‘Hiz and Herz’ hobby store in Flint Hill
Grand opening set for Saturday
Flint Hill and indeed all of Rappahannock County welcomes “Hiz and Herz Hobbies & Racing,” a unique hands-on hobby store moving into the old Merry Moo Market site at 617 Zachary Taylor Highway.
The hobby store will have its grand opening this Saturday, Nov. 18, at 11 a.m.
“Having a hobby store is something we’ve always talked about,” says Michelle Gibson, who with her husband Charles Gibson resides in Amissville.
The “Hiz” side of the building has a
special emphasis on model slot cars, and features an impressive indoor racing track. As for the adjoining portion of the building also fronting Route 522?
“This is the ‘Herz’ side,” laughs Michelle. “This will all be local arts and crafts. And we will have crafts classes — moms and others teaching classes on making jewelry, wreaths, stained glass . . .”
Crafts for sale will range from hand-knitted afghans arriving from California to woodcarvings by a 13-yearold Rappahannock County boy.
Better yet, one or both sides of the hobby store can be reserved for birthday parties.
“We can have girls on the ‘Herz’ side participating in crafting while the boys are doing the racing on the ‘Hiz’ side,” Michelle points out. “Or the boys can always try their hands at crafting, and vice-versa.”
The “Hiz” side stocks all styles, makes, and colors of model slot cars, which can be rented and raced on the store’s long indoor racetrack, which has all the bells and whistles of a genuine outdoor track.
“We have all the cars and controllers to rent,” Michelle says. “You can race all day. This is a big deal for dads and their kids. It gets them out from in front of the computer.”
Model slot cars aside, photographs on the wall of the store reveal that all five of the couple’s children — three boys and two girls — were actual junior dragsters (a scaled down version of a top fuel dragster) who raced around the country, including in Indianapolis.
“We were the first family in the history of the National Hotrod Racing Association for junior dragsters who rotated five children in the same car,” Michelle recalls. “I had a daughter who was 13 years old going 70 miles per hour!”