Gary was very helpful. Popped the axle right back in when we had broken it. Highly recommend for knowledge, internet can be misleading for RC! read more

horrible customer service are no help sold me wrong thing and said it was my fault and would not return item

The store was nicely stocked, and an associate was very helpful helping me find a sprcific model paint color.

Great store with a knowledgeable staff. Great variety of products from toys to models to legos and RC vehicles(cars, planes, boats, etc...)

Friendly and attentive staff. The selection was good.- RC cars, airplanes, trains and Legos too. The prices are reasonable. I was impressed with the variety and will be a returning customer! read more

Great experience, Gary helped me get my nitro RC started again and explained everything I needed to know to keep it running! Would definitely recommend. read more

Stay away from the Hobby Town in Northbrook. Both of the guys working the counter are incompeten. lifetime customer and I won't give them another penny. Strongly advise you to go else where for RC needs unless you're buying a completly new vehicle bc the parts guy will give you the wrong part then make excuses for it! read more

I purchased a Slash remote control car $359.65 from Hobby Town in Northbrook, IL on 2-3-24 . The car would not go in reverse I took it back the next day on 2-4-24 and was told no refund or exchange once the box is open. The person Rob and another manager tried explaining to me that that has been the policy for over 20 years. That is the most ridiculous policy I have ever heard. Consumers should not have to deal with this type of policy. I have been doing business with this company spending thousands Od dollars over the last six years and was treat unfairly. Yes I am a black male. read more

Friendly, helpful, and very knowledgeable staff. Great prices and selection. Clean and well organized store. Highly recommended!

It is so refreshing to still see a specialty shop like this. And all these guys in the shop know exactly what they're talking about and they sell great products not only from the hobby category, but old-school games and things you haven't seen. I urge you to go there this place is awesome. Purchased an RC car for my five-year-old wanted to do something just above retail store, grade and a hobby mode and these guys sold me the best product ever & I will always come back here. God bless the local businessman. read more

This is probably the very best hobby shop around. I have purchased 3 products from this business and am now looking into purchasing another one. Everyone in the store are excellent but Gary and Alex have been especially helpful sharing their incredible knowledge regarding my purchase. I have learned so much from them to make this hobby really fun! Kudos to Hobbytown Northbrook IL for employing such a friendly knowledgeable staff! Sincerely, Bob/Buffalo Grove, IL read more

This is my slash 4x4 ultimate. I've had it since late June and have recently begun to upgrade it. I bought this truck in New York, but as I've been looking to go faster, I've bought a 3s lipo. Since then I've crashed it a few times and broken A arms, lug nuts, axles, and more. Whenever I need a part I go to Hobbytown, and the employees there are very helpful. Just the other day I was there with a friend, and I got some fans to keep from overheating. I'm going back this weekend for some upgrade parts I've had my eye on, and as a high schooler, it's worth the drive for the prices that are slightly lower than on the Traxxas website. (The picture is listed in the photos section, it's the truck with flags on it) read more

Just visited this store for the first time, wonderful experience! They had so many parts and a very knowledgeable staff, I would definitely recommend going here for all your rc needs, they even recommended parts for future purchases. Thank you for a wonderful experience Just went in again and Garry Damrau helped me once again, I recommend going to this shop and talking to him, he's knowledgeable and helpful, thanks again for the help with the rustler read more

This is my third year of going to Hobby Town in Northbrook and this store never disappoints me at all. From the amazing selection of cars and different hobby products to the fantastic staff they have. One person that has displayed amazing customer service, product knowledge and patience has been Gary. He has always assisted me on my projects or potential purchases and always leads me in the right direction with complete honesty. I want to thank all the members of the team and the awesome owner who is always available to answer questions as well. Another nice thing is they are kid friendly and allow the kids especially my son Ethan who is addicted to small toy cars to play with them ( to a responsible level) anytime I come In the store with him. A+ Thank you Sam R. read more

Have been going to this place for years with my son for years. The staff is always friendly, exceptionally, helpful and knowledgeable. The store is well stocked and Garry holds free repair and upgrade classes that are very helpful. Prices are fair and repair shop always accommodates with in stock items. We have not yet had to order a part. read more

I have a 6-year-old son, and we just got into the RC hobby; in the past 4 months, I've spent over 3k at the Northbrook, IL, location. I got a TRX-4, Kraton S6, Bandit XL-5, lots of accessories, replacement parts, and 1 repair. During my shopping experiences, their customer service has been substandard at best. I got a TRX-4 repaired, and it took them about 2 months to get it fixed; it's not so much that it took them such a long time to repair it; what makes this frustrating is their inability to do a simple follow-up. Six weeks ago, I purchased a Kraton S6, and after the second week and 10 uses, it stopped working. I called the store and talked to the salesperson who sold it to me; I explained that the pinion was out of line and grinding the spur. The salesperson told me that he knew what I was talking about and that this was a manufacturer defect. * On the first phone call, I was told that I should reach out to Arrma; no luck; they are based out of England. * On the second phone call to the store, I was told that they could look at it but could not fix it until Horizon Hobby would approve the repair. * On the third phone call, I reached out to Horizon Hobby, and they told me to take it to Hobby Town and that they could repair it, and that this was a normal procedure. * On the fourth phone call on December 13th, I called Hobby Town and told them that per Horizon Hobby, I could bring it in for repair, and this was a normal repair process. They told me that this was correct and to bring it in. * On the 14th of December, I brought it to the store; the salesperson who took it from me was vague about the process but told me that they would wait for Horizon Hobby to approve the repair and that I would get a phone call on the 17th of December. * On December 21st, no one had followed up with me, so I went to the store to see if they had done anything with it. * During my visit, the person that sold it to me was dismissive and gave me this song and dance about the RC not being in the store because it "was sent for repairing", and walked away. * By now, I'm just irritated that I've made so many phone calls and two visits to get this RC repaired. * I left, and a few minutes later, I just decided that this was enough of having to deal with this and went back to the store and took the RC back. When I demanded to have it, it suddenly became available. * I have now reached out to Horizon Hobby, and they will repair it. I'm almost sure that they will not take 2 months to repair it. My position on this is straightforward, Hobby Town takes my money with 0 issues but does as little as possible to provide any basic support. As I mentioned above, I have spent over 3k in the past few months. Hobby Town knowingly selling a product with a manufacturer defect is, by FTC guidelines, a deceptive business practice. Personally, as someone who analyzes industries in the stock markets around the world, the writing is on the wall; retail is in a steep decline that, unfortunately, is a self-fulfilling prophecy. The example above plays out repeatedly, and it drives customers to third-party platforms like Amazon, e-Bay, etc.; analyzing the future of retail is incredibly simple; you can see the behavior and evaluation of market caps, and it is clear that retailers are literally forcing customers to purchase the product elsewhere. If I had purchased any of these RCs on Amazon, I could've easily gotten a replacement with 0 hassles within 2 days or less. The only reason why I purchased products in a retail store near me was that I wanted product support at the local level. Unfortunately, Hobby Town is unable to do the basics, and it goes out of its way not to provide any support. The equation for profitability is straightforward. When a customer purchases one RC, the wear and tear on these toys creates a long term need for accessories and replacement parts. When I purchased the Kraton S6, I also purchased 4 batteries, 1 charger, and accessories. The RC was $546.00; the batteries were $450.00. accessories were $150.00, and I was planning to get them installed; I'm guessing that manual labor would be around $150.00; my $546.00 RC has generated an additional $750.00 / 138% in revenue. In addition to that, I was planning to purchase an Arrma, Outcast 8S with 4 batteries. The total cost would be $1496.00; that said, this would have brought the total revenue to about $4500.00 in a 5-month time span. I placed an order for an Outcast S8 and 6 batteries and lots of accessories for about $2300.00 from Amazon. In addition to this, I have noticed that when I'm shopping at this store, I'm always being followed and get the sense that the people there think that I'm going to steal something. Not sure what gives anyone that impression after being there so often and buying a significant number of accessories. It is more than likely the obvious, and I will leave it at that. I will never purchase anything from your stores. read more

Love to shop at small businesses. My significant comes here regularly as he flies RC planes. I came to give them my business for a Christmas gift for my nephew. They have LOTS of board games, Legos, toys for little kids and "big kids" lots of train stuff too. Everyone there is very helpful and friendly. I recommend them to all! read more

I've found the staff to be vary helpful and knowledgeable. It's nice to see items in person and support brick and mortar stores that are becoming rare. read more

this place is great they fitted a whole m2c beef cake kit and i got the car back one week later a lot shorter time than what i was expecting they have a huge selection of replacement parts models and staff and they give great advice this hobby shop is awesome highly recommend read more

Honesty, I'm pretty surprised that no one has reviewed this location yet. But woo hoo, first to review! Some background: If you read my review on Chicagoland Hobby, Inc, you'll understand the need to come to this store. Location: 3 out of 5. Since all of the location ratings for me are based on proximity to where I live, this one gets a 3. I mean, on a good day, 94 or 294 shouldn't be too bad. It's in the little plaza with Nickel City. If you don't know what Nickel City is now, you should at least take a look. But if you remember the Nickel City of old (think bumper cars), you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Selection: 4 out of 5. I don't claim to be a hobby connoisseur, but I did my research for upgrading my RC helicopter. I know that xheli.com has a huge selection, and that most hobbyshops carry E-flite. But, the selection here seemed really vast. I mean, it's a fairly big store even by traditional non-niche non-boutique clientele. It makes the one in Orland Park look like a little baby shop. Customer Service: 5 out of 5. Ahhh, this ranks amongst one of the best customer service experiences I've ever had in any retail, service, or food industry. I mean, it was almost as good as what I got at Randy's Cycle. The young lady that helped me out was more than helpful and she really knew her stuff. There were some heli's on clearance, and whereas some people who try to push those just to get them out of the store, the young lady that helped me was honest, frank, and informative about everything on the clearance table. In the end, I ended up purchasing the heli that I thought I would anyway, so it worked out just fine. Pricing: 3 out of 5 Eh, didn't get cheated, but didn't score a deal, you know? And I would venture to say that it's ok given the level of helpful advice I got. Overall: 4 out of 5. Cool shop with very helpful staff members. Wide selection of items with a wide price range that should please everyone. Other Clients in the Store: 3 out of 5 (no effect on my final rating) Why am I adding this section in there? Because I was amused by a few things yesterday. There were people in there that were just browsing you know, like one should do if one has kids who go to Nickel City and then want to look at toys. No problems there. There were people who were serious hobbyists and getting parts or accessories or tools. No problems there. However, there was a mother with 3 kids that was getting her son who was turning 9 next week a 200 dollar radio control car. Well holy shit batman. I'll just let you all process that for a minute, and think about the presents that you were getting when you were 9 years old. Sure as hell wasn't a 200 dollar radio control car. read more

Gary set my son up with a Traxxas 4x4 RC Car for his birthday . He was so helpful in the decision making process. The store is awesome - everything in stock with good prices. read more

There are so many unique toys for all ages at Hobbytown. Don't be fooled by the name "hobby" -- I'm amazed by how many Melissa & Doug art supplies and toys they stock! Also, they are one of the few stores that carry ThinkFun games. Of course, they have all kinds of RC vehicles, model trains, etc., but again, I'm impressed by how many quality toy lines they offer. Bottom line: if you like Galt Toys, I think you will like Hobbytown. I've only had positive experiences at the store and the customer service has been excellent. Ask for a loyalty card to get points every time you check out. read more

Knowledgeable team, helpful & friendly! Good selection of vehicles, parts & accessories. A regular stop during my weekend errands... :)

Bought a toy, tried it out, and didn't like it. Even though "official policy" is that exchanges or returns are only if package is unopened, the manager agreed to an exchange. You can get toys anywhere, but the great customer service at Hobbytown Northbrook will keep me coming back :) read more

Alex c, Alex K, Todd S, and Garry D truly made our experience here wonderful! Everyone was so helpful and kind.

My family and I enjoy this place very much. I love the fact that they have a Thomas The Train set for the kids to play with. They have things for boys, girls, and adults. From paper dolls, car model kits, train kits, professional paints, electric flyers, drones, manuals, Legos, nano blocks, darts, and Melissa and Doug toys, they've got enough inventory to keep the family busy for hours. read more

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I have a Traxxas XMaxx and as you may know at times these RCs get damaged, broken and smashed. As I am new to the RC world I needed help with not only parts but the installation as well. They were there to help and give advise. Nice people and they really know there business. I would recommend this store for all your hobby needs. They are great with kids. Dean read more

Great customer service the best. My part got replaced hassle free. Gary made it happened and the young man worker gave me great tips. I Recommended this hobby shop over Schaumburg ANYDAY read more

A step above and beyond any toy store. Top quality items, in stock, with knowledgeable staff (Gary especially when it comes to the RC cars). have been a customer since the day they opened, and will be one until the day i am no longer able to play with all the wonderful items I have purchased from here. read more

The staff is super helpful and knowledgeable about products I love there models and rc cars and puzzle selection!! They require all employees and customers to wear a mask. read more

The service is terrible. We have had some bad experiences at this store but today's was a new low. My son bought a part that they had to mail order. When it finally arrived he found out that they ordered the wrong part. When he asked for a refund they claimed they didn't have enough money in the cash register to pay him the $70 refund and asked him to "come back later." He returned at the end of the day and they claimed they still didn't have enough to pay him. We escalated the issue and they "found" some additional money. 3 trips for a refund is inexcusable add that to the ordering of the wrong part number and we will be shopping elsewhere from now on. read more

I am so disgusted with the level of service from this location. I purchased a gift for my son. a fully assembled RC for his birthday. when we got home it wasn't working so we took it back and they told us we need to charge the battery longer. fine, we did and still didn't work. we took again and they found out the charger was bad, I wish they told us that the second time we came in. so I wanted to exchange it for one that did work. the manager CHRIS, said that is not the store policy. WHAT!!. Fine just take it back and refund my money. that's not our policy!! If your trying to sell a car don't you think you should let the customer test drive it. before you take their money. HORRIBLE, they need to hire new staff. get rid of the old. THANKS FOR RUINING MY SONS BIRTHDAY!! thanks you so much NOT..... read more

Bought a remote control car for my son and it broke after 1 hour. They would not replace the car. Horrible customer service. This store will go the way of all of the other brick and mortar stores. read more

BE VERY CAREFUL when to make a sale the store rep tells you an item is kid friendly, i.e., durable. My son just received a gift of a Revell remote controlled helicopter, where "NO EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY" to fly it. What they don't tell you is that these products ARE NOT TOYS, must be handled very delicately and require a lot of experience and skill because while they're not cheap ($) they're made very cheaply with tiny plastic parts that break on any impact harder than a feather. Moreover, the store and Revell are totally well aware of this, because when you call to complain or see about an exchange (1) they remind you of the tiny fine print sticker they slap on the box that says you're out of luck and (2) they let you know they're more than happy to sell you replacement parts - an area where they do a huge business, like duhhhhh. And that's if first you get the store to even admit they sold you the original product, which just happened to me. Re this particular helo, the box says its for "use in your house." C'mon, how dumb is that? Unless you're a top gun pilot and have a large cavernous house you're going to hit and break things, including very easily, the helo itself, which happened on our first use. So, unless you have a padded home, plan to fly it over your bed, or are happy to keep this store in business buying parts stay away from this waste of money and don't let this store or Revell tell you otherwise! read more

Literally the WORST customer service EVER. Sales staff have provided incorrect info about products and do not seem to have any concern as to whether or not a customer leaves satisfied. I have purchased many things here solely because there is not another hobby store with 50 miles. Always dread walking in the store. read more

What a find! People -if you long for days gone by- when you could go to a store and find substantial inventory and knowledgeable employees- you must go to Hobbytown! These rare businesses need, and deserve our business. Go ahead, browse at all the fantastic hands-on merchandise, relive your childhood, explore your curiosity, stretch your creativity. Excellent excellent! read more

Nothing compares to the old Venture Hobbies in Wheeling. I went there for years. Great products and staff. Now that they went out, us hobbyists are left with not much to pick from in the area. So I guess this place is OK. They have stuff. But a bit overpriced and the staff isn't too trained and experienced. More like sales people at Macys. I really got out of the RC hobby because there isn't anyplace to go and have your stuff serviced professionally. 3 stars. Just ok at best. read more

The Hobbytown crew really took care of us - they answered all of our RC power needs, and saved us HOURS of work by finding us a parallel power harness...and they didn't over sell us on gear that was too expensive- THANKS GUYS!!! read more

I was initially just looking for an rc car to have fun with my kids and found hobby town. This place is just great. We have been back multiple times and they have all sorts of great stuff. From rc toys to rockets to Legos and fun games. The service is great. Personal and with a smile. We destroyed our first rc car by accident and they fixed it for a very reasonable price. Works perfectly. We just went again today and got rockets and a cool board game for our kids. Great place to find toys that aren't just watching a video screen. read more

DO NOT BUY ANYTHING AT THIS PLACE IN NORTHBROOK !! They do not honor their return policy or refund as required by law. I purchased an RC BLADE (COST OVER $500) and it worked about 30 minutes. It then stopped working. I had this thing for less than 2 days. I neatly packaged it back in original box complete with receipt etc. I returned to the store and asked for a refund or replacement. They made me sit there while they "inspected" the unit and consulted with the factory. They then told me that it was NOT their problem and I would have to talk to the FACTORY and deal with them direct.. I guess their policy is to take the money and run.... They were very disrespectful, rude and very POOR customer service. This was especially true of the assistant store manager. The "owner" hid in the corner and never attempted to get involved or do the right thing. You would be better off buying on-line or going to another store with a reputation for GOOD customer service and respectful management...STAY AWAY!!! read more