From balsa wood airplane kits to old coins and stamps, the India Hobby Centre brings out the kid in us all. It is also a must-stop if you love collectibles.
A unique toy shop that was founded in 1954, this place on Russel Street has always been a place of nostalgia for children and adults alike. Earlier some of their stock of imported hobby sets came from from the UK. The Hobby Centre had many more outlets in cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad. All of these have closed down, the branch here is the last remaining one.
There’s much to see here – you will be lucky if you spend less than an hour perusing the toys, the vintage stuff, as well as the many framed posters and old magazines on aeromodelling and RC planes. Kolkata’s community of aeromodellers throng this place. You’ll love the balsa wood aeromodellig kits (basic ones to catapult glider kits and free flight models). The dinky car models sold here are quite good.
Stamp and coin collectors will love the place – they sell a variety of stamps, coins, currency notes and first-day covers. But what really catches your eye are the gorgeous vintage pedal cars, most over half a century old including an Austin J40, a Sunbeam Talbot, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Buick 8, Cadillacs and a Morris Garage’s ‘A’ model.