Another old hobby shop photo(s)

[ChrisBcritter]

While digging for old high school yearbook images of cars to post on the H.A.M.B., I spotted this in the 1965 book from Santa Fe H.S. in Santa Fe Springs, CA:

Had to blow it up so the resolution isn't so sharp, but you can still recognize some of our old favorite kits.

Exterior from the '66 yearbook; note the AMT '37 Cord kit at the bottom of the window:

 

[louie]

To me it's great history and memory's. I would love to see more photos of stuff related to this subject. Where I grew up we didn't have a hobby shop or at least not one close but we had a Woolworth 's and they had a pretty decent hobby section. Thanks for posting the pictures I really appreciate it.      Jeff 

[slusher]

Cool and great photos. 

[B-Ram]

Cool. Brings back a lot of memories.

[disabled modeler]

This brings back a lot of memories for me too... we had a Ben Franklin store..a Woolworth store..and a local shop that was awesome called Quincy pet and hobby years ago.  Love to have some of those kits that were out back in those days...would be great to get to relive some of my childhood days again with them.

[Crazy Ed]

       Anyone else smelling the faint wift of Model Airplane dope from the Planes that'd be hanging from the Ceiling?

[mikemodeler]

In this modern age of online shopping or going to a big box store, there will be people who won't have memories of shopping at places like the one above. Hardware stores where the staff is friendly, helpful and maybe your neighbor, grocery stores that knew you and had butchers that could cut up steaks or other meats to your liking, gas stations where the attendant called you by name- yeah sounds a little like an episode from Andy Griffith but it was the time I grew up in. 

I know the convenience of shopping online, but I also like to walk the aisles of stores looking at product and discovering something new.

 

Thanks for sharing those pictures, reminds me of a few old hobby shops from my youth.

[1972coronet]

(213) UNderhill-93661 .  9128 E. Telegraph is at Downey's northern border ; across the street is the city of ( Pico ) Rivera . I could swear that Bert's Hobbies was still in business at that location as of 1980 ...

[gtx6970]

Great pictures,

Oh how I remember those days  very well .

Spent many hours walking the hobby isles in Sids Elsmere drug store  in Elsmere Ky back about 1965 or 66

or Johnnys Toys in Latonia Ky in the early 70s

[robertw]

Thanks for a little trip down memory lane. When we were growing up who would have thought that all those great shops that we spent time in would be gone and not replaced by new ones. Sadly,the enjoyment in visiting a good hobby shop  has gotten to be a rare experience today.

[oldcarfan]

My hometown of Ingleside, Texas was too small for a hobby shop. We had Stewart's pharmacy. They had an aisle of model kits. The Kroger's grocery and the 5&10 had an aisle of them too.  I would wander up and down it while my mom shopped and dream that she would let me get something.

[ChrisBcritter]

Stewart's? Not much of an ad, but they do mention toys - here it is from the 1957 Ingleside High yearbook:

 

Edited January 18, 2016 by ChrisBcritter

[Harry P.]

I love seeing those old photos. Brings back memories.

[High octane]

I love seeing those old photos. Brings back memories.

I agree Harry, as when I was a kid in the 50's & 60's we had a LOT of hobby shops or other stores w/hobby departments. Over the years I've seen many hobby shops go by the wayside, but I realize that it's something that I can't change.

[junkyardjeff]

I just barely seen them like that.

[Junkman]

...would be great to get to relive some of my childhood days again with them.

 

Yeah, let's buy some nice old kits, slap them together using entire tubes of glue, then blow them up with firecrackers.
I even have a vintage glue museum for maximum authenticity, including getting high on fumes.

Count me in!

Proper firecrackers, like the ones they used to make for children, might be difficult to obtain nowadays, though.

Edited January 19, 2016 by Junkman

[B-Ram]

Growing up in Tampa Florida, I had a hobby shop right by my house. It was "Hans Hobby Shop ". Lots of people thought it was named after the owner, but Hans was his dog. 

Bill

[Spex84]

Proper firecrackers, like the ones they used to make for children, might be difficult to obtain nowadays, though.

Haha, just take a trip over the border into Mexico around Christmas. It's like there's a war on when the kids get their holiday firecrackers. Living in Canada, I had never experienced M-80s until a visit to Baja. It's a wonder the kids have any fingers left!

//Love the hobby shop photos. Ever feel nostalgic for a time you never actually experienced? I have a bit of that going on right now...

[Bigplay]

On 1/17/2016 at 6:15 AM, 1972coronet said:

(213) UNderhill-93661 .  9128 E. Telegraph is at Downey's northern border ; across the street is the city of ( Pico ) Rivera . I could swear that Bert's Hobbies was still in business at that location as of 1980 ...

It was around until the mid 80's. I was friends with the original owners son Jeff Reed. The family moved away I'm going to say in 69 or 70. They sold the shop to their neighbor Mrs Boyle who's son was on my little league team. She in turn sold it to a man named Walt, never knew his last name . He was a true modeler. The original shop was a general hobby shop the had everything from cox gas powered airplanes to models , crafts and slot cars. In the mid to late 60s the shop was more of a slot car place then anything which was phased out with the next owner. Boy I mis that place.