The story of Stevens International begins in 1976 when we visited the International Toy Fair in Nurnberg, Germany. On that trip numerous unusual and high quality model railroad products were seen, most of which had never been widely distributed to hobby shops in the USA. It occurred to us that there must be a market for some upscale and quality N and HO scale trains and accessories to accompany the limited amount of products available at the time. From this trade show was born Stevens International, a wholesale distributor to hobby shops, based in Cherry Hill, NJ.
Gradually, more imported specialty hobby lines were added until Stevens became a more diversified and desired supplier to hobby and specialty shops across the USA. By that time cross-country trips to visit hobby shops in all corners of the USA were made to establish Stevens as a major player in hobby product distribution. Over time the product base was expanded to include not only model railroads but also plastic model kits, die cast collectibles and more. Stevens quickly outgrew their small operation in Cherry Hill and in 1981 relocated to its current location, a full square block in the community of Magnolia, NJ, about 15 minutes from Philadelphia.
In time, Stevens received numerous requests for additional products including many brands of hobby kits, model railroads, science kits, craft and activity sets and collectibles. It was at this time that a major expansion into many domestic product lines was undertaken to supplement the vast offering of imported hobby specialties already being successfully marketed. In time, Stevens continued its growth, expanding its facility twice to accommodate the ever-growing depth of inventory needed to efficiently service its growing customer base.
After 45 years, Stevens International services over 1,000 hobby shops domestically and internationally offering over 50,000 items covering many areas of the hobby, craft and toy industries. We aim to steer all consumer inquiries to retail hobby shops, the link to the future of the hobby industry. Our personnel continue to visit trade shows both in the USA and abroad in search of yet more unique products to offer the American hobbyist. We hope you will find our web site useful and informative and that you will find many items which will enrich the life of the hobbyist and create enthusiasm for hobbies of all kinds. Remember to support your local hobby shop by using the "Hobby Shop Locator" on this site.