Main Street Shop Springs into Science

Butterfly kits, kites and knobby bouncing balls—all of these comprise the usual spring rounds of outdoor toys at .

As the weather gets warmer, the independent Main Street hobby shop rolls out its outdoor toys, gadgets and science kits to keep up with the seasons. Matt Kriebel similarly is working to go with the flow as a business owner, too.

In regards to toys, Spectrum Scientifics has a debut. Totally new this season are model rocket kits, something Kriebel recently decided was worth the plunge.

"The problem is the model rocket engines themselves. I had the wrong impression of what was shippable... It's explosives, so UPS puts a $25 fee on it," he said, adding the U.S. Postal Service has considerably lower rates, as long as it's labeled. 

With a degree in physics, Kriebel worked for the Franklin Institue throughout the 1990s. He then moved over to the "classic cataglog toy company" Edmund Scientific. After the company was bought and sold, he decided to start his own shop.

"If I want to do this sort of thing, I have to do it myself. No one's is going to make a store and offer it to me," he said.

He opened the Manayunk shop in November 2007. He wanted to be a part of the boutique scene he associated with Main Street. 

He likes the shop, but has been disappointed by the economy.

"The trouble is you have a beautiful day like today and not a lot of people are coming in off the street. There was a while when Sundays seemed to be dead during the worst parts of the economy," he said, adding the brunch crowds have helped.

Kriebel serves a pretty niche market, with a dearth of science hobby shops around the area.

"Ideally, I'd like to be a destination store. I hope people will come here for this," he said. "The only other stores are the ones that independently owned, like this." 

When it comes to the toys, he and his employees try to be well versed. In demonstrating the spring merchandise, it's evident Kriebel knows his stuff, and is excited about his work.

"This is a 6-foot wide kite—so as wide as I am tall. Pretty big," he said.

He attributes his staying power—and the failure of similar shops—to his commitment to a "store" idea.

"Other places have been science gadget spots, not really a science store, per say. You walk in here and you say, 'Why does he have knobby balls?' Well, you go in the back, I have LabWare. That's why I'm a science store," he said.  

Now his goal is to split in-shop sales 50-50 with the website, though he's hit a snag recently. 

"I'd say I usually do about 60 percent of my business here and the rest online, though in recent months it's more 70-30 percent after Google changed its rules," he said.

In April, Spectrum Scientifics will redesign its website in the hopes of driving more traffic and sales. "We want one that's more search engine friendly. Everything on our page right now is a dynamic page and Google hates those," Kriebel said. 

Visit Spectrum Scientifics website or stop by the store at 4403 Main St.