If you build model trains then you know about this place. It's basically the oldest of the old school hobby stores. It has pretty much all the stuff you might find in the Walthers catalog for the last several decades. It's the best place to get details in person because they have an entire wall full of them. read more

Scale Model Supplies - Toy Stores Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

See all

Hands down THE best store in the twin cities for plastic model kits, tools, and supplies. Nothing else is even close. I'm not a model train guy, but am equally astounded by their selection and all of the supplies and accessories they stock for that hobby. Their selection of new kits is very deep and very well organized. The vintage kit selection is varied and reasonably priced. And bargains can be found in the back room if you know what you're doing. Staff is uniformly friendly; I am always greeted when I arrive. If I have a question or need help, it's always fast and efficient. if I just want to wander around and window shop, they don't seem to have a problem with that. This place is a real gem. A throwback to a time when shops like this dotted the twin cities. I haven't seen a shop like this since I used to shop at the old Moeller hobby shop in Robbinsdale. On the rare occasion I need something they don't stock, I will buy online. For everything else, there's no other shop anywhere who gets my business. This place is an absolute treasure. read more

Wide selection of supplies and helpful friendly staff. I highly recommend. The place is large, and when I asked for a specific item, they walked me right to the proper aisle. read more

Great Place full of cool stuff, love to stroll through the aisles. Staff can be kinda different at times. Just wish they would locate to a better location, the neighborhood has changed over the years. read more

Regular customer here. I was looking at posters by the checkout area that appeared to have price tags, and this lady who I had never seen before stormed over and immediately told me to leave because it's "employees only" even though it's not marked. Extremely disappointed and will be taking my business to online storefronts. read more

UNFRIENDLY CUSTOMER SERVICE. I came to the store wanting to return two train cars I had purchased as a gift. They were unopened and still in the saran wrap. The guy at the counter asked why I was returning them, and I replied simply that I had changed my mind and decided to get some other gift. The entire interaction could have ended there. But he kept asking additional questions: why did I purchase them in the first place if I was going to change my mind; why did I remove the price stickers (as is common when gifting in American culture). He wouldn't stop asking probing questions until I finally told him that the real reason I was returning them was because I had purchased them for my dad and that my dad died. read more

Had been looking forward to racing slot cars with my adult son. I'd carried eight of my cars from Chicago to visit him in Saint Paul, only to find out the track here was not usable. Apparently only one person knows how to turn it on and he was gone for the summer. If you're going to offer slot car racing, offer it year-round so kids can get interested and old men like me can enjoy ourselves. My son is dealing with a major medical issue that makes it almost impossible for him to drive a real car any longer, this would have been a few bright moments of car racing on a 1/32 scale and you deprived him of even that brief pleasure. read more

Customer service was helpful. The staff seemed to know the inventory well. Store is well organized and full of all kinds of scale models supplies. I found all kinds of inspiration for an art project. read more

Best scale mode shop I've ever been in! Fully stocked, organized by subject and scale! Amazing aircraft and armor sections. Highly recommend! read more

Very friendly from the second I walked in the door. Store is filled from the floor to the ceiling, very good selection. I found something I hadn't seen in a while and it was a good value. I will stop whenever I'm near read more

GREAT store I've been coming here since about 1995. They have a HUGE selection of plastic models you can build, 1:18 die cast models, collectibles, horses, planes, trains, & a live race car track in the back VERY FUN COOL PLACE I LOVE IT !!!!!!! read more

Thirty years. Thirty. Years. I've been annoying the old farts at this place for at least that long, and by gum they've welcomed my lurking and staring and other "probably-single middle-aged man" behavior with the surliness and frowns one would expect from a fine establishment like this. I'm reminded of the words of Howard Carter upon looking into King Tut's tomb for the first time: "Can you see anything?" "Yes. WONDERFUL THINGS." Let's get real. These old hobby shops are dying out faster than flying squid. This is going to be a relic of the past very soon, if it isn't already. The scowl of the "owner." The stacks of plastic kits. The know-it-all pontificating about the diesel locomotives on the such and such line... ...all soon will pass away. The abuse they dispense is traditional for hobby shops from an age when men were men and boys were little men. You came in, took your abuse and cradled your treasures lovingly as you stuffed your hurt feelings away where nobody would ever find them. Ah, yes. The good old days. Relive them now, at Scale Model Supplies. The carpeting on the staircase is still rotting under your feet, just as you remember, beckoning you to descend to a treasure cave. The hobby items are reasonably priced, but the memories, the amazement, the smell of Asian cookery on it's way to St. Paul's glorious wastewater treatment plant-- that's on the house. read more

Its a great amount of kits and hobby stuff..and you can spend a lot of time there looking at mostly old and some newer stuff..but as far as trains go..they are seriously out of date with anything going on now..could not see any Broadway limited trains to speak of....and the peg walls with items to use for building a layout were not that great..i wanted to be more enthusiastic ..but its not there..i did find some things to buy..but not because anyone was overly nice or helpful..just wanted to support a local hobby store even if it was not well run..i suppose most will just order from model train stuff on line...when i talked to staff they seemed to be in a bad mood..and not really conducive to making me want to spend more time there..and to be clear..they do have a ton of inventory..mostly old stuff..and thats the big draw I suppose..its in the basement of an old building and you gotta want to explore..when you enter its going down some really raunchy looking steps..in a part of town you might think twice about going to at night..its a little like going to a barbecue place in the south..you may assume that the more dilapidated it is..the better the barbecue is.. As a person of means..i could have spent a lot there..but just spent the time i did there because there is nothing else in the hobby world to see in St. Paul..and not really excited about going back..been there done that..mostly was interested in the old plastic kits and ho trains..but nothing jumped out at me..and the train stuff was nothing you could not get online for a lot better price or selection..having said that..i would pay more to buy from a hobby store..but they didn't have anything much to offer..and certainly dont seem to be interested in being good hosts..the 3 stars are for inventory of old stuff..mostly plastic.. read more

I was looking for a place that sold Plastic Model Kits. So I asked around and my friend suggested this place ..... All I can say is this is the Mother load !!!! It is unbelievable how many kits they carry Planes, Ships Tanks, Slot Cars & Trains. I personally spend hours in there every time I go in. It's a lot like the "Northland Toy Show" the first Sunday in May at the State Fair Grounds. Except open everyday !!! Tell em the ZERO sent ya. read more

Scale Model Supplies - Model Planes, Trains, Automobiles, Tanks Etc. - Toy Stores Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

This shop is an institution that has stood the test of time, providing an essential service to hobbyists, and model crafters of all sorts. For those that build plastic kits, it has every variety possible, including outdated collectibles which are only found online, thrift shops or museums. There are model boat supplies, plastic and wood, model rocketry, and cars, in all their offerings, from metal, prebuilt, in scales small and large, extending across the full range including rare and short-run kits; in short, everything one would need for the hobby of your choice. It has the most diverse and thorough assortment of items needed by the model and train hobbyist in the entire upper midwest. The vast array of old kits, paints, decals, building materials, specialty tools, adhesives, paints, wiring, and extending into outdated or discontinued lines, and is a gathering point for used and priceless train cars and engines and detail items that just aren't found anywhere. The stock supply of rail cars, and engines, is unparalleled and one would have to travel to the coasts or to a collector & seller's convention to have the option of being able to view and examine them in person like this. There is also a depot collection area of used and antique power controllers, and every kind of track switcher and electric signal connector ever made, in bins where you can feel the old sturdy plastic from the 40s or 50s , 60s and marvel at the metal train cars and tracks. We have not even got to the slot cars yet, for those who would be curious or want to know, they could find themselves kept busy learning about slot cars and exploring a new hobby and the history and tracks, and parts, decals and chassis for years. And find the only slot car race area in the state also where one can be surrounded by cars whizzing all around. Thankfully, this shop has not done the thing that other hobby shops have done, which is to cave to market forces and become an RC toy car and truck store, and it is a good thing because unlike this kind of hands-on modeling, there is no experience of building or any challenging skill in RC car toys, and doing so would mean sacrificing inventory and shelf space to a downward slope that ends in computer games and collectible cards. This is a real-life actual hobby shop and the clerks are friendly and knowledgeable. If you need more information there are books, and used books that attest to the depth and breadth or research and interest in history, detail, real-life examples, and stories about items being modeled that is available in no library. It is not a toy store, in any sense of the word, but there are buildable kits for the youth, in STEM activities such as small downhill derby, or sailboats. There are microscopes chemistry sets and kit-making materials. The list could go on, and on. Let's hope this shop does too. read more

I have mixed ratings for this shop: *****5 stars for their selection. Nobody has the deep stocks of scale model-related junk and new treasures that this place has. Nobody could--because there's not really a market for it. Materials, kits, memorabilia--they have it all, and they have LOTS and LOTS of it. You will spend hours just wandering through the long aisles of stuff unavailable elsewhere (see below). *1 lousy star for their mean, elitist attitude--especially toward kids. If you're part of their middle-aged (most likely) single male demographic, then you're at home at Scale Model Supplies. You'll likely stand at the counter and chuckle with them, or join 'em upstairs for a smoke break. But... if you're a kid or a newcomer, don't expect any warmth or acceptance from these scale model troglodytes. They are sitting on a treasure trove of sometimes priceless hobby items. If this business was only friendlier to kids, they'd grow their customer base--that's a rock-solid certainty. Small parts would get broken, mishaps would happen--but that's going to happen with a retail business that puts their stocks within customers' reach. Kids grow up, grow out of Thomas The Train, and move on to rocketry and more expensive toys. If you want to take advantage of their awesome, huge slot car racing track--be there on Friday afternoon sometime. Or on a Saturday between Noon and 3PM. Otherwise they will not honor their posted raceway schedule for paying customers. On the day we were there, they were rather heartless in this regard. So part of me is with Joe I, Guillermo H, and Richard S, who wander the aisles gazing at dusty treasures found nowhere West of Akihabara. The other part of me wants to drive right past this surly mancave to ChooChoo Bob's--where you'll get a warm, kids-can-touch-the-stuff welcome--and leave with a sucker and a smile. Unfortunately, you'll find about 5% of the inventory at Bob's. Your call. Leave the kids at home if they don't have a thick skin. My 6-year-old son left crying. read more

I've been here many times in the past 15 years, but I think it is time to write a review. This is not your suburban strip-mall hobby shop. (If you want that experience, try Hub Hobby Center in Little Canada.) There is some parking along the alley, but you may find it occupied by people sitting in their cars and tapping on their phones. The alley and pavement of the parking itself might seem like it hasn't been repaired in years (it hasn't). The store itself is in the basement. You enter from the corner door on the street side of that alley wall you parked at. The steps down seem like they haven't been maintained well. (I do not know if there's an elevator down there; one may exist, but I haven't used it.) When you get inside, though, there's a HUGE variety of items. You like model trains? They got 'em, all scales, locomotives, rolling stock, buildings, kits, scenery, track, you are set. Books and magazines, too. You like model rockets? They can handle it. You wanted to build a model of the Saturn V rocket when you were kid, but never got one? They have it. You can get a submarine model if you want, too. There is dollhouse stuff, and horse model stuff...and a huge slot-car race track in the back. See, this store seems to occupy the entire basement of the arcade of shops on the southeast corner of Lexington and University. If you are looking for some sort of model stuff in the heart of St. Paul, you should be able to find it here. Prices are comparable to Hub for products I've bought, too. read more

Went there for the very first time on 4/14/21. Believe it a lot of everything that a collector could want to find for Collectable Toys, Video Games, Vinyl, CDs etc. Loved it! Now they are in sort of a transition time so don't be put off if you visit as there is so much to find. I only wish I had more time to look at more on my first visit. Definitely going back though, ended up buying a couple of Vinyl records that I have been unable to find anywhere else. read more

It was an absolute joy coming to this store. I've been a Build A Bear collector for several years now and the service at this store is by far the best, Vic was so very attentive of my needs and was obviously happy to be doing his job! He is most definitely an asset to this store. I also had the pleasure of interacting with the workshop manager. I think her name was Margot? She was very polite and all around a great example of leadership in the store. The staff at this location is a wonderful example of the ideal BAB team. I'll be returning regularly for all my Build-a-bear needs! read more

I have been a model railroader for the better part of 40yrs I swiched to n scale around 20 yrs ago hub hobby recently removed about 95% of their n scale stock off rice street so I found it a total waste of my time to go there... scale model supply is a n scalers dream come true verry large selection of both used and new well worth the trip from ramsey mn.. you will not be disappointed if you come. . read more

I was looking for laserprint decal paper, since Hub Hobby did not have any, and luckily SMS had it. It was a little on the spendy side ($3 a sheet), but as I had never printed decals before I was willing to pay more for a smaller batch from a local shop. The store is very large, not particularly inviting (very dingy) and some of the stock looks like it has been sitting around for a very long time. The selection of items is vast though, so there's a good chance that you can find what you are looking for, be it for models, trains, rockets and RC projects. read more

Recent visit to buy rocket engines after being away for a while (through no fault of this place)...I noticed that the giant train set up appears to be gone, but other than that this place remains a basement of wonders. Staff person on a recent visit was nice, and I lost track of time cruising the isles just looking. It had a sorta musty smell this time around that I had not noticed before, it sorta smells like a grand parent's house. A not unpleasant smell, but a smell none the less. I wasn't put off any - and just wandered and wished I had the time and disposable income, because there is more nerdtastic awesome here then I could ever hope to do. read more

This place is HUGE! I am more of an armor model person. So this place is stocked with massive selection of Tamiya/Dragon/Academy/Italeri/Tri-star/Trumpeter/MENG/Zevzda. The price about average price similar to what it cost on eBay. The good thing is you don't have to wait for shipping and you can literally see the box beforehand. read more

Super fun place to blow a couple hours. The racetrack on Fridays and Saturdays is huge fun! Try it out sometime.

The name of this place is no lie. Off the beaten path (and down some stairs), this place is a gold mine if you are into scale models! Especially if you are into model trains! If ever you wanted something for a model train set, it's on the shelf here, and if not, they will happily order it for you. So many things in this store - model train stuff, model plane stuff, model rocket stuff (flying AND display types), model ships; this place even has coin collecting supplies!! The staff seemed personable enough - it was my first time there, and I was just looking for Citadel paints (which, by the way, is probably the ONLY type of model paints they DON'T carry there...seriously they have a lot of paints...), so I didn't talk to anyone myself, but seeing how they worked with other customers, and how they knew just what their regulars were looking for the moment they walked in the door, I can tell these folks love their work, which makes for a great shop! I take a star off, only because they could have taken out the eight feet of Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars they had, and put in a section for tabletop gaming miniatures, and I would have been hooked. That is my only gripe though. Even though trains aren't my thing, this place was pretty impressive!! read more

Place smells. Smells bad. Like piss and mold. Bad enough to chase me out of there yesterday, and I'm a plumber. Still giving them five stars because they really do have a huge selection of supplies and random model kits, but the smell is especially bad on the west side of the building. Hope they get that taken care of. read more

The most comprehensive scale model hobby shop I have ever seen. You could spend hours browsing there is a little bit of everything for all enthusiasts. As e-commerce has continued erode the local hobby shop this store is a jewel. read more

Great store if you are trying to locate hard to find items. A bit pricy for your novice model train builder.

A must see! HUGE shop with a great selection. I was there primarily for model trains, and was amazed. Huge selection of old stuff new-in-box and a good used selection (go to the waaaay back). Prices were a bit high on some of the oldest stuff but for newer (discontinued) licos and rolling stock I thought they were pretty reasonable, esp. for a brick-and-mortar store. Lots of plastic models as well. Great place, well worth a visit. Nice to see a hobby shop thriving! read more

Unlike a lot of specialty shops they do not cater to a single interest, but carry enough items of various types that you'd swear your kits were their specialty area. My personal preference is for Sci-fi and Superhero kits. They have a large, varied selection and the pricing was reasonable for a local business. They have a good selection of tools and building supplies as well as the best paint selection I've seen in the area. The place is a little out of the way for me and I had some trouble finding it on my 1st trip (The map made it appear they were right on the corner) but they are well woth the trip. I've been back 4 times since my first visit 2 months ago. read more

So I bought perhaps $1000 of American Flyer train items here ... $250 locomotive, a whole box of straight track, 3 or 4 passenger cars, two Santa Fe diesels for $200, a couple cabooses ... and what appears to be a 1958 MoPac Combo coach car listed in Greenberg's for $125 - it was in the rear counter and I paid $130. After showing it on the OGR forum members determined the car's a "fake" - someone (NOT SMS) repainted some other AF car to resemble this rare one. It's been a year, I brought it in and explained to the owner how much I'd spent in the store (including some repair work, the owner recognized me) but you could see the owner was working out how to tell me to buzz off. True, I didn't have a receipt, but he admitted his receipts just have a "department number" on them. He said he couldn't do anything for me. I left it on the counter and told him he could sell it to another unsuspecting f----- and walked out. Buyer beware at Scale Model Supplies. Don't leave the store until you verify your model is authentic - let us know when you figure out how to do that. read more