The Hobbyman’s award-winning crew, (from left) Gino Marson, Shaun Berryman, Davin Jones, Barry Cox, Adel Osbourne, Jason Holroyd, Nathan Stoggard and Gary Jarvis with a small selection of the shop’s remote controlled vehicles.By Shaun Inguanzo
A GIGANTIC warehouse full to the rafters with hobby equipment is the dream of Dandenong’s Hobbyman shop in McCrae Street.
The Hobbyman was last week announced the Hobby Retailer of the Year by industry magazine Toy and Hobby Retailer.
The 11-year-old hobby shop caters for all interests and offers a mouth-watering, almost intimidating, supply of hobby equipment, ranging from remote control cars, boats, planes and helicopters through to model ship kits and general hobby supplies.
It is the first time the shop has won the award, and manager Davin Jones said the team of 13 staff was delighted.
“There is a feeling of gratification,” he said.
“It is voted within the industry, basically by wholesalers and other retailers, based on service and volume.”
Mr Jones said the team worked tirelessly to ensure hobby equipment was constantly stocked on its shelves.
Overseas items are imported and stocked almost as soon as they are released overseas.
But it is the shop’s growth and future expansion plans that most excites Mr Jones.
The original Hobbyman, Mr Jones’ father-in-law Arthur Scheurer, still works at the shop.
It was his initiative and passion that kickstarted the business at its former Dandenong Hub Arcade site in 1994.
Mr Jones said the original shop was small, and catered only for model railways, until a supplier one day pushed remote control car products into the shop’s catalogue.
Since that day, Mr Jones’ involvement and passion for remote control cars has seen the shop grow from just one man and a small shop to a family business with 13 staff members and the equivalent of three McCrae Street shops.
Mr Jones said the service extended beyond most shops.
“We have got a good reputation,” he said.
“All our staff who work here are into the stuff we sell. We have employed specialists in each area.”
He said the shop had one of the biggest ranges in Victoria, with some people bypassing other hobby shops to reach The Hobbyman.
Mr Jones dismissed the idea of leaving McCrae Street to expand.
“No, it is an institution,” he said. “We are never moving, we are so well known here.”
“We want to expand but we will probably have multiple outlets, maybe a warehouse or supermarket setup.
“We could be the Bunnings of hobby shops.”
