Reminiscing about a wonderful thing ,going - going -Gone ?

Not only was it uphill both ways, but we were barefoot and it was always snowing. . . .

I remember when a number of South Florida shops went all R/C during a surge of interest in the mid-90s...and then went under when interest dropped. Brilliant move. I am pleased and somewhat surprised, however, to see that some of our local supermarkets are carrying some kits.

Humper :

Next thing I know you are going to tell me the trip to the hobby shop was uphill both ways .Come on son , this old man could out story you any day of the week ! LOL ! LOL ! LOL ! He! He! He!  You are right on though . The " Local " hobby shop was rare in many locales anyway .Many were lucky to even have one .So it's important to make sure we support the ones we have !  Tanker-Builder    Model - On ! !

My LHS guy is the best.  I was in there this week.  He says "Want some models ?"  Turns out he had been given some A/C but he mostly builds autos these days.  So gave me the lot.  6 x Hasegawa kits for nix....

Rambo

I kinda know what you mean the owner of the LHS here is slowly starting to move away from models and more in the R/C side of things. He always had about a equal split of both but now when he does sell anything military he dosn't get anything to replace it with on the shelf but his model car selection is slowly taking over the military side of the shelfs and the whole store is being took over by R/C planes and cars.

I remember when there was three Hobby Horse hobby shops in the Milwaukee area. The 5 and 10 ,and Woolworth that had a  good selection of kits. Mom and Dad knew were to find me.

 Know that I'm older the story is a little different  not as many hobby shops, the one locale shop is located next to a fabric  store ,so the wife knows were I'm at and I know were she at.

Dave

Nice post tanker, makes we wonder where it will all end for the LHS.  On the flip side, given the advances in technology and communications we have the ability to type in messages to folks we probably would have never met decades before.

well, in 1982 at a wee 12 years old, it was a 17 mile bike ride to, believe it or not, Squadron hobby shop(same emblem as today's Squadron).  in the summer I would ride there just to spend the 10-20 bucks I saved on 'whatever' kit and Humbrol paints, and still have a little left to stop at Dairy Queen on the way home...

no "mom and pops" left around here. got one a mere 5 miles away, price ticket on BB-39: $299.97!! the new /200 Bismark: ferget-a-booout it.....

1980: saved up the $4 to buy the revell Vega drag car at K-mart, didn't know about sales tax, the lady behind me gave the 12 cents for me. of course I thanked her and helped her put things into her car.

don't see that happening today...

ya'll with the experience's of those 'ma/pa' stores, pass it to us 'middle' people, and we can all relay it to the modelers that can unfortunately not have that experience.

Tanker, I have to quote you "build on" 10-4

tankerbuilder

...I was in Shipshewana , Indiana not too long ago .They had three buggy whip makers in town...

Yeah, there are a few not far from here, in Lancaster, serving the Amish customers.  The point is the same.

Yeah ;

That,s why I will drive the forty five miles to Gary Emery's " Hill Country Hobbies" in San Antonio .He is the best and if you know him well the insults and banter are definitely " High Class " The inventory selection is phenominal for his size .But if he ain't got it ,He will get it ! I think Gary is the best example of a man and wife ( gotta mention Grace ) who like what they do and it rubs off on their customers . I am going to support him even if I can get kits cheaper elswhere , Why ? Well , Gary lets you know he appreciates Your business . And to me that is the driving force behind his success !  As well as that awesome inventory ! !

Baron ; I was in Shipshewana , Indiana not too long ago .They had three buggy whip makers in town ! But No hobby shops !

Mitsdude ;

Please , don't get this auld Phart started again ! I remember those too .Would get my model and go over to the counter and get a grilled cheese sandwich , glass of milk and a piece of lemon meringue pie ,all for a dollar ! Just so you know , of all the models I,ve had and lost over the years in military moves , natural events etc. I still have That Sullivans ! She's been rebuilt at least four times , but still looks great .Oh , I still got that first Buckley too ! When I look up at them .The Sullivans with it's " Silver" painted rails and the Buckley with" household thread  "rails and look at my H.M.S. King George with all it's P.E. I do realize " Boy , times have changed " !

You had the Sullivans!!!! I wanted that kit so bad!!! The one with the original box art. Ship steaming westward (as you look at it) with two fore guns and one aft gun firing. Loved the story behind it.

The ONE time I saw it my friend grabbed it before I did. Major Bummer.

Speaking of Woolworth and Kmart. It was a rare treat for me to actually order something at the in store diners.

Yeah, I have a feeling that unless there is a concentration of serious die hard modelers in a given area, that Hobby Lobby, Hobby Town and the RC shops are where most of the in store experience will be in a decade or so. We are fortunate to have such a crowd here and two serious hardcore model hobby shops within 10-15 minute drive from one another, that have been around for decades. And I just recently learned of another old school shop that has also been around forever (but never advertised on FSM or had much word of mouth in IPMS) that is about a 40 minute drive from my home in the opposite direction, near where USS Iowa has her new home. Sounds like a good excuse for a day off drive to me...

hahaha, Stik, you idjit (still laffing as I type)

we had a Local Hobby Shop,,,,,it was started by a forum buddy on another site.

He ran it for 4 years, and moved it once to try and drum up more foot traffic.

He closed it back at the beginning of summer,,,,,,,there just wasn't enough physical sales compared to his Ebay sales, and the store was too expensive to run as a storage warehouse for Ebay.

So, he sells out of a storage shed at his home, now,,,,,,less overhead with the same sales. (in person sales barely paid the light bill, let alone the store's lease)

we had one last hold out from the heydays, and she closed about 2 years ago,,,,,,,,so, we are down to HobbyLobbys, and HobbyTowns, now,,,,,,,a new HT just opened in the spring,,,,,but, more than an hour away from us now.

I also grew up in the time when you could walk to half a dozen hobby shops, and get models in the local dimestores and drugstores,,,,,,,Gimbles and Schuster had just merged when I was growing up in Milwaukee, and their store had the Matchbox rotisserie display for the cars and trucks, with weekly new releases,,,,and more models than a current Hobby Lobby stocks on their shelves.

Those of us that are "crazy" and have stashes will always have a good selection of models to choose from at building time,,,,,,,the rest of the hobby is very soon going to be shopping "used models" from lists posted by those crazy stashers,,,,,,,,,or build from the selection of 10 kits offered by what will become the best place to find models,,,,,,the one Hobby Lobby that will remain in each city after all these closings wind down.

Rex

stikpusher

the Baron

My old LHS is still in business, Penn Valley Hobby Center, in Lansdale, PA.  I used to ride my bike over from Harleysville and spend my paper route money on my favorite Monogram kits.  They carried Monogram, Revell, Aurora, Airfix, and some strange Japanese companies I never took note of.  Also had a great model railroad section.

They have made the transition to the cyberworld, with an eBay store and Internet sales, while keeping the store open, albeit now just on weekends.

Well I cant say buggy whips, but judging from a few other stores I know of, teh whip industry is alive and well...

   Oh my...

the Baron

My old LHS is still in business, Penn Valley Hobby Center, in Lansdale, PA.  I used to ride my bike over from Harleysville and spend my paper route money on my favorite Monogram kits.  They carried Monogram, Revell, Aurora, Airfix, and some strange Japanese companies I never took note of.  Also had a great model railroad section.

They have made the transition to the cyberworld, with an eBay store and Internet sales, while keeping the store open, albeit now just on weekends.

Those who could, adapted.  Those who did not, died out.  How many buggy whip makers do you know?

Well I cant say buggy whips, but judging from a few other stores I know of, teh whip industry is alive and well...

My old LHS is still in business, Penn Valley Hobby Center, in Lansdale, PA.  I used to ride my bike over from Harleysville and spend my paper route money on my favorite Monogram kits.  They carried Monogram, Revell, Aurora, Airfix, and some strange Japanese companies I never took note of.  Also had a great model railroad section.

They have made the transition to the cyberworld, with an eBay store and Internet sales, while keeping the store open, albeit now just on weekends.

Those who could, adapted.  Those who did not, died out.  How many buggy whip makers do you know?

tankerbuilder

Stickpusher !

I am ashamed of you ! I didn't know you had that soft spot in your heart .Good on you  - -BYE !

LOL! Yeah under my cranky hide is a big gooey soft spot. It's a two way street. You support them- they support you ;-)

HI;

You are a youngster ! And don't you remember how much fun it was to get home with your newest purchase , just so you could touch and run your fingers all over the plastic . Bet you didn't know buttered popcorn and models didn't mix , right ?

I remember Buying a messed shopping cart for a dollar from the local junk dealer .I put wagon wheels on it and went all over the whole neighborhood looking for those bottles .When I had a full cart , I would take them home and wash them .Why ? I got a penny more for clean ones at the A&P Market .Yeah , a block and a half further to go but the hobby shop was on the next block over . My dad made me save at least half the money when I was old enough to handle the push mower and do lawns . That's alright though .A model of the Constitution was maybe $1.98 ? Or a A.M.T. model car for .98, that meant two models .Tax was only a penny then too ..Sure they were not much different from the ones in the dealers , but I got to  put it together and paint it ,My Way !

  Aaah , in many ways , those were the days !      Bye

I used to drive my mother nuts over those Green Stamp books. Remember them well. No doubt we grew up in a different time (i'm almost 62). I don't recall too many hobby shops in the area I grew up in. Bought my kits at the local drug store - whatever they had and collected soda bottles for the deposit to pay for them. The "big box" stores of the day Arlans, Woolco, Consolidated Sales, etc. used to have a fair selection. Oh my...time to change the depends.

Chris:

I am glad you enjoyed it .I would write more about these , but , I am afraid of getting to wordy or maudlin in the doing . I am , as you know in my seventies and the world was indeed a different place before Wal - Mart. I do remember Kresge's building the biggest store I had ever seen( K-Mart ) . All under one roof , on one floor and what a selection of toys and models ! There was also one I've not seen mentioned .It was a supermarket/drygoods store called Colonial Bell .They had models out the door .Toys too .And if you were lucky mom and dad would let you have one of the saving stamps books all for yourself .Then when it was full ( like Green Stamps ) you could redeem it in store or through their catalogue branch .That's how I got " Life-Like's Tuna Clipper !

Hi .

  Did you have to go and mention my favorite stores as a kid ? There was a Woolworths store on Bailey Ave . that I used to go into and drool .This got me my first commission ? The very kind lady said this ." You obviously don't have the 98 cents for that ship you're holding ." " I've watched you reading and studying every picture ." " Tell you what " I will give you one just like that one if you will build one for me to display " You could've knocked me over with a feather .WOW , a U.S.S. Sullivans by REVELL for building her one " Yes , Ma'am " was all I could muster . She gave me TWO  , yup , two paint sets .One for me and one for the store model .She told me to keep what was left-over of the store set . I came back in two weeks with the (to Me ) the best model I had ever built ! She saw it and brightened up like a light bulb . I had it rigged out with all the flags on it and so on .She reached up and gave me the other Sullivans and Said This " You've done so well I think I should give you two " This one just came in ( It was the U.S.S. Buckley )and you should have one "  My grandmother actually called her to make sure I didn't steal them !

This was the very first time I ever earned a model this way .It wasn't the last either .Don't you miss that though ? The sounds , sights and smells of the neighborhood five and dime ? So different from the Chaos of WAL-MART for instance . Oh , I found out later ,the lady had an invalid son at home and the ship was actually for him .Ain't that great ?

Stickpusher !

I am ashamed of you ! I didn't know you had that soft spot in your heart .Good on you  - -BYE !

Two hobby shops here.

One is actually still in business from when I was a kid in the 60's! I pretty sure its is still owned by the same family. The older lady at the register looked the same one I remember seeing in the 60's. They are BIG into RC planes. They have a b-25 hanging from the ceiling that has about a 15ft wing span. They probably have about 50 models, all newer items. All the other stuff in the store looks like things left over from the 60's, seriously. Dust caked on paint lids, cellophane wraping that is yellowed, faded colors on packaging, the old rectangular price stickers about the size of a postage stamp, etc. The few times I've been in everyone was congregated around the RC counter. I don't think they even knew I was there.

When I was a kid this hobby shop was in a strip mall on the opposite side of town where we rarely travelled. When we did it wasn't for the hobby shop but the Piggly Wiggly having a big sale on meats!

I bought all my models at either K-mart, TG&Y, Kress, or Woolworths.

The other store is into RC cars and railroading. However, they do have a pretty decent model/supplies department. The thing I hate about this place is they follow and watch you. Especially if you have picked up something to buy and are just carrying it around so you don't forget it. Its irritating but I do understand why as they don't know me and I only go in there maybe 6-7 times a year.

me too. unless it's a really really good sale i will spend more for the same model at my LHS, Colpar in denver. and they give ipms members a 15% discount.

This has to be one of the most poignant, well-written pieces I've ever seen on this topic. I really enjoyed reading that. Thanks, TankerBuilder.    

Chris

I guess I'm one of the few lucky ones. A hobby shop opened up here last year and its doing pretty good business. I don't know how the owner is doing it but most of the prices are inline with Squadron and he's starting to stock more models vs R/C along with a lot of Squadron/Signal books.. I'm just afraid it won't last.

While I agree the demise of the LHS stinks, it corresponds with what has to be by far the widest largest selection of model kits in my memory!

Between mainstream and garage styrene, resin, and vinyl kits available there are by far more kits across almost every subject matter today than in the history.

So I guess its a kind of trade off, I wonder how long these kits will last though, i keep getting that nagging feeling I should buy what i am interested in even if I can never build it, but buying 2 1/350 Starship Enterprise's (TV and Movie ya know) that it might just be the last straw for my wife ;-)