Most people talk about turning their hobby into a business, but Rob Sherwood likes to say he keeps his hobby enthusiasms in check when it comes to his shop.

As owner of Rob's Hobby Shop on West State Street in downtown Sharon, Sherwood got into model railroading about a year ago. Enjoying the hobby, he spotted a niche for the local area and opened the store about six months ago.

"Most hobbyists go into the hobby shop business and go out of the business quickly,'' Sherwood said. "They treat it as a hobby and not a business. I'm a retailer first and a hobbyist second.''

A former manager of a video game store, Sherwood said he didn't like the violent games that were continually being pumped out by companies. A hobby shop, he relates, has customers who are seeking peaceful relaxation to while away their time with the added benefit of putting their creativity to use.

In addition to model trains, the store offers rockets, radio-controlled planes and boats along with kits for people to build model planes, cars, boats and characters. In addition, jigsaw puzzles and scrap book supplies are also offered.

But traditionally, this is the time of the year when consumers look for that perfect all-American train set for under the Christmas tree.

There are a variety of sizes of model trains to choose from, but the overwhelming favorite is the HO size.

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