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A few months back I posted that on a visit to Hobbycraft in Edinburgh, I noticed that they didn't seem to be restocking the shelves of GW product, and this had been the state of affairs for a long period of time. I did email Hobbycraft at the time and asked them what was happening, to which they replied that they would be restocking GW's products. Well I visited today (12th Nov) and I have to say that if that is a restock they have got some really strange ideas!
The store probably had the biggest selection of GW stuff in Edinburgh at one time; nearly a whole wall stocked to the gills with kits covering in depth 40k, WFB, and Lotr. This selection has now been shunted onto the end of a shelving unit, I counted no more than 20 boxes(mostly multiples). Gone completely were the paints,sprays etc. Now to be fair they have also downsized their model kits sections also but the difference is that they still have a decent selection of those, including paints etc! Now unless there has been a mass buy of GW stuff at Hobbycraft, are they getting ready to ditch them?
Again I ask my fellow UK Dakkas if they can shed any light on this. What's it like in your areas?

Though not in the UK, one of the local stores down here which always used to have fully stocked shelves of everything GW now only seems to order new releases, and nothing much else is left besides unpopular items that have been sitting there for quite a while. This has been going in for over a year now.

I asked about it a couple of times, and was told it wasn't supposed to be like that and they should restock as usual.... yet this still never happened.

Likely it simply is a matter of business not being as good anymore, and (not so) coincidentally the regular employee who knew everything about GW left and was replaced by someone who is really into MTG, but a GW noob. And so is the owner, so there is cluelesness as to which kits to order, resulting in (I suspect) almost nothing being ordered out of fear that whatever they do order doesn't sell fast enough.
Basically it's a downward spiral, because former customers (including myself) now take their business elsewhere, resulting in even less willingness to invest in the product, resulting in more customers staying away because they never have the item you want anyway. Items they can of course order for you! Which you don't want when you can just go to another store to pick it up right now. Rather sad case of dropping the ball.

Hobbycraft Solihull have had a refit. And it looks like GW and Battlefront have been pushed out to accommodate 'mainstream' kits such as revell and airfix along with the usual staple of Hornby and associated scenic kits.

Most of the Previous citadel paints were in the bargain bins though.

Ditto with Hobbycraft Newport, they seem to be slowly phasing out the wargaming stuff in favour of the 'scale model' side (as in, the historically accurate stuff and trains)

I paid a visit to a new Hobbycraft store that's opened at Monks Cross near York to see what they had model wise.

Quite disappointing frankly. Some model kits from the usual suspects (Airfix, etc), a small tool section with a few basics, a small paint section with Humbrol enamels, but not a whiff of a GW or any other wargame manufacturer box in sight.

I was more impressed by the art section, as it had plenty of stuff that's mentioned regularly on forums, but has not been easily accessible so far, so I'll give this a better look round when I have the time.

The "hobbycraft" in swansea UK has also phased out GW stuff. Found a ton of flock in bargin bins, which I promptly snatched up. Some kits on the shelves, about 7 in total last time I visited. The stock keeps diminishing on every visit but no replacements. Problem is is that they sell it for the same price if you bought it from GW directly shop or web. So why go to HC when you might as well go to GW. Thats my thoughts on why.

Solihull had the GW paints on sale. They tried it on at £2.99 per pot!!!!

 Mr. Burning wrote:
Solihull had the GW paints on sale. They tried it on at £2.99 per pot!!!!

Talk about getting a good deal!

My local Hobbycraft used to have a huge selection of modelling supplies and even some OOP paints. Now it's almost all gone.

Sigh.

Last time I was in one I noticed that they still had the old prices on GW terrain and building kits.

A new store opened near to me and has practically zero wargaming stuff, and a drastically reduced range of model railway and plastic kit stuff. Just a few of the main GW range, some Tamiya tanks and a few of those 'all in one' Airfix kits (with glue, paints etc.) - they don't even stock stuff like Tamiya primer and masking tape any more which is a bit of a PITA as it was always a handy place to go previously.

Yes, I was in Hobbycraft Southampton on Friday and they're blatantly not restocking GW now with only a few boxes left on the shelves. Found a Carnifex on sale for £23 which is a bit of a bargain (or just reasonable pricing depending on your point of view )

Just started Flames of War, but Battlefront stuff is long gone now unfortunately

As aside, my wife finds that her hobby stuff is poorly stocked too. I think Hobbycraft are definitely giving GW the boot, but are also trying to keep stock levels to a minimum.

I visited Hobbycraft Droitwich a couple of weeks ago and they had re-stocked GW products since my previous visit a couple of months ago. The GW range is still not great, but it is there.

Does anyone know if there are any Hobbycraft vouchers available anywhere?

Try the local papers.
I've heard nothing from them by email for some time.
I'll check Facebook.

Here you go:
From Hobbycraft's Facebook page today:

"Click 'like' if you'd love 25% off everything in store until December 2nd!

Pick up your copy of The Sun, The Daily Express, The Independent, i newspaper or The Daily Telegraph today to get your hands on your voucher!"

"they are also available in tomorrow's The Times, The Daily Mirror and The Daily Mail"

Nice one Skin, I just picked up 4 copies of the daily mirror to many funny looks at the newsagents!

All I need now is some money; anyone got any spare?

Well, it looks like online they're selling the 24-man Rangers of Middle Earth set:
http://direct.hobbycraft.co.uk/products-The-Lord-of-the-Rings-Rangers-of-Middle-earth_285883.htm

Why not just go to the GW on the Royal mile?

 Skinnereal wrote:
Here you go:
From Hobbycraft's Facebook page today:

"Click 'like' if you'd love 25% off everything in store until December 2nd!

Pick up your copy of The Sun, The Daily Express, The Independent, i newspaper or The Daily Telegraph today to get your hands on your voucher!"

"they are also available in tomorrow's The Times, The Daily Mirror and The Daily Mail"

Dang, wish I'd read that post earlier.

 vim_the_good wrote:
Why not just go to the GW on the Royal mile?

Because the Royal mile is quite away from fort kinard depending on where you stay, parking is horrid, new staff are iffy.

I'd say got to 6'stohit on Lauriston place, wayland prices but local dude, and he usually has some sort of project out that he's working on

 Glorioski wrote:

 Skinnereal wrote:
Here you go:
From Hobbycraft's Facebook page today:

"Click 'like' if you'd love 25% off everything in store until December 2nd!

Pick up your copy of The Sun, The Daily Express, The Independent, i newspaper or The Daily Telegraph today to get your hands on your voucher!"

"they are also available in tomorrow's The Times, The Daily Mirror and The Daily Mail"

Dang, wish I'd read that post earlier.

It's not as though the papers blew up in smoke the day after.
If you know a reader of any of those papers, see if they're binned them yet.
Poke around on recycling day and you might grab a nice shiny voucher no-one wanted.

Edit: I forgot to say the voucher is good until 2/12/12.

So I finally got to Hobbycraft and found that their GW stock was already marked down by 25-50%. Add on the 25% off voucher that ran out today and I walked away with a huge bag of stuff (read a new SM/chaos army) for £130! I'm happy the Mrs isn't!

Looks like Hobbycraft are dumping GW, certainly in Essex anyway.

It is funny the local hobby craft to me only opened a month or so ago and when i first looked they had a only a small selection, the main box sets and a few other sets that are more popular i guess grey knights and space marines, some new chaos stuff. But as we've gone in again recently it has never been restocked and the last few times it has been emptied completely and now it's mainly airfix and revell sets there. My wife did ask them about it as i would have grabbed some and had them for Christmas presents given the decent discount, but they told her it had all been taken down and sent back. Though they didn't say why.

It's probably for the best mate, if youre anything like me you'd just get yourself in trouble buying more than you have time to paint/use using vouchers on top of the discounts.

I have 3 flames of war armies awaiting assembly from when Hobbycraft dropped them and had a 25% off/£5 off £20 deal on. 2 years on and I'm no closer to starting any of it, not such a bargain when looked at like that.