Every now and then, someone asks why deltabase doesn’t have a physical shop.
Sometimes it’s genuine curiosity. Sometimes it’s implied — as if a business without a storefront is somehow “less legit”.
So I want to put this down clearly, once and for all.
This isn’t an accident.
This isn’t a limitation.
This is a deliberate choice.
Rent: the fastest way to kill a business in Singapore
Retail rent in Singapore is brutal. That’s no secret.
A modest shop easily costs $4–5k a month.
The model kits I sell operate on roughly 20% margins. That means I’d need to move 400–500 kits every single month just to cover rent alone — before utilities, before inventory, before anything else.
I don’t even have that many followers across all my social platforms combined 😅
Opening a shop under these conditions wouldn’t be bold.
It would be irresponsible.
Labour: expensive, and not easily replaceable
This is the second most common reason businesses shut down.
Most hobby shop owners end up manning the store themselves. Not because they want to — but because labour is expensive, and this isn’t a role you can easily outsource.
Selling hobby products isn’t just about scanning barcodes.
It requires product knowledge, patience, and genuine interest.
Those things don’t come cheap, and they don’t scale well.
Time: the invisible cost
Running a physical shop usually means 12-hour days, weekends, and public holidays.
Personally, that’s not a life I want.
I didn’t spend half my life building a work-from-home setup just to grow old standing behind a counter 😅
Time is a cost many people underestimate — until it’s gone.
Practical reality: getting kits home isn’t fun
Many model kits come in big boxes.
And in Singapore, most people don’t drive.
Carrying a large kit home on a bus or MRT isn’t exactly enjoyable — especially if you’re trying not to dent the box.
Ordering online removes that hassle entirely. The kit arrives at your doorstep, and you already know how I ship — carefully packed, with the box condition taken seriously.
In many ways, online just makes more sense for this hobby.
The most important reason: customer interaction
Even if rent and staff were fully covered, I’d still lose the part I enjoy most.
Talking to customers.
Answering questions.
Sharing context.
Going back and forth like fellow hobbyists, not just buyer and seller.
A physical shop puts distance between that.
This business was never about chasing the fastest money. If it were, I wouldn’t be selling plamo — or I’d only sell the “safe” kits everyone already wants.
deltabase exists because I enjoy this space, this community, and these conversations.
About the idea of a physical store (if I ever do one)
Do I ever think about having a physical space?
Sure.
If I did, it wouldn’t just be a shop. I’d want a place where people can hang out, build, learn, and share. A proper community space.
But that brings us right back to the first problem — rent.
Space that doesn’t directly generate revenue costs even more.
And I don’t want to end up running a business just to pay rent.
Closing
I didn’t build deltabase so it could keep itself alive.
I built it so I could enjoy what I do and make a living from it — not the other way around.
So yes — I actually know exactly what I’m doing.
