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2nd hand Model Shop in Wimbeldon


spruecutter96

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Hi, All.

 

Whilst attending the Midlands Air Museum model show yesterday, I was told about a model-shop that used to specialize in second-hand kits in Wimbledon, South London. The fella who told me about this place said he hadn't visted it for maybe 6 years and the best location he could give me was Wimbeldon (on or near the South Circular). He said the shop has never had a website and the owner largely sold to "local" kit-collectors (that last bit sounds a tad "League of Gentlemen" to me, but never mind). 

 

Does anyone know the shop he was referring to? Is it still in business today? If it is, what's the address, please?

 

Any information will be very gratefully received. 

 

Thanks. 

 

Chris.  

 

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Hi, Pete.

 

Thanks for your reply. I don't think it could have been Comet Miniatures (the owner - Tony James - is now trading on-line only as timeless_hobbies, BTW). The fella I was talking to didn't mention that the shop was primarily SCi-FI / Fantasy and he probably would have mentioned that if it had been Comet Miniatures. 

 

I will keep looking, but I have a feeling the shop I'm after may be long gone. 

 

Thank you for taking the time to reply - much appreciated. 

 

Chris. 

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I recall a shop closer to Croydon, think it was on the Croydon Road - not really Wimbledon though, and thought it closed longer ago than six years.

 

It used to sell other secondhand stuff, but had some great kits in there at very good prices - bagged a Bosica Alfa 1750 for £6 back in the day...

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2 hours ago, Jinxman said:

I recall a shop closer to Croydon, think it was on the Croydon Road - not really Wimbledon though, and thought it closed longer ago than six years.

 

It used to sell other secondhand stuff, but had some great kits in there at very good prices - bagged a Bosica Alfa 1750 for £6 back in the day...

Milslides had a shop in Streatham back in the 1980s and early 90s, as well as the original premises in Croydon and a later shop in Redhill.  Not sure if that's what you're thinking of as they must be gone about 20 years.

 

Regarding @spruecutter96's question, I think the business in question might have been BMW Models - Builders Merchants Wimbledon I believe.

Edited by JosephLalor
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BMW models, in the 70s at least, was not a 2nd hand specialist but closer perhaps to what Hannants is today.  It was a regular importer of overseas kits, a prime advertiser in magazines, and fairly central to the hobby for signs of new releases.  It clearly declined later, but I've no details of that.

Edited by Graham Boak
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11 hours ago, Richard Humm said:

BMW Models went out of business in 1982, so that's well before the timeline of the original post. The only other secondhand models specialist south of the river that comes to mind is Kit Krazy, but Bexley Heath is a long way from Wimbledon.

You have got my old oppo Collectakit in Addlestone, he's on line and sends out lists on request. He attends model shows most weekends.

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On 12/4/2017 at 10:32 AM, Potato Pete said:

Comet Miniatures

 

On 12/6/2017 at 5:00 PM, AntPhillips said:

Comet Miniatures

I’ll go with Comet Miniatures as well.

 

Back in the 90’s Comet had two (three?) shops in the same area, one sci-fi, one second hand, and I think the other was for trade?

Comet also fits the bill for ‘Wimbledon’ (fairly close) and ‘on the South Circular’.

 

Mart

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11 hours ago, Richard Humm said:

Pat doesn't have a shop as far as I know, so I wasn't counting him.

Don't tell him he doesn't count, he won't luv you for that. Judging from his show site he's probably one of the two largest second hand dealers in the UK

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Looking at the previous comments, maybe it was Comet Miniatures. I started visting Tony James' shop (singular) about 5 or 6 years ago. In those days, he had floor-to-ceiling SF kits on the ground floor and second-hand kits in a very murky, dusty basement.  There were some underground gems lurking down there.

 

Tony shut the shop down a few years ago and now trades on-line only as timeless_hobbies. I saw him at the Hanslope HAMEX show a couple of weeks ago and he seemed much the same as ever. He was telling me stories about Peter Jackson and H.R. Giger (designer of the original Alien back in the 1970's) coming into his shop over the years, which I found very interesting.  

 

Cheers for the replies.

 

Chris.  

Edited by spruecutter96
Typo and adding information.
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6 hours ago, chris57 said:

Don't tell him he doesn't count, he won't luv you for that. Judging from his show site he's probably one of the two largest second hand dealers in the UK

I wasn't dissing him (I've been buying from him for nearly 30 years), but this thread was about a south London shop, and as far as I know Pat has always been shows and mail order only.

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BMW were located at 327-329 Haydons Road, very close to the railway flyover. Some 40 years ago I have been their supplier of Polish and East German (GDR) kits. 

I still do remember Miss Paula H..... there :) 

Cheers

Michael

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