La Follette's Two Newest Hobby Shops Are Built for Staying Awhile

The building at 1327 E. Central Ave. has been a convenience store, and after that it was a restaurant. Since August, the floor inside has been dirt. Small remote-control excavators push it around, and RC trucks with knobby tires crawl up a hill built from it. A price sheet hangs at the front of the store, much like the rate board at a bowling alley.

On North Tennessee Avenue, a shop that opened in September will give you cash or store credit for an old game console, then put it back on the shelf for someone else in town.

The two shops opened a few weeks apart, and they work the same way. Neither one depends on you walking out with a bag. One charges for time with the equipment. The other runs on trading. Both owners describe the store as a place to stay. If you live near LaFollette Country Club or anywhere in town, that matters more as the days get shorter, because an indoor afternoon now has a couple of in-town choices that aren't a restaurant booth or a big-box aisle.

A Dirt Floor on East Central Avenue

TN Hobby Haven belongs to Ryan and Amanda Darnley, who cut the Campbell County Chamber of Commerce ribbon on a Friday in mid-August. WLAF covered the opening and called the shop "Campbell County's newest place for children to play." The station also offered it as the answer for any parent who hears "I'm bored." According to that report, the Darnleys said they wanted to open a place the community could enjoy.

There are two ways to play. You can move dirt with RC construction equipment, or you can drive a crawler truck up a mountain. WLAF's photos show the dirt area and the posted price sheet near the entrance. The LaFollette Press reported that the shop also sells RC crawlers, construction equipment and accessories. Customers can bring their own vehicles or rent one at the store.

That rental option is the key to the business. Hobby shops usually live on what's in the display case. Here, a family can try the hobby for an afternoon without buying a truck first. Someone who already owns a crawler gets a terrain course that doesn't depend on the weather or on borrowing a neighbor's back field.

The shop is next to LaFollette Middle School, which makes it easy to find if you already know East Central Avenue. The Campbell County Chamber lists the address as Suite 1 and the phone number as (423) 201-9513. Calling ahead is the simplest way to check current hours before a first visit.

A Trade Counter on North Tennessee Avenue

Playability LaFollette had its grand opening on Sept. 11. The LaFollette Press gave the address as 151 North Tennessee Avenue. It's the third store for owner Daniel Osborne. He opened the first in Middlesboro and the second in Harlan, both in Kentucky. He told the paper he started the business with about $1,500 in cash and roughly $1,500 in inventory.

The stock covers older retro games and consoles, current games, Pokémon and other trading cards, and collectibles. Osborne told the LaFollette Press that "one of the biggest parts of our business is buying and trading with our customers." People bring in games, cards and consoles and leave with cash or store credit.

In the same interview, he described the store as more than a place to shop:

"One of the things that has always been important to us is creating a place where people with similar interests can actually meet, hang out, trade, play, and be part of a community."

He told the paper he plans Pokémon trade nights, tournaments and other activities for kids, adults, collectors and gamers. He also said he wants it to be a store "where you can stop in even if you aren't necessarily looking to buy something and still feel welcome." Dates for those events hadn't appeared in local coverage as of mid-October, so check with the store directly before planning an evening around one.

Same Idea, Two Different Hobbies

Both businesses give you a reason to come back that has nothing to do with new stock. At Hobby Haven, you come back because the course is there and you can rent your way onto it. At Playability, you come back because what you traded in last month is sitting on someone else's shelf now, and something new has replaced it. Osborne put it directly to the LaFollette Press: "That buy, sell, and trade cycle is really at the heart of what we do."

Each shop also moved into a space that already had a history. On East Central, a former convenience store and restaurant now has a working dirt floor. On North Tennessee Avenue, a small Kentucky chain that started out of a few thousand dollars opened its first Tennessee store. Osborne said La Follette "felt like a natural place for our third location."

A Third Stop Out on Stiner Highway

The same approach shows up at a business farther out. Robin's Nest Market and Antiques is a multi-vendor market at 5782 Gen. Carl W. Stiner Hwy, near the Claiborne County line, in the former John D. Suttles building. WLAF reported that it sells home décor, vintage goods, antiques, baked goods and more.

Owner Tonya Robinson told the Campbell County Rotary Club in August that she uses the business to host community events. The LaFollette Press reported outdoor markets and a tea event in the works. An outdoor vendor market was planned for Sept. 12. Robin's Nest is a longer drive than the two in-town shops. It fits the same pattern of a store that also hosts gatherings.

Planning a First Visit

A few practical notes for a cold-weather Saturday:

1. Start with a call. TN Hobby Haven's Chamber listing has its phone number, (423) 201-9513. For Playability's event nights and Robin's Nest's market dates, check with each business directly.
2. Bring the old stuff. Playability buys cards, games and consoles for cash or store credit, so the box in the hall closet can pay for the visit.
3. Don't buy a truck first. Hobby Haven rents vehicles, so a first afternoon on the dirt course doesn't require any gear.
4. Check the price sheet at the door. It's posted at the front of the Hobby Haven, so you can see the cost of your time before you start.

Alco's roots are in building, so it's good to see older La Follette storefronts come back to life, especially as places to gather and not just places to shop. If you're curious about what's opening on Central Avenue and North Tennessee Avenue, or what an older commercial or residential building in town could become, Alco Builders and Realty knows these streets well. Schedule a Consultation, and we're always glad to talk about how this town is changing.