January is National Hobby Month!

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At the beginning of every New Year everyone has a list of Resolutions. Some are common like losing weight or getting more organized; some are unusual* such as learn a new party trick.  Why not be different this year and try a new hobby or rekindle your childhood hobby?


Here at Chinook & Hobby West all of our staff participate in at least one hobby that we sell. Jim loves building and airbrushing model kits, Tyler is creating a new HO layout**, Valerie is delving into painting/customizing 1:32 and smaller figures, and a couple of our guys are taking a break from their hobby to look into something new.



                          
                         Tyler                                 Jim                                     Valerie


So how can you find a hobby? Here are a few tips:

• Think about what interests you. Are you looking to do something outdoors or inside? Something active or quiet? Something to do alone or as a family? Make a list and you may find you can combine two hobbies into one. (i.e- love of photography and trains = railfanning)
• Think about cost/time/space. For Example- Many get intimidated when thinking of building a train layout. They believe they need a huge room, lots of time and a bucket of money. That is not so. You can start with a 4x6 board for HO scale and a starter set and build it up and add to it as you can. 
• Ask questions! When you find a hobby that interests you go to a source that will be able to answer your questions. A store that specializes in what you are interested in, The library, the internet, or someone that may already have the hobby you are looking into. 
• Get started on your hobby! Once you have decided which hobby best suits you in every way and you have bought or borrowed the equipment, clothing, tools and anything else you need, it is time to get it happening. Expect to start slowly at first, while learning, so have patience. You might even find a club to join and meet others with similar interests. This is a great way to make friends and to exchange ideas.

Need some ideas? Model Railroading, miniature figure painting, toy collecting, rocketry, dioramas, window box display, scratch building bridges, Remote Control vehicles, woodworking, Train spotting(fanning), reading, the list goes on and on.....


So come down to either of our stores here in Calgary or email us and we will do our best to match you to a hobby! (even if we may not sell it - lol)

* Reference the article: 10 Unusual New Year's Resolutions http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/10-unusual-new-year-s-resolutions-us-en/
**Follow Tyler's progress (Thompson River) on our blog - http://chinookhobbytalk.blogspot.ca/

~~This article is the opinion of Valerie Gale, Owner of Chinook & Hobby West