Thanks for the post. Hog Heaven is a great place to shop. I went there looking for ways to wire up my Alpha Payloader night flyer, got way more advice than I needed. But that's ok. I'll definitely try to work the sale into my schedule, although I need more kits like I need a hole in my head about now. But there's other stuff there that Hobby Lobby doesn't carry.
Re Spare Time, I had a good experience there the one time I went. All I bought was a fin alignment tool, but we ended up shooting the breeze about rockets for a good fifteen minutes.
Hobby Emporium seems a bit sketchy. Great kit selection and the've got a good selection of Estes engines, but I get a slight feeling I'm not quite "cool" enough.
But having long surpassed the age at which I feel I have to concern myself with "cool", it's water off a duck's back. They have the added advantage of being open on Sundays, that's a good thing if you're in a pinch for what you need for the next launch.
But of the three, I think I like Hog Heaven the best. They greet you enthusiastically, and they've got lots of good advice for whatever project you're working on.
Maybe with luck I might bump into one of you guys when I go.
Rick