Reminiscing

[TonyK]

First models built were a 3-pack of 1/32nd cars I believe. My best early memory was a Revell '57 Chevy with all the opening doors and such.

Remember buying a model or two at Woolworths and riding my bike to the 88 cent store where I think models were $1.88 and then riding home with the model tucked under my arm.

Best memories were riding my bike several miles to the hobby shop and scanning the model section. Back then it was always a surprise of what you might see since there wasn't an Internet to tell you what is coming out in the near future.

[TarheelRick]

The first model kit I ever got was for Christmas 1959 and was a '40 Ford Coupe (Trophy Series). From that point on I became obsessed with buying models and asking for them as gifts for birthdays, Christmas, etc. Back then the MSRP was on the box as part of the kit number.  Fictitious example T800-125, that kit was $1.25.  Sold off my complete collection in 1984, was in the USAF and got tired of packing and moving them, plus I had lost some interest in them.  Got back into the hobby in the mid 90's and was shocked by the prices at $7-8.  Very seldom have I paid full retail, eBay was my friend in the beginning, but after being burned too many times I moved away.  Now mostly I use discount coupons ( a thing of the past) or work trades.  Of course now I am rapidly approaching the twilight years (will be 72 next month) and have a collection that will never get built; but I have had fun amassing it.

[Ace-Garageguy]

My old man introduced me to building models. The first two of his that really grabbed me were a large-scale sticks-and-tissue glow-plug-engined control-line flying Beechcraft Staggerwing, and a plastic P-47 he brush-painted yellow (very well, too) to look like a trainer.

I don't know if there ever really was such a bird, but this is what he built, pretty much.

I don't know what happened to the Jug, but I still have the remains of the Beech...though the glue has mostly let go and it's going back to being a pile of sticks.

When he was working for Martin (aircraft), he also built a couple of Revell Seamasters, one in gray as-molded, and one painted blue. I still have the gray one too.

He wasn't much interested in cars or trains, but I was, and graduated from a Lionel tinplate set to scale HO when I was around 11, and that's when I began to get into scratchbuilding...but it's not easy without the proper tools.

The first car model I can recall "building" was the old Revell 1/25 wagon when I was 7 or 8 or 9, and made an awful mess of the woodgrain paint. I'd built aircraft and ships previously, some OK for a kid, but with the then-inevitable glooey fingerprints, etc.

             

The AMT '40 Ford Tudor was the first car I did that I made into decent model, and I built lotsa kits from AMT and Revell for a few years there. I also remember well when AMT rattlecan lacquers changed everything. I won a couple of contests with a Revell '56 Ford pickup and an AMT '62 Chevy Apache when I was in jr. high, but my model-building began to taper off then, though I built and raced slot-cars for a few years...one with a fabricated sheet-styrene monocoque chassis (insanely light and fast, but insanely fragile too), and another with a tilt-wing that moved up and down in reaction to motor torque (I made the first wing from brass sheet, and though it did seem to help with braking in a straight line, it also raised the center of mass so high the poor little car would fall over in a fast turn; my first applied lesson in vehicle dynamics). The last static car model I finished in high-school was an altered-wheelbase '55 Nomad with a blown 409 and a tilt nose.

By that time I'd amassed a pretty decent stash of car and train models, and when more adult interests like real cars and girls began to intrude, I kept everything because I still really loved the hobby.

Somewhere in the early '70s, when I'd be away for periods of time, my betrothed neglected to pay the bill on a 10X20 foot storage unit, and everything got gone...along with a nice collection of 356 Porsche parts and shop equipment. She also sold my Corvairs, a '58 Ghia, and an Isetta for pretty much scrap value at her mother's insistence. End of that relationship. 

In the interim years I built engineering and presentation models occasionally, related to work projects, but didn't return seriously to hobby modeling until around 2005.

Edited May 1, 2021 by Ace-Garageguy
Punctuation

[cobraman]

That is the wagon kit that was my first model !  I think my second was a model of a submarine ( George Washington ? )  It had a removable side section if I remember right.

[oldscool]

The first model car I built was the AMT Scale Stars 1/32 63 Corvette.  Got it for my fifth birthday with a promise from Mom that if I did a good job on this one a bigger one would be next.

My first 1/25 car kit was a strange one and am not making this up as I remember it very clearly. It was a Palmer kit that actually had an engine and a reasonably accurate body! It was an Oldsmobile of maybe 60-61 vintage. My dad brought it home from work late one night on my birthday and I was disappointed when i saw the box (it wasn't an AMT kit like my uncle had recommended) but was surprised when I opened the box. The engine parts were molded in the same rubbery black plastic as the tires. Has anyone else ever seen this kit? i also remember a neighbor kid building one.

[John1955]

26 minutes ago, oldscool said:

The first model car I built was the AMT Scale Stars 1/32 63 Corvette.  Got it for my fifth birthday with a promise from Mom that if I did a good job on this one a bigger one would be next.

My first 1/25 car kit was a strange one and am not making this up as I remember it very clearly. It was a Palmer kit that actually had an engine and a reasonably accurate body! It was an Oldsmobile of maybe 60-61 vintage. My dad brought it home from work late one night on my birthday and I was disappointed when i saw the box (it wasn't an AMT kit like my uncle had recommended) but was surprised when I opened the box. The engine parts were molded in the same rubbery black plastic as the tires. Has anyone else ever seen this kit? i also remember a neighbor kid building one.

I do remember some early Palmer kits that included engines, I had this one. Palmer seems to have begun by making better kits, then later made very bad ones. Your experience was just like mine was, for my birthday one year, my aunt bought me this Palmer kit and when I unwrapped the present, I faked a smile and thanked her. I wished it was AMT or Jo-Han (or Revell). 

It wasn't a bad kit as far as details go, but for some reason, Testor's model glue didn't work well on it. That was weird because Testor's always worked great on all other kits. Maybe it wasn't styrene and was something else, I don't know. 
 

[Kromolly]

I'm impressed that you guys can remember the first model you built.  I don't have a clue what my first one was, but I do remember a lot of them that I built.  I see those kits now and it takes me back.  Here are a couple from my collection with yesteryear's prices.  Ernst was a hardware store in the area I grew up.  Of course, the other is Kmart.  Oh yeah, to have $200 in my pocket and go back in time.

[John1955]

You mentioning Kmart made me wonder about something. I wonder why Kmart is fading away nationwide but the Kmart is always very busy with many customers. Our Walmart store is larger and does great, but they have only about a dozen plastic kits for sale and no paint or glue available. But our Kmart has an entire aisle of plastic kits, and sells model paint and Testor's glue, and hobby paint brushes. I wonder why. 

[peteski]

Many retailers were killed off by giants liek Walmart or even the Internet online sales.

K-mart  is fading?  You mean it has faded.  They have closed up some time ago.  Several years ago there was a merger of Sears and K-mart, since both companies were struggling, then they both went done the tubes.  It is ironic that Sears was one of the first mail order catalog companies, yet they failed to become a viable online (mail order) retailer.   I miss both Sears and K-mart. I also miss Bradlees, Zayres, Caldor, and Stewards. Oh there was Ann & Hope too.  It was nice to have several department stores to shop at.

[vamach1]

2 hours ago, peteski said:

Many retailers were killed off by giants liek Walmart or even the Internet online sales.

K-mart  is fading?  You mean it has faded.  They have closed up some time ago.  Several years ago there was a merger of Sears and K-mart, since both companies were struggling, then they both went done the tubes.  It is ironic that Sears was one of the first mail order catalog companies, yet they failed to become a viable online (mail order) retailer.   I miss both Sears and K-mart. I also miss Bradlees, Zayres, Caldor, and Stewards. Oh there was Ann & Hope too.  It was nice to have several department stores to shop at.

Looks like a few are still open but they has closed most of the stores.

[peteski]

They might be still open, but the writing is clearly on the wall. The management/stockholders (?) seem to be itchin' to close up shop.  It is too bad as they seemed to be some of the many well established American institutions.

Talking about gone department stores, I miss Woolworth too.  There was a large multi-story Woolworth store in downtown Boston, and they had a large hobby section on one of the upper floors.  Lots of kits and supplies, and even good size model RR section.  It was a fun place for a teenager (me) to visit.  Then on the way back to the subway station, there was Eric Fuchs hobby shop.  It had an excellent kits selection, but prices were higher, so I didn't get to buy many kits there.

[Tom Geiger]

There was even a Woolworths in downtown Pirmasens, Germany when I was a kid.

My first model?  1967 and I was a Cub Scout. My father and I sat down to build my Pinewood Derby car.  He was a Studebaker fan since the 1953 Lowry Coupe, and he had an idea.  He brought out an Avanti kit I didn't know he had. I'm not sure if it was the Aurora or AMT version.  His idea was to build a Pinewood Derby car to match it.  

The big issue with working with my father was that he did everything and you just got to watch.  Same thing later with real car projects. He'd do the brake job while making me clean parts in gasoline.   Anyway, he filled in the open seat with wood and shaped the body to resemble the Avanti. It still had the wheels outside the body, and we used two nail heads for head lights.   We painted it yellow and black since that was my favorite combo after seeing the movie, "The Yellow Rolls Royce".  He taped off the hood so the black was a Vee towards the front.  I thought it looked wonderful.  I won second place in the derby.

I don't know what happened to the Avanti model after that, but it was my first exposure to model cars!

[slusher]

On 5/3/2021 at 5:49 AM, John1955 said:

You mentioning Kmart made me wonder about something. I wonder why Kmart is fading away nationwide but the Kmart is always very busy with many customers. Our Walmart store is larger and does great, but they have only about a dozen plastic kits for sale and no paint or glue available. But our Kmart has an entire aisle of plastic kits, and sells model paint and Testor's glue, and hobby paint brushes. I wonder why. 

My mother loved go to KMart on Saturdays and I headed straight to the model isle.  They did have the biggest selection of kits and paints. I would have a hard time picking out a kit and paint.  It seems like KMart and Sears just lost all their customers thru the years. When I was a kid 3 paces my parent’s shopped was Sears KMart and Mongery Words sometimes Woolworth.  I grew up in Chicago…

[slusher]

9 hours ago, peteski said:

 

Talking about gone department stores, I miss Woolworth too.  There was a large multi-story Woolworth store in downtown Boston, and they had a large hobby section on one of the upper floors.  Lots of kits and supplies, 

I remember riding the escalator at Woolworth in Chicago when I was a kid…

[John1955]

7 hours ago, slusher said:

I remember riding the escalator at Woolworth in Chicago when I was a kid…

I remember a long time ago, the downtown department stores in Pittsburgh. Toys and hobbies were always on the top floor, Gimbel's had seven stories so that was quite a ride to get up there on the escalators. Beginning with the 4th floor, they still had the original wooden kind that made lots of neat noises.  

The Woolworth's in Pittsburgh was an ancient store, huge but only two stories and had no escalators or elevators, just stairs. For some reason, their toy department was on the main floor as you walked in the doors. Those cool revolving doors! Mom would yell at us when we kept revolving them and never got out, LOL. 

[von Zipper]

my Mom used to give me a one dollar bill and send me to the corner store two blocks away to buy her 2 packs of cigarettes , the old guy behind the counter put the 2 pack and the change in the bag and away i went. Today that old guy would be arrested for selling cigarettes to some one under 21 and my Mom would have probably been on the news for child abuse . and now it would take a $20.00 bill to buy the 2 packs of cigarettes.

my parents shopped at Kmart, we went to the first Kmart in Garden City Mi  some times a few kids would be milling around the model section and they would wheel that little cart over and plug in the flashing blue light then make an announcement over the P.A system -model kits were 3 for $5.00  they carried Testors glue and paint , right next to the Testor glue was the same exact tube but in Kmart brand marking and was a dime or two cheaper per tube

 

[Snake45]

50 minutes ago, von Zipper said:

my Mom used to give me a one dollar bill and send me to the corner store two blocks away to buy her 2 packs of cigarettes...and now it would take a $20.00 bill to buy the 2 packs of cigarettes.

$20 will still buy you two packs of smokes where I live, but not quite three of the cheap off brands.   When I was at university, $1 would almost buy three packs of any brand you wanted at the campus store. 

Kinda puts paying $30 for a $2 model, or $2 for a 15c bottle of paint into perspective, don't it? 

[slusher]

8 hours ago, von Zipper said:

my Mom used to give me a one dollar bill and send me to the corner store two blocks away to buy her 2 packs of cigarettes , the old guy behind the counter put the 2 pack and the change in the bag and away i went. 

 

When my parents sent me cigarettes was 45 cents a pack and I remember 55 cents a pack and the people at the store knew what mother and daddy smoked.  That was the early 70’s and mid 70’s..

[slusher]

1 minute ago, slusher said:

When my parents sent me cigarettes was 45 cents a pack and I remember 55 cents a pack and the people at the store knew what mother and daddy smoked.  That was the early 70’s and mid 70’s.. Man those was great simple times and I miss my dad and just lost mother last fall. She seen my model collect all built in cases and her quote was Carl if I knew you loved models that much I wouldn’t. Have told you no so many times at KMart end of quote.

Now I’m sad.

[oldscool]

Growing up in Jacksonville FL my favorite place for buying models was a chain of local discount stores called Pic N Save. They always had a huge selection of kits of all kinds. They were the first place I ever saw Heller and Matchbox kits for sale. The K Mart on Lem Turner Rd was my second choice for kit buying. Never went to a real hobby shop until i was grown and that was the Hobby World stores on 103rd street and on Blanding Blvd.

[OldTrucker]

On 4/27/2021 at 2:27 PM, Snake45 said:

Were those 1/32? I don't think I've EVER seen an AMT 1/25 retail for $1, and I started building them in 1966, when some of the smaller ones (Mustang, Corvette roadster) were $1.50 but most were $2.00. The next year all AMT kits were $2. MPCs were always $2 AFAIK. 

I remember the AMT curbside kits for 99 cents mid 60's.

[Tom Geiger]

On 5/4/2021 at 7:32 PM, von Zipper said:

my Mom used to give me a one dollar bill and send me to the corner store two blocks away to buy her 2 packs of cigarettes , the old guy behind the counter put the 2 pack and the change in the bag and away i went. 

The year I lived near my grandparents I would get sent around the corner to Rush’s Deli with two bucks for two packs of Pallmall for my grandmother and two quarts of Schaefer for my grandfather. The change was mine to convert to candy.

[JollySipper]

1 hour ago, Tom Geiger said:

The year I lived near my grandparents I would get sent around the corner to Rush’s Deli with two bucks for two packs of Pallmall for my grandmother and two quarts of Schaefer for my grandfather. The change was mine to convert to candy.

I think kids that were as exposed to stuff such as cigs and alcohol as that were probably less likely to do such things. To kids that thought smokes and drink were off limits and forbidden, those were now something that piqued their interest. Does that make sense? Like the less of a big deal they are, the less they want to try them........

[TonyK]

You have a point there but I have also witnessed many kids who saw their parents smoke so they end up smoking too. Same with drinking.

[Tom Geiger]

2 hours ago, TonyK said:

You have a point there but I have also witnessed many kids who saw their parents smoke so they end up smoking too. Same with drinking.

We were being programmed that smoking and drinking were the normal adult thing to do.. candy cigarettes and bubblegum cigars?

During the period of 1969-72, I was 11-14 and lived on a US Army post in Germany. European attitudes were completely different and my parents went with it.

If I wanted a beer or wine with dinner, even in a restaurant that was okay. It became a dinner beverage.  When I got back to USA my new friends thought it was amazing that if I wanted a beer from the fridge, it was allowed. They couldn’t imagine why I didn’t drink the entire case!  And I wouldn’t because it wasn’t a big deal.  I still have a beer with my dinner today.

Smoking? Again in Europe I could have, but I never had a taste or desire for it. I’ve never smoked.