Visiting Grischa

Grischa Modellbau has been in business since July 25, 2009. The owner, Grischa Haid—a doctor by profession—had to make a career change for health reasons, so over eleven years ago he turned his hobby into his profession.

What many people don’t know is that “Grischa” is the owner’s first name—which is how the unique company name came about. There have reportedly been customers who drove all the way to Davos simply because they typed “Grischa” into Google.

Employee Serge Borromini, always on the front lines of sales, brings 35 years of business experience to the company, and the two complement each other to form a strong team. The sales floor at Grischa is clearly divided into different sections, so you can quickly find what you’re looking for.

Our expertise and consulting services are a key factor. Our extensive product selection and value for money are truly impressive. Our many years of experience (over 35 years) in model making is another one of our strengths. After eleven years as Grischa, we’re well known in the community. We also benefit from our central location—we’re easy to get to.

Model builders will find everything their hearts desire here.

Our many years of experience (over 35 years) in model building is another one of our strengths. After eleven years at Grischa, we’re well known in the community. We also benefit from our central location—we’re easy to reach.

For us, it’s pretty much a 50-50 split. During the first wave of COVID-19, our online store saw a lot of traffic, and we had our hands full making sure orders were shipped on time. That helped us get through the period when we couldn’t open the store because of the pandemic.

That's how you come to know Grischa Modellbau when you drive down Pfäffikonstrasse.

These days, more and more people are buying ready-made model airplanes or pre-assembled kits; the true model builder is clearly in the minority. Nevertheless, we still offer kits where you can glue pieces of wood together. Customers are also increasingly doing their research online before visiting us. However, in-person advice is still in high demand and is therefore a key difference from pure mail-order businesses. But it’s true—more and more orders are being placed online.

Our repair service is most often used for repairs. However, our customers also visit us to have adjustments made to their models or to have their remote controls programmed.

An extensive selection—one of Grischä's strengths.

It’s important to strike a balance between expensive and affordable, because customers want quality at a fair price—you won’t get far by just being “cheap.” If the product selection is right and every customer can be served to their satisfaction, then there’s no need to worry. The key, however, is providing reliable advice; that way, we can support the customer until they are completely satisfied.

Interview: Markus Nussbaumer

Wooden display model—a great way to get started in model building.

In addition to model airplanes, Grischä has a very strong selection of RC model cars.