURS:
Mon., Tues., Sat: 10 am - 6 pm
Wed., Thurs., Fri.: 10 am - 8 pm
Sunday: 11 am - 5 pm

DECEMBER HOURS: Dec. 1-23: 10 am - 8 pm
Dec. 24: 10 am - 4 pm
Dec 26 and after - see regular hours

THE HOBBY SHOP IS CLOSED FOR THE FOLLOWING HOLIDAYS:
Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Years Day, Easter Sunday and July 4th

The Hobby Shop closes early (by 4 pm) on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.

Visit The Hobby Shop Website

Visit www.hobbyshopnj.com to find out all about our store, watch demonstration videos, view articles about The Hobby Shop, and have fun browsing and shopping our online catalog.

Can’t Find That “Must Have” Item?

We can special order items for you. Just call The Hobby Shop at (732)583-0505 or email us at sales@hobbyshopnj.com and let us know the item you are searching for. Not all items can be special ordered, but The Hobby Shop will special order when possible.

Events at The Hobby Shop

After the phenomenal response to our 30th Anniversary Events we are busy planning some exciting events for 2009. We would love to hear your ideas for since we plan these events for all of you.

• What type of activities would you enjoy?
• What type of promotions would be of interest to you?
• What would you find to be the most convenient day and time to come to an event?
• What if any advice would you give us as we plan these events at The Hobby Shop?
  

Thanks for commenting. Your opinions are always appreciated at The Hobby Shop!

National Belly Laughter Day

On January 24th celebrate National Belly Laughter Day with The Hobby Shop. Go to http://www.hobbyshopnj.com/ and check out our online toy catalog with lots of fun items that will bring laughter to all ages. Sign up for the FREE newsletter and receive coupons for savings of up to $25.

Welcome to the New Hobby Shop Blog

Welcome to the new Hobby Shop Blog. We will be posting updates, news, special events, and special sales here to keep you informed.

We welcome you to subscribe to this blog to keep updated and so you can create your own posts. The Hobby Shop blog is a perfect place for our loyal customers to communicate with us or other customers. Feel free to post your comments, questions, and testimonials.

Have fun and let's start blogging! Just email info@hobbyshopnj.com for us to authorize you to post to this blog.

Aberdeen’s Hobby Shop to celebrate its 30th Anniversary!

Aberdeen’s Hobby Shop to celebrate its 30^th Anniversary! Located on route 34 was voted America’s # 1 Toy and Hobby Shop. They are planning to hold many special events on these 4 dates: August 30^th, September 12^th, 13^th and 14^th. They have just announced more details about the Friday, September 12^th event:

Mike Wolf, President and Founder of MTH Electric Trains will be there between 3:00 and 7:00 PM to discuss and demonstrate some of his newly announced products. He will be available to autograph your purchases that day as well.

Details of other events on the aforementioned dates will be forthcoming shortly. According to Marvin Schutzer, the owner of this landmark store: “We are planning to run contests, games and offer money saving opportunities as our way of thanking the community for all of their support during our first 30 years! And we will give you some idea of our plans for the next 30.” You can find out more about this by visiting their store in the Aberdeen TownSquare Shopping center or checking their web site: www.hobbyshopNJ.com.

Hours of operation: Mon., Tues. and Sat from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Wed., Thur. and Fri. from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM and Sundays from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

MAY 3rd 2008 IS FREE COMIC BOOK DAY

MAY 3rd 2008 IS FREE COMIC BOOK DAY

The Hobby Shop

1077-c Route 34, Aberdeen

732-583-0505

sales@hobbyshopnj.com

Marvin Schutzer

A FREE DAY OF FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Worldwide Free Comic Book Day Comes to Aberdeen (Matawan) with Comics for All Ages!

The Hobby Shop in Aberdeen is one of thousands of comic book shops around the world celebrating the comic book art form on Saturday, May 3rd. On Free Comic Book Day, over two million comic books will be given away by participating stores, introducing as many people as possible to the wonders of comic books!

“The wide array of comic books being published today ensures that readers of all ages — children, teens, and adults – can find something appropriate that will stir their imaginations,” said Marvin Schutzer, President of the Hobby Shop.

Now in its seventh year, Free Comic Book Day has proven to be a smashing success, spreading the word that comics are terrific reading. “Even if you have never picked up a comic book, stop into the Hobby Shop, because you never know what you will end up finding.”

"We at the Hobby Shop want to spread the word that comics are alive and well in 2008," Schutzer continued. "Comic books and graphic novels are considered hip, hot and smart.” Comic Books have propelled to the front ranks of pop culture, many being adapted into movies. Ironman hits the big screen on May 2^nd, the day before Free Comic Book Day. “The first weekend of May is going to be a big day in the comic book world.”

Regular updates, information about comic books, and a list of participating publishers and their free comics are all online at www.FreeComicBookDay.com.

Free Comic Book Day kicks off at 10:00 AM ON MAY 3 and runs until 6:00 PM ON MAY 3 at The Hobby Shop, Aberdeen Town Square Shopping Center on route 34. Call 732-583-0505 for more information.