A great resource of knowledge and train stuff. A loyal supporter of model train events and interests. Amazing inventory of all kinds of hobby kits. Irreplaceable read more

The hoarding in the store is insane. Everything is dusty and when you first walk in you get hit with a bad odor of stale cigars. I accidentally dropped an empty candy tin and I was asked if I dropped it and if I picked it up in a rude condescending tone by an old creepy lady.. I definitely do not recommend it. read more

Being out of town for the time being and enjoying model kits this is like a hidden gem if you're into model kits and some other items especially movies and records from the past. The people at the store were nice and I enjoyed talking to them as I enjoyed history too. Wide variety of model kits of vehicles from WW1 to the modern Era and yes they do have a model kit of the T14 Armata. read more

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Worst customer service I have seen. The lady in the back started yelling at me for going to some part of the store that was not marked. Very unprofessional. A man from the back came out and told me not to worry about her. Do not go in there if you don't want them be yelled at. read more

There's only one guy who knows anything about Radio Control models, and he's not there every day. Coming here was a waste of my time.

I like this place! I collect Ninja turtles so I stop now and then to see what they got and I always walk out with something. They have the best toy collection and memorabilia I've seen. The prices might be a bit high, but since I only come once in a while it's ok. read more

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Lou the owner was super cool and polite. First time in the store. Helped me look around the gigantic place to find what I needed.

The most amazing hobby shop I've ever experienced. Fantastic family owned business. Creative heaven.

Best customer service and friendly staff. I could spend the whole day and never get bored. One of my favorite hobby shops ever . I remember when the USS Iowa was on the way. Talk about excitement. You guys are awesome! read more

Mr. B, working on his Masters in Modelling (jk), heard of this place though a grapevine of hard core, historically correct modelers. There is this guy, Louis, aka Lou, who defies description. He owns this magnificent hobby store. Friendly, animated, impassioned, he loves to talk to anyone who will listen. And he has lots to say. Now, did I say "magnificent...store"? For a person who is just a supporter and not really into modeling, I had a rude awakening. This place really got me going. Really interesting stuff on his massive shelves, walls, and hanging from his ceiling. Everywhere, model trains, ships, airplanes, tanks, comics, toys, cars, military uniforms, pictures, books, out of production kits, paints, tools. His memorabilia/collectibles will make you stop and gander for long periods of time. He has a small museum of sorts. Befitting for the aging, art deco building he is in, in old town Lomita. My kind of place. Expect to spend some good time here. He will also has a workshop where qualified staff help restore or repair those things that hopeful folks bring in. He even fabricates parts. Just as impressive is his resource library upstairs. Tons of books, some old, out of print, most all for sale. You are also allowed to sit and read to your hearts delight on a cozy couch or at a large table. Sorry, not like a public library. No temporary check outs. Also upstairs, a vast collection of finished military and aerospace models he inherited from a Nasa exec. It is huge. You must take the time to trudge up the stairs just to look. I believe a lot of the collection is for sale. Mr. B...if you are reading this, don't get any ideas. You will get a real thrill out of this place, even though the disorganization and clutter could possibly lead to a mental breakdown for the OCD's of this world. Lou, of course, knows where to find everything. read more

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I stumbled upon this store by accident...and it was an INCREDIBLY cool experience. The store is packed to the brim with interesting, eye-catching items, particularly in the realms of hobby crafts, miniatures, and vintage memorabilia. (I bought 3 vintage LIFE magazines from the 1930s-1950s and the store had a great "Buy 2 get 1 free deal!" I also vintage Saturday Evening Posts, Rolling Stones, and Ebony magazines.) I specifically went inside because my partner and I have been wanting to buy an easy DIY airplane kit for my 90 year old Korean War veteran / former pilot grandpa. Hobby stores are rare and far between these days, so I was elated to find a hobby store (finally!). The store has been owned for the last 20 years by a lovely, charming couple, both of whom were at the store working. They were fans of my dog and were super kind. The store clerk who worked there was also AWESOME. He must have been no older than 20 years old, but when I walked in and told him I needed an easy airplane building kit for a Korean War vet, he immediately started listing off all these planes (jets?) that existed in that time. I wanted to be like, "Hey! I'm older than you and I have no idea what any of this means! How do you know so much?!" I was very impressed. He helped me pick out an easy-to-make kit for my grandpa and he was also a huge help when I couldn't decide which of their many vintage magazines to buy. There are A LOT and they all look so cool. I love history. Unfortunately, we weren't able to find any LIFE magazines about President Carter or 1970s folk music (my aunt's two interests), but I love that store clerk for searching through the stacks of magazines and trying to help me find one of that nature for her. I ended up buying LIFE magazines about the Dodgers in 1938, WWII soldiers returning home from 1944, and one on Elizabeth Taylor, circa 1950. I think my grandparents are going to have a kick reading these old rags. I hope they bring back lots of good memories. I wish this store good fortune and another few decades in this locale. It is a gem. read more

I purchase a model, it was sealed, but when I opened it. Half of was complete. Somebody started working on it. Don't know if JD is responsibile. They could've purchased from some other store read more

Be careful with this guy. He does have the greatest selection of hobby stuff I've ever seen, ask to see the upstairs, even more fantastic stuff. BUT totally over priced. AND bring your haggle skills because the owner is a shrewd negotiator, more of a used car salesman. I shopped for a couple of hours & had great conversation about his store & all the amazing stuff. Next thing I know I'm getting ripped off I expected a knowledgeable hobbyist sharing childhood memories. Nope. Which sucks, he has the most awesome collection of models, toys, memorabilia, comics & even vinyl. It's literally like walking through my childhood. BUT now I feel ripped off & frustrated. All I'll say is be careful & get an itemized receipt. He takes "All sales are final" to the next level NOTE: maybe the guy had a bad day. Feel free to message or comment with questions or details. I am not pissed off, it just sucks. read more

What an interesting place! If you want to find a model, either recently made, or made sometime over history, you will probably find it here at the store. They have the greatest selection of plastic models I have ever seen. The staff is also very helpful in any questions you may have about this Hobby. Also I didn't know until recently there was an upstairs area that is great for researching the history of San Pedro, and also it's ties to the military. Visit this store - you won't be sorry. read more

Brought in several built airplane models in 2016 and the owner gave me a gift certificate with his signature on the back along with the approval for $100 credit. There was no expiration date on the front or back of the certificate. Consequently we moved shortly after the certificate was issued. Moved back to San Pedro in late 2020, went to the hobby store to purchase a gift for my nephew. Showed the owner the gift certificate in which he got very angry and told me he would not accept it because it was more than a year old. I told him that there was no expiration date annd that we had moved before I could use it, he did not care and told me again he woud not honor it and I was out of luck. Will never purchase anything from that hobby store again!!!!!!! read more

This is a neat store that made my day awesome. Models vintage items all kinds of unique hobby items. It Hass to be seen to be believed. Found 1980 space shuttle team member license plate frame from Rockwall for just five dollars very cool read more

Like others, we happened upon this store by accident. What an incredible shop full of wonders! I can't imagine anyone going in and not finding something they want. If you're a modeler, they have models of every description. They have books, vinyl, comics, old toys, new toys. In this age of buying everything online, I had forgotten how fun it was as a kid going to a store and finding a treasure. You will find a treasure here. The owners were awesome, very friendly. We will be going back again soon. Love this place! read more

My boyfriend and I love Louis and his wife! They have a great hobby store filled with wonders you didn't think you'd ever see again or would love to have for your collection! We go there when possible, Louis is very informative on gijoe's and other collections if you ask him. 100% recommend coming here and make sure you strike up a conversation with him when you can read more

Like a blue lit cavern in which every available nook is crammed with gizmos and toys so find a tour guide. Interesting that they buy old model kits that have never been used. Lots of military kits. One of the few businesses on 6th street that is consistently open. Devoted customers also makes it one of the few shops that gets Christmas business. read more

Everything you could imagine in a hobby shop! Giant space packed with models and memorabilia!

I moved too Long Beach California and sought out an old school hobby store. I found this gem of a store and established a great friendship with the owner Louie. To date, and I'm 59 years old, still love to build, and these people are some of my favorite. Even though now I live in south Florida, I'll still buy my kits from JD. why? Because it's personable and they deserve the business. read more

Everything is overpriced in this shop! You can find majority of the items in this store for half the price on eBay! The owner is a tad rude as well! If you come in to sell something you'll be offended by the amount your offered. Also if you need a model kit built they offer middle school quality work for professional level prices. INSANITY! Don't waste your time here! read more

Used to enjoy exploring this place and going upstairs to read the historical books and magazines. Until one day we brought our friend with us and stepped foot into the door, the woman asked if we needed something in an aggressive tone. We left and haven't came back since. I get it, don't look around if you're not gonna buy anything, but the way we were approached made us feel racially targeted. read more

This place is magnificent, has to be one the leading Hobby Shops on the West Coast. Massive store with a mezzanine floors, an incredible array of stock ,a real treasure trove. The staff are knowledgeable and helpful. They a actually have workshop in the store and build plastic model kits onsite. Allow yourself plenty of time, much to take in. read more

probably the worst shopping experience that I've ever experienced in San Pedro. the people who work here are unbelievably rude and they will literally follow you all around the entire store, as if they don't even want you there. I'll never come back here. read more

Disclaimer: There is no sex in this review* Everyone should have a hobby and lordy knows, San Pedro needs an outlet...one that doesn't involve angry longshoremen, surf Nazis or baby-faced gangsters with guns, knives and/or grenades...an outlet for something like models of ships, trains, cars, airplanes, that sort of thing. Hobbies take our minds off the daily grind and grist of urban life. They put your thought processing into constructing, building, gluing, painting and displaying beautiful miniaturized objects and it's easy to put the kids, spouses or exes, politics and the boss onto the back burner for something calming and enjoyable. Hobbies are relaxing and fun and put you into a higher plane of reasoning. Sounds heavy, huh? But it's not. They're miniatures. JD Hobbies is a large store chock full of memories of when you were a kid and after your brother called you a bad name, you went over to his train set and destroyed the Lionel and Bachmann Limited, killing hundreds of imaginary commuters in your fiery, angry retribution. (just kidding). But, seriously, this place is a wonderful escape as you meander through the amazingly lifelike models of cityscapes, ship models and dozens of aircraft hung from the ceiling. It's a place to let your day-to-day worries disappear as you allow your imagination to conjure the sailing of a fast sloop through azure seas or engineering a train through snowy mountain peaks or flying a British Lancaster bomber over German fortifications along the French Normandy coast. Imagination is an awesome thing. *For sex, please see my other reviews. (Oopsie, I just noticed...this is my 69th "1st review". C'est la vie) read more

Where to start? I went to Target looking to get a model, and they laughed at my request. Then I went to Yelp and searched for a hobby store, and up came JD Hobbies. I walked into the store and was immediately greeted by Louis Lee, whom I presumed to be the owner. Let me tell you, he LOVES what he does. His store can address any number of hobbies you might have. For me, it was models, and he has several options, cars, planes, etc., and varying skill levels. I was overwhelmed with the store, over 10,000 sq. feet of 'stuff.' Louis spent a good 20 minutes with me walking me around the store, explaining my options and being an amazing tour guide. I loved the store and the personal approach that Louis took - I'LL BE BACK! read more

Worse place ever. The Asian man/ owner cursed repeatedly at us and my child over looking at items in his crappy store. Right in front of a five year old. Awful place to shop with your child. I felt like calling the police on him it was that bad. Then people wonder why small mom and pop shops have a bad name and go under. Shame. read more

Took my train in to get some advice. Owner says he doesn't have time to fix it before Xmas, offers to buy it from for $50 as is ( for a $275 train that's nearly new) . Turns out it was only the contacts in the 2nd car, which he could have advised me. Crook.. Reply: You told me it was $$ to look at it, you could have made suggestions. I cleaned it myself ( and yes: I'M A GIRL AND EVEN I FIGURED IT OUT, THANKS MODEL TRAIN FORUM !). took a few minutes. Sold it on Craig's List for $180. NOT RETAIL .. RE your reply- I hand it in my had., so that's a total lie that I "would't allow you to open it." You didn't even offer. I agree re the retail prices, but I wasn't offering to sell it, YOU offered to buy when you probably knew it was some small thing that could be fixed. read more

Execrllsnt assortment of model kits from all eras and types. Many kits not seen any where else A must see place with many hard to find kits and collectibles. A true rare find and unique place found the plastic model enthusiasts. read more

Cool stuff here but everything is way overpriced and the owner who is a middle aged lady is very rude and racist towards customers, I witnessed her being really rude to a woman and her daughter asking to use the restroom, she kept following me around like I was gonna steal, I refuse to support business owners like this. read more

Wow. A hidden gem in San Pedro. Take a whole day to see everything. There is literally a ton of stuff. I love this place

Let's begin with the fact that I do not like model cars, trucks, or anything that requires working with my hands on small anything for extended periods of time...and I had to come on here and write about my experience at a place that is centered around these kind of meticulous activities. This place is for anyone who has a passion for history, sports, music, and/ or hobby trains, cars, or action figures. It has EVERYTHING. It is better than a Michael's or any other independent hobby shop you could think of. The fact that this place does not have a 5 star review is astounding. The owner, Louis Lee, is a passionate, down-to-earth person who clearly enjoys working with any type of hobby repair, building, and collecting. He is very knowledgable and helpful. He can answer almost any question about any of the above and if he is unable to, he knows someone who can. If you are ever near South Bay, drop in this place. It is one of a kind and a rare gem. read more

Went to an event they had on the USS Iowa a few years back. All kinds of vendors and events listed on the flyer. Had to pay to get into the event, only to find none of the vendors or events I paid to see there. For example, I wanted to see the Tamiya USA reps and the rc boat demo, neither was there, just a few tables of guys selling their stashes. Basically I paid for the right for them to try to sell me crap. They still took full price for admission without informing the public they were not getting what was advertised. Let me know that you're event is mostly cancelled so I don't spend my money on nothing at all that I came to see. Absolute fraud. Buyer beware, they will take your money under false pretenses. read more

Went today after seeing on the news. I was excited. They had 2 sales. 20% off or buy 2 get 3rd 1/2 off. I got 3 items 89, 49, 15. Instead of giving me the 20% she gave me 1/2 off the least expensive item. Wont be going back. Not to mention found the 89 dollar ship on Amazon for 62. I'm all for shopping local but this kind of service doesnt help. read more

If your a collector ranging from Aviation or trains, you will love this place. I have to admit the place is very small, but you will be surprised of how much is here. If you have a broken model train, bring it over here & it will be fixed. read more

Went here for a Cub Scout meeting and thought the store was cool so I went back to buy a gift (Helicopter) when I got home I noticed the remote did not have an antenna, so I brought the Helicopter back and the owner told me "It is not his problem, I should have looked at it before I bought it." There store policy is no refunds just store credit. They are not even honoring that. I will never go here again and would not recommend this place to anyone either. read more

My wife brought in my 35 year old LGB locomotive here to have the smoke stack repaired (it would no longer smoke). After saying it would take a few days to diagnose and get back to us with a response, we had to call in to check up after a month. We were told it was not cost effective to be repaired and suggested we get a new engine. Seriously. What's worse you may ask? Well, my wife brought it back home and put it away. We take it out last night to set up our train for Christmas and find that it's missing a piece on the right hand side, the nut that holds the smoke stack in place is missing and a plastic surround around the stack is cracked. I called the owner to try and give them an opportunity to make this right. He was defensive with me and blamed my wife for not inspecting it when picking it up. read more

This store has moved to 471 W 6th Street, San Pedro. Next door to where they were. Lot larger location, with lots more merchandise. Fun place to shop! read more

Amazing old world hobby ship with more stock than you can shakes a stick at. I found some rare hard to find items and was amazed at the scale of the inventory. Friendly, genuine, old school. Highly recommend read more