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Joe's Hobby Center out of business

Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 12:20 pm
by Garry K
I stopped by Joe's Hobby Center at Grand River & Drake in Farmington on Wednesday, June 3, only to find they were out of business. The store was empty (no merchandise--still had display cases that are slated to be auctioned) and there was a sign in the window saying their property was seized for non-payment of taxes. It said they owed $899 plus 2009 taxes. (!)

A source who knows the owner says the owner tried to negotiate with the IRS, but they wouldn't negotiate, they just shut him down instead. That's ironic especially as the head honcho at the IRS is one of the biggest tax cheats around!

Anyway, if you were thinking of heading over there, save yourself a trip and the gas as the store isn't there any more.

Makes one wonder why anyone would try to keep a business running under this administration.

Garry K

Re: Joe's Hobby Center out of business

Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 12:39 pm
by AARR
Sorry to hear it. And in case you haven't noticed more and more businesses are shutting down or leaving the country so maybe they don't want to put up with the administration here :?

Re: Joe's Hobby Center out of business

Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 1:37 pm
by Racer
Although I am a shopper at Merri-Seven Trains, it is sad to see Joe's Hobby Center closed. Probably a good thing for Merri-Seven Trains because they will get more customers that went to Joe's.

Re: Joe's Hobby Center out of business

Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 1:57 pm
by GTWFRED
Sad to hear, whenever we worked down in that area, I was there almost daily, talk about selection! So much for the "kinder, friendlier IRS". :cry: :cry: :cry:

Re: Joe's Hobby Center out of business

Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 2:18 pm
by Garry K
Another ironic thing is that Joe's was shut down for a pittance of back taxes owed, when at the same time the government throws trillions of dollars at large auto companies, banks, etc. Of course, I wonder if the IRS ever considered that by shutting down some businesses that those businesses will never again contribute taxes to the sustenance of the colons in Congress.

Garry K

Re: Joe's Hobby Center out of business

Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 2:52 pm
by CERY
I still have a $50 gift card for Joe's. $@%^!

Re: Joe's Hobby Center out of business

Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 3:35 pm
by CSX_CO
If it was really a 'pittance' of taxes owed, why couldn't they just pay them? Why weren't they paid in the first place?

It really irks me as a tax paying American, that certain individuals or businesses purposely avoid paying their taxes. Its not hard, and more often then not, the IRS or State will work with you as long as you make an effort up front.

My guess is it was more than just a 'pittance' of back taxes. $900 to ensure your hobby shop stays open, isn't that large of a bill to foot. Especially when your weekly purchases to most distributors greatly exceeds that. Instead of ordering 5 of the latest locomotives for 'store stock', get 4. You'll quickly make up that $900 owed in just deferred inventory purchases. My guess is there was something else going on (declining sales, competition, poor business management, etc.).

Practice Safe CSX

Re: Joe's Hobby Center out of business

Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 5:03 pm
by Hugh
I am sorry to hear Joe's is closed. I used to make the trip every now and then. The last time I was there the floor stock was the lowest I ever was it and it felt like the heat was off.

Re: Joe's Hobby Center out of business

Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 9:09 pm
by GTW6401
Id say its more ordering items off the internet is the main reason why so many hobby shops have been falling by the wayside in the past few years.

Re: Joe's Hobby Center out of business

Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 11:00 am
by Fred
I heard the store is just relocating a short distance away, if it isn't, I too am sorry to see the store close. Although I no longer shop there ( I now am involved in Large Scale Trains, Mark didn't carry that at the store) I was heavy into HO for over 40 years and remember when Joe's Hobby Shop had 4 different locations at one time - used to patronize the Wyoming store in Detroit and then later when relocated, the one in Dearborn.
I was going over past issues of MR over the Memorial day weekend and couldn't help notice that except for P&D Hobby all the others advertising in MR back then are all gone! I'm afraid the internet/mail order houses have taken over almost all the business.

Re: Joe's Hobby Center out of business

Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 11:47 am
by AARR
Great Lakes Hobby in Utica is hanging in there.

Are there any Riders left? They used to have quite a few locations.

Re: Joe's Hobby Center out of business

Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 2:17 pm
by GTWFRED
Rider's in Lansing is gone, I know they had one in Kazoo & GR, heard Kazoo closed (can't confirm), don't know about GR. (Also thought they had one in the Detroit area, Royal Oak???)

Re: Joe's Hobby Center out of business

Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 2:32 pm
by rdenman62
Rider's Hobby in Flint is still open....There is also a Hobby Town in Grand Blanc...

Re: Joe's Hobby Center out of business

Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 2:43 pm
by AARR
Roders in Utica only lasted a year or two

Re: Joe's Hobby Center out of business

Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 4:04 pm
by SD80MAC
Only Rider's left are Grand Rapids and Flint.

Re: Joe's Hobby Center out of business

Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 4:12 pm
by sd70accsxt700
No there are more Riders left then that. There are two diffrent Riders. There is corporate, that is the small stores all over the state. Then there is the two Riders left that are owned by Mike Allen, who's only ones left are Flint, and GR, but also used to inclued, Lansing, Madison Heights, and Utica.

Re: Joe's Hobby Center out of business

Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 4:55 pm
by Ben Higdon
Theres still a Riders in Ypsi, just a mile or so from my house.

Re: Joe's Hobby Center out of business

Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 6:08 pm
by Fred
Last time I was in Taylor the Rider's on Northline Road was still open.

Re: Joe's Hobby Center out of business

Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 9:20 am
by railohio
Rider's in Toledo is gone, not that it was a big loss.

I have a book, Journey to Amtrak by Harold Edmonson (Kalmbach, 1972), that has a price tag inside the front cover from Joe's Hobby Center listing Dearborn and East Detroit as store locations. The price was $6.50.

Re: Joe's Hobby Center out of business

Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 10:39 am
by fmilhaupt
The Rider's Hobby family tree is kind of complicated. Here is how I recall it.

First, you have the stores that are the straight-line descendents of Ken Rider's first shop, converted from a pen and typewriter shop in the late 1940s:

* Ann Arbor (the original, downtown, closed)
* Ypsilanti
* Canton (closed)
* Jackson (this was adjacent to warehouse space they acquired in the former Ginsberg's Surplus building near the airport, closed)
* Kalamazoo (closed)

During the later Jack Busch/Mike Busch era, they expanded by offering franchises. These include(d):

* Livonia
* Taylor
* Toledo (closed)
* A store somewhere in Texas (if I remember correctly, it has been gone a number of years)
* Sterling, Virginia

Then there are Mike Allen's Capitol Cities Hobby stores:

* Flint
* East Lansing, then Lansing (closed)
* Madison Heights (closed)
* Grand Rapids
* Utica (closed)

Hobby retail is a tough business, and it hasn't been getting any easier as the number of shop closings over the past ten years attests.