Remember when Kits were $ 2.00 to $5.00 ?

[southpier]

Fleming's Department Store - AMT Trophy kits & annuals = $1.19; double kits = $1.49. they had some Jo-Han that I think were $1.39 but I was never interested.

I still remember genuflecting in front of the Revell Parts Pack altar.

$.49 for plain - $.69 for chrome.

pactra spray was $.49, and bottles of testors enamel were $.10 - same for glue.

[rmvw guy]

Just returned from Target where I was looking over LEGOS. The selection they have almost look like model kits. I think if they would have been available like this when I was a kid I may have chose that route. I was just thinking maybe kids build these instead of models these days.

Thanks for the memories Joe, I think we grew up in the same era.

[chunkypeanutbutter]

Being younger, the average price I remembered for kits was about $18.

[Aaronw]

How many video-game and facebook e-device addicted kids will get options like the model-building sons will have as a result of spending time with an old-school dad, MAKING THINGS?

If only there was a way for kids interested in computers to make a living, hmmmm.....

[Rob Hall]

If only there was a way for kids interested in computers to make a living, hmmmm.....

Ya...it's a great business to be in, at times frustrating, but often a lot of fun..I got started fiddling w/ computers as a kid in the 80s...

[Ace-Garageguy]

If only there was a way for kids interested in computers to make a living, hmmmm.....

It's a LONG way from being texting-gaming-facebook obsessed to making a living like Rob Hall does in the industry.

And IT remember, means Information Technology. Information is about someTHING, or it's entirely pointless.

[Aaronw]

It's a LONG way from being texting-gaming-facebook obsessed to making a living like Rob Hall does in the industry.

And IT remember, means Information Technology. Information is about someTHING, or it's entirely pointless.

and what do you think led Rob to that industry, I'm sure the Atari 2600 and Commodore computer played no part in that at all.

A kid playing video games has no less chance of that leading to a good career than a kid gluing parts together. They both generate an interest that could lead to a career, but neither promises success.

[von Zipper]

The original title of this thread is: Remember when kits were $2.00 to $5.00 ?

I remember going to the first K-Mart store located in Garden City, MI ( on Ford Rd.) and getting 3 model kits for $5.00 under the flashing "Blue Light Special"

I also remember going to McDonalds and getting a hamburger, fries , soda and getting change back from a dollar.

I also remember my first job at age 17 when minimum wage was $3.35 an hour.

But those days are gone......

People say the golden age of model car building was in the '60s or the '80s- I think the golden age of model car building is NOW !

We have more kits then ever before, better supplies and a lot more resources to find reference material/share the hobby.

[Ace-Garageguy]

and what do you think led Rob to that industry, I'm sure the Atari 2600 and Commodore computer played no part in that at all.

A kid playing video games has no less chance of that leading to a good career than a kid gluing parts together. They both generate an interest that could lead to a career, but neither promises success.

You know, I NEVER said it was EITHER computers / virtual world OR physical world and objects...though the assumption seems to be that that was my meaning.

My point is that a kid who has a grounding in HOW PHYSICAL THINGS WORK (like tools, engines, electrical components, adhesives, putting things together...like models...or computers...etc.) has MANY MORE paths to opportunity than one who ONLY gets information, experience and communication through electronic or online media.

For what it's worth, I probably know more about the nuts and bolts of the hardware that makes IT even possible than many of the software engineers and programmers in the field. I built my first computer in 1968...not from a kit...and as a result was selected as one of only a few hundred students in the country to attend the 1969 National Youth Conference on the Atom, held in Chicago. I hot-rodded the machine the next year, and won a student award in mathematics from the Air Force. By the time I entered college, I had practically unlimited possible career paths. Why? Because:

I got interested in making THINGS and how they worked, including a grounding in electricity that led to an interest in electronics, from seeing my father build models, and building them myself when I was old enough.

Participating in a constructive, PHYSICAL hobby that teaches additional skills to add to the the set can only make a young person more versatile and more able to adapt to and prosper in diverse situations or changing job markets.

Edited November 6, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy

[chunkypeanutbutter]

and what do you think led Rob to that industry, I'm sure the Atari 2600 and Commodore computer played no part in that at all.

Hahaha! The Commodore led to scores of programmers!

Today, however, things are already done for us, so nobody is really interested in coding. "Hey, guys, wanna code some Python?"

No, kids want things handed to them most times.

Too bad nobody uses BASIC anymore... I might be able to get an entry-level job, then.

[Rob Hall]

I started out with BASIC on a Commodore...then Pascal in high school on a TRS 80...had CompuServe dialup also. These days, I do most programming in Java, primarily working on business applications and corporate websites. The mathematical foundations of computing and logic of programs is what got me interested back in the day....

[pharoah]

OK , on topic here. Yes, I remember when they were under $2.00. My dad worked for a local hardaware store that had a great toy department. since he worked there,I got things for cost plus 10%. But being just 10 years old, a $1.50 was hard to come by.

[southpier]

von Zipper, on 05 Nov 2014 - 11:13 PM, said:

.....the golden age of model car building is NOW !

We have more kits then ever before, better supplies and a lot more resources to find reference material/share the hobby.

I'm on-board with that

[Krazy Rick]

Not to highjack the thread, but instead of rehashing this subject, as some have said, how about we put a new spin on it & post pics of old model contests, models built when we were younger & perhaps some vintage model ads. THAT may be cool.

[johnbuzzed]

Just returned from Target where I was looking over LEGOS. The selection they have almost look like model kits. I think if they would have been available like this when I was a kid I may have chose that route. I was just thinking maybe kids build these instead of models these days.

Thanks for the memories Joe, I think we grew up in the same era.

If you've never been to a Lego show, consider attending one. The stuff we saw in Raleigh was absolutely amazing.

[Rob Hall]

......

People say the golden age of model car building was in the '60s or the '80s- I think the golden age of model car building is NOW !

We have more kits then ever before, better supplies and a lot more resources to find reference material/share the hobby.

Agreed...

[Ace-Garageguy]

I think the golden age of model car building is NOW !

We have more kits then ever before, better supplies and a lot more resources to find reference material

I also agree entirely.

But the question posed by the OP in the body of the original post was "where will model car building be in 15 or 20 years"? To get the sense of a thread, sometimes it's necessary to read more than just the header.

Most apparent drifting off-topic has been an effort to address WHY the hobby may be contracting, and HOW bringing kids into it might have some relevance to their real lives in the future.

These are the central issues underlying "where will the hobby be in 15 or 20 years".

Edited November 6, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy

[von Zipper]

But the question posed by the OP in the body of the original post was "where will model car building be in 15 or 20 years"? To get the sense of a thread, sometimes it's necessary to read more than just the header.

I did read the entire thread before commenting, and I do have above average reading comprehension skills.

Although I don't have kids nor do I know what kids are into today- I do know that kids today are not into real cars the way previous generations were. So it makes sense to me that a lot fewer kids would be interested in building models of cars.

It's not just kids that have their noses planted deep in their electronic devices, The last time I went to a local bar / grill I did notice there were about a dozen people, both men and women sitting at the bar.

Every one of them were sitting at the bar with some sort of device and NOT one of them was talking to each other. I wondered why some one would go out to a public place like that on a Saturday night, sit at the bar and not interact with any one around them? They could stay home and do that. So again , I don't think it's just kids obsessed with computers, texting and on-line video games.

If we want to ask where model car building will be in the next 15-20 years-Who knows ? Who would have thunk it would have lasted as long as it has?

[southpier]

I did read the entire thread before commenting, and I do have above average reading comprehension skills....

but .... do you listen to PBS?

[Ace-Garageguy]

Speaking of reading...(sorry joe...it's not from PBS...) http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/serious-reading-takes-a-hit-from-online-scanning-and-skimming-researchers-say/2014/04/06/088028d2-b5d2-11e3-b899-20667de76985_story.html

"Serious reading takes a hit from online scanning and skimming, researchers say"

Edited November 7, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy

[martinfan5]

But those days are gone......

People say the golden age of model car building was in the '60s or the '80s- I think the golden age of model car building is NOW !

We have more kits then ever before, better supplies and a lot more resources to find reference material/share the hobby.

This right here, and its getting better, would I like to see some kits from 80's reissued that I missed out on, you bet you, but I would not trade how the hobby is today for how it was in "golden era" if you will .

I also agree entirely.

But the question posed by the OP in the body of the original post was "where will model car building be in 15 or 20 years"? To get the sense of a thread, sometimes it's necessary to read more than just the header.

Most apparent drifting off-topic has been an effort to address WHY the hobby may be contracting, and HOW bringing kids into it might have some relevance to their real lives in the future.

These are the central issues underlying "where will the hobby be in 15 or 20 years".

Note to Bill AKA ACE, I am not directly replying to you , just using what you said to base some of my reply off on

I find it utterly hilarious that we are still talking about if the hobby is going to be around, I dont understand why people think the hobby may go away, its not going too anytime soon , and once more, Revell and Round2 can close up shop tomorrow and the hobby would still chug along just fine with out them.

So many people I think overlook the fact that building models is world wide, not just limited too the USA, and its more than just cars, as long as there are model kits to build, the hobby is not going anywhere, we dont need model company paints and glue to build them, so we will be just fine if that day does come, and for a lot guys, they have enough kits to last two, maybe three life times worth.

Now, I do have a question, why do we want to force the hobby on kids?, and I use the word force is because that is how it comes across when talking about kids and the hobby sometimes, and second, why cant some people understand that every generation is different, and not every generation is going to be exactly the same as the last?, kids what to play with whats current, and you know what, I dont blame them, and we shouldn't care one bit.

The only thing we can do is expose them to the hobby, and hope that they might find it interesting, but thats it, and here is another but, the current generation and maybe the last one, does not really care all that much about cars , they are not car people, they see cars as something that gets them from point A to B, nothing more, nothing less, so its going to be really hard to get them to want to build model kits of subjects that are in the 70 year old range, not gonna happen.

Just enjoy the hobby today, and not worry about how it was 60 years ago, life is to short for all this.

Edited November 7, 2014 by martinfan5

[Ace-Garageguy]

...Now, I do have a question, why do we want to force the hobby on kids?, and I use the word force is because that is how it comes across when talking about kids and the hobby sometimes, and second, why cant some people understand that every generation is different, and not every generation is going to be exactly the same as the last?, kids what to play with whats current, and you know what, I dont blame them, and we shouldn't care one bit...

The only thing we can do is expose them to the hobby, and hope that they might find it interesting, but thats it...

I don't think anyone is advocating "forcing" the hobby on kids, but a LOT of kids get almost ALL their exposure to the world and what's in it from their peers. And face it...most of the peers of a 10 or 12 or 14 or 16 year old don't know much of anything about much of anything.

Only engaged PARENTS can effectively expose young people to a wide variety of worthwhile life experiences and options. Leaving your kid to find his or her own way with nothing but the TV and the internet and a phone is pretty much a sure-fire way to end up with a dead-end kid...unless the kid is really REALLY exceptional, and capable of breaking out of the "peer-effect" by himself.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I did read the entire thread before commenting, and I do have above average reading comprehension skills.

Sorry, von Z. I was sloppy in my post. I didn't mean to imply YOU were not reading the body of the original post, but many of the responses have been directed specifically at the header and NOT the question posed by the OP.

I should have been more careful composing my own post.

[martinfan5]

I don't think anyone is advocating "forcing" the hobby on kids, but a LOT of kids get almost ALL their exposure to the world and what's in it from their peers. And face it...most of the peers of a 10 or 12 or 14 or 16 year old don't know much of anything about much of anything.

Only engaged PARENTS can effectively expose young people to a wide variety of worthwhile life experiences and options. Leaving your kid to find his or her own way with nothing but the TV and the internet and a phone is pretty much a sure-fire way to end up with a dead-end kid...unless the kid is really REALLY exceptional, and capable of breaking out of the "peer-effect" by himself.

Sure, maybe using the word" force" was a tad bit to strong of a word to use, but for the rest, I agree, it starts with the parents, for the most part, although kids do get interested in things without parents helping. I think my point I wanted to make is that the current generation of kids are probably not going to find the hobby very interesting. And there really isnt a lot that can be done about it.

[Harry P.]

I don't see why so many people seem to have this idea that they have to "pass on" the hobby to the next generation.

Why shouldn't kids pick their own hobby? Let each generation pick what they are interested in, not what the previous generation wants them to be interested in, or thinks they should be interested in.

In the '50s and '60s kids and adults were big into cars, and building model cars was a logical extension of that. According to studies, today's "millennials" are far less interested in cars than older generations, and many don't even own one. The percentage of teens with driver's licenses is dropping. Today, kids are far more interested in social media and electronic entertainment than in cars. So be it. We had our hobby choices... let's let the kids make their own hobby choices.