Henry Vernon, 3, plays with a train set on display at Hobby Express in Cranberry Township on Nov. 15. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
Hobby Express packs quite a lot into its location at 1713 Route 228 in the Cranberry Commons shopping center.
Gwen DeCarbo, a co-owner of the store with her sister, Beth, and her parents, Henry and Diana, said Hobby Express offers its customers “model trains of all scales; diecast cars; slot cars; remote-controlled planes, boats and trucks; board games; toys for kids; puzzles; and arts and crafts supplies.”
Other products on the shelves at Hobby Express include card games, science kits allowing junior scientists to embark on projects ranging from building their own catapults to setting up a butterfly pavilion, coloring and sticker books, engraving kits, paint-by-numbers sets, and plastic modeling kits covering everything to do with cars, planes, ships, tanks and figures.
In addition to an abundance of products for every age and level of skill, DeCarbo said, “We offer one-on-one assistance. We are able to answer your questions before and after the holidays. We offer gift wrapping. We just have a different variety of products that you are not going to find in the big-box stores.”
“Everything in the store is very family-oriented,” she said. “We have things for grandparents, young families, guys looking for fun stuff to do on the weekends, couples looking to do puzzles together.”
“We have fun for everyone. People will be surprised at what we have here,” she said.
Hobby Express got its start in 1993 when Henry DeCarbo bought the hobby store, then located in Mars, from Bill Sweeny.
“It started out in Mars and we moved to Cranberry,” said Gwen DeCarbo. The store has expanded twice since it move to its current location.
“A lot of people don’t know the store is here,” she said. “The number of people who say that they have walked into the store for the first time is amazing.”
Hobby Express co-owner Gwen DeCarbo pulls a model airplane off the shelf at the store in Cranberry Township. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
Hobby Express co-owner Gwen DeCarbo pulls a model airplane off the shelf at the store in Cranberry Township. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
Hobby Express employees Erik Hettinger, left, and Willie Michener show off a toy car at the store in Cranberry Township. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
Employees Dorian Cooling, left, and Harry Schmiedel demonstrate a model train on display at Hobby Express in Cranberry Township. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
Employees Dorian Cooling, left, and Harry Schmiedel demonstrate a model train on display at Hobby Express in Cranberry Township. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
Harry Schmiedel of Hobby Express demonstrates a model train on display at the store in Cranberry Township. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
Henry Vernon, 3, plays with a train set on display at Hobby Express in Cranberry Township on Nov. 15. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
Model cars are on display at Hobby Express in Cranberry Township. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
Hobby Express employees Erik Hettinger, left, and Willie Michener show off a toy car at the store in Cranberry Township. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
Hobby Express employees Erik Hettinger, left, and Willie Michener show off a toy car at the store in Cranberry Township. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
Henry Vernon, 3, plays with a train set on display at Hobby Express in Cranberry Township. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
Henry Vernon, 3, plays with a train set on display at Hobby Express in Cranberry Township. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
