HI :
I tried to answer Mustang 1989 and it wouldn't let me reply , so that's why this post . Mustang , never having been to CORPUS , I do understand your dilemna. I worked as a DOCENT on the U.S.S. HORNET in ALAMEDA , CALIFORNIA for over a year and like a dumphaasil I didn't buy one of the few REVELL kits marked HORNET plus THREE , With the spacecraft , helos and ship all in one box . Then after about a year I had to leave .Guess what ? The gift shop had no more kits and wasn't planning to order more .They only had four and it took almost a year to sell those . Now , being from that fine city , I know it's a long drive .Why don't you contact HILL COUNTRY HOBBY SHOP ?
He has a website . He is , as I have said before , my go-to guy for modeling stuff (yes , a MOM and POP ! ) I do remember , Woolworths ,Franklin, Kresges (now K-MART ) oh and Western Auto carrying models and paints .There were a few department stores in BUFFALO , N.Y. That carried them too .Adam , Meldrum and Anderson comes to mind (the MACYS ) of BUFFALO . There were many other variety stores that carried some too. I remember a sporting goods store that did .He always had lotsa boats (LINDBERG , PYRO , IMAI etc ) and when he closed he sold all the models for pennies on the dollar back then . I filled our station wagon (remember those ) with model ships and paints as well . Boy ,did I catch it when I got home , till the wife saw the amount of stuff and what I paid .
Tis , true kids like electronics , but LEGO can turn a boy or girl into a modeler , believe it or not . I have many friends who are AFOL (Adult Fans of LEGO ) who now build full fledged models as well . It seems that LEGOS can fire up someones desire to build models . This is easy for me as I am a docent at the NEW BRAUNFELS RAILROAD MUSEUM ! My primary part is DOCENTING and being the LIASON between TEXLUG S.A. and the MUSEUM .We have KIDS FUN DAY The first and third saturday of every month noe and being a LEGO fan myself we have LEGO railroad layouts and play areas for the younger kids .
As well as KIDS RUN THE TRAIN in which a child is allowed to run a vintage LIONEL or AMERICAN FLYER train .They love it .One time I was assembling the REVELL H.O. scale " BIG BOY LOCOMOTIVE "at the desk and someone wanted to know where I got it .I told him and now he's heavily into aircraft and armor .See , it does still catch on .Come on up sometime and ask for DOC .I usually work sundays 12 to 4 and on those special days ALL day . I do hope to read many more of your posts too . Tanker - builder