A great, little, hole in the wall model shop. Be prepared to search for that one kit you must have. Well worth a visit!

This is easily the best model shop i've been to. It has a large selection of just about anything you would need for modeling and is very well stocked. The prices here aren't bad at all either. The employees are very friendly too. In fact, the only reason why i rated 4 stars vs. 5 is because of the time in which you can shop here, being open for only 4hrs a day and closed Sunday-Monday. Other than that though, I absolutely loved this shop. I will most definitely come back in the near and far future for models and related products alike! read more

Fantastic Old School Stuff and a cool !!!!Excellent Selection of Generations of Aircraft; Ships, Cars, I'll be back read more

Skyway Model Shop - A puzzle - Hobby Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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My experience with this place was not good. I called about 15 minutes before closing to see if they had certain models, but the man who answered (the owner?) was more concerned about going home and was rushing me off the phone and said come on down, see what you got. While that is not unreasonable, I wanted to check for certain model in stock before I take a two hour bus ride. On a positive note, they have a LOT of inventory which would take me hours to peruse. I don't have that kind of time, not to mention they are only open four hours a day and closed on Sunday. I'll just stick to shopping online and having my selections shipped to me. read more

I have been coming here for the last few years and always find an airplane model to build to add to my growing collection. This is an "old school" hobby shop where you can actually see and open the box and see what you getting. The prices are competitive and you can avoid the crazy shipping and handling charges online. read more

It's nice to still have the old-school hobby shop feel where you can ask the owner or any random person in the shop for advice on what materials you need, and everyone is friendly and helpful. There's a great selection of kits of all genres, prices, and vintages, as well as all kinds of paints, diorama finishing, and other modeling supplies. I'd much rather support a small local business like this than a chain, and will continue to make this my primary model shop location as long as they're open. Pro tip: Place an order at My's sandwiches next door and do your model shopping while you wait for your food. read more

Wow! What a "Styrene Jewel" is this place! Rows and rows of models. I found one model I had been looking for for a while. It you get into Seattle, give Skyway a visit. Just be aware of the hours. read more

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Discovered this model shop couple years ago while driving across Rainier beach, the white bearded man who owns the store is an enthusiast to naval vessels(warships larger than destroyers). Listen to his recommended choice I purchased the 1:250 scale battleship Arizona which costs $24.99. Great deal at a reasonable price, I'm having fun assembling pieces and call it an artwork. One thing they can improve is I wish toolkits like handy glues are available. Well, overall they have my satisfaction. read more

This is the ultimate awesome Model Shop ever! Old school? Heck ya, man, I was a kid again when I saw this company. Models I put together already and ones I wished I had and more. There was a little model shop short from the 7-11 and it had gas powered tethered bi-planes and tri planes. Even Snoopys 049 red Barron teather. I used to live in Skyway. Its was a nice place for kids and youth to grow. My favorite thing was working to make money to buy models. AND build. The cost in the 60s was about 3$ a model. That was about as cheap as you can get. Now they are not. However, this store has a lot to choose from and not just one but two or more. Paint galore. Try to get one bottle on Ebay for less than 10. The prices are really nice here and I was in a hurry. But I was happy to see the rare models you cant buy from the REVELLE company on line. It sure is nice to have a model company like this. It looks like they will be around for a while. The workers are awesome, they help you the best they can and provide helpful information on paints you can use on models and what you cant. Their paint brushes are in good taste, they have small bottles of thinner. I forgot to look for the spray paint that hardens paper covered wings that is fuel proof. It dont melt. Thanks you Skyway Model shop for being around. You are rare. Now, I ask you to build a small rail road to show off G, H, and N scale, to stock slot cars and tracks, as well as balsa kits and sky rockets to assemble. I bet Estes would be happy with ya. Best wishes in sales!!! read more

Since relocating from CO a few months back I have been seeking a place that would replace Colpar Hobbies (which I had been using, off and on, for 40 years). Unfortunately, I didn't check too deeply into my hobby needs pre-relo and have been disappointed that the South Sound seems dominated by trains and RC (just not my thing). For Father's Day my wife and daughter took me out to see Skyway Model Shop. Before we even opened the non-descript wooden door I could it was my kind of place. The windows were covered in model kit company stickers and you could see kits stacked on shelves inside. Opening the door I could see stacks of kits to the ceiling in all rooms, display cases of completed models, and could hear people talking about kits and builds. After wandering around it was easy to grasp the organization of the store and searching for some new builds. My favorite manufacturers were there: Tamiya, AFV, Meng, Airfix, Revell, etc. I grabbed some kits and some supplies before checking out. The staff was very helpful trying to locate some hard to find kits for me and letting me know that Airfix would be re-releasing one in the future. Great place for scale model builders! read more

Nothing like an old school hobby shop with a great selection. If you are in the area, I highly recommended.

This model shop is one of a kind, the people there are helpful,knowledgeable, the selection is second to none, I am happy to support this local business,customer service is not lost here , this is a great plus for me,this ethic is getting rarer these days, thanks to you S.M.S ! read more

Not worth the trip! Very bad attitude toward customers! VERY pricey! Should change his business name to sky-high prices hobbies! Check AMAZON! read more

Last and best of brick and mortar hobby shops, great selection of everything plastic static models and helpful friendly staff, love going here read more

Online stores have really made it a challenge for hobby shops to remain viable. If you're a model builder (plastic models of ships, aircraft, etc.), Skyway Model Shop is definitely worth taking a trip down to Skyway to check out. THE ROSES: This place is a veritable Aladdin's cave of model kits! You will find a truly astonishing variety of kits from manufacturers all over the globe! Lots of hard to find and vintage kits as well. Great selection of hobby supplies too. On top of this, they have a many displays of models built by staff and friends that are truly worthy of any good aviation museum. THE THORNS: Cramped space. They really could use a bigger shop. The neighborhood is extremely sketchy as well, but it's fine in the daytime. THE VERDICT: One of the area's best hobby shops, operated by people who are true aficionados, and not some corporate entity with a bland mass-market inventory. By all means check this place out, and budget a good amount of time for browsing! read more

Came in for some Vallejo (wargame) model paints, and found what I needed, along with some good brushes. Even though I'm not into the scale model hobby myself, it was fun browsing the models and definitely transported me back to my childhood when my Dad would take me to the hobby shop. Just judging by the assortment here, I would guess they have a lot of rare models. My only suggestion would be for them to carry some RPG/war game miniatures if possible. Even generic ones as they come in handy for paint testing/practice. read more

I've been obsessed with the hobby of making miniature whatsits out of plastic stuff my entire life. Nothing is more fun than slapping together a model of your favorite car, battle tank, or jet fighter, then watching it melt because you used way too much of that solvent glue. The Puget Sound area is blessed with a plethora of model stores, from chains like HobbyTown to locally owned masterpieces like Skyway Model Shop. Skyway Model Shop is an amazing place, with a deep stock of both the latest and out-of-production kits, paint selections from Tamiya, Testors, and others, lots of tools and accessories and publications, and most importantly, friendly staff that are passionate and deeply knowledgable about the hobby. The store itself is tiny, but don't let its size scare you off -- the rooms are chock-full, with kits and gewgaws packed floor-to-ceiling. I've found a lot of great stuff here, and they do amazing twice-yearly sales where you can pick up amazing bargains. The advent of discount Internet ordering for model kits and supplies has really killed a lot of great model stores; don't let this jewel slip away from us. PS: Skyway Model Shop is in, well, Skyway, in a bit of a ghetto-fab neighborhood. Not to worry, though, as there's always a Sheriff's Deputy parked at the bar next door (I'm not kidding). read more

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Best model selection ever!!!! Everything from new to out of production kits. Extremely fair pricing! Tools are amazing! And detail sets, magazines are superb! Display of built Models is stunning!!! Come to this shop for all your model building needs, you won't be disappointed! read more

Like many before me have said this is an old school hobby shop, think back to the mid-1990s before the internet. I build plastic airplanes and this place is loaded with every kind of airplane kit you can imagine of all scales. Great selection of paint, supplies and airplane books. Lots of older stuff that the owner acquires from estate sales and the like. The owner is extremely friendly, helpful and is a modeler himself. I will continue to support this business. I live 40 minutes away but it is worth the drive to browse the huge selection and shoot the breeze with the owner. If styrene models are your thing please check it out! read more

Great little hobby shop! Not many of these left in this world: glad I stopped found a cool kit, reasonable prices and really good selection for size of shop! read more

Skyway Model Shop - Hobby Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Trying to find a model shop in the area is hard these days. There used to be one that was great in west Seattle that I went to as a kid and the owner was always cheery and nice. Now That I'm older and have kids of my own I try to peek their interest in models since its not as popular as it once was. Almost everytime I go into a model shop lately I seem to get horrible service and usually by the end of my quick visit I remember why these shops are not popular anymore. I have been wanting to visit this shop for a couple months but haven't had the time. When I did I called to see if they had any metal or diecast models the answer was yes. The place was hard to spot if you have never been, once I found it I was worried I was going into the wrong shop for a second with the door that you usually would see on a house. When I brought my kids in, there were three people there talking away and didn't even say hello to me so I went around looking at models and my daughter fell in love with the models that were in glass display and I instantly got happy. This whole time these two big guys were talking in the middle of an aisle and not even my son would be able to squeeze by them. Granted the aisles are very small but the courtesy was not there so I had to say excuse me to interrupt their conversation. After looking everywhere for what I called about I asked the younger guy at the counter and he looked baffled by my question and I couldn't believe it I mean I just called and they said they had what I wanted. Then one of the big guys stops talking and behind me says "you mean diecast, their over in the corner" and goes back to his conversation. What? This guy works here? I couldn't believe the service I was getting especially knowing I have kids and am new to this again, you would think that is one of the customers you would try to grab.. Going over to the corner I notice this is not a popular area with only a couple models under a layer of dust that were not good looking. The feeling of dust bunnies getting busy over the years in this corner came to mind... I had to get on my knees to look and also wipe off hella dust just to see what the names of a couple models were. Luckily in this day and age I can whip out my smart phone and check if I'm getting a good deal or not, Wow this place was going to charge me $8 more, for what? A dirty spot with no help and horrible service? While I was finishing up looking at these dirty overpriced old models my daughter must of been very intrigued by the models they had in open display at kid height with no sign saying don't touch right by where we were. My daughter must of touched the model because all of a sudden the big guy stops his conversation, raises his voice to tell my daughter "Young lady do not touch those models, you do not touch other peoples models you should know that." I could not believe what I just heard, you do not talk to anyone that way in that tone of voice especially to a 6 year old. I stood up and looked at him and gave him a second to say something else which he instead went right back to his conversation. My anger level was at an unstable point after hearing what he just said and luckily the rickety exit door was right there hoping it would fall off after I left with my kids. I went out of the way to get to this place and what a waste of time. Luckily there was a park near by and my kids forgot about this place and the rude man. You wonder why people say its a dying breed till you visit this shop, what a joke... read more

Hands down my favorite model shop in the region. I've been building models since I was 10 but just recently discovered Skyway Model Shop. I don't see myself going anywhere else for tools or kits. Their selection is gargantuan, especially considering the size of the shop. If you like kits of planes, ships, or cars you'll love it here. I'm almost exclusively a Gundam builder but I'm still not let down by kit selection. SMS is also the least expensive shop that I've found. (bought a kit there 2 weeks ago and the exact same kit was for sale at the Tukwila Hobbytown for 40% more) The owner is always willing to chat and seems to really know his stuff. All around, this is an awesome shop. I can also confirm the last reviewer's claim regarding the police. Always there. Always. read more

A small shop but packed with styrene.. if you build it this place has it. there aren't too many hobby shops like this around anymore. If you're a kit builder this is your spot..the owner is very nice guy he took the time to fish out a kit that fell behind some shelving for me I highly recomend you guys keep shopping here I would but Im from california..Hopefull the next time I visit Seattle this place will still be here.. read more

I went in there with my child to look around to see if anything interests me or my son. After looking around for about 10 minutes we were approached by the owner and he said something along the lines of: what do you want to buy today?, I said we were just looking right now. He said to us that we should not be looking if we were not going to buy. He then said something along the lines of: that is the reason people steal because they do not have money., I brushed it off because I am not a confrontational type, but it was very insulting and possibly related to us being people of color and him stereotyping us like we were thieves just because the way we look. We have money, it was just that there was nothing worth buying to us in that entire store. Everything was dusty like it has been sitting on the shelves for decades. The owner was mad because we did not want to buy anything. Thats not our fault, No people skills and no business skills equals no sales from us. I get disgusted everytime we drive past this place now. read more

I've been in this shop a few times now. It's one of the last brick and mortar model shops around. It isn't huge, but they do have a decent selection. If you're looking for 1/72 aircraft, you're in luck. Wide variety of paints and tools and such, too. They have some aftermarket stuff, although that area is pretty limited. They also have a number of aftermarket decals for sale. There are some that have been opened and used, which is why I didn't go with 5 stars. I'll be back for sure. read more

if you're ready to get serious about building models, this is your place. Unburdened by RC cars or educational toys, this shop caters to the serious plastic modeler only. Great selection, decent prices, good atmosphere, Skyway's definitely got that old-school hobby shop feel. Rather than buy online, why not keep your money local and keep a great place going? When the mom & pop hobby shops are gone, all we'll have left is Hobby Town USA. That's not a world I want to live in. read more

Lots of model kits but most are like 20 years old. Prices are higher then most places, cramped, dirty. If you like old musky hobby shops with maybe some rare old finds then you'll love this Seattle landmark. Otherwise go to a newer shop. I was in there for over 30 minutes and nobody seemed to care i was a potential buyer. read more

My son has been going here for years since he was just a little kid He loves it. The owner is helpful and knowledgable. Best example of a small business owner. Unfortunately this is a dying breed. read more

TONS of paint, supplies and TONS of older outdated kits. 90% of their kits are 1/35 or larger. If you want 1/72-76 you're not going to find anything. Their prices are inflated. Not sure how they stay afloat. I'd love to support a local store, but it's the web stores for me. read more

Website information is out dated, everything is thrown on shelfs with no organization. Asked the guy if they had a model, he said no idea and good luck finding it in the store. Tons of models if you are looking for cars or planes, but specific ones will be hard to find. read more

Nice place, was referred by a shop that didn't have what I was looking for( large scale model ) this place had a load of them. Great selection, good service and knowledge. Not so much interested in making a sale... more interested in selling you what you want. And they probably have it. In the model department. I'll be back read more

This shop has a great selection of aircraft and vehicles, it also has great accessories and miniatures if you're interest is focused on world war 2. If you are looking for any other genre or fantasy this shop may not be for you. All in all, Skyway has a lot to offer. Unfortunately I have to give it 2/5 due to the interaction with the owner. While going to purchase a supply of black ink I didn't have cash and went to use my debit card; the owner proceeded to lecture me on how cards are killing him and he wants to stay in business. I totally understand and am empathetic, maybe just put up a sign that card purchases under an amount are not allowed. I would've totally just bought more ink and stocked up to make sure we both were successful. After such a negative interaction though, I'll just place the bottle back and look online. I really want the local hobby shops to make it, but I don't want to support a business that treats its clientele like we don't understand or are out of touch with reality. read more

I really enjoyed shopping here. Friendly atmosphere and great products. They carry all sorts of paints: Vallejo, Tamiya, MM, Humbrol, Lifecolor, AK Interactive, Mig, etc. The kit selection is pretty impressive as well. read more

This place is phenomenal. You will not find a store with this kind of selection anywhere close to Seattle. The staff are really helpful and guide you toward making the right purchase, not the expensive one, and sometimes not even a purchase from the store. read more

Just visited the shop, they almost have practically one of every current plastic model kit out there (in all categories) and a number of vintage kits too. Store organized by sections and scale. Plus a ton of tools/paints/decals/books. If you are a modeler you have to at least stop by once in your lifetime. read more

Skyway Model Shop is the modeler's model shop in Seattle. The selection is comprehensive and eclectic, with the latest in plastic kits fighting for shelf space with vintage kits you may have never even seen before. Tools and paint? Check- best selection in town. Reference material? Check- plenty of vintage books at fair prices plus the latest pictorial guides and how-to books from all the best sources. Helpful advice? Double check -- the owner is an avid modeler and the customers are very often the best modelers in the area. There's a reason they hang out here, and everybody I've met there has been friendly and helpful. It's the best kind of hole-in-the-wall shop you can find and really worth the trip to the top of the hill. Closed Monday though. read more

A must stop in for all modelers! The guys are friendly and they are willing to put in the time for you (this must be why their are negative ratings....modeling needs patience, right?) Anyway, the same model on ebay with the huge shipping is slightly more expensive and here, you get good tips if you ask the right questions. read more