Paper model of a 1950s Nash Dealership, including paper cars

[Russell C]

Not something you run across everyday in the eBay Vintage Model Cars section:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/266717238942 . Would be entertaining to get nice flat scans of the original to do paper printout reproductions to put together. Since eBay auction links are short-lived, here's a permanently saved Archive link to at least have a minimal look at what the seller had:  https://web.archive.org/web/20240313192938/https://www.ebay.com/itm/266717238942

[peteski]

Nice, and it was from the Boston area.  WBZ radio station is still around.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Pretty cool...but I learned early on that anything that started with "hey kids!!!!!" was sure to be some abysmal piece of blankety blank that nobody over 3 would get excited over once they saw how awful it really was.

 

[peteski]

3 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Pretty cool...but I learned early on that anything that started with "hey kids!!!!!" was sure to be some abysmal piece of blankety blank that nobody over 3 would get excited over once they saw how awful it really was.

 

If you look at the other photos it actually looks good, but too rich for me.

[Russell C]

Tempted to drop parts of the page below into my Corel drawing program so I can print out the red Ambassador, and then see if it is beyond my skill level these days to assemble it. I can vouch firsthand that paper models aren't always child's play to put together. The Bluesmobile I did many years back really was a fiddley kit - borrowing KCSlammer's Fotki photo of it here. (had to also build my own award trophy for it out of a McDonalds burger box, which was actually easier to do!)

[Ace-Garageguy]

10 hours ago, peteski said:

If you look at the other photos it actually looks good...

I'll give you that, but as Russell C said, paper models are usually well beyond the skill level of the "kids" they're supposedly targeted at. The "no cutting, no pasting" blurb on the package implies an "insert tab A into slot B" kind of construction, marginal at best, and the thin tabs and slots would often tear as pieces were removed from their carrier sheet by little fingers not yet possessed of fine motor skills.

Having built multiple railroad models from cardstock in the wayback, I also learned early on that getting good edge joins isn't easy (people complain about "multi-piece" molded styrene bodies, which are a piece of cake compared to paper models), they're usually floppy if not substantially reinforced with non-kit-supplied materials, and they're unstable...tending to swell and shrink and warp and wrinkle depending on the relative humidity. Sealing both sides of paper or cardstock parts with something like clear lacquer helps immensely, but again, that's not among the skillsets of most "kids".

I have bought some paper kits recently, but only to use as templates to aid building semi-scratch styrene models of aviation and military subjects that are otherwise unavailable.

ON THE OTHER HAND...I think this particular model would be a really interesting display piece if assembled by a competent adult, sealed and reinforced as necessary, and housed in a glass case where atmospheric changes could be moderated.  

[redscampi]

For anyone interested, there is an absolute feast of paper models on the internet covering any subject imaginable. (People, places, things, buildings, cars, planes, etc.)  Hundreds are free, some with amazing detail. There are even more relatively inexpensive pay-and-download kits. Many good kits are from foreign countries' creators and hosts, so it really pays to learn a few foreign language search terms. You can even find a lot of great props for dioramas.

I used to do paper modeling as a really inexpensive alternative to this hobby. You really only need a decent printer, card stock, a good straight edge and some good paper glue. Elmer's will work, just go easy. Start small and learn some techniques and you can turn out some really neat stuff for cheap.  Paper model sites tend to come and go, so if you're interested in a particular kit, download and save it, it may not be there tomorrow.

Edited March 14, 2024 by redscampi

[peteski]

Growing up in Poland I also build several paper models. There was actually a periodical with paper models in each issue. It was called Młody Modelarz (Young Modeler). Some larger kits took up more than one issue.  I remember being impatient waiting for the next issue to complete the model.  I remember building a helicopter (fairly large, probably 1:48 scale), and a WWII era destroyer.  That one was split into multiple issues, and it was quite long (probably around 24"). Unfortunately both models are long gone.