George is great! very knowledgeable.doesn't try to pressure people into buying things they don't…read moreneed.just gives his honest suggestions.they have a good variety of rc cars/trucks and lots of replacement parts in stock as well as batteries,tires,chargers etc...it's definitely my go to for rc needs prices are fair

It sucks that they have closed, I have driven an hour there multiple times to use the indoor track,…read morebuy parts and get help with my RC's. The staff were always very helpful and the store seemed busy every time i went. It's sad that now I'm stuck online shopping and hunting forums for help

10 stars? Is that a thing. By far the most professional and yet casual game shop I've ever been…read moretoo! Outstanding service, once in a life time stock. Welcoming atmosphere, this was my go to shop for cards.. now it's my only!!

I celled to ask questions about product because I live one hour away from the shop and have no car…read morei take the bus guy on the phone was super rude and not customer friendly told me he was dealing with customers why answer the phone then proceeded to tell me if I want to know what they have i to go down there in the most rude way possible like I was wasting he's time or something they also over price like scalper level prices nasty rude people dont bother wasting your money

I brought a group of people to the Albany area to check out this shop. We were greeted with…read morerudeness and hostility. I'm assuming it is/was the owner. He pointed his finger at us and with wild eyes, he told us the " we better not touch anything...If you break it, you'll buy it!" He also told us that we'd pay more than their value. My group was sad and disappointed. This was probably the rudest individual I've ever met. One must learn how to "conduct" one's self.

I'll preface my review: I have NO knowledge of model trains (not a hobby of mine), so take my…read moreopinions with a grain of salt. I've purchased a locomotive from this store before, along with the train set, and have been really happy. I'm having trouble with the set now, but that's because I'm no train buff and probably haven't kept up with it as well as I should (I only use it for a miniature Christmas village). Now, I'm ready to purchase a new set. I spoke with the owner, Vince, on the phone, as he's always friendly and helpful. He's very accommodating about meeting time and explaining some of the trains to me. It's nice to be able to trust someone if you don't know all about the hobby yourself. I'm planning on visiting Delaware Trains at the show in Albany tomorrow, where I'll be purchasing a new steam locomotive. I wouldn't go anywhere else for this hobby!

I love Hobby Lobby and this store is about as good as the one in Latham. They don't seem to be…read morearranged exactly the same, which means that I sometimes wander around a bit more looking for things that I need (balsa wood, beads, paint, glue, etc.) Then again, there are much worse fates to have then being stuck in a craft store. True, there is what appears to me to be a lot of useless kitsch junk in the middle section. However, I sometimes go visit places and see that same kitsch so apparently someone is buying it. And, around the holiday season their Christmas display can be overwhelming (I bring my wife at my own risk!). But, in general, I like what the store is and what it stands for.

Way overpriced, I mean you can google amazon while you're looking at an item in hobby lobby and…read moreamazon beats it by a longshot. But the kicker for me was when I asked for a bag the cashier said it's .53 $ for a plastic bag. Are you fking kidding me. This is disgusting. FU hobby lobby.

The Fortress of Gaming is a new all things gaming event center referred to as, "A Country Club For…read moreGamers". It is located in the warehouse district of Railroad Avenue and a bit tricky to find until the signage is updated but it is more than worth the time you spend searching for it. The Fortress of Gaming is owned by the same person that runs Zombie Planet. The ambition of this place is as grand as the size the venue offers with a small storefront for things like paints, play mats, and dice, the majority of the other two large sections of the location are dedicated to running events and offering space to play games. A flat $5 entry fee gets you access to the facility, their large gaming library, on site concessions, and many tables. Currently, they have spaced out tables, a new HIPPA rated HVACC system with plenty of ventilation, and a requirement to prove you are vaccinated to enter. Masks are optional once inside as a result which is a nice upside to the requirement to prove you are vaccinated. I went for my first visit to try out a event called, "Paint and Take" which is where you buy a $25 kit that includes a pre primed miniature, the paints and brushes you need, and a cup for water so that you can essentially sit and paint with others and have a good time. Eventually, there are plans to get a liquor license and to possibly host "paint and sip" instructional events as well. The venue currently runs magic the gathering, digimon, Warhammer 40K events and really, the potential is vast right now for future events from regular board gaming nights to conventions. This is the gamer equivalent of a field of dreams. He built it, the only question now is, will they come? I hope so. This is a great space and I plan to visit often and see everything they have to offer. This is a local small business that is very niche and it is my hope that it is one of the examples of how we have built back better since the pandemic threw a wrench in all our lives. For those who know about Zombie Planet, note that the store is still there and not closing. It is going to be a full retail location now with more product to offer. It is shifting all it's event business to The Fortress of Gaming. This is an exciting new place to visit and I recommend doing so. It is not crowded, it is not noisy, it is clean and they follow current covid best practices. The owner is open to new ideas too. If you happen to have some nifty and feasible ideas for events you'd like to host at the Fortress, try talking to George about it. You may just find yourself with a venue that meets your gaming event needs :)

I am a pretty active boardgamer. My BGG account goes back to 2009, and I have been gaming since I…read morewas a child. I usually game a couple of times a month, as well as attend various board game conventions. However, I don't like to go to game cafes in general... I just don't see the need. That being said, this place was new so my wife and I checked it out on a Saturday. They are located in practically the middle of nowhere in an old industrial section of Albany. They don't have a sign yet (bureaucratic red tape is slowing it down) and GPS will get you to the right area but not exactly there. Just keep driving around and behind the buildings until you find it. Inside, there are several rooms: one is for general gaming, the other appears to be set up for tournaments (or space rentals). We paid the $5 each for attendance (all-you-can-game) and checked out titles on the shelves. The owner said they had 300, but it looked like much less. They do own a gaming store (Zombie Planet) and he said they were hoping to get up to 500 titles. I recognized about 50% of the games they had, and probably had played 20% already. It is a nice collection, but if you want something in particular you might not find it. You could always bring your own, but I would rather stay at home and play. If you don't have a local gaming group, this is a good alternative. A miniatures tournament was going on in the back room and they were clearly having a good time. A couple of my friend's were getting killed (some things never change!) and it is a good venue for a tournament. Everyone is packed together and it is loud... but that is how things go. Speaking of which, you need to be vaccinated to get in so bring proof. I supposed post-covid that note won't be necessary anymore. They offer some hot food (chicken fingers, fries, pizza rolls, etc.) and cold food (pretzels, chips, candy) and various drinks. Prices are reasonable and any profits go to help support the operation, so I didn't mind paying a bit more than the local grocery store. I don't think you can bring food in, so keep that in mind. We stayed for a couple of hours and played 3-4 games. It was fun. If you are looking to connect with other local gamers this would be a great place to start. They clearly have a nice space for gaming.

As a forty-year collector of model vehicles, primarily 1/18 scale resin and diecast, numbering into…read morethe thousands, I have had only one other occasion to purchase from Mint Models. The first transaction was totally without drama. My reason for limited patronage is due to the fact that Mint Models carries some of the best, and sometimes expensive, offerings from a variety of manufacturers and unfortunately most are out of my budget. Still, it is fun to visit their beautiful, comprehensive website and dream. On occasion I will treat myself to a model a little more than my usual price range as I like to sample one or two examples from different manufacturers to scrutinize their detail. I have a handful of Exoto, CMC, BBR, MR, etc. but most of my large collection is moderately priced. I was interested in the Mclaren Speedtail as it was featured at Mecum Monterey this year and I had been looking at a future Top Speed release. In my search, I found Mint Models offering a Tecnomodel version, in stock, and in my color preference. This model is normally about twice as much as the Top Speed but Mint Models had it on sale at a HUUUUUGE discount. Almost too good to be true. Having never owned a Tecnomodel, I decided to go ahead and purchase the model. Although I had trouble having my account identified in their system, likely because I hadn't purchased from them in such a long time, once in, my order was received. I placed my order in the midnight hour on the West Coast and Mint Models had it on its way within a few hours of their morning opening on the East Coast. I only paid for standard shipping but the model arrived far earlier than expected. I have to admit to having anxiety about all my model orders arriving safely when coming cross country and have received boxes that looked like they had been dropped from a five story building probably embarrassing the delivery driver who had to deliver them. Not in this case. Mint Models double boxed and double "popcorned" my model and it arrived in absolutely perfect shape. Once I unboxed the model, it did not disappoint as it was beautifully finished, detailed and even came in a display case that I was not aware of. As nice as the model was, Mint Model's service was even better. I have to admit, in my reconnecting with Mint Models, I was a little concerned with some of the negative reviews but took a chance anyway. I am in the habit of never giving bad reviews in favor of giving no review at all. If you have an ugly baby I won't stretch the truth and say it's cute, I'll say nothing. Fortunately, with this purchase I'm not in that position and felt inspired to write this "short novel." I'm sorry some people felt they had a bad experience but I can only speak of mine and in forty years of collecting and sourcing my models from dozens of vendors, this is one of the best if not "the best" transaction I have participated in. If I can find it in my budget, I won't hesitate to purchase from Mint Models again.

This is the most unprofessional disreputable business I have ever dealt with. Last year on April…read more1st I ordered an actual 2022 Corvette Stingray from the Dealership and it arrived from the factory on November 30th. On January 31st of this year I ordered a model of the same car from Mint Models and to this day it never arrived. When I called to inquire a very rude rep named Michelle was totally unhelpful. I'm in New Jersey and this bogus company is across the river in New York, and I actually waited longer for these scammers to (NOT) send a MODEL than I had to wait to have THE ACTUAL CAR be built and delivered all the way from KENTUCKY! Mutha-F Michelle & Mutha-F Mint Models!

I've yet to see thousands of people packed in here to watch a game, so clearly the store name is…read morefalse advertising. This is a pretty cool sporting store with two different names located in the heart of the massive Crossgates Mall in Albany. It's definitely one of the better stores I've been to in malls for sporting goods. I'm not sure what sort of customer they expect to be able to pay these prices, but people must have paid them anyway because they've managed to stay in business. That's pretty good for them. This store is more fun for me than Barbie when we're walking around Crossgates, so we didn't stay long, but I'm glad that it's here and it surely adds something to the mall.

Great place !! All of it friendly people! We have stores with no more help on the floor takes to…read morelong so I avoid those stores or not speaking English! Hate seeing a lot of stores closing! Rose

They have fabric but it's a pretty crappy selection very basic stuff. Very limited colors and…read morefabric makes. It's sad. As for their non sewing stuff saw a lot of stuff some of it's just junky.