I stopped at the hobby shop to buy 2 small bottles of paint for my stormtrooper stuff. $5 max. I called ahead and had the girl put it under the counter because 1 color was the last one in stock. I could have just paid and walked away. But no...
Decided I hadn't been in there in a long time, and to take a quick look. Barely made it past the first aisle and found these two. $65 later...
Well, you did say that you were considering an NA miata!
$65.00? I guess I haven’t bought a model in a very long time.
You must start a build thread!
ebonyandivory said:$65.00? I guess I haven’t bought a model in a very long time.
You must start a build thread!
Tamiya has always been on the higher end of the spectrum. They make super nice models though.
I miss old school hobby shops. Fortunately for me one of the largest B2B hobby distributors in the country is right down the road from work and one of our clients. I go to visit him from time to time to see how things are going and browse his warehouse.
About 15 years ago, my house in upstate NY was broken into (local kids). Anyway, the buggers stole my handmade guitar and 3 boxed models. All the models were NOS Revell F1, 1- Clark Lotus and 2-Gurney Eagles. Good taste and irreplaceable models. Still have a Tamiya GT1.
Hobby shops are not evil. They are the greatest thieves in the world. You walk out with an empty wallet and were happy as hell to do so.
markwemple said:All the models were NOS Revell F1, 1- Clark Lotus and 2-Gurney Eagles. Good taste and irreplaceable models. Still have a Tamiya GT1.
I had a little model of a 1966 Ford F-100, just like the real one I own - same color and everything. It sat on the shelf in my office, and one day it was gone; I assume someone on the building cleaning crew swiped it in the middle of the night. That was 15 years ago and it still makes me mad.
I stopped at an estate sale last week, at the house of a woman who had lived to the age of 101. For some odd reason she had a very nice 1:18 scale 1968 Dodge Hemi Charger. I'm not a huge Mopar fan but couldn't pass it up for the $8.00 asking price.
Years ago I spent a lot of time in Taiwan for business, and one day I was out exploring the city and found a hobby shop. They had a lot of interesting models I hadn't seen before so I bought a few, one was a neat little Tamiya Lotus 7.
ebonyandivory said:$65.00? I guess I haven’t bought a model in a very long time.
You must start a build thread!
Yeah, my teenage years in the 80s were full of model kits. I do not remember what I paid but it was definitely less.
65.00 for 2 kits, wow. I remember back in the day buying Tamiya kits at a KB Toys in the mall for $15, MAYBE $20 tops and that was pricey. Monograms/Revells went for around $10. This is going back some 25 years or so though. I think now the only place I've seen stocking model cars is Michael's.
I went to buy the kid a model car recently. Went to ask the usual places and none were to be found. Went to Michael's and the had a handful but they were outrageously expensive. I built a lot of models as a kid and figured the boy may like to give it a try. But for those prices I think a cheaper hobby is in order.
Stanger2000 said:65.00 for 2 kits, wow. I remember back in the day buying Tamiya kits at a KB Toys in the mall for $15, MAYBE $20 tops and that was pricey. Monograms/Revells went for around $10.
I remember being upset when AMT 3-in-1 kits went from $1.75 to $2.00, but then again I'm old. That was a big hit on my 25 cents a week allowance. 
I don't think $25-30 seems outrageous nowadays when video games cost 2x as much.
I dont go to the hobby store anymore. They've robbed me too many times.
Plastic models are made out of plastic and plastic is made out of oil. There's were the rise in price is.
I remember my first model car kit. It was the Jurassic Park Jeff Gordon nascar. Two things I loved at the time. Dinosaurs and Jeff Gordons. I ended up painting everything in the kit the same shade of Walmart rattle can from Dad’s garage stash.
Note to future self: paint with model paint only! That rattle can doesn’t mix well with model glue!
Future note to young self: your brain is now dumber from the fumes.
My friend is building them with his kids and modifying them. I want to do it with mine but they are a little young.
In reply to Stanger2000 :
That's more than my weekly allowance.
Be glad you didn't wander down the R/C aisle:
In reply to slefain :
VERY TRUE!
Jaynen said:My friend is building them with his kids and modifying them. I want to do it with mine but they are a little young.
Be sure to use quality, hobby grade parts when modifying children.
I used to work at a hobby shop as an R/C tech. It actually was just an OK job. People would grill the crap out of you and raise hell that the R/C cars weren't $30 like a Tyco. And people would want me to design things from scratch for them at retail wages. I don't even know how to do that!
It’s sad that all the hobby shops closed up around here. Even if I didn’t buy anything, I’d spend an hour in there looking around.
In reply to slefain :
X2! Stay away from the slot-car aisle too!
slefain said:Be glad you didn't wander down the R/C aisle:
Or click this link. 
And then start thinking about what sort of course you could cut into your back yard. 
My first job right after I turned 16 was at a hobby shop that sold models, RC stuff and skate boards. The store I worked at in a nearby mall closed some years ago and I just found out the original and last store of the chain closed at the beginning of the year. Damn.
As a side note, a new RC shop just opened. Across the road from me. I can walk there. This could be bad.
I have a massive pile of unbuilt models in my attic I've been collecting for decades.
Be happy if you still have a good hobby shop. The internet is slowly killing them off...
I've got a dozen or so static models laying around that I really do intend to build someday. Probably when I retire...
The last few of them I bought from a friend who used to own the local shop, and had bought out the inventory from a closing shop. For a larger scale, quality static model, $65 isn't all that unusual anymore... for one! I lucked out and paid about 30% of retail for a bunch of Academy military aircraft, and some Tamiya motorcycle kits.
The comments above about RC are definitely true... I discovered building highly detailed scale models that actually fly... loads of fun, and loads of dollars. Thankfully, getting back into track cars has saved me...
You'll need to log in to post.
