A B Charles & Son

The shop is nice, very large with many areas to get lost in. Stairs lead to plastics and rc stuff - tough climb if you are old. Most of the staff is nice.

The new A.B. Charles Hobby Shop in Pittsburgh is a worthy successor to the old. Sadly, Bud Charles passed away a few weeks ago so he won't be able to see that his son, Scott, has taken what was good in the old shop and added his own and his wife's touches to create an exciting new store. Bud was a "train guy" and perhaps there's still a bit more work to be done before the train section of the store is up to Bud's standards. But a bit of time should allow that to happen. In the meantime, visit the store, see for yourself what's there, and make suggestions to Scott. He'll likely be eager to hear from you, and if there's a product that you want, he'll try to get it. Pittsburgh wouldn't be the same without A.B. Charles, so it's a good thing that the shop seems ready for the next 60 years of its life.

I believe if you visit the new expanded AB Charles Hobby Shop you will see that it is a vastly improved shop and now a destination business for all members of the family with several new products and areas of interest to now include scrapbooking and painting as well as everything we had before. Parking is no longer an issue as we now have a large lot as well. Stop by and visit and talk with our friendly staff for all your needs or wants. Our address is now 1635 McFarland Road, Pittsburgh Pa 15216

PROS: The best full service shop in the region
CONS: none

Quite simply, the best hobby shop in town. The new location will make the best even better. No more problems with parking, and the expanded areas for all departments will keep this store far ahead of the rest.

This is it, an authentic Hobby Store. This is what hobby shops were before the large box stores and the internet started squeezing out the "Ma an' Pop" stores. Don't expect a smokefree or well lit environment, but none of that matters because there is a high likelyhood that these people have what you're looking for. The store has been open for over 60 years, selling trains, R/C cars and aircraft and the thing I want there for a large supply of plastic models. I've noticed that Michaels and the like have 20-30 models, usually only cars and a few aircraft. This place has an incredible supply. I found a Revell model of the H.M.S. Beagle (sailing ship)... I first thought the price was high, but I was happy to pay it to support the little guy, only to find the exact same model on amazon.com for only two dollars cheaper, and of course after shipping costs it would be more at Amazon.

If you're involved in this hobby, you owe it to yourself to check this store out. Good luck finding parking!

PROS: Huge selection, knowledgeable staff, reasonable prices for a speciality sho
CONS: Parking is difficult to find.

This place has all the hobby stuff you would ever want. Most of the staff knows the product. Good selection but parking is horrible. Train and model department is strong as well as slot cars. They have a slot car track in the basement (they say). Stop in if you know what you want!

PROS: Stuffed with hobby stuff!
CONS: Talk down about other shops to sell their own stuff. Local has bad parking

this is a great little Hobby shop located in Dormont. It carries a nice selection of items at decent prices. The parking can be a little tricky since it is on street but it is easily accessable by bus or trolly. The help here is very frienly and love to see new faces. I was amazed at all the different items that they carry. The place is much bigger than it looks from the outside. I think this is one of the few places in the area that has been around forever.