Located in Southside, St. David’s, the Hobby Shop can be described as every big boy’s dream come true. Recently acquired by Damien Tucker from previous owner André Simons, the store specialises in remote control cars, boats, planes, buggies and more, including ready-made vehicles and all the equipment to build or repair your own.

“I’ve always enjoyed models and I had a few small boats as a kid,” Mr. Tucker says. A leading seaman for Marine and Ports, Mr. Tucker was looking for a business opportunity that would allow him to better support his wife and four children. That’s when the chance to take over an established business came up.

“I bought it lock, stock and barrel,” he explains. However, while his new venture is at Southside, he still works in Dockyard, so his manager, Tonae Scott, runs the shop, while Trey Wade handles sales and mechanics.

“Tonae and I, we stay in constant contact,” Mr. Tucker continues.”I just let her manage the shop and she calls when she needs to.” He adds that the store’s number one seller is their remote control cars and buggies, which are available in one-eighth and one-tenth scale. “It’s not a toy, it’s a small car,” Ms Scott asserts. “It has all the parts of a car, but you drive on the outside.”

Like most others, she viewed remote control vehicles as a toy for ‘big boys,’ when she first started, however, she has grown to understand the technical differences and the complexity of these mini machines.

“There’s a large following of people that are into models,” Mr. Tucker remarks.

They hope to be extending their remote-controlled boat section in the near future, as well as adding educational toys, science kits and telescopes, particularly for the holiday season. The store encompasses about 500 square feet, which includes two slot car tracks. Each track runs up to six cars at a time and are monitored by computers. The tracks can be rented by the half hour or the hour at a cost of $12 per person per hour. Suitable for children as young as five, when supervised, the Hobby Shop also hosts birthday parties.

“In the New Year, we hope to implement a junior slot car league,” Mr. Tucker shares. Using the slot car tracks, he hopes to encourage young people by offering an alternative sport for them: “Our goal is to provide a positive outlet.”