Feeling nostalgic

Real G

Toshi, I also went to College Pharmacy to buy kits - they were one of the few stores that didn’t charge sales tax.  It was so cool that their window display was always jam packed with nothing but model kits, like a kid’s dream come true!  But the owner always warily eyed me when I came in. Maybe he thought I was just some punk kid who was looking for spray paint or model glue to “huff”.  Ah the 1970s.  As a kid I thought huffing was stupid, since model glue had better uses, and spray paint was too expensive to waste!  Yeah they were something like $1.19, which was about half the cost of my average kit purchase. 

I remember lots of models from my childhood memories, since I never really grew up!

I loved monster kits, and was thrilled that the Aurora Godzilla had glow in the dark parts.  I think I eventually painted out most of them except the eyes and the dorsal plates.  Yeah, glow in the dark...  It brings back those hippie drug culture days with the velvet black light posters, lava lamps, and the whole psychedelic thing.  Man, I thought teenagers and college kids were so dumb!

Revell’s 1/72 B-17 Memphis Belle was the kit that cemented (pun intended!) my lifelong obsession with plastic kits.  I had stopped building models by 4th grade, but my interest was rekindled when my best friend bought one.  It was so cool that everything moved, so we rode our bikes to the neighborhood pharmacy (Thrifty’s in Kaimuki) that weekend and I bought one for myself.

I think out of all the model kits I built as a kid, the one standout was Monogram’s SBD Dauntless.  It built easily, looked great, AND had all kinds of working features, like the linked dive brakes and the dropping bomb!  And the movie “Midway” surely helped market the kit.

I craved any model catalog, and saved all the ones that came with kits.  Me and my friends would spend hours poring over them and picking the ones we wanted to get next.  I had the 1974 Revell catalog, and hung onto it until it was tatters.  The 1977 Tamiya catalog fared much better, but it too was worn to oblivion.  Those featured Francois Verlinden dioramas were fantastic!

Speaking of dioramas, the Shep Paine diorama sheets that came with certain Monogram kits were to die for!  They were certainly instrumental in inspiring me to move beyond the OOTB experience.

Looking back to the 1970s, it is striking how we got so much enjoyment from so little, when you compare to what is available today.

 

Your Friend, Toshi

Real G

Looking back to the 1970s, it is striking how we got so much enjoyment from so little, when you compare to what is available today.

Amen. I ponder on that sometimes. Is this an example showing the power of a child's imagination? I tend to think so. Whatever the media that a child seems to work with, whether simple wood blocks, to electronic gadgetry. To be honest, given both options, I would choose the simpler toy. I had such fun building the most basic toys.

Here is another memory. Remember gumball machines that sold toy trinkets? Most of those trinkets were enclosed in a plastic capsule you'd open up. Well, I'd take those unused capsules, glue them shut, and then attach them to popsicle sticks. In effect, making a raft where the capsules acted as pontoons. I'd add a sail to it and see it afloat on some nearby pond. What fun.

Greg,

It is a distinct possibility Toshi and I crossed paths at some point in time!  But I was too busy slipping past the wary looking owner to get to that pile of model kits to notice any of the other customers.

Toshi,

I don’t think I ever went to McCully Chop Suey, but the Golden Duck was one of my dad’s favorites.  We ate there many times.

As far as hobby shops go, Hobby Things and Craft Center was my favorite.  I made friends with the guy who worked there on Saturdays.  Me and my buddies were there nearly every weekend, hearing Mr. Christian’s stories from Vietnam.  I believe he flew Pilatus Porters, into and out of some scary sounding airstrips.

Good times.

My first hobby shop was in Burlington, Iowa.  It is still around, at least it was in 2015.  I was there as a kid in 1958 all the time.  Later on when we moved to Iowa City, I went to a little run down shop, but I had  a great relationship with them.  They could get me anything.  The shop was an old house.  College kids lived upstairs.  It was small, cramped, no room, but it worked.  They tore it down in 1974 or so.  They moved downtown for while.   They were friends. Now when I moved to Denver in 1976, there were many hobby shops, a lot less now, but Colpar hobbys is still there, a LOT bigger than it used to be, but as good as ever.  The people make it special  to me.  I've known most of them since I moved here.  They support the hobby and clubs.  Very good folks.  I use them a lot.  It's good to have someone rather than just order something on line.  That's nostalgia, even current and ongoing.

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!!!

I’m just young enough to have missed building the Comet wood ones but I starting building plastic kits in the mid 50’s and am a bigger plastaholic than ever. Right now I’m reliving my childhood with an old kit. A vendor at the Kit Collectors swap meet in Orange County CA had a Lodela Mexican re-boxing of Revell’s Soviet Bison jet bomber with the terrific Jack Leynwood box art. (Revell ID’d it as an Il-38 instead of Myasischev 4, and for unknown reasons depicted it as green) Because it wasn’t the original US issue he was only asking $20 for it instead of $75.  I have it built and primed and will be airbrushing it with modern metallics. When I built it as a kid, I didn’t paint it at all, just left it the original green and glue-bombed it together. I’m leaving the original raised outlines for the decals, and will paint the markings in, and I am going to make a point of leaving the raised “Revell copyright 1956“ marking on the underside of one of the horizontal stabilizers. I just hope that it won’t look somehow wrong to my eyes in metallic!

 

 

Reading more of these wonderful memories has brought up another one for me. 

I was raised on a 120 acre farm with cattle, hens, pigs, etc. Taking time as a child to go with Mom to the city was a rare treat. My experince was going to Gray Drugs, Woolworths, or Grants stores. All of them had the normal Revell, Monogram, MPC, AMT kits. In the early 70's they took up a whole isle in the toy section (wow!). Back then all of the Testors or Pactra square bottle paints were right there with the Testors tube glue and brushes. Mom would give me my weekly allowance of $5.00 to spend.

When I wasn't struggling over which model to purchase, I was over in the music section checking out every 45rpm single records. There were many times I had to have a certian kit plus a couple 45's and then finish it with a trip to the soda fountain for a malt, cherry phosphate, or rootbeer float. Of course even then the $5.00 dollars did not go quite that far, so I begged Mom. She tagged me for more chores in exchange for helping me get what I wanted. 

I remember playing my 45 records on my old lunch box style record player; it had speeds for 33, 45, and 78 RPM records. Because it was not a record changer, I had to break away from modeling to change the records frequently. Looking back now, I do not know how any models ever got built (smile), but it was a really fun time.

I guess it was good for me that the old testors tube cement did not cure like the new CA adhesives. That gave me time to switch those records. While it is a long distant memory, does anyone still remember the stringy Testors cement and how it would find its way onto other unwanted things or areas of the model? How it looked just perfect when using it to attach a part to the kit put because of the delay in curing, the part might sag or move before drying? And back then what the heck was dry brushing, paint washes, stippling, etc.?

Does anyone remember thier first airbrush? My first was a very little single stage blue Badger (bottom feed from a glass jar) and fed by a can of Propel. My next was the Model Master double action brush with the 5 different paint tips, but I graduated to a single stage compressor with no air tank, moisture trap, or regulator (whoo-hoo). 

For those who participated in the early years of competition, do you remember your first contest? I do recall some which were more just a show with no judging. If it was an actual contest, I think mine was actually an IPMS show around 1985. I was blessed with a second place ribbon and felt like I won the world series.

How many of us remember building before any kind of "after-market photoetch", resin, 3d printing, decals, polishing kits, etc. were even conceived. When everything was really scratchbuilt from what could be sourced from other places like hardware stores, kitchen items, metal coat hangers, solder, electrical wire, masking tape, etc.?

And YES, I do remember the photos of models by Shep in the Monogram kits and Verlinden builds in the Tamiya catalogs! That is a very nice memory and thanks for bringing that back into focus. I still have the original issue from Shepard Payne about building dioramas. I believe I also have some of those Tamiya catalogs too.

For you car people, does anyone remember the Autoworld catalogs and the numerous parts, or plasti-struct items available? 

OK everyone, keep this going..... all ages can contribute.

Ben

Drums, good memories. I can related to alot of what you wrote regarding the stringy tube glue, the 45s, and even my first AB was a Badger with propellant. 

My brother George built Aurora kit planes back in the late 50s. I particularly remember a yellow bipe  he was doing. I was 4 or 5 but I can still see that plane in my head with such a pretty yellow color. I think it was an Aurora Jenny.   

My first build was about 1965 when my mom got me a DC 3 in Eastern markings. I was in a rush to put the pretty decals on the unpainted model that I was so proud of at the time.

I remember building a German fighter and it was molded in a metallic purple or maroon color. I think it was made by Aurora, and it was probably a color they used for one of their hot rod car kits. I don't remember if it was that color on purpose or if it was in error.

EDIT: Found someone who had posted about the kit on Scalemates. This was most likely the kit I had, https://www.scalemates.com/kits/aurora-55-79-messerschmitt-bf-109--114954

This is the first model airplane that I clearly remember building. I was 6 years old in 1960 and the memory of this box art is as clear to me today as it was then. The model was moulded in a metallic Purple plastic, and possibly black for the wheels, propeller and some other bits. It was awesome! It may have possibly been the first plastic model I ever built. (I'm pretty sure it is.)

I remember my first kit being the MPC Pacer wagon. Dad and I built it. No paint tube glue. I was maybe 7 or 8. Every cent I had after that was for models. Slowed down as a teen. After I left home I started again. Found this pic of my parents kitchen table. I was maybe 15. 

Hi Ben ;

      Well , you got an airbrush , ain't that sweet ! My first one wasn't a Badger ,But my first real one was ! All kidding aside , I knew about them as did others .We thought they were neat but Dear .( Remember that word ? ) Anyway I bought a ladies Spritz bottle for perfume .

 I tried Mom's when she wasn't looking , and went and played in the mud to cover the spilled perfume smell .LOL.LOL. The first try was on a Balsa Piper .Watercolors were used .I cleaned out the " Spritzer" with soap and water .I thought she never knew ! Bet she did ! 

 Many Badgers and Paasche's later I sometimes use my automotive touch up sprayer ,,better one coat coverage and same pressure .Models , gosh don't get me started .  T.B.

Tosh

I can’t recall if they were a Chinese or Japanese restaurant but who the hell cares, we all look alike! Lol!

Ha. So that results in a story, sorry.....

A couple weeks ago I picked up our friend Helen at the airport. Helen is Chinese and her plane was delayed and arrived around 3AM. We had a little mixup meeting up, and I finally found her sitting in baggage claim playing with her phone (probably texting her husband back home).

Later, she was telling the story to another friend, and she said "I was in baggage claim looking for Greg, but you know, those white people all look alike".

This talk about Chinese and/or Japanese restaurants in Honolulu almost makes me miss the place. We found a nice Chinese buffet right across the street from the Hilton Waikiki.

McCully's Chop Suey? Really? Scottish fake American Chinese food? What a mess! I found a pic of McCully's online, looks delightful. Can't tell if it's still there.

Greg,

??? Scottish?  No they were a standard Chinese restaurant.  They closed over 10 years ago but their famous sign is still there.

I guess the door swings both ways - I think it funny when Hollywood casts a Korean to play a Japanese, Chinese for a Korean, etc.  They can’t tell the difference but we can!  (Now where is that un-PC emoji of a happy face with slanted eyes?)

Fun fact:  Sushi isn’t raw fish; that’s sashimi!  I had raw venison once while in Japan, so I guess that would have been sashi-meat!  (Insert gong sound effect.)

BTW, the stringy model glue that was discussed had me thinking - was it Ambroid or Duco?  I seem to recall one or the other was super stringy and always made a mess.  That’s why I stuck (pun intended!) to the Revell and Testors tube glue as a kid.

Real G

??? Scottish? No they were a standard Chinese restaurant. They closed over 10 years ago but their famous sign is still there.

I just thought "McCully" didn't sound very Chinese/Asian.

Real G

I think it funny when Hollywood casts a Korean to play a Japanese, Chinese for a Korean, etc.

Yes. Daniel Dai Kim for example.

Greg

Real G

??? Scottish? No they were a standard Chinese restaurant. They closed over 10 years ago but their famous sign is still there.

I just thought "McCully" didn't sound very Chinese/Asian.

Real G

I think it funny when Hollywood casts a Korean to play a Japanese, Chinese for a Korean, etc.

 

Yes. Daniel Dai Kim for example.

My parents are of Dutch Indonesian descent; back when Indonesia was a Dutch colony. Growing up in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, I was referred to by a variety of Asian nationalities. Since the US's previous enemies were the Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese, I got called all sorts of names.

At least we're not still getting John Waynes dressed up to look like Ghengis Khan.

To many Americans, anyone who is of the traditional Asian appearance looks the same.

Reminds me of one Get Smart episode where Max is joining forces with Chinese Police Inspector named Who that tells Max he can impersonate a Japanese just like that (snaps fingers) LOL!!

Rob Gronovius

To many Americans, anyone who is of the traditional Asian appearance looks the same.

Lest anyone gets the wrong idea about the nature of my comments......

My wife is Chinese, half of our friends are Chinese and/or Asian, I go to China on occasion, and speak perfectly horrid Mandarin, so sometimes I forget and think I am Chinese and have earned the right to joke and banter as such.

I am an awful student of history, and had no idea about the Indonesion/Dutch connection. That is interesting, though the slurs you had to endure in the past most certainly were not.

plasticjunkie

Reminds me of one Get Smart episode where Max is joining forces with Chinese Police Inspector named Who that tells Max he can impersonate a Japanese just like that (snaps fingers) LOL!!

 

I love that show to this day. Still makes me laugh out loud.

Greg - The restaurant was located on the corner of McCully and South King, hence the name.  You had me going for a minute; I thought maybe some hipsters took the place over and decided to do a mash up!

Rob - True that, but remember the movie "Remo Williams"?  Maybe not , but the guy who played the Korean mentor did a bang-up job despite being white!  And Robert Downey Jr's hillarious black dude in "Tropical Thunder".  On the other end of the spectrum, Sean Connery's "transformation" into a Japanese in one of the Bond flicks was just cringe worthy!  Okay everyone, dentures in mouth and repeat after me:  "Az you can shee, I'm Japaneesh!"

Real G

Greg - The restaurant was located on the corner of McCully and South King, hence the name.

Ah hah! It all falls into place, now! Thanks!

Real G

Sean Connery's "transformation" into a Japanese in one of the Bond flicks was just cringe worthy! Okay everyone, dentures in mouth and repeat after me: "Az you can shee, I'm Japaneesh!"

That's pretty darned funny.

Do you guys remember the "safer"model cement that smelled like lemons?

philo426

Do you guys remember the "safer"model cement that smelled like lemons?

 

No, but whomever invented that sounds like a real party-pooper!

philo426

Do you guys remember the "safer"model cement that smelled like lemons?

 

yes but not very good and glue strings were a problem!

Greg

I am an awful student of history, and had no idea about the Indonesion/Dutch connection. That is interesting, though the slurs you had to endure in the past most certainly were not.

In 1955, Indonesia gained its independence from the Netherlands. Anyone who had been on the side of the Dutch or of mixed Dutch descent had to evacuate or be ethnically cleansed.

My parents were teenagers and met on a boat to Holland. They married in 1962 and moved to the US that year.

My parents and my dad's mother (my only surviving grandparent from that time frame), had an obvious dislike of Germans and the Japanese.

Hobbies (just the modeling ones) past and present, in no particular order:

Pond sailers

HO scale railroads

N scale railroads

1/25 slot cars

Plastic models

Stick and tissue models

Wood models

One in particular that's really a thing long past. Hobby shops had large slot car tracks in the back. The one I went to a lot had probably 8-10 slots. You'd find a spot to open the shoe box, get out your cars, brush cleaner and oil. Tools. Tires.

Wait in line and watch the big kids go around and round. When a slot opened, elbow in and take the controller.

That particular track was out by Ocean beach, near where Playland was. I was remembering it to a guy at the last remaining LHS around here. He knew all about it, and that it had been saved and sold to a private owner somewhere else in the country who still had it.

Quite a bit of history there, Rob. I just read a book that included a chapter of a route KLM flew from Holland to Batavia. Five or six days in a DC-3 by way of Italy, North Africa, Iran, India, and Thailand. "The Flying Dutchman".

Greg, if you were a student traveling in Amsterdam back when, you lived on Satay.

GMorrison

One in particular that's really a thing long past. Hobby shops had large slot car tracks in the back. The one I went to a lot had probably 8-10 slots. You'd find a spot to open the shoe box, get out your cars, brush cleaner and oil. Tools. Tires.

Holy cow does that bring back memories. We had a place called 'The Copper Groove", a dedicated slot car place. Rode our bikes there.

Slot car track near the beach sounds like a little bit of heaven.

GMorrison

Greg, if you were a student traveling in Amsterdam back when, you lived on Satay.

I had no idea of the Indonesian/Dutch connection. As I understand it, my background is mostly Pensylvania (I don't even know how to spell it!!!) Dutch, and I don't have a clue what that means......if it is a connection to real Nederland Dutch or more Amish sort of thing.

Rob, your history post is enlightening. Thanks.

It was a really old time neighborhood. Ocean Beach is consistently about 55 deg. and foggy, but it is the ocean and there's a lot around the area, like the zoo, Cliff House, the ruins of the Sutro Baths. There was a classic old California amusement park, Playland at the Beach, complete with a big white wooden roller coaster.

The last real hobby shop in SF wasn't too far from there either. Franciscan Hobbies, in the same family for 45 years. Not the same as the one with the track. Franciscan gave up a couple of years ago.