Zero Stars! Wouldnt reccomend to anyone. Compared to Leisure hours or HobbyTown Rockford, this place is the purple spot of the Monopoly board. Other stores seem to have better prices, far more support, accept returns, and most importantly stand by their customers. Ive been in this hobby 25 years..I personally would not recommend Hobbytown Batavia to anybody. They'll try and sneak in bogus labor charges on your receipt (see below). Sorry but I work on my own equipment, and sneaking fake labor charges on receipts is theft...Their "sister store" (owned by the EX-wife of Batavia) in Schaumburg is not any better. In fact, Schaumburg could be worse. I experienced lack of enthusiasm, non-nowledgeable employees, low stock, and an awful shopping experience. Total waste of time. Not a place for young kids either, unless you want them around a bunch of egotistical adults. Dismal business owners dont care about their customers. I will be sharing my experience with fellow RC enthusiasts in the community. Your lack of enthusiasm really shows by all your reviews and poor attitude. When you're in it for the money, it shows. Avoid. read more

HobbyTown - Toy Stores Near Me - Batavia, Illinois

I asked about a light kit for my mini maxx. Without me asking the owner opened the kit to show me how easy to install it was. He said if I had any issues he would install it for me. After watching a video I realized it was more than I wanted so I brought it back. He would not provide a service ticked saying they were not that organized. So I tried to return a brand new item I didn't even open and was told to take a hike. This is after only 3 days with my receipt. read more

It's a chill environment and they have a decent selection of Gunpla model kits. Employees are friendly and it's cool to watch the RC track whenever people are on it. read more

Pretty cool place, they have a large selection of R/C cars, lots of cool kits, they have a cool racing track in the back. I didn't really talk to any of the staff but I dunno they seemed nice. read more

WHY I WILL NEVER STEP FOOT IN THIS STORE AGAIN AND YOU SHOULDN'T EITHER. Hobby Town USA 2061A Lincoln Highway, St. Charles, Illinois 60174 On 04/23/2023 I went to this location, which was going to be the start of a hobby/tradition for my family, my wife and 2 young boys. As we live an hour away, we wanted to make this a monthly trip. We all wanted to get into the R/C Car and Truck hobby. I already had purchased an Arrma Granite 4x4 mega 550 with a brushed motor and wanted to purchase my first upgrades and a truck for my son. On this day my family spent over $250.00 at this store. We were helped by Christopher, a very nice and helpful young man. He got everything I asked for and helped us find a truck for our oldest son. After getting home and trying to install the new pinion gear on my truck multiple times, I knew I had the wrong pinion gear and called the store the following day to confirm 04/24/2023. I was told by a Hobby Town employee that I had been sold the wrong pinion gear. The 17-tooth count was the correct size to upgrade from the stock 15-tooth, but the pitch of 32 was wrong and I needed a pitch of 48 to match the stock spur gear. I said no problem, I'll come by after work, and drove over an hour to get back to the store. I was met by Colin and explained to him my situation, I was hoping to have the improper gear I was sold to be exchanged for the proper gear and to have my now damaged spur gear replaced, due to the sale of the wrong pinion gear by a Hobby Town staff member. I was told that the pinion gear could not be taken back because I did not have the original packaging, even though I was sold the wrong pinion gear by a Hobby Town staff member, and for my damaged spur gear I would be getting a whopping $1 discount off the purchase of a new one, from a part they were responsible for being damaged. After completing the transaction, I said "thank you again" to Colin being polite and he responded with "I hope you don't break anything too soon." Having already thought he was a greasy character, this comment made me no longer trust anything he said. As soon as I arrived home, trusting my gut, I did a google search of my stock brushed arrma motor and the gear colin sold to me, only to find it wasn't even close to what my truck needed. I found that the 48 pitch 28 tooth gear he sold me would have almost immediately fried the motor in my brand-new truck. The biggest gear you can put on that motor is a 48 pitch with 20 teeth and even that isn't recommended, the 17 tooth is the safest recommended gear which I was looking for originally to gain a little power without damaging my new truck. I believe that I was maliciously and intentionally sold the wrong gear on purpose by the employee Colin, due to the fact that I am new to this hobby, so that I would have destroyed my new motor if it was installed. We wanted to go to the store for the experience and not order off the internet. We wanted a professional Experience and knowledge by the staff and not to make blind purchases off of the internet, and to spend time walking around the store looking at additional products for future purchases. Being new and unexperienced my family was taken advantage of by Colin, so that I would have had to come back and purchase a new motor and possibly more parts for my truck. He only saw dollar signs from me and was not professional at all. I warn all noobs and beginner's and anyone else to stay away from this location, as they will take advantage of you just for your money. read more

I bought the habu ss for $200 and extra parts for it. The controller was an extra $175. I had to buy extra parts because I wanted to make sure it didn't crash. It said it was and easy fly and a beginner plane. The first time I threw the plane in the air, it crashed and broke 3 feet up from the ground. The whole front cracked and the nose is bent. And the worst part is you can't return it. This should not be listed for beginners. I think all the extra parts were a waste of money for a 1 time "flight". read more

I stopped in today to buy a new tournament chess set as my old one somehow did not survive my move. It might very well be in my apartment somewhere, but if so it's very well hidden. And yes, I did check my car too. A tournament chess set consists of a flat plastic chess board that rolls up like a poster, bags to store the various pieces for white and black, and a satchel carrying case (see pictures). They are very handy when you want to go play pick up games, or, in my case, challenge people to matches over lunch at the office. I have been playing for a long time, and now that I actually have some people to play against, I was needing to swing by this establishment. I was previously playing almost entirely online, which is fine but it does not take the place as sitting across the board from a live opponent. Chess is like poker in many ways in that people give up their "tells" in various stages of a match. This becomes especially significant when you get into endgame. I knew exactly what I wanted, so instead of aimlessly wandering through random isles like most males, I went right up to the clerk and she had me rung up in under a min. Price was on point too. Sometimes hobby stores like to price gouge, making it almost better to just go to Walmart. That was not the case here. I did not wander around very long post sale, but they have an abundance of supplies for enthusiasts of RC vehicles, role playing games, card games (Magic the Gathering), models, etc. I was a pretty easy customer, but the clerk did inform me that they would special order anything I might need. read more

HobbyTown - Board - Toy Stores Near Me - Batavia, Illinois

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Love the store, I go a lot. The Gundam and Gunpla is stocked quite well and the prices are super nice. Come in every once and a while and restock supplies as well as grab some kits and such. The organization leaves room for improvement... but I'm in there often enough to face up when I visit. I don't go for anything else other than Gundam supplies so I don't know about the other aspects of the store. Staff is chill and helpful, usually. read more

Horrible. They marked up the price 30% from MSRP when I picked up two orders. They told me the price will same as online price and no difference when I placed the order. I tried to back up and then they said the order items numbers are different from the HobbyTownUSA numbers and adjust the price finally. If the numbers are different, how could they order for me. They tried to make up stories and think all customers are foolish. Aware and I will never shop again. Friendly advice, check the online price before order and save the webpage. The price tack for order without any MSRP and HobbyTownUSA price on it. Therefore, they can do whatever they want. This chain stores are going to die. No matter why Lake in the hill store going out of business. read more

It's the only hobby shop within a 45 minute drive, and every time I go there, I feel like Charlie Brown that just fell on his back after trying to kick the football again. Not one time in the last 5 years have I gone in there and gotten more than 50% of what was on my list. They don't carry ANY racing parts in the R/C section, and usually don't even carry things that are common industry standard parts (like simple battery plugs). The staff is too worried about their plastic electric helicopters and monster trucks to know anything else. The paint supplies are rarely ever kept stocked up. Prices are over-inflated on most items (at least in the R/C car or slot car section). $185 sticker price on an AMB personal transponder should tell you all you need to know. It's not an enthusiast or hobbyist store, by any means. It's a generic, catch-all, jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none store that probably doesn't have what you are seeking. If you are a racer or hardcore hobbyist, don't waste your time here. You have more chance of finding what you are looking for at Toys-R-Us. I keep telling myself that I am not going to go back there, and maybe next time, I'll listen. read more

Don't even bother. I wanted to purchase a slot car track for my boys because my Carrera track was to much for them so I thought Hobby town would be the best place. I was mistaken. The selection was terrible, but I was so excited to get one for my boy I had to get one. I settled on the Bash 'N' Crash mainly because it was the cheapest. I purchased it for $64.79 and when I gave it to my boys I was overwhelmed with dissapointment. The quality of the product was very poor and they spent the day pushing the cars around the track by hand. Be aware that they have a no refund or exchange policy so my suggestion to you is be patient and purchase your items from amazon. They have a much better selection and they stand behind their products. read more

No return policy on electric trains? If you don't like it, you can't take it back? What? Good luck staying in business. Thanks for the clarification hobby town. Just to be clearer.... Stores like amazon, target, and even kohls have the same train sets and if you are not satisfied after you open it, they gladly take it back and keep a customer. When you have policies that directly favor the store, you are left with an empty struggling to stay afloat on model glue type of hobby store. read more

Jeremy is the bomb. I bought yet another aircraft, the eFlite Timber STOL in May. Fantastic plane for intermediates! Anywhoo, my right servo got busted when a tree decided to get in the way of a stall. Jeremy is a true expert, and an incredible asset to this store. read more

I ducked in to see what they carry. Turns out it is mostly RC stuff, cars, drones, etc. They had some paints but not many brushes etc. I felt like if I was there for RC it might be a good place but add that is not my hobby I can't be sure. With the limited selection of other things, I'll likely not return. I'd rather go top a store that has more of a selection for my hobbys. A better Name would be RC stuff so I'm pleasantly surprised, not as genetic hobby name that will disappoint anyone not into the RC hobby. read more

I went in to the store for a lipo battery cable and was surprised at the bad customer service. It took them about 15 minutes to ask if I needed help... after standing in front of three employees who were pretty much not doing anything. It was also a treat to hear said employees making off-colored jokes right in front of the counter. I'm glad my son wasn't with me... I would not bring him in to this place. I'm guessing most of their customers are over 14 but it was disappointing to see this type of attitude and lack of customer service at pretty much the only local hobby shop in the area. In the summertime, I shop frequently at the HobbyTown store in Lake Geneva, WI and the attitude of the staff in that store is the complete opposite. I've never had an issue they weren't able to resolve and the folks working there are attentive. So not all HobbyTown stores are run badly... but this one sure seems to be. read more

This store is awful!!! They sell you parts that they say are correct and when they aren't, the refuse to stand by the word and won't return! You're better off buying online or from Amazon and finding real people with real knowledge to actually help! read more

Get your hobby addiction satisfied here. This place has everything for hobbies -- from die cast to model building to R/C cars to R/C planes to coin and stamp collecting to model railroads - and I'm sure I missed some. Helpful people working there and plenty of stuff to look at. Not quite Al's Hobby Shop in Elmhurst, but a fun place nonetheless... read more

I went into this store to purchase a transmitter battery for an Airtronics MX3 receiver, and my mini quad copter. I like the fact that he did everything in his power to find the battery I needed. After looking around some more my son pointed to a truck, it was the Aarma Granite 2wd. I wanted to get him a 10th scale Savage Flux or E Revo brushless. The employees were super helpful in educating me that this AARMA brand is awesome, by explaining the durability in the parts. Being a former racer, and had 22 different name brand RC cars at one time I felt more comfortable buying name brand. They assured them the truck will withstand the abuse of a 3yr old learning how to drive one, so I bought it. They we're absolutely right this truck is pretty damn durable for kids and a third of the price. To this day it is still running strong. I'm super impressed! Now, the only reason I am giving 4 stars instead of 5, I felt like I was pre judged, I told the owner I had a Quad Charger and he said "Like a knock off HiTec", No it was a Hitec, also the transmitter battery we found that would work was a LiFe battery, he said they a really expensive. Again like I couldn't afford it. I still purchased. Overall my experience was good, and I am happy with the products I purchased. read more

Bought a few items for a project and didn't get to use them as planned. I never opened them and attempted to return them without the receipt which was accidentally thrown out. The OWNER said no to a refund and or store credit. I understand the refund part but I was more upset about no store credit, which I would have used immediately that moment if allowed too! I'm never stepping in to that hobby store again! I'll drive an extra 100 miles if I have to to avoid giving them my business! Buyers beware...don't attempt a return without the receipt! read more

I was Highly impressed with my visit and the customer service I received today from Jeremy the owner manager I came in with a ESC Issue on a ECX ruckus 4x4 brushless truck I just got. Jeremy took the time as busy as he was to assist me and " make it right " as he stated and he kept his word. He repaired / warrantied the defective ESC and made my hobby town experience a very positive one. He allowed my son to play and explore and that is always nice that children are allowed to touch and try things out. His staff is very nice from the front door greet to the check out process I highly recommend this store if you are looking for hobby related items Thank you, Sam - ECX Ruckus 4x4 brushless read more

They know a lot but are expensive, somewhat dishonest (they sold me a $400 airplane that they had a NEW version of that cost the same simply to get rid of old stock), and seem to always blame YOU when their products do not work right. Plus side? The manufacturers (in the US) of the airplane I bought are GREAT and sent me $200 of replacement parts FREE that came out of Hobbytown's boxes NOT WORKING. Need an RC anything? Go to Horizon Hobby online--they are honest, fast, and sell only the best. Need local? Go to Al's in Elmhurst--better people, better stuff, and better advice. read more

I just left hobby town and I'm so disgusted with the customer service I will NEVER go back there,they have had my husbands speed boat since last year "fixing it",I just happen to be in there area so I took a chance that it was ready,of course they said yes .. He went in back got it and just left it on the counter saying all done, no phone call,no explanation,nothing ,like I was bothering them and one customer was in the store!!! read more

Great LHS with a nice indoor carpet track. Staff is very helpful, and the overall vibe is friendly. Jeremy always takes care of us, and we really enjoy racing there. read more

Was in there yesterday . A staff member sold me the wrong part and didn't fit as described into my rc truck. I went back today and the store owner Jeremy was telling me that I have to own issue, and I disagreed. I was then put on hold while customers where taken care of that wasn't in the store as long as I was. He then started swearing at me and calling me all kinds of stuff while little kids were in the store, and threatened to remove me. Now I didn't have a bad attitude and wasn't calling him any names. I left the store as I wasn't ever treated so poorly in my life over such a little thing. I would never step foot into his store or ever give him any of my hard earned money ever again. I would suggest to stay away from his store in Geneva and Schaumburg as well. I did call the corporate hotline and they didn't seem like they believed me either. Now that I've been looking up reviews, I wish I read some of them before, because he is a wild man, and obviously done this before. read more

My husband loves this place! (And asked me to add this review for him!) The owner Jeremy always greets us with a smile, is very knowledgable about everything, and does not push to make a sale. The rest of the staff were very helpful too and they all seem to love what they do. we started comparing prices at Hobbie Town to other online stores and Hobbie Town always has the best price! If you are looking to start a new hobbie go see the guys at Hobbie Town USA St. Charles and tell them Joe sent you! read more

I went here to sell a plane I had received as a present. I spoke with the manager Jeremy who was interested in the plane. Once I showed it to him he low balled me, and I agreed. Figured I should get something before I crash it and it's worth nothing... After we completed the transaction he continued to ask me if it was "hot" and wanted to make sure the cops weren't going to come He totally made me feel like a criminal, and completely uncomfortable, after I just told him I received it as a birthday gift. The store is nice and they do have a lot of selection which is why I gave it 2 stars. I might go back to get a few things for my RC cars and drone but as far as selling used items to the store, you might want to try a different store! read more

In a perfect world, every store would have anything you want in stock and at a very reasonable price. In the real world there is competition and a lot of cost to do business (especially in Illinois!), so no store has everything in stock at all times. That being said, they work hard to have what you need, or will order it for you. And a phone call before going there can save a trip. This place has been my go-to hobby shop for over two years, since online source competition caused the closing of two of the metro Chicago's best shops. What has most impressed me about the St. Charles HobbyTown USA is the after sale support from the knowledgeable owner and staff in two areas -- help with warranty service for some defective products, and technical help with some new-to-me live video FPV equipment. read more

This store is so awesome. Quite possibly my new favorite location. They are super knowledgeable and friendly are truly care about the satisfaction of their customers. I messed up a toy and they replaced it just to make me happy. You do not see that very often anymore and that will definitely keep me coming back time and time again. The owner of the store is the nicest guy ever and has helped me several different times and has kept me interested in the hobby instead of flunking out. Love this store! And this location specifically. read more

The best store east of the Rockies. Great service, great products. Great staff! Very helpful and very knowledgeable. I recommend this store to everyone. read more

Best hobbies store around for gundam models (Gumpla). This store and its employees made starding my gundam hobby easy. The employees are knowledgeable in all hobbies including models, rc, and drones. A great store for all ages. :) read more

I am new into RC planes but have loved building models for years. I paint terrible but still build a good model. Last year my wife got me a model from Hobby Town and then brought me there. I was in heaven! Last year I bought models and wanted to do RC Flying but was hesitant to jump in. This year I made the dive into RC planes and Jeremy in St. Charles has been great. Over the course of the summer I bought 8 planes for my family. As a new Flyer I wrecked a few planes but Hobby Town was very supportive and helped me with all of my RC needs. Quick note: If you don't want to spend money don't get a RC Hobby. Collect stamps, coins or something that doesn't require motor skills or hand eye coordination. I use to race cars and that cost a lot more! I love the RC planes and will continue to buy my parts from the St. Charles location. I think the staff in St. Charles is great. read more

never spend your money on a air plane at this store because the return policy is really bad #1 how are you going to know if the plane going to work in less you take it out of the box #2 if you take the plane of of the box they say you cancel the return policy of the store which makes no scenes to me # and the clerk and management or a joke read more

This place is great. I had a problem with a r/c truck they fought the manufacture for me becouse they would not replace. But the owner did so I think the customer service is great? From the owner to the staff ? read more

I've dealt with st Charles hobby town for around 20 years. I had about given up on them because they never seemed to have what I wanted. I was pleasantly surprised when I called the other day and they actually had what I needed. I found out they are under new ownership. Jeremy is great, and a very knowledgeable staff. Thank you st Charles Hobby Town read more

I bought my first nitro truck there It runs very good when i have a problem I bring it in and they fix it. Great customers service. Highly recommended And i love my toy HPI SAVAGE 4.6 AND THE OWNER IS A FUNNY GUY. MUST VISIT THIS PLACE TO BELIVE. *BOSS MAN* read more

The best service ever! The owner was not full of bs and was straight forward with everything and gave me a good deal on a Arrma Typhon! I will be going back to this location for all my hobby needs! Thanks for all your help yesterday! Jay :) read more

Bought an RC car for more than $200. Brought it home took it out of the box and it was broken .They wouldn't return it or exchange it they said they'd fix it but that's not what I wanted. I wanted a brand new car out of the box perfectly okay. I paid a lot of money for it... Even one of the workers said you can see that the car has never been driven... Not a happy customer. read more

The St. Charles Hobby Town isn't the best hobby shop I've been, but I guess its alright. Pros: They have a large selection of RC parts if you have a Traxxas or Losi car. Cons:Consistently opens 5-10 minutes late don't carry many brands of RC cars prices on almost everything are higher than other stores read more

I had the same experience as others have posted here, regarding the return/exchange policies. They refused to honor implied warranty of merchantability on a defective battery charger. Beware when shopping at Hobbytown, they do not back their products. I also made the mistake of allowing them to repair an electric airplane. I was given a quad motor with a shaft too short for said plane, as the correct one was not in stock. read more

This place is like most hobby stores. The employees are snobby and rude, and just talk down to you, ROUTINELY. I couldn't even bare 5 minutes of asking a question regarding a certain car and possibly upgrading the motor, because all I was told is if I'm having to ask what kind of upgrades I can buy I probably shouldn't be buying them. That is flat out rude, who cares if I have an extra hundred bucks? Their loss, I'll go somewhere else. read more