Lou and Joan Costello are retiring after 19 years of running Hobby’s Etc., a model train store in North Olmsted.

Hobby’s reaches the end of the line as owners retire
By Kevin Kelley
North Olmsted
Published May 5, 2010

For the past 19 years, Joan Costello worked to help Westshore residents enjoy their hobbies.

That all changes on Friday.

“I’m going to spend more time on my hobbies,” said Costello, co-owner of Hobby’s Etc., a model toy store located at Lorain Road and Brendan Lane.

Costello and her husband and store co-owner, Lou, are retiring. For several weeks, they’ve been running a clearance sale, offering model railroad sets and dollhouses at up to 50 percent off.

The Costellos say they plan to continue living in North Olmsted but hope to get away during the cold Northeast Ohio winters. They intend to spend more time with their four grandchildren, ages 6 to 16.

Joan intends to spend time on her hobby of dollhouses and miniatures, as well as ice skating. She also plans to finally build her own model train layout.

“I didn’t have time to build one,” she explained.

The couple said they tried selling their business, but no buyer could successfully finance the purchase due to the rough economy.

Joan Costello said one big way the model business has changed over the years is that today everything comes already built.

“Years ago, you had to assemble everything and paint it,” she said.

The reason? “Instant gratification,” she said.

Joan Costello has a strong connection to the hobby business. Her grandfather started one of the first hobby businesses in the country, Cleveland Model Supply. Her father ran a retail hobby store from 1958 through 1978.

The Costellos are loaning two decorative large model trains displayed in their store to the Western Reserve Train Museum in Mentor.

Several Westshore hobbyists visited the Costellos to say goodbye in recent weeks while the store held a clearance sale. (West Life photos by Kevin Kelley)

While some model railroaders have switched to making purchases over the Internet, Costello said Hobby’s has maintained a loyal clientele.

“We still have those customers who want to see the product, handle it before they buy,” she said.

She said she’s referring her customers to Grand Pacific Model Railroad in Olmsted Falls, which is moving to Middleburg Heights in June, as well as Wings Hobby Shop in Lakewood.

Several customers stopped by Hobby’s once they saw the “retirement sale” signs just to say goodbye. Some longtime ones even gave Joan a hug.

“I will not miss the work,” she said, “but I will miss the customers.

“It’s been a good ride. I really enjoyed working with people.”

Previous West Life articles:

• Model trains still fascinate in age of iPods, Xboxes (Dec. 15, 2005)