PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — What started out as a childhood hobby has turned into a high-speed business for Dave Zitnik, owner of Zitnik Trains.
“We try to give this the old-time hobby store feel in here,” said Dave.
Dave and his wife Gale have been conducting business at Zitnik Trains in Pinellas Park since 2015.
It’s grown way behind our expectations,” said Gale. “It keeps you busy; it's very hands-on, so you are using your hands as well as your mind.”
Whether it’s tracks, cars, buildings, lighting or landscaping, they carry everything imaginable for your model train set, both new and used.
Some of the cars date back to the 1930s.
They are more than just a store; they’re a mechanic shop with more than 10,000 spare parts.
“We are the last authorized Lionel repair center in the state of Florida,” said Dave.
For those making their first stop at Zitnik Trains, they can’t wait to get you chugging in the right direction.
“Sometimes we’ll work with a family for a couple hours to build their own set, so we’ll pick out the track, a bunch of cars, we’ll run the whole thing for them,” said Gale.
However, the best part about their business isn’t found on a shelf.
“The people, they almost always leave with a smile. It’s a fun business,” said Gale.
They especially love watching parents and grandparents pass down their passion to the next generation.
“Memories trigger memories, and that’s what we always tell them. You are building memories for those kids,” said Gale.
And no better time to make new memories than the holidays.
“November and December are our biggest months for sales, particularly December usually triples because of the train interest for the Christmas tree,” said Gale.
The Zitnik’s officially kick off the holiday season on Sunday, November 5, with their parking lot swap meet from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., bringing in collectors from across Tampa Bay.
“Got my first electric train when I was five years old and moving up to now,” said collector Dick Estes.
“We exchange wisdom, ideas, knowledge, materials, and we make friends along the way,” said collector Dan Lewis.
