RC parts- trains, planes, cars Family friendly and a fun hobby to get into. A lot of clearance items read more

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Haven't been to this store since its location on Old Oakland Road. I really liked the Old Oakland Rd location because it had tons of selection. Fast forward 25+ years later, and I'm now shopping for my son's RC car. Not as much as the old location, but customer service was good. Needed hex wheel adapters for my son's toy grade RC and the guy was able to get me a set that we took apart from the shop RC since they didn't have any brand new adapters in stock. Might have to take a trip to the other hobby shop that's close to this one to compare selection. . But overall, this shop wasn't too bad. read more

What a nice treat to have a hobby store in the Willow Glen area. I'd like to share my observations from my visit today. Although I didn't purchase anything today, I walked around the store to evaluate how I'm going to utilize my local hobby store. Service (5 stars) + Knowledgeable staff member. I heard him talking about batteries and educating a new hobbyist about their voltages. + Honest in helping this older couple about trade ins. Overheard him tell them that Sheldon can offer maybe $50 for it but outside market value can be significantly better. + Passionate about his RC truck that he upgraded with metal parts Selection (4 stars) + The days of stores with a huge selection of cars and planes are long gone, but there's plenty to get you started if you're new or just want an upgrade. For example, I saw some larger 1/6-1/8 scale buggies that look mean and green in terms of dollar signs (~$1,200)! + They have Traxxas, Arrma and some interesting off brand cars/trucks that come ready to go. + There were a couple warbirds planes, and the classic Cessna/Cirrus looking planes for both starters and experienced hobbyists. Value (4 stars) + I am pretty sure you can find better deals but that is not what this review is about. You really have to support your local hobby store or you're going to have to wait days to get parts when you need it most. I don't mind paying 10-40% premium to get it now. + I was a little surprised to see a set of Traxxas stainless steel hardware kit (basically an assortment of screws) for like $35, but guess what? That's how much they're selling on Amazon and by the manufacturer. I hope you find my review helpful. I also encourage you to try other hobby stores such as NorCal hobbies. You can go online, but I encourage you to support local business. read more

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Bad service No thanks to the fluffy guy, less hair, with glasses Good place to grab parts or a new toy but not to install or fix anything. Dropped off an RC car to get the ESC swapped. * 1st red flag: - got quoted to install two parts for $50-$60 Turns out the part bought didn't fit so got charged $50 to install JUST the ESC * 2nd re flag: - tested it out at home and the steering is now reversed Problem: Called in and the guy with less hair, kinda fluffy, with glasses said that they didn't touch the servo and that it probably been like that for a long time and I just didn't know.. Huh? Are you telling me that I don't know how the steering works on MY rc car? It can't just magically change its way of steering itself. Btw I've had it for over 2 years and it's been steering the right way up until picking it up from Sheldon's. What a bummer! Definitely recommend you to go to anywhere but here if you're looking to install something. read more

Sheldon's Hobbies - Hobby Shops Near Me - San Jose, California

Stopped in at Sheldon's Hobbies today for a plane. My son is starting to get into RC and he wanted one with a little better quality than the ones available on Amazon. We weren't disappointed. A couple of things first. Getting to this store is a challenge. It sits in downtown Willow Glen (or as close to "downtown" as it could be) and traffic is usually nuts there. Today, it was gridlock. When going into that area, always add 15 minutes to account for the challenge of getting in and finding parking...then getting out after. Next, it's a hobby store. Don't expect pristine isles and everything perfect. It's a hobby store. Now for our experience. They were amazing. Super helpful and friendly. This was our first time in and we weren't treated like it was our first time in. Other hobby stores have been like that in the past, so I'm really glad they were down to earth. Next, we found that we had a choice of about six (6) planes in our target type. This will be my son's 4th plane, but they've all been beginner planes and we just aren't ready for the advanced ones yet. But I wasn't expecting to have six to choose from. That was great. The bonus was that we were able to find a beginner model that is more advanced than the ones he's flown to this point at a reasonable price that didn't require buying extra stuff. It looks like they will be our new go-to location for RC supplies. read more

We discover this place last year when my son got into RC's, he got his 1st car from the other shop but after a couple of visits to them we find out that they weren't that warm and we find out Sheldons place at their old location, weeks later they moved this new place in Lincoln Ave. and their atmosphere, location and better selection for drift racing make this our perfect spot to come all the way from Livermore, Alex and all the regulars are so amazing and been helping improve my sons drifting skills, we already purchase like 3 more cars from them, prices are very competitive compared to others, great selection from beginner to more advanced rider, overall we highly recommend this place either if you're a beginner or experience rider, you won't be disappoint with all the selection on parts and accessories they have, also their location is just right on the perfect place in case you're hungry or want some quick coffee stop, read more

Amazing store, great employees, occassional wierdo customer... I was just in there, they had just what I needed so I bought it and decided to watch the drift racing for a minute and witnessed the weirdest thing I've probably seen in a store in a long time. One of the guys that apparently helped build that track (who is not an employee) got super mad because kids were accidentally crashing their toy cars on the track. The guy didn't even work there, and when one of the dad's verbally pushedback this guy got inthe dad's face, and it took several other dads and the business owner to finally calm that guy down. Even the dad that pushed back tried to calm the guy down. As he was angry at the little kid I heard him say that his car is not a toy because it cost $4000, and this shoudl be taken seriously. I couldn't believe human beings like this exist, and especially going to stores where kids shop. Luckily the employees sorted that guy out and calmed him down which is one of the reasons why this place gets five stars from me. Not only do they sell adult toys but they also handle occasional adult baby as well. Love this place. I just hope that guy is not a regular. read more

Sheldon's Hobbies - Hobby Shops Near Me - San Jose, California

This is a one stop shop for all radio control universe AJ and his staff are always knowledgeable and willing to help with whatever needs you have. read more

Well Sheldon's has moved to downtown willo Glenn parking is across the street so be prepared to take a short walk and stop at the Jamba Juice I had a peach perfection with a engery shot Sheldon's is still unpacking the inventory so it took me a minute to find wat I was looking for and the service as always is all good and every body is so friendly and helpful as always I give them all five stars and the cashier up front gets 7 stars he he he thanks guys read more

DO NOT TAKE YOUR DRONE HERE FOR REPAIR!!! Unless you don't mind a shop that is not focused on service, stay away. I should have known when I went here for a repair of my drone. I tell the obcviously interrupted girl I want to get it repaired and she rtold me the repair guy only works on Sundays. I ask, can I leave it here until then? She says ok and takes the drone. I ask for a receipt or anything saying you now have my drone? She says, we wont lose it. They only lost the controller and required me going back to ask. They searched and found it. I'm going to just list the problems... 1. no receipt when dropped off and they only repair on Sundays 2. I called almost two weeks latewr for a status. They tell me, it needs a new arm and to order it myself even though they are the hobby shoip. Strange but I order the part. 3. Part arrives and they tell me they wont repair until all parts are there. I'm frustrated when I notice I missed a requested part in the text telling me to order the parts. So, I olrder it and now they have the parts a week later. 4. I called multiple times to get a status and there was another part they needed so, since I'm the parts guy I order it. Another few days go by and when waiting I texrt the manager for an update and I ask if they have everything. I was frustrated the parts were on me to oprder and it was one thing after another. 5. Once they have everything I wait well over a week to check status. They only called me to ask why the folding arms weren' closing after the repair. The tech didn't know the DJI Mini 2 drone at all and was learning. I don't mind that he was learning because I know nobody knows everything. But it takes another week. 6. I pick it up, go home and try to test it but I have no controller. I drive the 20 minutes to pick it up. Keep in mind when IO called to ask if they had it, they didn't even know what they were looking for. They find it. 7. I go to test and all the props are off. So, I install and messed up on 1 so I take it back again thinking something was wrong with it after everything else. With the props still off from the repair, they clearly didn't even test it after everythiung else. They find that I installed wrong but they correct and I go home again to test it. Finally it seems to work. 8. Today, I fly it and I see a loose part, NO SCREWS. I lookl a little further and there are at least 5 screws missing. They obviously just snapped it together and neglectged to install the right screw. At this point, I don't even call because they don't care. I never once got angry or pulled any Karen BS. Yet, I never once got an apology, I had to order my own parts, I had to request status. They didn't test their repair. I had to go back and forth multiple times to get this finalized. Service is sorely lacking and the manager comes across as bothered and doesn't have any understanding of what to do when they don't know what to do and seems like he doesn't give a crap and wants you gone. If you read this and go there for service, you will soon be writing your own failed journey. The tech was nice enough but the manager is not managing anything except a bad attitude. They also tried to charge me for 6 hours. Thank God I had the text quoting 2 hours and never authorized to opay for 6 hours. Shady all around. STAY AWAY! read more

First off Im sure Sheldons caters to a select crowd, but my first time visit on 6/29/25 was abysmal. Did a web search and the address was in their last location 11 miles away. Dont know when they moved, but they have yet to update their info! Found the new place on Lincoln Ave and the accessible parking scarce. Walked in and in my case was looking for modeling paints and the selection was negligible, could have done better shopping on line, which Im sure that is why the industry has gone this route. read more

I bought an expensive battery with a proprietary terminator requiring special equipment to test. Sheldon's had the equipment and were willing to open a new package allowing me to test prior to purchasing. Great service, competitive pricing and a large selection read more

A year ago or so I bought a battery from here and joined their promotional mailer to get an immediate discount. (Good thing too because the battery failed prematurely) Today I got one of their promotional texts showing a 4-channel RTF hobby zone airplane for 119.99. I have a 3 channel plane that needs repairs, and decided to finally buy a 4 channel. I brought my 4 year old 30 minutes across town and asked about the discounted plane. The workers did not know, and we had to wait 10 minutes for them to reach their boss "AJ". They showed me a hobbyzone Mini Aeroscout labeled at 119.99 and said that was it. I looked it over and it clearly did not have roll control, with no ailerons. It said "2 servo with esc". I've attached pictures of the manual to prove the 3 controls. I brought this up, and pointed to the 159.99 4 channel hobbyzone plane and asked if it was supposed to be that one. Nope, they showed me some phone photo of some specifications showing "4 channel compatible". I said it was clearly a 3 channel plane, I owned one, and I drove my family across town for the advertised discounted 4-channel aeroplane. I told them I was upset and offered them a chance to have AJ make things right- they told me it wouldn't happen, and then told me AJ told them "to ask me if I could F***ing read" instead of understanding the situation. I asked to see the text and got to see AJ's management style. I feel bad for the workers who were as nice as they could be. AJ sounds horribly unsupportive, and this is clear cut false advertising to get me down there to buy a regularly priced plane I don't want! I will never go again, do not recommend. It sucks because I never write reviews and would rather support a local business. But this wasted my Saturday morning with my daughter AND my gas for insults I could have researched at home. read more

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Went there last Thursday with my 6 year old son to play on their drift track... a bunch of older "Boys" were there acting like a-hole... vaping in door. Yelling at my son cause his car stop in the middle of the track. He's still learning... Such a Great RC car community NOT! Totally will NOT bring my son back or come back! NORCAL HOBBY way more kid friendly. read more

We've been here for miscellaneous parts, like propellers and batteries and model kits. The staff has always been great in finding (or fixing) what we needed. They're always busy, so some times you have to wait for a minute, but they've always been knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. read more

DO NOT COME TO THIS HOBBY SHOP. I come in to buy a Rc drift car and some parts they just try to sell you anything on the shelf. I spend $520 on a drift Rc car and drive 45 minutes home to find out the car breaks after 2 minutes of operation so I drive back a week later they fix it but the entire time the guy was fixing it was telling me my Rc car parts are trash but I was told it was top of the line and now the charger they sold me is broken as well not even one charge on the battery I mean really?!?! I asked about parts for my Rc no prep car and they tried to sell me anything even I knew it wouldn't work but he assured me it would I did my research and I'm glad I didn't buy any more parts from this rip off store. read more

I went into this rc store not knowing what to expect, overall blown away on how fun and cool of a place this is, rc race track, rock crawling room, weekly events to race other people or play with! The store was sick tons of rc cars tons of parts knowledgeable workers to help with all questions! I was super pumped last time I had been in a store like this I was a kid and this was so nostalgic! Prices are pretty much what they are online, they had a massive selection from short corse to rock crawler to drag racer, boats and airplanes and everything you need to customize I was stoked leaving there definitely will be back in the near future would recommend this place to anyone! read more

Sheldon's Hobbies - Trx4m "mini crawler" - Hobby Shops Near Me - San Jose, California

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This shop is THE place to go - the staff and owner are awesome and they have a good selection of parts and products. They are really good at diagnosing problems. Shop local!! If you want to shop amazon they do match prices. read more

I needed a specific color of Tamiya paint on a Saturday and was fortunate to find it here. They have a good variety of supplies - not just for RC cars but also planes, rockets, etc. I'm a fan of model kits and they have a good variety of those as well There's a huge racetrack in back and judging from pictures on the the internet, they've changed the layout a few times. Customer service was great as well. Highly recommended. read more

Sheldon's Hobbies - Huge rc car track in the back - Hobby Shops Near Me - San Jose, California

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The Worst Hobby Shop in the World! They will try and sell you the wrong parts or anything to make $. My friend warned me he hasn't been back since 2018. So Disrespectful and Rude. Telling me to F__K off! They don't even Care if one is Disabled!!! read more

They were very helpful in telling me and my cousin on if it goods for beginners to drift

A great resource for your RC needs. They have a Drifting track in the rear of the store, and time is available on a rental basis. They have been hit severely by shoplifting teams in the past, so the front doir is controlled by electronic locks. They may occasionally limit the number of customers inside yhe store, on busy days. Don't be discouraged if you ring the doorbell, and the door doesn't open right away. Give it a few more rings. read more

Should FOR SURE have more than 3 stars. Almost kept me from visiting the store but thank goodness I did anyway! Absolutely love this place. Right away, when you get in- ask for Couch. He knows all there is to know about the hobby. I came in knowing SOME and with all of the help I received, I was able to make a comfortable decision and get exactly what I needed/wanted. Staff is patient and do not put the "hurry up and buy" pressure on you. They have amble knowledge on everything RC but a lot on drifting which is what brought me in. I was able to build my chasis and Couch did the finishing touches for me(even fixed some of my mistakes so if you're new at this- may just want to let him do it!) They charge between $65-100 for builds/labor and carry GREAT quality products. I can't wait to go back and try out their track 10/10 recommend!! read more

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I've been going through some difficult times recently, so I decided to take time off of work and get back into my hobbies. I've been here for the past couple of days picking up parts to fix my E-Revo. All the staff have been great at helping get what I needed. During my last visit, Art, while helping another customer with a crawler, noticed I was in a bit of a hurry and asked if I needed any help to which I said I just needed nylon nuts as my wheel came off. As the customer was still deciding if he wanted to purchase the crawler, Art escorted me to the back, showed me the miscellaneous pile and said whatever I wanted here, I can have. It made my day. I've already recommended this place to a few of my friends and will be back soon for my new Traxxas Sledge parts. Thank you! read more

Sheldon's Hobbies - Replacing parts I got for my mini E-Revo from Sheldon's Hobbies. Great service! - Hobby Shops Near Me - San Jose, California

I have purchased RC parts and trucks from Sheldon's, and had them do some repairs on my Traxxas Hoss. Always professional, nice to deal with and reasonably priced. This last time Kenny worked on my Hoss and took great care of it. I'm back at my local tracks having a blast. Thanks Kenny! read more

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Fair/decent. Good place for long time hobbyists If you're casually involved there may be better places to support you read more

Great hobby shop! Been to shops all over the Bay Area and the customer service here is fantastic.

Yea I came in today and I ended up buying a dragster myself I can tell you I recommend this place definitely coming back for more stuff it's better price than what I seen online so definitely worth it read more

My first time at the store and I was impressed AJ introduced himself to me and my son and helped us out with a upgrade to 4s on my son's granite mega 550. We had a few problems with the set up and it was corrected fast service and very helpful. I also came back the next 2 days with my daughter we upgraded our AK8s with the DX5pro continued to get great service. We drove 34min to Sheldon's Hobbies and will continue to come and service and buy all of our R/C needs. Thanks for the service and helpful information and also a great staff who are willing to help!!! read more

Lousy customer service they don't put much time and effort into your equipment at all this place is a waste and a dump.

Took my monster and tried it our on the rock crawling area of the hobby shop. It ate the terrain! The big tires and clearance soaked up all of the rocks and bridges and whatever else it had to offer. See photos and video. read more

Sheldon's Hobbies - The "Big Nasty" goin over rocks like nothin! Shocks are flawless and soaks up any terrain. - Hobby Shops Near Me - San Jose, California

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This is a follow-up to my prior review. since my last review, they have purchased a very large collection of plastic models from a true collector who valued the kits and took very good care of them. Sheldon's has also put price tags on them, and for almost all of them, the prices are reasonable. This has transformed the store, in my opinion, into one of the most interesting hobby shops between San Jose and Southern California. It is great to have the return of a really good plastic model shop to the South Bay Area. read more

I would give no stars if that is an option. It's a long review, but we had horrible service and needs to be explained. The short version is: they had our truck over a month, lost it, thought we picked it up though I repeatedly said we didn't, found the truck, said it was ready and cost $60, went to pick up the truck, was never touched, when finally ready, had to pay $200 and still go back because the truck still didn't work. Now for the details: My husband dropped off a gas powered truck for a tune up that we were doing for my son for Christmas. It was dropped off a few days before Thanksgiving. He was quoted $60/hr for a tune up with parts being extra and was told he would be called when it was ready. A week before Christmas we hadn't heard anything so I called and I spoke with Kenny who said they couldn't find it and was I sure we didn't pick it up already. After telling him multiple times it wasn't picked up by us, he continued to say they didn't have it and he remembers it being picked up at this time someone else got on the phone said he vaguely remembers it being picked up. I said it wasn't by us and he told me he would look into it and get back to me later that day. I didn't hear from them again and called the next day, spoke with Alex who told me Kenny was new and didn't know where to look, but they had found the truck and it was ready to go. I asked multiple times that it was ready to go and each time was told yes and that the cost was $60. I said my husband would be by that afternoon since it was ready and pick it up. My husband gets there and the truck had never been touched. No tune up done, not cleaned up as they said they would, nothing! The mechanic told my husband he could do it while he waits, so my husband waited. And waited. And waited. The regulars were helped while he waited. The mechanics girlfriend or wife showed up and the mechanic proceeded to talk with her and went over to play with cars on the track while my husband waited. My husband waited some more until another worked told my husband to go over and talk to the mechanic. The mechanic said it was going to take more time and to come back tomorrow. So my husband left after over an hour of waiting to return the next day. He gets there the next day, still had to wait more while the mechanic worked on the truck because he still wasn't done and then gave my husband the bill of $200...after I was told the previous day it was $60. TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS and at least two hours of my husbands time as he waited for the mechanic to do his job, but instead was hanging out with the regulars, playing with cars on the track and chilling with his girlfriend/wife. HORRIBLE SERVICE!!!!! There was nothing we could do but pay and get the hell out of there. The day after Christmas, my son and husband go to start up the truck and drive it and it doesn't work. So we paid $200 for what?!?!? They go back to the shop and the mechanic who worked on it a few days ago said, oh it needs a new clutch. My husband tells him well it says on the paperwork you replaced the clutch, so if it needs a new one, what did we pay for? The mechanic was mad that my husband had the paperwork and said customers aren't allowed to have that. Well, it was handed to him when he checked out, not his fault this shop wants to keep their records secretive. The mechanic fixed the truck...again and didn't charge because he was told be management not to. But while there for this fix...again the mechanic left the truck for his girlfriend/wife and regulars at the track in the shop, so my husband and son waited at least an hour. So there's over three hours of my husbands time, and hour of my sons and an uncalled for amount of money overall wasted at this shop. The truck seems to be up and running fine now, and as long as it stays that way we will NEVER return to this place. They do not treat new customer well at all, but if you are a regular they will drop heaven and earth for you, they are extremely unorganized, don't know what's going on or where customers cars are unless it belongs to a regular. read more

Just bot into the R/C car fad Or the ARF kit fad Trying to find a hobbyshop these days that caters to a nice kit collection Or decent balsa that actually has a price tag on it And not covered in dust Seems a feat in itself read more

There are so many great things to choose from! I went in there looking for a new RC car and not only did I get what I wanted, the staff was super helpful with all of my questions. BEST HOBBY SHOP IN SAN JOSE ! read more

Came here for the first time to try out the track. I'm horrible at drifting but everyone there was nice and welcoming. The track is absolutely beautiful and they have a wide variety of RC products for everyone. Definitely check this spot out if you're in the area! read more

Great hobby shop. Very friendly employees and extremely fair pricing. Support your local hobby shop instead of buying online!

I bought a new Arrma rtr rc car from Sheldon's and 5 days after ran into some manufacturer's defects. I contacted the manufacturer and they made me wait 1 week just to tell me that they would not provide any help. I took the car to Sheldon's and they graciously offered to fix my car for me and had it turned within 24hrs. Absolutely amazing customer service. Will be purchasing all of my hobby needs from them. read more

HORRIBLE customer service. That's all you guys need to know. Hope this review is useful for you guys. If looking for a reliable hobby shop this one is not it. read more

This was my first time ever using a rock crawler! I had ordered one and it arrived and the same day I went to this place to use it in there rock trail and it's soo much fun! And the best part is that it's free to use their track ! I'm definitely going to be buying my parts for my Redcat Gen 8 here! read more

Sheldon's Hobbies - Hobby Shops Near Me - San Jose, California

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