Hobby shops recollection

[Alain Gadbois]

From an interesting Youtube channel. I'm certain many of you will think of when you were kids again. Being from Montreal, there are two hobby shops I remember when I was a Kid. The first , in the East end was L'Oiseau bleu on St-Catherine Street. Used to go there by the Metro and lots of walking. Aged about 15, I bought a Revell Cobra helicopter that was missing the canopy. Brought it back the next weekend and was greeted by a dubious clerk who agreed to trade it but wanted to check the contents with me. Upon opening the kit, he was stunned to see that this kit was missing the canopy also! Closed many years ago.

The second place was at Eaton's department store down town and was a great place. Didn't have much money so spent so much time just looking at the kits there. Bought many Humbrol tinlets of paint that I believe were around 60 cents then. Learned many years later they brought and exposed there a captured Bf 109 E during the Battle of Britain. 

 

 

Alain

[MikeMaben]

Yeah that brings back some memories Alain. Never saw that non toxic glue tho 

That's OK tho, the smell of glue was half the fun. 

[europapete]

I remember Wonderland hobbies in Edinborough, Monk Bar model Shop in York ( still there!) Pickerings bookshop in the Shambles (York), sadly gone now, curtousy of York City Council more than doubling the rents (idiots). Woolworths of course, and our local Post Office shop in New Earswick that had lots of Airfix and Matchbox kits. I saw my first Airfix HP 0/400 kit there when just a sprog. Thought it was the best kit I ever saw.  Also Precious's in Petergate, always a great shop for kits and chemistry sets, they had the chemical refill containers of stuff you just don't find anymore. All kinds of acids, sulphor, carbon, potasium nitrate........good fun when you're a kid with a formula, lolol

Regards, Pete in RI

Edited April 17, 2021 by europapete
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[Chek]

There used to be several really good model shops in East London when I lived there in the '70s. I bought my first Microscale sheet and Squadron Phantom book at ModelMark on Upton Lane, and Entex F-4B and IMC Battle damaged kits at a place on Hoe St. whose name now escapes me. Also a shop opposite Homerton Hospital with a model section in the basement where I bought the then new 1/48 Hasegawa F-4B and F-4J  It only seemed fair having spent so many afternoons just browsing. And of course A.G. Hermite's in East Ham, which housed Ted Taylor's Scale models featured Revell 1/32 F-4E with the UK tailcode in glass under one of the counters.

Edited April 17, 2021 by Chek
spelling

[Tnarg]

Model construction isn't completely dead in the aftermath of video games, but it sure is a lot less widespread than back in the day. My younger grandson and I put together the Gojira monster kit that was 16 inches tall, with destruction in the diorama and he was thrilled with that.

 

My older grandson really struggled with some of the Revell kits of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's cars. Too many fiddly bits in the suspension and details that were equally difficult for us to build back in the day. I guess we didn't mind the glue stains and limited paint, did we? Decals? Don't need no stinkin' decals.

 

Thanks for the memories. Just remembering having lots of fun,

 

Tnarg

[ivanmoe]

The big one in my hometown was “CC Toy and Hobby.” On more than one occasion, I had a kid’s dream about visiting the store and being greeted by a number of “new kits” based on as yet unrealized favorite subjects of yours truly. Of course I was elated. Then I’d wake up and only gradually realize that the models didn’t actually exist. Bummer

Edited April 17, 2021 by ivanmoe

[europapete]

way back in Brainerd MN, the hobby shop was combined with the pet shop. Parrots up front and plastic in the back. Always thought that was an interesting combo. 

[Stokey Pete]

I kinda miss the pre-internet excitement of going into the LHS nearest to me, and perusing for the newest releases. The joy of discovering a new kit, trying to get it open without the owner spotting you, so you could inspect the contents. 
My folks used to get mad that I was ‘wasting’ my money buying models that I would merely glue together and hang from the ceiling. 
I’m glad that I ignored their protests, and ridicule. Had I taken it to heart, I guess I wouldn’t be building the great kits that are available these days. 

[MikeC]

7 hours ago, Chek said:

Also a shop opposite Homerton Hospital with a model section in the basement where I bought the then new 1/48 Hasegawa F-4B and F-4J 

H J Walker iirc.  They did mail order, but I did visit once. My own local shop was called C F Rogers; they had all sorts of toys, watches and models, both flying and our sort. They even had a small selection of decals, including the old ESCI sheets. This was late 60s to early 70s. Ah, memories!

[europapete]

Yep, StokeyP, went through the same

[James Rademaker]

I also miss and remember all of the hobby stores I had in my geography. As far as 3-5 years ago when I was still working as a Pharma rep I always visited the hobby sites in each part of my territory. I always made a point of buying something each time I went into a store, especially the “old” Humbrol paints. I still have many of those colors you can’t get anymore. Sadly, as time went by I’d go to a location and it was closing or closed. It always felt good to buy something in person and go back in my car and inspect what I bought. Now it’s all internet in my area, no more local retail hobby stores. Progress?
 

Jim

[BloorwestSiR]

We had a number of shops here in Toronto growing up that I would try to go to. 

 

- Rigby's was the closet to me. A 15 minute bike ride. Every year, they would bring their big display cases  of finished models to the Ex.

 

- Keith's Hobby Shop was further away but was a great, well stocked shop. One of the best at the time.

 

- Leisure World was in the basement of a building in the downtown core, practically suurounded by office towers.

 

Then there was Mr Gameways Ark, Northstar Hobbies, Dragon Hobbies and some smaller shops that specialized in Anime models. 

 

Thankfully there's still one great shop here- Wheels & Wings. Great service and selection. 

 

 

Carl

 

 

[LSP_Mike]

Going back many years, UC Hobbies in San Diego, along with the Command Post, and when I lived there, Franciscan Hobbies on Ocean Ave. In San Francisco. Got my first ref. Armor on the Eastern Front, with the interior shots of the Tiger I; also when Humbrol first came out. They were better than Pactra as I remember.

[MikeC]

We talk about hobby shops: I don't know what it was like other than in the UK, but in the late 1960s to mid-70s, many shops of different types sold a few kits.  Toyshops, newsagents, even our local greengrocer had a few (I bought a 1/72 Revell P-51D, "The Millie P" with a red fuselage in that one. ) and many other shops.  Woolworths in the UK had a deal with Airfix in those days as well.  Even in the late 1980s, there was a shop in Huntingdon which sold mostly sports equipment and clothing, but had a hobby section too with a good selection of kits, not just the usual suspects like Airfix but brands you'd only expect to find in a specialist hobby shop.

 

Back to model shops, I forgot to mention that when I lived near Portsmouth in the 80s, my LHS was Modeltoys.  Very bad for me, or at least my wallet: they had all the Modeldecal sheets in large A4 poster displays, it was great looking thorough them, but you may recall there was usually more than one type on each sheet.  So the conversation usually went something like:  "Can I have a copy of sheet no xx please?  I've got a Tornado, thanks, but actually I see there's a Puma on it, can I take one of those too?"

[thierry laurent]

Same in Belgium! I purchased many Hasegawa kits in a huge shop selling... wood furniture when I was spending my weekends in my grandmother's home!