I went in there last year and the reason why I bother to check out this place is.. Im a regular customer of PCHobbies, and Joe that's work at PCHobbies tells me that there another closed by local have hobby store in San Pedro, Ca. And ask for Louis he can built your models better than anybody else? So I did went to go check it out and bring my model kit as well to see if he can do It better than mine (that I've build models for a customers from over the continents and wanted to see if he can do it better.. And I can save my time and do business thru this JD Hobbies guy named Louis). But anyhow.. First of all.. The parking lot sucks! You have to pay for it? The area don't looks that clean.. And yes..i met Louis. He seem pretty nice guy and like to talk to someone who would like to hear about his story. OK now... I asked him how much can he just painting the body of my model and do some OEM looking details on the body.. He said 55$ cash. So I said OK well how long will it take? He replies.. Give me a call a week and come pick it up. So I've waited 1 week than I called before I go there and see if is ready.. He said (Louis Lee) that i sanded the body too hard and he have to wait until it dried from the washing process, and primer it. And he said call me within 3 days OK? I said alright. Because I am working on 7 other customers over the states model cars. So I forgotten to call him after even 2 weeks has passed.. I calls again .. He said it is drying, body is smooth, and blah blah what so on.. And tell me to come in another week. So I said okay. And have to go out of town to visit a relative up north and I calls him back and said I won't be back until the next week just to let him know. He said sure sounds good and it will be ready by the time you come back. Than after that week from my vacation.. I calls him to just let him know that I'm gonna come and pick up the model.. He said OK well it is been painted the base coat abd clear.. So after I got there.. I was very disappointed! But I'm not the type that Confrontation person. So I just let it slide. After that I never come back again. Okay.. Pro.. He had a high blood pressure and it is good to know and an excused. Con: Looks like he just hurry and airbrushed the body black color as I requested it from him, probably brushes on the clear coat by pledge future shine that I can smell it, and glue bombs everywhere inside of the glass window? And he said 55$ ? My 30$ charge for a customer body painted and details Like a real car plus free shipping better than he does.. He messed up on my New Jersey customer model car body that the customer had been paid me 350$ including shipping. I have to buy another kit just to replaced my poor customer (scam painter and poor job). If Louis Lee is good like what he can beside trying to take my money.. I'll be doing a lot of business with him and he will get paid every weeks!! Even though he charged me 55$ just to make my customer model looks like a 7 years old.. 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 is not like other so called hobby shops that are really toy stores. This is a real honest to goodness hobby shop with massive selection of balsa and plastic models. There is even a giant selection of arts and crafts stuff. They even have really hard to get kits from the USA. Limited run kits from Japan. They even have more books than your local library. read more

I stopped by this Hobby shop a few days ago while working in the neighborhood. What an old school hobby shop with an owner who knows models. Hugh selection of models and hobby crafts. I definitely plan on stopping by again to buy some models. It is awesome to see this type of store, we need to encourage more of them. Our children would be better off playing with models and learning how to build things than to be out causing trouble. read more

Love it! So many ideas floating around... Wonderful chaos. Sometimes model are being built on site by hobbyists, collections of all sorts of stuff around. Owner / Operators are super friendly and helpful. read more

An amazing place, to say the least, and well worth repeat visits. A friendly, helpful staff and there is parking a block down in back. If you like old-school hobby shops, this is the place. read more

What can I say about this place... they have allot of interesting things here... you can be here for hours and not get bored... the owner is really cool and you always get taken care of... read more

JD Hobbies is the best hobby shop I've ever been to. They have an excellent selection and have many hard to find items. The owners are very nice and helpful. Best hobby shop in LA! read more

No matter how many times I have been into the store the Asian woman with the eye makeup gives me the death stare like I'm going to steal something and asks if Its my first time. Then watches me for 5 minutes before leaving me alone. The store is a mess inside and needs a serious cleaning/ rearrangement. Piles of shit everywhere. If you move one thing out of place you want to look at you are afraid the whole shelf will come tumbling down. Will not be going back there again, mainly because of The Death Stare. read more

Best shop in town and south bay, made me a kid again! Owners are awesome, employees too!

JD Hobbies always has what I am looking for and will find anything else that I can come up with for my motorcycle modeling hobby. I have even gotten back into model trains since the huge assortment of HO Gauge engines hit the floor a few months ago. Natalie & Louis are the BEST!! read more

i went in to get my rc heli checked out cuz it wasn't flying right. the young man (justin is very knowledgable and gives tons of advice)was very helpful and understanding. however lou, this guy is a complete asshole! i'm a 26 year old man and he talked in such a manner that i felt like a child being scolded by a parent. never had i experienced such a buisiness owner. this all started with my rc, then after talking with lou he was interested in some of my military model kits. i went back home and returned within the hour with a box full of planes/cars/tanks all boxed some sealed some not for him to rummage through. at the same time, justin explained his opinions about my rc heli basically telling me it might just need to be re adjusted etc. bottom line probably very minor fix. when i was told this i started to talk to lou about what justin just told me. and thats when it happened. like a lightswitch this sweet funny older asain guy turned into this nasty cursing sob who just flew up his arms and yelled at me,"why did i even bring him out to see this stuff?" it was because he told me to. he said go home bring back whatcha got and well work something out for your repair. well long story short i decided i would rather have someone else anyone else other than this jerk will have my buisiness. i went back to justin packed up my helicopter and asked how much i owe him for his labor and time. he said," nothing, all i did was look at it didn't even take anything apart.' i said great i'm out of here! but wait it gets better. after putting my helicopter away i went back for my models and there was lou. he again asked me in a very condensending mannor," so are we doing this or what?" i said," i didn't appreciate how you spoke to me just now and i'm taking my stuff and leaving your store." he replies,"fine that'll be $20.00 for the helicopter." i said $20.00? your employee just said i d you guys nothing! then he shouted back,"i call the shots around here." well he sure does cuz i shot out of there. lou if your reading this, the $20.00 is in the dumpster where you belong. read more

It's a nice place but they are way to expensive. Was there 2 weeks ago gave us a price on something came back with the money and the same person who told us the other price basically said he didn't say that and raised the price on us like 20 bucks. And it didn't even have the box for it so it should have been discounted anyways cause it wasn't complete. read more

Went to the store today and have to say I was disappointed. Kits are mostly from collections the owner must have bought and the prices were out of this world. I'm a ship builder and there was not one kit I can say was worth the price they were asking. I guess if you are looking for an old kit, then JD's might have it but expect to pay more than top dollar for it. I drove over 2 hours to check this store out and didn't stay more than 10 minutes. read more

Just visited from out of town. This place was covered with every model you could think of. Of course being a kid in a candy store, I just had to get a couple few craft and toys. The owner and store worker were obviously model craft hobbyist and most of their finish model was just all over the shop. Price was just match like the internet but better that some of the item they have you just can't find anywhere else. If your down south, stop by this shop, it's like a little museum in itself. read more

i found this shop to have a lot of hard to find stuff but it was all at very hard to buy prices. the 1966 impala was 17.99 online and at most places was 19.99 to 21.99 but this guy had it for 26.99 OMG. i see him at the hobby swap meets buying all the low price stuff then marking it up about 6 times the price of what he paid for it. the store is poorly lit and not much help. smells like smoke. read more

Outstanding selection of models. They even have a helicopter section. there is also an extensive selection of books and magazines.

Simply incredible. Old school hobby store. Highly recommend. It is absolutely incredible. If you get a chance, on a slow day, perhaps a Sunday, strike up a conversation with Mr Lee. Simply incredible. read more