Where would you find out about new releases if not for the Interweb ?

[Greg Myers]

Just think about that for a moment. Back in the day , when all of this started, you wondered into your local hobby shop and discovered a new kit on the shelf. Or, maybe you were in the local 5 & Dime and saw it there?

Nowa days we find out about new releases long before the come out. What if the interweb wasn't here? What if the model boards weren't here?

Where would you find new kits? It wouldn't be WalMart, same ol, same ol.

Wouldn't be Michaels, same ol, same ol.

Not Hobby Lobby, new kits ? Not this week.

The hobby has moved along quite nicely as far as information.

First, '50's and '60's , the local hobby shops.

Then who knew where you'd find 'em, i.e. Dime stores, grocery stores, big department stores during their Christmas rush.

Along comes the BIG box store, K-Mart. Ooops, slippin' a little there.

WalMart, do it our way or else. See ye.

Now just a little here, Hobby Lobby, a little there Michaels and back to WalMart, just a little.

and now you sat the "INTERWEB" ?

[plastic trucker]

If it wasn't for the internet we'd still have local hobby shops and Hobby Heaven.

[Rob Hall]

I remember in the olden days (late 70s-early 90s) finding out about new releases whenever they showed up in stores....there was 'surprise'... but I have no interest in going back to the past, it's hard to beat the wealth of information online and the ease at ordering online..for example, the simplicity of ordering kits from a dealer in Japan via my phone with just a few clicks...

Edited May 10, 2015 by Rob Hall

[Rob Hall]

  On 5/10/2015 at 3:58 PM, plastic trucker said:

If it wasn't for the internet we'd still have local hobby shops and Hobby Heaven.

Hobby Heaven is still around, called Spotlight Hobbies..

[horsepower]

But how would you guys who are getting your stuff from Japan and spotlight hobbies finding out what they have without the internet?

Back in the early building years for me, our tiny town had three places that I could find models at, the local drug store, one of the local grocery stores, a kind of general store that sold a little of everything, and what would pass for a hobby shop in most places, a sporting goods store that sold almost everything a hobby shop carried, but also rifles, ammo, hunting license, supplies.

[Rob Hall]

  On 5/10/2015 at 10:53 PM, horsepower said:

But how would you guys who are getting your stuff from Japan and spotlight hobbies finding out what they have without the internet?

Back in the early building years for me, our tiny town had three places that I could find models at, the local drug store, one of the local grocery stores, a kind of general store that sold a little of everything, and what would pass for a hobby shop in most places, a sporting goods store that sold almost everything a hobby shop carried, but also rifles, ammo, hunting license, supplies.

Probably mail order catalogs, advertised in model magazines..I remember ordering from vendors incl. Hobby Heaven using catalogs back in the day..when I got started as a kid, I remember my first models came from a variety of places--groceries, long defunct department store chains before Wal-Mart took over, even small town hardware stores..30-35 years ago. Different time, different place.

Edited May 10, 2015 by Rob Hall

[Petetrucker07]

There's a small town about 45 minutes from me. The population is around 1500 people. They have a "general store" there. It sells groceries, hardware, nik naks, swamp coolers and they have half an isle of hobbies. They have some cool stuff, mostly military. But the paint rack has no lock, even the paint department has no lock. Can you believe it, in California. I found 6 cans of a discontinued Testors paint I really like.

I've learned a lot because of the whole Internet thing. I probably would've never learned of BMF, let alone how to do it. I didn't get model mags when I was younger, mainly because they weren't available in my town. The internet has changed the lives of a lot people, not just the hobby. But the interest brings us together, allows us to talk to people we would've never known existed. Brings together to share tips and tricks, trade, go to another states contest that we never know was going on. It's really cool. I haven't anybody in my town that models, so this forum here makes me feel like I'm not only "wierd" one who still "plays with toys". That saying really bothers me but I know I'm not only one who's heard it. I'm thankful for the internet.

Edited May 10, 2015 by Petetrucker07

[jbwelda]

there were these things called model magazines and strangely enough, model companies seemed to pay those entities for advertising space and also the occasional article on new or upcoming releases. that's where I usually learned, well ahead of actual release date, of upcoming issues or reissues

jb

[Tom Geiger]

  On 5/11/2015 at 12:13 AM, jbwelda said:

there were these things called model magazines and strangely enough, model companies seemed to pay those entities for advertising space and also the occasional article on new or upcoming releases. that's where I usually learned, well ahead of actual release date, of upcoming issues or reissues

Back then John Slivoski was president of our club and he was rather well connected with the model companies. We got the latest news at our club meetings, or with a very juicy item, John would call me on the phone.

Although we are all rather sophisticated today and know everything that's happening, I do miss those simple times of going into the toy store and finding a model you didn't know existed. That was pretty exciting stuff.

[johnbuzzed]

I've been reading model magazines of one title or another since the mid-late '60's. That's how I got all my scale model info, even up until just about 15 years ago- which, when you look back, isn't that long. Without the web, I would still know what to expect from the manufacturers, but I wouldn't be able to pick up all the little, and not-so-little hints and tips that can be found here in the forums. They might be found in the magazines, but there, you're really getting just one opinion, one method.

And, the camaraderie- you can't get that on paper.

[Junkman]

I remember when you knew which other kits were available because they were depicted on the side of the box.

Not that you got them, mind you...

[Crazy Ed]

Let's not forget about AutoWorlds Catalog........ The Sears Christmas Catalog for Modelers!

[Tom Geiger]

and don't forget advertising in comic books. I knew I need the Tom Daniel S'cool Bus and Garbage Truck because I saw them in an ad!

[Greg Myers]

In the '50's and '60's being overseas the Sears and Wards catalogs were it.. Good luck talking yer Mom into ordering any models though,"You need new Pants!" Well, at least we could dream.

[BirdWatcher]

As a kid, I loved "TG&Y", lots of kits of all scales and prices too. Mom would go buy yarn, and I would camp in the model car isle. We had a cool toy store called Toy Villa about 5 minutes from home that had Models stacked up to the ceiling...very cool for a kid. Built up models in the window along with model kit boxes would draw you inside. Later on Toy Villa became more of an RC store and Tamiya stuff ruled the shelves. I had to look to Fedco and Gemco for kits as there seemed to be less shelf space at local toy stores. Then found kits at Thrifty drug stores for quite a while. I wondered if the manager of that Thrifty built models, because they had twice as many as any other Thrifty I had ever been to. So I guess my local shops would not have been able to keep me up to date on future releases.

[Rob Hall]

I remember TG&Y stores. As a kid in Eastern Ohio, I remember getting models from there and many other long gone stores--Mr Wiggs, Harts, Hills, Rinks, Ben Franklin.

[Petetrucker07]

We had a few TG&Y stores out here in Ca. It was a cool store as I remember it.

[High octane]

Back in the 60's we found out about new kits from our local hobby shop, model car mags, and catalogs like Auto World, and it worked just fine back then.

[Luc Janssens]

Product catalogs, remember every year just after the Nürnberg Toy fair, my local hobby shop getting all the new catalogs in.

With Monogram, you could even see the release month and even in my neck of the woods they were pretty much on schedule.....

So while the information highway speeded up the info, the lead times got longer.....

;^)

[Junkman]

That's very true. We now get the information sooner, but not the kits.