Youthful Memories

[802chrisg]

This should be a fun topic for all. I was on another forum site the other day and this Idea came to me. I know just about all of us did this at one time or another. I'm talking about when I was a kid I would take my finely built models out to the backyard and play out a battle sence. I would put firecrackers down the gun barrels and in the tracks and light them off to PRETEND that the tank was destroyed by other tank. -or- with my ships I would place them in a pool of gasoline with the standard firecrackers and play out a sence of being attacked from the air or by another ship. You get the picture. Now remember all this took place back in the 70's and 80's when, well shell we say the law's and general attitude was "well that is just boys being boys". So have fun with this and share what you did or for that matter wanted to do with all those eary models we built as youthful kids.

 

Chris

 

"AHH the smell of plastic burning in the morning" B)

[ewahl]

Hi, Chris,

 

Go to the Photographing Your Models section on this DF and open my "Models Crash and Burn" thread. When I did this stuff, I took pictures of it.

 

Ed

[RGronovius]

Setting globs of Testors tube glue on fire on the wings and tossing the kit to see if it would fly. The Sears BB gun also took many shots at my kits.

[ghodges]

Although I certainly played with the completed models, I was much more prone to having them displayed in my room. I did have fun sinking a carrier with a BB gun, and the occasional fire cracker, or incendiary "viking" funeral (we all know how styrene curls, burns, and wafts around in the air! ); but by and large I tried to preserve mine.

 

I also remember with great joy the MANY places you could find plastic models! My dad bought his first at an Eckerds drug store. The there was Woolworth, Woolco, Sears, the local hardware store. and any other "general" purpose store. I didn't see a hobby shop until years after I'd been building models (and an angelic light appeared, with harp music in the background, and I knew I'd found heaven! ).

 

Another great memory was when I took a P-51I'd built into a local shop to show the owner, and met a guy who suggested I sand the seams. What? How? (and he explained) And where did you learn about this? (and he explained about a magazine called Scale Modeler). THERE'S A MAGAZINE FOR BUILDING PLASTIC MODELS?! (and once more the light and the music appeared...)

 

And thus my modeling world expanded....soon to be followed by an awareness of builders who were in a club called IPMS (There's a club too!!??) I joined IPMS in 1977 and have enjoyed every moment since then! Well, most of them.....after all, there are all those vacs I tackled along the way..... Cheers!

 

GIL

[VonL]

The there was Woolworth, Woolco, Sears, the local hardware store. and any other "general" purpose store. I didn't see a hobby shop until years after I'd been building models (and an angelic light appeared, with harp music in the background, and I knew I'd found heaven! ).

 

Ah, yes...that first real hobby shop; like discovering the proverbial pot o'gold in your back yard! Ref: "The Flightline" Model Hobby Shop, Lancaster, PA, c.1973. Run by three old vets. A classic hole-in-the-wall shop, stocked floor to ceiling with an incredible variety of new and old stuff (all plastics), books & mags, aftermarket, etc, etc. Along the centerline of this tiny shop was a large display case containing the masterful, inspiring works of local modelers. The whole place was maybe 20 feet wide. I vaguely recall an aura of cigar, or maybe pipe smoke in there. Another great one from that same era and region was "Powell's Hobbies", literally a guy's converted basement/garage in his residential home, east of town; a superb combo of R/C & Styrene. Heaven, indeed.

 

Nice reverie. Thanks for that reminder!