How were kits in the early 60's packaged inside their boxes?

[redscampi]

I hope this is in the right place. As the title states, I'm curious what the undisturbed contents of the kits might have looked like from different manufacturers. I have a 1976 Revell Corvette (H-1203) that has thin brown paper wrappings, not sure if it's original or not. I also just acquired a 1963 Revell '56 Ford Pickup kit (H-1283). The entire kit is in a sealed clear plastic bag inside the box, instructions and all. I'm not at all sure it would have bee packed that way in 1963. So that got me thinking about how the kits may have been originally packed. I was only 3 in 1963 so too young to know this info first hand. I'm certain some of you have undisturbed kits from those days - any thoughts?

Edited November 4, 2023 by redscampi

[Ace-Garageguy]

Early '60s AMT kits were just sprues, decal sheet, instructions, and tires loose in the box. The box was usually "sealed" with two small pieces of tape.

Loose tires account for the high incidence of "tire burn" damage found in old virgin kits.

I think Revell was the first to start bagging parts within the box, but I could be mistaken.

EDIT: I have a few AMT kits that were virgins when I got 'em...a '40 Ford Tudor, a '49 Ford, a couple of '36 Fords, and a couple of first issue Ala Kart double kits. None were internally bagged, just like I remember from the days when dinosaurs walked the earth.

Edited November 4, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[Mark]

Most early Sixties Revell car kits were packaged inside a sealed bag inside the box, instruction sheet included.  So the '56 Ford pickup is correct.  I believe the tires and red lenses may be in another bag together, inside the bigger one.  One of the '56 pickups I have was packaged that way.  If so, the red lenses are probably toast.  Some Revell items were shrinkwrapped on the outside, including early Custom Car Parts packs (parts were wrapped to a hanging card) and their '62 Chrysler Corporation car kits (the first versions, not the Metalflake versions--those were bagged same as the Ford pickup, tri-Five Chevy kits, etc). 

AMT bagging unplated parts inside the box started with the 1969 annual kits and was phased in on Trophy Series and other kits.  In the early/mid Seventies they also bagged plated trees in a more cellophane-type of material.  I'm not certain about when MPC started.  Jo-Han never bagged anything until SeVille took over in the early Nineties.  AMT-packaged Jo-Han kits (late 1966 through 1974-75) weren't bagged either, as those were produced and packed by Jo-Han.

[bobss396]

All of the AMT kits had the loose trees of parts, the tires were loose too. The axles were at times held together with white tape. I never saw an AMT kit with marked up glass from tires.

The MPC Southern Stockers were known for tire melt on the glass. It was tinted glass on some kits, hard to polish out in some cases.

[Mark]

MPC early Eighties kits in general were known for bad tire burn, especially those with the BFG Radial T/A tires which were first used in some '82 annual kits.

[redscampi]

Thanks all for the comments. Based on what I've learned so far I do believe now that the 56 I have is an original.

1 hour ago, Mark said:

One of the '56 pickups I have was packaged that way.  If so, the red lenses are probably toast.

You are correct sir. I poked around the bag a bit and discovered that there is a smaller bag inside with the tires in it, along with can only be described as red goo...

[oldcarfan]

I bought a couple of 'new' 1974 MPC kits a few years ago that came in shrink wrap with Woolworth's price stickers still on them so I guess they started that some time in the early 70s? As far as the internals, they started bagging them at least as far back as the late 70s I think.

Edit: They still put the tires in loose as far back as the 90s. I think they started bagging tires and clear parts when they offshored the kit making to China.

Edited November 4, 2023 by oldcarfan

[Reegs]

As Ace said, before the Permian Extinction everything was loose in the box and the box was taped shut. Tire marks would happen after the kit sat forgotten in the back of the shelf for a few years.

[redscampi]

"...and the box was taped shut."

From this I gather that tape residue on the box art might be part of the original manufacture's packing, and not someone taping it together later. Interesting - to me anyway.

Edited November 6, 2023 by redscampi