What have the department stores done to all the models?

Rob Gronovius wrote:

SoD Stitch wrote: I'm old enough to remember when "real" department stores, like Montgomery Wards, Capwell's and Sears still carried model kits; to this day, I remember being on the third floor of a Capwell's out in Richmond, CA at around Christmas time and seeing a first-issue XB-70 Valkyrie by (I think) AMT; it was probably right around 1969-70. Those days are, indeed, long gone . . . The XB-70 was by Lindberg. As a small boy in Vermont, we had a local department store, complete with luncheon counter and soda jerks. They sold models and I remember buying many Lindberg and Aurora kits because they were the cheapest kits they carried. Revell, Monogram, Renwal and Hawk had more expensive ones that were larger and more complicated to assemble.

And, once again Rob, you're right; now that you mentioned Lindbergh, it all came back . . .

Had a lot of Lindbergh models when I was a kid because, as you said, they were cheap; a 10-year old kid on an allowance could actually afford to buy their models about once a month!

Bgrigg wrote:

QUOTE: Originally posted by ajlafleche Dealing with the internet and the cheap prices WalyWorld and other big box stores is what is killing the LHS. Save 25% on the kit, then realize you need a specific color right now to finish your model for a show or other deadline and the nearest hobby shop is an hour away and will close in 25 minutes and an internet order wil take at least 4 days and double or triple the cost of that paint and you begin to see what we've done to ourselves. The phrase "Penny wise and pound foolish" comes quickly to mind. I second that emotion! I will always support my LHS, even though it will cost me some dough to do so. They're good people, we can have a conversation, and I buy enough that they are starting to give me sale prices all the time. They know I could buy online (and sometimes do) and still support them, so they are willing to support me, too. They can't afford to stock the AM pieces, nor can they carry all the various kits, so that is what I buy off the 'net. They are willing to share, and so am I!

I'm with ya. I buy online sometimes but still buy at the LHS (45 mins away) because a friend works there and he get commision.

Personally, I'd not be to heart broken if I went totally online to buy. I'd miss shooting the breeze at the LHS but other than that they really don't stock much I want. They can order it, sure. But so can I and usually for a few pennies less if not more. Having the box in hand does sometimes make me want to buy something that I never wanted before so in that sense I'd spend less if I stayed away from the LHS. I can find out just about anything I want about any given subject online so the LHS does not have an advantage there.

I too, have noticed that most stores carry crap for models anymore. I personally think it has much less to do with interest from customers and more to do with profit. And just maybe something to do with kids being a main customer of such product. Inviting kids in to buy products like paint, thinners and glue is nice until one finds out that they are going out and huffing it. 

Wow, I can't believe someone ressurected this thread that I started in 2005.

I still fume at the thought that Toys R us started a downhill run to a crappy store when they incorporated Kids R us into there theme.

Now they sell clothes. What the heck. I don't want to go to a toy store that use to have butt loads of models to buy clothes.

Whats next, clothes at gas stations?

Bring back the models!!!

 

 

That is interesting about Woolworth/Footlocker. I still remember walking down to Woolworths on 14th street NYC for a model with the $20 I got for Xmas when I was in 6th grade. I checked every 2 minutes to make sure that bill was still in my pocket. In the early 70's that $20 could have bought one big model kit.

Wow, thanks Al. I would have never guessed that Foot Locker was once Woolowrth's. I remember buying models and other toys at the Woolworth's in downtown Claremont, NH as a kid. The last time I shopped at a Woolworth's was in Roosevelt Field Mall on Long Island, NY in 1987.

chopperfan wrote:

Yes sir, whatever happened to the F.W. Woolworth stores?

"The F. W. Woolworth Company (often referred to as "Woolworth's") was a retail company that was one of the original American five-and-dime stores. The first Woolworth's store was founded in 1878 by Frank Winfield Woolworth. Despite growing to be one of the largest retail chains in the world through most of the 20th century, competition led to a decline beginning in the 1980s. In 1997, F. W. Woolworth Company converted itself into a sporting retailer, closing its remaining retail stores operating under the "Woolworth's" brand name and renaming itself Venator Group. By 2001, the firm focused exclusively into the sporting goods market, changing its name to the present Foot Locker Inc (NYSE: FL).

Chains using the Woolworth name survive in the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, and South Africa."

When I was a kid I visited a little shop in Hazel Park Mi called "The Squadron Shop." When they packed up and moved down the road to Madison Heights during my high school years, I got a job there.

As an insider I know why Department stores don't carry models, SALES. That, and a total lack of understanding the plastic modeler. Store managers have no comprehension that a plastic car kit that only sells for a few dollars below EVERYONE else, and available EVERYWHERE else will not generate the amount of sales you need to keep the shelf space. Ditto for the often sad rack of Testor's enamel paint bottles.

A few years ago the local W Mart had a massive enfusion of AMT kits packed four to a block of assorted cars priced at $12. They got in four pallets. . .the word spread and they were totally gone in one day. Six more pallets were ordered, four more came in and they too were gone in a few days. Sales? Through the roof, interest generated by the manager- 0.

 

Don

Hey Jim, There is some good eating at Red Devil and Hobby Depot does get some cool oop kits that are hard to find. The internet has been a blessing and a curse to modellers, it really has done in a lot of LHS's, but it has made it easier to get what you need as long as you don't need it in a hurry, not to mention the selection available. I live in a city of 300,000+ and we have only 2 LHS left and one of those is a HobbyTown USA. I really miss the place I used to go to when I wasa a kid.

Cheers ,

Eric

Does anybody remember buying models from G.C. Murphy and Grant's department stores or Peoples drug stores? 

Rob Gronovius wrote:

The XB-70 was by Lindberg. As a small boy in Vermont, we had a local department store, complete with luncheon counter and soda jerks. They sold models and I remember buying many Lindberg and Aurora kits because they were the cheapest kits they carried. Revell, Monogram, Renwal and Hawk had more expensive ones that were larger and more complicated to assemble.

Ah, Renwal!  I remember building quite a few of their armor kits.  If I remember correctly they had working suspensions on most of their tank kits.   And Aurora with their raised national insignia detail.

Yes sir, whatever happened to the F.W. Woolworth stores?   

SoD Stitch wrote:

I'm old enough to remember when "real" department stores, like Montgomery Wards, Capwell's and Sears still carried model kits; to this day, I remember being on the third floor of a Capwell's out in Richmond, CA at around Christmas time and seeing a first-issue XB-70 Valkyrie by (I think) AMT; it was probably right around 1969-70. Those days are, indeed, long gone . . . After that, my best friend & I would go down to the local drug store & buy Monogram 1/72nd WWII airplanes for $0.75. Fortunately, I've got a pretty good hobby shop within a reasonable driving distance, but I hope the internet doesn't kill them; there's nothing like the instant gratification of a brand-new model!

The XB-70 was by Lindberg. As a small boy in Vermont, we had a local department store, complete with luncheon counter and soda jerks. They sold models and I remember buying many Lindberg and Aurora kits because they were the cheapest kits they carried. Revell, Monogram, Renwal and Hawk had more expensive ones that were larger and more complicated to assemble.

I remember visiting my first hobby shop in Hampton, Va on King St. in 1974. It was located in a delapidated and tiny strip mall, and all the big, cool models were stuffed into the the 2 main windows. On one side, I remember the 1/16 Tiger I sitting on top of all the others, and that was what I wanted!  We used to ride our bikes to the hobby shop because it was only a few miles from Fort Worth St. The owner, a sometimes grumpy old Jewish guy with a bad rug, would scowl at us and stare with beady eyes until we produced the dough for our goods. My catch was usually 1/72 scale Esci, Hasegawa or 1/76 scale Matchbox armor, going for 1.00 to 2.00 apiece. Pactra paints were 15 cents.

A few years passed and the hobby shop moved into the Hampton Mall, where business was booming in the mid 70s. But now, we had to get a ride to the mall so that we could do our business. The old man was there still eyeing us until we handed the money over for our plastic treasure. By then, I had moved up to Monogram 1/48 scale aircraft and Testors paints. I used to take the instructions to school and read up on them while in class.

In 1977, we moved to York County, VA, and trips to the mall in Hampton became less frequent. I found 3 other hobby shops that were close by, Grafton Hobby Shop, Dynamic Hobby World, and Denbigh Hobbies in Newport News.

In the early 80s, high school and my first love cooled the model passion for awhile.  During the early 90s, I rekindled my love for models. My trips to the Hampton Hobby Shop were still few and by then the old man had passed. His assistant took over but business was steadily dropping. She had to move it to another area of the mall where the rent was cheaper. Not long after, the hobby shop went out of business.  So did Dynamic Hobby World. And Grafton Hobby Shop.  I still have Denbigh Hobbies, and will continue to do business there for as long as Dan stays open. Times have changed the modelling community, but as long as the local hobby shop can survive, so will modelling. Long live both...

I'm old enough to remember when "real" department stores, like Montgomery Wards, Capwell's and Sears still carried model kits; to this day, I remember being on the third floor of a Capwell's out in Richmond, CA at around Christmas time and seeing a first-issue XB-70 Valkyrie by (I think) AMT; it was probably right around 1969-70. Those days are, indeed, long gone . . .

After that, my best friend & I would go down to the local drug store & buy Monogram 1/72nd WWII airplanes for $0.75.

Fortunately, I've got a pretty good hobby shop within a reasonable driving distance, but I hope the internet doesn't kill them; there's nothing like the instant gratification of a brand-new model!

I guess I should count myself as lucky. I have two LHS's in my town- both well stocked with kits. Between the two I can get Humbrol, MM, Tamiya and Polly Scale paints. My favorite one has decals, resin and PE parts galore, as well as A/B stuff, sheet styrene, books, tools- the works. And the folks who work there know their stuff, too. And the Hobby Lobby is pretty good too. Guess I oughta count my blessings!

same here. in 2002, I used to be able to go to Toys-R-Us and find rows upon rows of models, now they refer me to the nearest Michaels which overprice their Revellogram kits.

My lfs just shut down half a year ago because larger businesses in our medium sized town knocked it out of competition. what used to be a homy, quiet place three years ago has turned a lot noisier and a lot more crammed due to expansion of the town. I HATE THAT!!!

now I have to go 30 mins on highway to buy a bottle of paint, because the wally world near me stinks when it comes to stocking paint. the store where I get all my RC models is 30 mins away also but they dont carry any plastic models. they sell badger ABs very cheap though, which is always appreciated. (they knock off about 10-20 dollars of the street price. its not even a big store and they are able to give discounts like this on both planes and tools)

I just hope that somehow, the department stores will start taking things in like tamiya and hase models. oh... and I think the nearest hobbylobby is about...3-4 hours away?

I live in Columbus and unfortunately it appears that Strete Hobbies is no more. I passed by there earlier today and the store appears empty and there is news parper over part of the windows. This is a sad end for a LHS that has been there for fifty years. I never purchased much there as far as kits but I bought a lot of paint and glue there and always tried to buy the latest issue of FSM there to support the shop.

Right on Able.

lucky for me my LHS is probably one of the biggest RC shop in my area so it's probably gonna be around for quite a while. One of the cons is that they have a relatively small number of plastic kits is somewhat limited but the amount of paint and supllies is GREAT!!!

QUOTE: Originally posted by mikepowers Rmember the days when you could walk in to a Toy's Are Us and see a whole row of models? And rockets. Now if you were to go in to Toys are Us, you won't find one model or rocket. I think this is terrible. If the biggest toy store can't carry even one model, does this say anything about the model industry and where it might be going? Your hard pressed to find any stores carrying models. Wallmart is the exception but there selection is crap and have only a few kits. Of course there is Hobby Lobby but there few and far between. Hobby shops are disappearing, stores that carry models are disappearing. Heck, you use to be able to go in to a drug store and find models. What has happened? I miss the good ole days. Just venting,,, a little. Thanks for listening.

Well I think what we are seeing is that model companies are catering to the younger crowd, all these "Pimp your ride" kits and crap, its the snap-together, screw together models, or pre-built. Reason that the prices are though the roof is because models aren't what the use to be, they're machine made. I get the hand made kits from Solvokia and Austria. Also modeling is nolong a hobby for younger kids, playing the Xbox is. I admit to playing game systems, but not 24/7. And then I get pissed because they get everything wrong.

I'm not that negative about the way the hobby is going.

Yes., a lott of LHS's are closing but I don't think this is specific for modelling.
A lot of other small shops in my neighbourhood are closing as wel (grocery, small clothing shops, the milk man etc.)
Internet is going to be one of the most important distribution channels for models, but this goes for a lot of other products (computers, electronics etc.) as wel.

"Dumb Web Posts"?
Excuse me, but even these so called dumb posts serve a purpose.
There are truly dumb posts in these forums but I don't call a post that deals with the direction that the hobby is taking, dumb.
In fact, I was just elightened and actually given some hope about the hobby because I was given a history and an accurate representation about the present state of the hobby.
So, you could say that it was instructional.
But if you want to call it Dumb, well, thats your aopinion.

There's a danger of working onesself into a state of depression over this topic. Maybe we should step back and look at it in its broader context.

When I was in college, in the late 1970s, I had a part-time job working in a local hobby shop in Columbus, Ohio. (Strete Hobbies, on Sullivant Ave. I think it's still there; I'm the one that left.) It was a fun place to work and hang out, most of the time. The owner was primarily a model railroader, but he understood aircraft, armor, figure, and ship modeling well enough to keep a pretty well-stocked store. On any evening, unless the weather was lousy, five or six modeling enthusiasts could be found in the store, spending modest amounts of money, drinking coffee, telling slightly off-color jokes, and mostly talking. Talking not only about models, but about history, current events, and all sorts of other stuff, some of which couldn't be discussed in this Forum.

The customers included several guys who worked at the nearby GM plant, a railroad engineer, an x-ray technician, a high school chemistry teacher, two linemen from the utility company, a couple of clergymen, a fair number of college students, a bank officer, a computer expert from the Rockwell aircraft plant, two auto mechanics, several university professors, quite a few retired folks, and lots and lots of kids. I remember thinking at the time how lucky I was to be associating with such a group of people. I'm convinced that working in that store served as an invaluable counterbalance to the university crowd, among whom I had to spend my official working hours.

Hanging out with that diverse collection of nuts also, I'm convinced, made me a better modeler. My primary interest has always been ship models, but that hobby shop got me acquainted, at least, with all sorts of modeling. I learned that ship modelers have a great deal to learn from model railroaders, armor modelers, aircraft modelers, figure painters, and insect collectors. (Insect pins are great for all sorts of jobs in ship modeling. And microscope slides come in handy now and then.)

There was a widespread consensus in those days that we were witnessing the last days of the serious, adult-oriented plastic kit. American and British kit manufacturers were going out of business (these were the last days of Aurora and Frog), and the surviving ones were edging away from serious scale models. It was taken for granted that World War I, as a modeling subject, was dead. (The hobby shop crowd practically mutinied when Monogram's "Snoopy and His Sopwith Camel" came out. And I staged my own private protest when Revell issued its lighted, animated, and extremely crude Goodyear Blimp. The company sent us a finished example, complete with moving signs, for the window. I changed the lettering on it to read "Goodrich.") We thought we were practitioners of a dying hobby.

Well, we were wrong. The hobby looks a great deal different now than it did then, but it not only survived - in many ways it got better. In 1978 the typical 1/72-scale fighter kit cost two dollars or thereabouts. It contained about twenty parts. The surface detail consisted of raised lines and ridiculously over-scale rivets. The wheel wells were holes in the bottom wing halves. The trailing edges of the wings were several scale inches thick - as was the canopy. The cockpit detail consisted of a seat, something vaguely resembling a human being to set on it, and, if the kit was really state-of-the-art, an instrument panel. Nowadays the latest 1/72-scale masterpiece from Hasegawa or Tamiya costs more than ten bucks. And it typically has more and better detail than the typical 1/32-scale kit did in the seventies.

And take a look at the ranges of WWI kits from Roden, Blue Max, Dragon (no longer in production, I guess, but still fairly common on the shelves), and Eduard. In 1980 the only Fokker D-VII kits were the 1/72 one from Revell (not bad) and the toylike 1/48 Aurora one. Now there are at least a dozen D-VIIs in the catalog - in all the popular scales, featuring all the permutations of louvers on the cowling panels. There are even (gasp) a few WWI SHIP kits! Pinch me; I must be dreaming.

In those days a modeler had two sources for kits: the hobby shop or Squadron mail order. The latter gave pretty good service, but you had to figure on waiting a week for your order to get there and the merchandise to get back. The selection of aftermarket parts consisted of several notebooks full of decal sheets.

The local hobby shop, except in the big cities, does seem to be a dying species at the moment - for good and sound reasons. If I were younger and looking for a career and an investment opportunity, there's no way I'd even consider opening a hobby shop. For one thing, the sheer volume of merchandise available now is such that a store like the one where I used to work couldn't begin to maintain a reasonable percentage of it in stock. (Can you imagine how much money a store would have to invest in order to keep up with all the stuff being released by Eduard and Verlinden - just to name two?) And the internet seems to be revolutionizing the business. My wife can testify that I spend a ridiculous amount of time surfing it every day, and I buy quite a bit of stuff through it. I think it's one of the greatest things that have ever happened to modeling. But if I owned a hobby shop the internet would drive me crazy.

I think scale modeling, in one form or another, is here to stay. I hesitate to predict what the hobby will look like twenty years from now. What worries me most about it is the shortage of kids getting into it. The web is a great source of information and merchandise, but, as fargoth implies, it's not so good at mentoring. Three cheers for his efforts to get his kids into the hobby - and get them interested in history.

Those of us who care about the future of modeling would do well to look for opportunities to get kids into it. The ship model club of which I'm a member, the Carolina Maritime Modelers Society holds an annual event at the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort. (We also hold our meetings there - last Saturday of each month at 2:00; new members and visitors always welcome.) In conjunction with the museum's annual Wooden Boat Show every May we stage an exhibition of models, which is open to the public. In one corner of the hall we set up a big table stocked with extremely simple boat model kits. (The guys in the museum's boat shop make them on the bandsaw, using scrap lumber.) Two dollars will get a kid a six-inch-long fishing trawler, along with the assistance of a veteran modeler to help build it and all the necessary tools and materials (i.e., a bottle of Elmer's glue and some felt-tip pens). Average time expended on the model: fifteen minutes. Typical reaction to the experience: sheer ecstasy.

End of rant. If all of us will spend a little less time typing dumb web posts like this one and a little more time encouraging youngsters to build models, maybe we can save our hobby - if not western civilization.

I think jtilley and fargoth have pretty much got it covered.

Thanks for you input guys.

Mike

Greetings fellow modelers.

I’ve read through all three pages of posts and cannot add much that hasn’t already been said with a few exceptions.

I’m a career military man (19 years thus far). One of the catch phrases we use a lot is mentoring. I believe it applies in this thread. By mentoring I mean that if you truly care about something in your life it is in your best interest to ensure that that belief, interest, or the like is passed down to those coming up through the ranks. Now while a lot of that has numerous military implications and implied tasks it can also be applied toward the subject of what we perceive to be at worst a dying hobby or at best a hobby that has evolved into something we’re not entirely sure we approve of.

In my case I decided to do something about it. I have 5 kids three of which are boys. I purchased a B24 model after my grandfather recently passed away to build it in memory of his service as a crew member in the European Theatre. As I was building it I was sure to insert some small snippets about the plane and what little I knew about my Grandpa’s service (He didn’t speak too much about it.)

Eventually my morsels of info sparked my 15 and 12 year old boy’s imagination. In a few weeks one was building a P51 and the other a Chevelle. Now we often sit together at the dinner table at night building our kits and inevitably talking about the history of the cars, planes and armor we’re handling.

Things have progressed to the point that my 15-year-old recently had a birthday. When asked what he wanted as gifts he asked for a nice beginner’s airbrush and as many models as he could get.

Someone mentioned the decline of history in general within our culture. I agree with that but do not stand for it in my family. Perhaps it is the military who prides itself in it’s history especially from the viewpoint of learning from past battles to capitalize on the successes and learn from the mistakes. Perhaps it’s pride in my family’s participation in the many wars that have been fought. All I know is that like with modeling, I have done my best to ensure that my children do not follow the mind melting video game droves that seem to pervade the halls of their schools.

Now I know this doesn’t address the decline of the LHS or the stockage level of kits in the larger department stores, but it does have to do with keeping the hobby alive. The future of any belief, interest, value or the like is most often in the hands of those who care about it or share in it. If we do out best to pass along our love for the hobby and history we can honestly say that we’ve done our part to ensure things live on.

I know I was disappointed when a local distributor closed its doors a few years ago. I have a Hobbytown nearby, but it’s small at best. Longs Drugs still has an entire side of an aisle devoted to models and rocketry. From what I’ve read it looks as if my Longs is the exception not the rule. I too have relied more heavily on online shops every year though I do buy most of my tools and paints from my LHS.

There really isn’t an easy answer. All I know is that I shall not let the hobby go quietly into the night. I still have one more boy to teach when he gets old enough. Perhaps one day we can do our own family group build!

Regards,
Paul

I had a LHS 35 minutes from me. It closed down so I went to the LHS that was 45 minutes from me. That closed down so I went to the LHS 1 hour from me. I just found out he may be closing down because the rent is going up.
If he closes down I will do all and I mean ALL of my model and supply dealings online because there won't be any stores close enough. I've got Wal-Mart but the only thing I would buy there is thinner.
I'm also a wargamer. I play military simulation boardgames and do miniatures wargaming. In the 70s the hobby was totally thriving. Then came computers and video games and the hobby dropped off quite a bit, but miniatures gaming has continued to do well.
It's like someone on one of my wargame forums said about the gaming hobby. You won't see many young people entering it but we will all be playing in our arcane groups. My nephews expressed interest in gaming and model building but before you know it they are glued to the gamecube.
But enough depressing rant, the scale model hobby is at its Zenith right now, lets enjoy and bask in the glory.

Dave

Originally posted by Bgrigg I think DURR has a point with the PC factor. I remember building models as a kid and taking them to school for "show & tell". I wonder how a military model would go over in a culture that doesn't even want images of guns available to kids? [/quote i took one of my models to school for show and tell....for Teacher Cadet class in highschool....For as into modeling and as young as i am i really hope to see modeling continue for a long time.....i think the big thing is that models just won't be in stores that you can walk into but just on the pc......] Reply Edit Bgrigg Member since May 2005 From: Left forever Posted by Bgrigg on Saturday, August 27, 2005 12:51 PM I think DURR has a point with the PC factor. I remember building models as a kid and taking them to school for "show & tell". I wonder how a military model would go over in a culture that doesn't even want images of guns available to kids? I think the bigger factor is the proliferation of computers, video games and TV. A lot of kids I know don't even attempt to build a jigsaw puzzle, let alone a model. I have two boys (14 and 11) and only the 11 year old wants to build models. He's only finished two out of three that he's started, but at least he's trying. I'm hoping that during the upcoming winter they both will build more kits. Obviously I'm encouraging them, and can't help but wonder how many other fathers out there aren't... So long folks! Reply jtilley Member since May 2003 From: Greenville, NC Posted by jtilley on Saturday, August 27, 2005 12:31 PM Clarnet_person - for heaven's sake, keep patronizing your hobby shop. It needs people like you, and we all need institutions like it. Durr - I'm not so sure about the "polictical correctness" factor. You're certainly correct that military toys for small fry aren't as popular as they once were. (That phenomenon probably has a number of root causes - not all of them politically-related.) On the other hand, my U.S. military history course has 52 students in it; that makes it one of the most heavily-enrolled history courses in the department. The best-seller lists include books on military topics almost every week. We seem to be in the middle of a new generation of war movies, which are raking in cash at the box office. And the computer stores are jammed with military simulation games. Those computer games may in fact be a demonstration of the problem. Wal-Mart and K-Mart probably give them almost as much space as they gave models a few years ago. Today's counterparts to the grade-school and middle-school kids who used to spend their money on plastic airplane, ship, and tank kits are now buying the latest simulation games. I have nothing whatever against those games; they're great fun, and they teach lots of valuable information and skills. But I do wonder what's going to happen to model building. It will be interesting to observe what developments take place in the hobby during the next twenty years. Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery. Reply clairnet_person Member since July 2005 From: Vancouver,Canada Posted by clairnet_person on Saturday, August 27, 2005 11:07 AM You know whats scary I think I'm the only young modeller in my community. And I'm like the only young person that goes into my LHS. Current builds: Monogram P-40B Revell F-15E Reply DURR Member since July 2013 Posted by DURR on Saturday, August 27, 2005 9:37 AM i totally agree with you jtilley with one thing to add to your statement war-war toys -war anything is now a politically incorrect and being that it filters down thru this generation of kids thru school daily lives etc Reply 1234 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY! Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account. Login Register SEARCH FORUMS FREE NEWSLETTER SIGN UP By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. View our Privacy Policy. FORUMS PRODUCT REVIEWS READER GALLERY HOW TO VIDEOS SHOP ABOUT US FREE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER SIGN UP By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. View our Privacy Policy. More great sites from Kalmbach Media Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy