Feeling nostalgic

Hmm. Since returning to the hobby a few years back, I've had several twangs of nostalgia too, Steve.

I've looked up old kits I remember, and sometimes I can almost smell them as I look at the pics.

You are lucky, I have no recollection of my earliest kits, or of how I got started in the hobby.

My fist plastic model was a Strombecker USS Ruderrow, I was probly 5 years, it was in the mid 1950s.  I used tube glue.  When came to the decals, I didn't how they worked, so cut them off with scissors and glued them on with the tube glue.  But I loved it!  I did EVERY THING after that.

I remember the 1/72 revell prop planes and aurora 1/72 jets unpainted with decals .

Man, don't get me started! I remember building all of those A I rememberurora monster kits. I built my share of cars too, but space and monsters were my favorite. I remember building the Apollo capsule with the LEM attached to it. And I learned how engines work by building the working V-8. And I still remember when the first Big Frankie model came out. How I wanted that thing, but it was just too much money. I've almost bought the Moebius re-issue of it a few times, but still think it costs too much!

I think the one kit I would buy in a minute if I could find it was one of Johnny Unitas. I forget who put it out, but I remember they made a line of sports figures. I also remember building Willie Mays, but Johnny U. stands out the most since I was a Colts fan.

tankboy51

My fist plastic model was a Strombecker USS Ruderrow, I was probly 5 years, it was in the mid 1950s.  I used tube glue.  When came to the decals, I didn't how they worked, so cut them off with scissors and glued them on with the tube glue.  But I loved it!  I did EVERY THING after that.

 

Greg

Hmm. Since returning to the hobby a few years back, I've had several twangs of nostalgia too, Steve.

I've looked up old kits I remember, and sometimes I can almost smell them as I look at the pics.

You are lucky, I have no recollection of my earliest kits, or of how I got started in the hobby.

 

cwalker3

And I learned how engines work by building the working V-8.

My brother built that V8 kit. We had it on a shelf for many years. That was a pretty cool kit.

You guys are bringing cool stories. Keep it coming and thanks for sharing.

Here is another early recollection:

I remember building Model A, or some such thing. Once when I got it built, I took it outside to play. Eventually, I ended up in my parents car where I promptly forgot the model on the dash. I went out later to get it, and I was stunned to see that it was half melted. For second I was heartbroken, the next second was, hey, that looks cool! It looked like it was in a car wreck! I had fun running the car down some dirt hills pretending to crash it. A few years later I gave it the ultimate car wreck by putting a firecracker in it.

Bang!

Family friends and relatives started giving me stick and tissue kits when I was about five.  Dad and Mom too busy to help me.  Took a couple more years to learn to read the instructions well enough to finish one (a Guillow kit).  I guess the nostalgia thing is why I still build one of those every few years.

Don Stauffer

Family friends and relatives started giving me stick and tissue kits when I was about five.  Dad and Mom too busy to help me.  Took a couple more years to learn to read the instructions well enough to finish one (a Guillow kit).  I guess the nostalgia thing is why I still build one of those every few years.

 

 

cwalker3, I remember those kits dearly. Done a few in my youth years. I’d love to get my hands on those dinosaur snap kits by Aurora too. I had almost every single one of them. I loved the T-Rex kit. It was molded in red or red orange.

I’ve done a few Tom Daniels Design kits over the years as well. My first model kit was a Police car dragster. I can vividly remember the box cover but never could find it. Asked my dad to help put it together but that didn’t turn out too well. I was 5 and pulled all the tiny bits off the spruces. LOL!

There are a few dragster snap kits I’ve been looking for the last few years. I can’t remember the company but I think it was a Monogram. They were molded in grey and orange. Does anyone remember them?

And who can never forget those funky Zingers kits? Those were fun builds back in the 70s.

What happened to all those models we built as kiddos?   We all blew them up or shot them up.  I used a BB or air powered pellit gun.  Sometimes a group of us would have a great time doing it.  One year we collected a whole $9.00 and built a bunch of old Aurora battleships and aircraft to destroy.  We even blew up some Renwal tanks with Silver Salutes   We even blew up a few, what would be, collectors item.  I rember a nuclear civil airliner we destoyed.  Good times.  When I moved away from home to my first apartment in 1973, I just gave away all the built kits to little kids in the neighborhood.

tankboy51

What happened to all those models we built as kiddos?   We all blew them up or shot them up.  I used a BB or air powered pellit gun.  Sometimes a group of us would have a great time doing it.  One year we collected a whole $9.00 and built a bunch of old Aurora battleships and aircraft to destroy.  We even blew up some Renwal tanks with Silver Salutes   We even blew up a few, what would be, collectors item.  I rember a nuclear civil airliner we destoyed.  Good times.  When I moved away from home to my first apartment in 1973, I just gave away all the built kits to little kids in the neighborhood.

 

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

And who can never forget those funky Zingers kits? Those were fun builds back in the 70s.

Yeah... those were cool...

Last week I visited a local hobby store that for reasons unbeknownst to me... I didn't know existed. Frankly, I thought they went out of business 30 years ago. It turns out they didn't, they had moved. The point is that this place is big on plastic models. They seem to collect and sell older kits. I had seen several Monograms kits there, a few of them being dragsters. I don't think they were snap kits though. The next time I go there I will look at them closer.

Seeing their older inventory made me feel like I had stepped back in time 30 years.

Good stuff everyone,nice memories,

My earliest stuff were Aurora Monsters,I had a lot of them,Godzilla,King Kong,Creature,Wolfman,Frankenstein,and Mummy.

My father and mother helped me,Testors Airplane tube glue,and the little Testor's jars.

I always liked The Creature From the Black Lagoon..

I still have a number of my pre 1980s builds, and many of my post 1980s builds. I know my mom sold off many of my car kits and wheeled military vehicles when I was in college and in my first few years in the Army.

Many of my tanks remain intact.

tankboy51

What happened to all those models we built as kiddos? We all blew them up or shot them up. I used a BB or air powered pellit gun.

There's a memory. Once around July 4th my friend who I looked up to came up with the bright idea to blow up my model collection with Black Cats and M-80's. I can't say I'd still have any of them anyway, but I was an ass for going along with him.

Glad he didn't ask me to go jump off a bridge becuase I admired him so I probably would have.

So there.

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

I’ve done a few Tom Daniels Design kits over the years as well. My first model kit was a Police car dragster. I can vividly remember the box cover but never could find it

I have seen this one recently, so I know it's been re-issued.... just dont remember where I saw it.

I remember Comet balsa wood stick / tissue airplane models, and Strombecker solid wood models of the B-47 and DC-6 American Airlines airliner,  and various civilian planes.  I built them all, and was proud of them, as best an 8 year old kid could do.  When plastic models were first introduced, I viewed them as inferior, not requiring the skills of the old time models!  Great memories- hey, that was over 60 years ago!!!

Greg

Glad he didn't ask me to go jump off a bridge becuase I admired him so I probably would have.

Lol! We are glad you didn't either!

Cadet Chuck

I remember Comet balsa wood stick / tissue airplane models, and Strombecker solid wood models of the B-47 and DC-6 American Airlines airliner,  and various civilian planes.  I built them all, and was proud of them, as best an 8 year old kid could do.  When plastic models were first introduced, I viewed them as inferior, not requiring the skills of the old time models!  Great memories- hey, that was over 60 years ago!!!

Great memories is right! I remember those too... It was those types of models that lead my brother to build RC planes. He was pretty good at building them, not so much at flying them. I was there when his first RC flight took shape. I think the plane was airborn for about two seconds when it did a swift nosedive. He has not flown since. But...he continues to buy them. Lol.

Im getting flash backs from my youth every now and then I work on my monster stash too this one has been on my back burner for awhile.

Rob Gronovius

I still have a number of my pre 1980s builds, and many of my post 1980s builds. I know my mom sold off many of my car kits and wheeled military vehicles when I was in college and in my first few years in the Army.

Many of my tanks remain intact.

 

Bakster

Rob Gronovius

I still have a number of my pre 1980s builds, and many of my post 1980s builds. I know my mom sold off many of my car kits and wheeled military vehicles when I was in college and in my first few years in the Army.

Many of my tanks remain intact.

 

Your models thank you, Rob. My models are cursing me all broken up under tons of garbage and dirt. 

 

Many did not survive. My dad burned many after I left for college. My brother often set them on fire too. Only my "display" worthy kits survived childhood. Some ancient kits that still live in pieces or fairly complete are an Aurora MBT70, Monogram Patton, MPC R2-D2, Maximillian from the black hole, ST: TMP Enterprise, many other similar kits from the 70s and early 80s.

tankboy51

I always liked The Creature From the Black Lagoon..

 

That was the first model I built when I got back into the hobby!

Heh... the Creature from the Black Lagoon was my holy grail during the 70's. I did finally get one. I remember you had a choice to use glow in the dark parts. I had most of the monsters kits except a few. Fun times they were.

Even back then i was obsessed by the fact they were not in scale,why was the creature and Godzilla the same size,didnt make sense to me. 

tankboy51

What happened to all those models we built as kiddos?   We all blew them up or shot them up.  I used a BB or air powered pellit gun.  Sometimes a group of us would have a great time doing it.  One year we collected a whole $9.00 and built a bunch of old Aurora battleships and aircraft to destroy.  We even blew up some Renwal tanks with Silver Salutes   We even blew up a few, what would be, collectors item.  I rember a nuclear civil airliner we destoyed.  Good times.  When I moved away from home to my first apartment in 1973, I just gave away all the built kits to little kids in the neighborhood.

 

Yep, quite a few of my models got shot down with firecrackers!  These were primarily the flying models- ones that didn't fly very well.