Bad News, Happy Hobbie burns

[Funkster]

Local Happy Hobbie in Milwaukee, WI burns to ground, total lose. $162000 in damage for building, $140000 in contence loss.

[Casey]

It was the Happy Hobby store in West Allis, on National Ave. There are two other related Happy Hobby stores, both in Milwaukee-- one on Burleigh St. and the other on 76th & Good Hope.

I hadn't been to the West Allis store since April or so, but it was always fun too look around, and it's one less option to have now.

http://fox6now.com/2013/01/01/happy-hobby-store-in-west-allis-damaged-following-fire/

[Funkster]

Hopefully they rebuild.

[mikemodeler]

Sad that they lost everything, I would be surprised if they rebuilt the business given the fact that they have 2 other stores.

Interesting comment by the reporter mentioning the investigation and a tip that the police received, makes you wonder if someone had a grudge against the owners.

[Guest G Holding]

I suspect it was wiring in that old run down building......once started a hobby shop has a lot of fuel.

[The70judgeman]

Sad that they lost everything, I would be surprised if they rebuilt the business given the fact that they have 2 other stores.

Interesting comment by the reporter mentioning the investigation and a tip that the police received, makes you wonder if someone had a grudge against the owners.

Just out of curiousity...what tip did the police get?

[The70judgeman]

I suspect it was wiring in that old run down building......once started a hobby shop has a lot of fuel.

That's what I'm thinking...also had a leaking roof. And we all know water and electricity don't get along.

[Joe Handley]

Sad that they lost everything, I would be surprised if they rebuilt the business given the fact that they have 2 other stores.

Interesting comment by the reporter mentioning the investigation and a tip that the police received, makes you wonder if someone had a grudge against the owners.

Wow, worst we've had is to get egged! Sadly with the way some people act, that still wouldn't surprise me one bit

Edited January 2, 2013 by Joe Handley

[Joe Handley]

I suspect it was wiring in that old run down building......once started a hobby shop has a lot of fuel.

That's what I'm thinking...also had a leaking roof. And we all know water and electricity don't get along.

One building I worked in was like that, first winter we had that store I learned quick not to flip the lights on with gloves on after getting a big blue spark throwing one of the switches, then being a hobby shop would only make that worse!

[Don Sikora II]

I remember when that store was still Garman's hobby shop.

[Agent G]

Tip or not, the evidence at the scene will tell how it started. Not the easiest investigation to begin with, then combine all the combustibles in an average hobby shop, and, well, gentle reader it can be a stone cold female dog.

G

[Joe Handley]

Not the easiest investigation to begin with, then combine all the combustibles in an average hobby shop, and, well, gentle reader it can be a stone cold female dog.

G

Having worked in a hobby shop for 11 years now, I'd hate to have that job! You guys know if they carry R/C stuff there too?

[hgbben]

Havent been to any of those stores...used to work down the road from the one on 76th and Good Hope.

[The70judgeman]

Having worked in a hobby shop for 11 years now, I'd hate to have that job! You guys know if they carry R/C stuff there too?

They had some, but I think you're asking about Nitro Fuel. Not a whole lot that I remember. Not nearly the R/C stuff as say GN&H if you're familiar with them.

[Joe Handley]

They had some, but I think you're asking about Nitro Fuel. Not a whole lot that I remember. Not nearly the R/C stuff as say GN&H if you're familiar with them.

I was also thinking batteries, if they had a LiPo go bad and start to burn for what ever reason, that would have easily started that kind of fire.

[The70judgeman]

I was also thinking batteries, if they had a LiPo go bad and start to burn for what ever reason, that would have easily started that kind of fire.

Couldn't say about batteries. Their R/C area was so disorganized. From what I could tell, because I didn't go there often and not for R/C, everything in the that area is old stock covered in dust...no product turn-over. Who knows what all was buried back there behind the counter.

[lordairgtar]

http://fox6now.com/2013/01/01/happy-hobby-store-in-west-allis-damaged-following-fire/

[hemi]

Sad news indeed,I hope they can rebuild.

[High octane]

Sorry to hear that as I've never been in a Happy Hobby store unless it was in the early 90's when I was into R/C boat racing, but I don't recall. I know that a few of the R/C boaters went to Happy Hobby. The good new is that no one was injured or killed in that fire.

[Joe Handley]

Was the building in as tired a shape that it could be considered an eyesore like that one local refered to it?

[Casey]

Was the building in as tired a shape that it could be considered an eyesore like that one local refered to it?

It wasn't horrible, but there wasn't much time nor money invested in maintenance. The roof was always leaking, as evidenced by the numerous model kits with soggy, mold stained boxes, and even a few kits which were opened up to dry them out.

[The70judgeman]

It wasn't horrible, but there wasn't much time nor money invested in maintenance. The roof was always leaking, as evidenced by the numerous model kits with soggy, mold stained boxes, and even a few kits which were opened up to dry them out.

Compared to Model Empire, which is in an old building too, and Greenfield News & Hobby, you'd have to admit ALL three Happy Hobby stores were/are sties. You'd know better than me about the 76th & Good Hope store, I've only been there maybe once or twice, but the Burleigh store has had a leaky roof for as long as I can remember...over 20 years. The aisles seem to get narrower to avoid water damage and are pretty disorganized. All of their prices are too high(it seems the second a kit goes out of production the price of that kit doubles) and so, in my opinion, they don't turn enough profit to do maintenance...just enough to keep the doors open. OR, they're just too lazy to do any. As far as water damaged/moldy/mildewed kits are concerned, they'd rather keep it on the shelf at a high price and never sell it instead of reducing the price to move stock. There were plenty of kits I would have bought that were damaged, but they wouldn't budge on the price...I've asked. I don't care about the box or decals...would have thrown them away before I got in the house and would have got new decals. The plastic can be washed. So, I guess I really don't feel too sorry for these guys that one of their stores burned down. I know that last statement sounds a little cruel, but the fire is starting to sound a little fishy.

[Casey]

Agreed on most counts, but I'm not going to speculate on the cause of the fire. All three buildings are what I would call "dumpy", so I know that going in, but maybe that's why they still have a lot of the older kits. I have found some great kits for fair (though not cheap) prices at the other two stores, and even though some appear to have water damage, the contents, including the decal sheets were fine.

[lordairgtar]

Having been in that store to look through the bin for used HO scale trains for repair parts, I can attest to the shape of the building. I was afraid to walk in certain parts of it for fear of falling through. The basement had about two feet of water and mold grew everywhere. The guy that ran it had a bug about another hobby store and told me that other store was plotting to put him out of business and vandalized his building. Kind of a conspiracy nut I think. The guy could be real rude with people too.

[Joe Handley]

I have heard stories like that locally with R/C tracks, even though the two involved weren't exactly close. Unfortunetly, without being part of the inner circle of the accused or knowing what the investigators have found, we would just be speculating until the investigating is done and/or someone talks. If the guy was known to have pissed people off, I wouldn't totally be surprised if yet another person went mental and this time only took it out on the business and not the staff or customers. We have had to ban one customer from coming back a couple years ago for calling drunk and argueing with everybody but myself, had another guy who was associated with the Magic tournaments get kicked out and told not to come back before that by us and other places that do FNM because of his douchebag lawyer attitude! The store manager had to throw somebody out on the 26th because of his behavior in relation to a defective vehicle that he bought from us and we would have get taken care of for him.