mooby64

iTrader: (3)

As of Sat. May 3, Al's is closing their doors. Future plans to be determined.

TeamCarnage

iTrader: (31)

WOW... Bad news. Sorry to hear!

kevntri

iTrader: (37)

That really sucks
They were my backbone during my helicopter years.

Thanks for the good times

liquid g

iTrader: (46)

wow thats crazy!must be up to something if they are not trying to sell everything if they are closing there doors for good.

outlandr91

I cannot believe it

BashemSmashem

iTrader: (42)

WOW ! Thats a huge blow to the local hobby scene ! Every time I ever went there they were very busy ....

tonyd

iTrader: (52)

So sad. After 67 years Al's will be missed deeply!! I think I'm going to cry

Markcuda

iTrader: (2)

He's probably just moving out of Illinois because of the anti-business attitude Illinois has.

honda1

iTrader: (14)

Thanks Al's for all the support over
the 30years I've been coming to
The store. Thanks again Cindy,Chip
And the guys and gals will be missed

cjanderson3

iTrader: (35)

He is a she!!! But yeah this really suck to hear!

wyattroa

iTrader: (10)

Not really shocked by this. I used to love this place, but the last 5-6 times i have gone there they have had to order parts in for me. Same with other people i have talked to. At that point I can just save money and order online and have it here in the same time. The lady that ran the place would not keep it stocked well at all and never had the best attitude. Really hope the other employees there can find a good place to work. Chip was always great to work with. Seems like there was no warning to customers about this, i hope there was to the employees at least.

sobiski racer

iTrader: (2)

Great place, a supporter of the local scene. Support your local hobby shop as they are going the way of the dinosaur. I still have this magnet hanging on my fridge, both places great memories and great friends.

SpeedyBlue72

We can speculate all day, but local hobby shops as we know it are facing a difficult time.

1. Too difficult to compete with online shop prices
2. Lack of a track facility, or inability to create one due to antiquated zoning laws
3. Declining patronage of the customer base
4. Ease of online browsing and delivery
5. Cost of the renting/owning property vs return on inventory
I am sure that's only the start of that list.

One thing is for certain, a hobby shop that knows what it's customers buy, and knows what the most frequently broken parts are, and keeps those parts in stock, will probably always be my first choice.

Remember any time you order something online you are taking a sale from your local shop. If you do that, you can't expect them to be around forever.

But it is odd if Al's isn't liquidating...

MD

iTrader: (136)

I thinks it's difficult for guys like Chip who has been there for 14 years. He's a great guy and is always very helpful.

ChiMiniRC

iTrader: (23)

Just so everyone knows.
If you have store credit or gift cards, they are being honored but you need to get in there TODAY. The earlier the better.

If you have repairs there or prepaid orders, pick them up TODAY!

I've gotten to know the team there pretty well over the last 2-3 years and how things are managed. From my discussions with all last night, it is unlikely we will see them reopen.

What is even more sad is my discussion with local business owners have yielded the following up hill battles.

It appears Elmhurst would rather sell and tear down buildings to replace with hi-rises that will yield more tax dollars per foot. Since Al's has been around for a long time, ADA rules and other zoning rules have been grandfathered in many cases. Between the need for significant remodeling and Elmhurst's long term goals, it is HIGHLY unlikely someone will buy Al's out to reopen that location as a Hobby Shop.

Anything can happen. A bad sales day at Al's is a good or great day for any other hobby shop. What they could sell on a Saturday can even exceed what some stores do in an entire month.