BUSINESS FEATURE T&T Hobby Shop Plano business cruises through third decade J oe Sullivan said he has been into remote control cars since he was a child growing up in the 1950s. according to the business. He said his customers are comprised of
BY KAREN CHANEY
“full-scale” auto mechanics, bankers, lawyers, pilots and more. Their ages range from 3-90. “SOME HAVE A CAR THEY PUT ON THE SHELF WHEN THEY GET MARRIED. THE FAMILY COMES ALONG, AND THE KID GROWS UP AND IS INTERESTED IN REMOTE CONTROL CARS. SO, DADDY SAYS, ‘I HAVE THAT ONE ON THE SHELF, I WONDER IF IT STILL WORKS.’” JOE SULLIVAN, OWNER On more than one occasion, Sullivan said fathers have come into the store carrying an older model remote control car. For those looking for something speci c, T&T Hobby Shop also o ers special ordering, and cus- tomers can send a message through the business’ website. Sullivan also repairs remote control vehicles, which he said is a skill he picked up along the way as a hobbyist. “When I got on this side of the counter, it went along with the business,” he said. Sullivan said his favorite thing about owning this business is dealing with people. “My customers are the greatest people on earth because they are my customers,” he said.
His activity of choice was racing nitro 1:8 scale on-road remote control cars. He eventually became a hobby store supplier, and in 1991 he purchased T&T Hobby Shop, one of his clients. “The previous owner was going to close it down, and Plano needed a hobby shop,” Sullivan said of why he chose this path. When he bought the business, it was located at Spring Creek Parkway and US 75. Due to low visibility at that location, he relocated to a bigger spot at Parker Road and Avenue K before moving to the shop’s current location nine years ago. Sullivan said he moved because the current space is larger, and there is a lot of tra c on 15th Street. Sullivan said he chooses inventory based on what he thinks will sell, customer input and current trends. However, he said his decision-making process has changed over time. “It used to be looking at ads in magazines, but those have gone away,” he said. “That’s a shame. It used to give us a good heads-up on what was coming.” Top sellers at T&T Hobby Shop are remote control cars that range from $149-$999, remote control airplanes that sell for between $110-$400 and model rockets that cost from $20-$80, according to Sullivan. Rockets range from balsa wood models to more detailed pieces, including repro- ductions of real-life NASA rockets,
Owner Joe Sullivan and his wife, Gay, have been married for 45 years. He said Gay brightens the shop up and is much more cheerful and talkative than he is.
PHOTOS BY KAREN CHANEY COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
Around 1956, Joe Sullivan built this Control Line Stunt plane.
T&T Hobby Shop o ers items, such as this Associated 8.2E RC car ($400).
Here are the top reasons T&T Hobby Shop Owner Joe Sullivan says customers bring remote control vehicles in for repairs. • Broken suspension • Gummed up mechanism due to lack of use • To increase engine speed by getting a di erent motor, di erent gearing or modifying the engine REPAIRS AVAILABLE
W PARK BLVD.
T&T Hobby Shop 2757 W. 15th St., Plano 972-633-2470 www.tandthobbyshopplano.com Hours: Sun. noon-4 p.m., Mon.-Sat. noon-6 p.m.
W 15TH ST.
INDEPENDENCE PKWY.
N
Nation’s First Women-focused University System
twu.edu
24
COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Powered by FlippingBook