Modelling shops - early experiences and changes in the last century

[Paul821]

A recent thread, which went OT into old computing, brought back memories of early employment.

 

When I started earning money, in general plastic kits were something you purchased in a toy shop, newsagents or maybe Woolworths. However dedicated model shops for railways were fairly common. I started work in the City of London in 1970 and there were five model railway shops I could get to at lunchtime and I think only Beatties sold models. My first visit to Hannants was when the retail section was upstairs in a toy shop in central Lowestoft.

 

Looking at old Airfix Magazines and issues of the Railway Modeller show a dearth of adverts for shops in the Airfix Mag' but a plethora in RM. Indeed BMW Models of Wimbledon seemed to be the key Advertiser in Airfix Mag'. It seems that the change started when Riko commenced importing kits from Japan.

 

These are just some random thoughts that came to me when thinking about my first adult salary payments but  perhaps others have thoughts and memories of model shopping pre 2000.

 

 

[Graham Boak]

I recall dedicated model shops in Newcastle and Sunderland in the late 50s - the Newcastle one also dealt in railway models I believe but I don't recall that the two Sunderland ones did.  (I've since been told there was a third one, but I never knew of it.)  Most of my kits were from newsagents until Woolworths opened in Peterlee early in the 60s.  There was at least one in Bristol in the late 60s, at the top of the Christmas Steps although there was another in Broadmead later?  Models could also be found in toy shops and other odd areas - photographic shops seem to have been not unusual.  There was one dedicated shop in Kingston in the early 70s - I recall going to BMW models but it was shut.  There was another in Douglas on the Isle of Man.  In the late 70s there was one in Preston, one in St.Annes, and up to three in Blackpool, some of which shared railway interests.  After that the main memories are of Beatties, dedicated shops closing down, or at least dedicated trips to more distant major urban conglomerations.  One in Lancaster, Deansgate in Manchester, one in Southport, reputedly in Liverpool.

[bentwaters81tfw]

When I first became aware of model kits, there was an ex military type guy had a proper boys toy shop that sold Airfix, Frog, Dinky and Corgi toys, plus Tri-ang and Hornby trains.

The newsagent across the road sold some Revell.

Further down the main street was Wakelins, who sold kits, even exotic things like Hasegawa and AMT for the 60s, also paints, and brushes. Trains, bikes, and upstairs, prams and dolls and die casts. Aside from that, WHS and Woolies, and a small sort of seaside shop that sold Pyro.

Another newsagent by the bus station had the odd kits. All long gone.

 

I suppose for an out-of-the-way seaside town, back then I was spoiled a bit.

[Pig of the Week]

My earliest models were Airfix, courtesy of my Gran, from the fairly big Woolworths in Croydon, mid 1960s. They had a large display float with nicely made and painted examples of the aircraft kits hanging above it. 

Didn't Airfix have some special business deal with the Woolies chain? 

There was a fairly posh model shop in Croydon a little later called Model Time, they had  Tamiya stuff (RIKO) . Beatties subsequently opened one there too I think. 

Early 70s there was a biggish model shop called Eltham Models  (in Eltham obviously!) this was mainly concerned with slot car build parts etc, and had a substantial track set up in there where you could bring your own cars and play! 

[Chimpion]

In North Bucks around 1979 Taylor and McKenna was the go-to chain - downstairs was toys and upstairs models. That's where I first encountered the Japanese and American brands. They had shops in Aylesbury, Bletchley and Milton Keynes if I remember correctly. There was also a specialist model shop in Aylesbury. The Woolworths in Aylesbury was one of the biggest branches in the country and had a wide range of Airfix kits.

 

 

[pigsty]

When I got into the hobby in the late 1970s I mainly used the Hobby House in Truro, which had two branches, one for models and the other for crafts.  No trains or Scalextric as I recall it.  There was also a shop in the market that mixed kits and trains (and was a fair bit taller than it was wide).  Then in Plymouth there was a dedicated shop on Old Town Street (might have had wargaming upstairs, I never went up) and a mixed kits-and-RC place on Frankfort Gate.  There was even a full-time model shop in Bath that I eventually got to, having heard lots about it.

 

On top of that there were models in one of the ironmongers* in my little town, and another in Plymouth, and in odd corners of toy shops.  I can’t remember ever buying anything in Woolies, although WH Smith toyed with models for a short time.

 

Spin forward a few years and it was GD Models and Beatties in Nottingham - both kits, trains and RC.  And since then I've been in one place that had models up one side and bikes up the other, and another with fishing tackle up one side and models opposite.

 

The Hobby House had been there for years, as had the one in Plymouth, so I’d say it’s always been a mixed picture.  And it still is.  Most of the places where I get my stuff are mixed, but the odd shop still exists that does nothing but models.

 

* yes, one of them.  We had two - and a draper.  Only one of them’s still open.

[Robert]

My first true model shop was Jones Bros of Chiswick. I would go over there on Saturday and have a chat and look at any new kits. The two people who worked there , Brian and Peter, Brian being more talkative. Seagull Models in South Kensington was also a great place as they got Japanese kits l had never heard of. When l got a job in Holborn, l would regularly visit Beatties and the old Hasegawa 1/72 F-14 was the first kit l bought there.

 

Regards 

Robert 

[3DStewart]

As a young child in the 60s, I have memories of a 'model' shop in Nottingham, which stocked Revell, Frog and Lindburg (I think).  I say model shop, but I have no memory of what else it might have sold.  There was also a department store in Nottingham (Pearson Bros, I think) that sold kits and trains in their toy department.

In the early 70s, after a move to Worcestershire, it was Woolworths in Great Malvern and Frosts' Toys in Worcester, on the corner of Pump Street that kept me supplied with kits until I moved on to other things in about '74.  Frosts has long gone, though the building still survives. I was surprised how small it was when I went back a couple of years ago.

 

Edited August 15, 2024 by 3DStewart

[noelh]

I grew up in Dublin, 60s and 70s. Model shops were thin on the ground. My first model, an Airfix Wildcat was bought in Woolworths. But as ever just like in Britain there were corner shops which always had a few models. In fact I was introduced to Frog kits when our local shop got in a stock of bagged kits. After begging three bob off my Mother. I soon had a Spitfire. 

 

But by chance, I came across another shop locally. Newsagent and tobacconist. It had some models on display in the window. Inside on the magazine rack was the September 1971 edition of Airfix magazine but  the real find was at the back of the shop. It was a real mini model shop. They even stocked decals, sorry transfers! The owner was a modeller and set it up as a shop in a shop. That's where my modelling 'career' kicked off. He was always happy to chat. I was lucky to find the place. 

 

Reading Airfix magazine, I was jealous of British modellers who seemed to live in a modellers paradise. Shops everywhere, (I thought).In 1974, I went on a school tour to Stratford upon Avon to see Macbeth. But we had a day in Oxford where I managed to visit one of the two model shops. That was my  introduction to a proper model shop, filled with models of every sort. Most beyond my limited budget. I know I bought something but can't remember what.

 

Back in Dublin there was nothing like it. Unfortunately the owner of my local shop died and it was sold. No more models just another Spar. 

 

But in the city centre there was toy shop which stocked a lot of models and modelling accessories. I bought my first plasticard there. I still have some of it all these years later. 

 

But my main suppliers were various mail order shops in England, BMW model, Jones' Bros of Chiswick, MHC among others. No such thing as buying online. No, you had to laboriously write a letter and trot off to the post office to get a postal order. Then the wait and the excitement of receiving a parcel. Actually that bit hasn't changed. I still get excited about a parcel arriving.😃

 

Things gradually improved in Dublin but they remained small and scarce. 

 

Eventually it was the arrival of Mark's Models that changed things. These days, in a rarity, it's an actual chain. They have three shops now but had four at one point. Unfortunately I live too far away from them for regular visits so back to mail order. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nigel Bunker]

I grew up in Reading in the sixties. We had three model shops in town, Reading Model Supplies (in Hosier Street, later under Chatham Street car park), Sleeps (in Kings Road) and EAMES (in Tudor Road, where I eventually worked as a 'Saturday boy'. Woolworths had virtually the complete range of Airfix kits, the Co-op department store also stocked them, but not such a big selection, and Hills toy shop had some kits as well. I never had problems finding a kit to spend my pocket money on. I haven't been to Reading town centre for many years but I doubt there is a model shop there these days.

[Neil.C]

Our local sweetshop stocked Revell but it was to Woolworths of South Norwood SE25 that my Nan bought me my Airfix models. I remember selecting an ME 110 and her remarking  110 was her door number. 😊

 

Later on it was up the road to Norwood Junction models for Keil Kraft etc etc.

 

Great days!

[Keeff]

My first job on leaving school was in Apex Craft ..... a model shop in Leicester, sadly no longer there as a business or indeed, a building as its now a bus station. 

 

They sold model railway stuff .... Hornby, Fleischmann and Lima and traded in second hand too, with lots of Dublo changing hands. 

 

Model wise, it was Tamiya, Hasegawa, and Airfix mainly.  They also sold Billing Boat kits which I recall were really expensive! 

 

Surprisingly, although I built kits, I didn't buy that many! 

 

Keith 😁 

 

[Billy54]

I grew up in south London and wasn't aware of plastic models until the late 1950's when my Granmother started to bring Airfix models, Airfix glue and Airfix paint over to our flat for my brothers and I to make and 'play' with. It turned out our Gran knew a lady who worked at Airfix, I don't know what she did there, and would acquire the Airfix stuff thru her. I met this lady a couple of times, Auntie Vi (Violet). We would receive all the Airfix products aircraft/tanks/cars/railway/figures and later on their slot car stuff. I can remember receiving a nicely finished, detailed and painted, including the figures, of the Heron which inspired me to improve my finished models. Looking back I imagine that the Heron may have been part of a display. I don't think I bought a model until my late teens sometime during the late 1960's, of course by then I had developed other interests and model building took a back seat for a few years.     

[Bullbasket]

2 hours ago, Billy54 said:

It turned out our Gran knew a lady who worked at Airfix,

Similar story. I grew up in Southend-on -Sea and I think that it was Merit had a place in Rochford. My sister's friend's boy friend was a tool maker in the factory, and he used to get hold of all the sprues from kits which had been returned, and make up complete kits for me. I had about half a dozen formula one cars including Lotus, Cooper and Maserati.

Happy days.

 

John.

[iainpeden]

South London in the early 60s - my dad was a regular customer of Ian Allen and his trains. Then we moved to North Northants and had Ernest Berwick's in Kettering. I think there was Taylor and Mckenna in Kettering too,

 

A move to Rutland and Oakham had a model shop and the "department store" Fords had a good selection.

[Billy54]

1 hour ago, iainpeden said:

South London in the early 60s - my dad was a regular customer of Ian Allen and his trains.

 

Growing up we lived just off the New Kent Road and our Gran lived just off the Old Kent Road, There was a toy shop on the Old Kent Road which had a railway layout in the front window and a slot where you could insert a penny (old money) which would make the train run around the layout. 

[Neil.C]

19 hours ago, Billy54 said:

 

Growing up we lived just off the New Kent Road and our Gran lived just off the Old Kent Road, There was a toy shop on the Old Kent Road which had a railway layout in the front window and a slot where you could insert a penny (old money) which would make the train run around the layout. 

 

There was one of those in the window of Hamleys of Croydon too. 

[jenko]

My first 9 years of my life were in Sheffield. Redgates toy shop (no longer there) was like dying and going to heaven. My parents moved to Margate (I went with them ) there was a model shop in every town locally as well as the usual places like Woolworths etc.

 

Now apart from Hobbycraft and Hornby my nearest one is Faversham. Half an hours drive away on the Thanet way. 

 

Dick

 

 

[Mr T]

On 8/15/2024 at 12:03 PM, 3DStewart said:

As a young child in the 60s, I have memories of a 'model' shop in Nottingham, which stocked Revell, Frog and Lindburg (I think).  I say model shop, but I have no memory of what else it might have sold.  There was also a department store in Nottingham (Pearson Bros, I think) that sold kits and trains in their toy department.

In the early 70s, after a move to Worcestershire, it was Woolworths in Great Malvern and Frosts' Toys in Worcester, on the corner of Pump Street that kept me supplied with kits until I moved on to other things in about '74.  Frosts has long gone, though the building still survives. I was surprised how small it was when I went back a couple of years ago.

 

I grew up in Nottingham, and yes Pearson Bros had quite a decent model and model railway department until about 1972-3. There was also GeeDees, a shop that did flying models, plastic kits and model railways. It survived until about 2021, when the owner, who was 90 decided it was time to retire. It was still making money, but he decided not to sell. The owner, I think, was called Grain and had a business selling knitting machines (Nottingham being known for the production of machine made lace). I have a photo of the front of the original shop, before they moved in about 1976, by which time I was living in Sheffield., and then Leeds. Still used to visit the shop when I came to see my Dad and aunt.

[IanF]

4 hours ago, Mr T said:

I grew up in Nottingham, and yes Pearson Bros had quite a decent model and model railway department until about 1972-3. There was also GeeDees, a shop that did flying models, plastic kits and model railways. It survived until about 2021, when the owner, who was 90 decided it was time to retire. It was still making money, but he decided not to sell. The owner, I think, was called Grain and had a business selling knitting machines (Nottingham being known for the production of machine made lace). I have a photo of the front of the original shop, before they moved in about 1976, by which time I was living in Sheffield., and then Leeds. Still used to visit the shop when I came to see my Dad and aunt.

GeeDee models was up for sale at the time of the owner retiring/closing up. I remember they had a notice in the entrance advertising the fact.

 

Although I note there is now an eBay shop being run under the GeeDee name. 

 

[Richard Humm]

Walthamstow in the 1970s was pretty much full of places to buy model kits. There were some pure model shops, Bridge Models opposite the station, Lea Models (more of a model railway shop, but they also did plastic kits and their own range of 1/76 scale metal bus kits) near the Bakers Arms and Telfords in Wood Street. Arnolds Gift Centre in Hoe Street had a big model department (and occasionally advertised in Airfix Magazine), and Russells at the Bell corner was a combination bike shop and model shop. There was also another shop in the early 1970s on Forest Road whose name escapes me.

 

Apart from the specialists,there were a couple of toy shops with decent stocks, the Dolls Hospital in the market being one of them,and of course Woolworths had Airfix, as did Diamond's newsagents at the Crooked Billet. I don't remember so many places in Chingford, though there was Arts and Crafts at Chingford Mount, and the Rossis ice cream parlour at the bottom of the mount also had a big toy department with a lot of Airfix kits.

[Chimpion]

42 minutes ago, Janine05 said:

I guess nowadays my generation doesn't realise how lucky we are having amazon and ebay and able to buy things online from anywhere in the world.  Although I imagine it was fun visiting shops looking for the next build?

 

JJ

The internet has taken the excitement out of visiting a shop. Whether it was a model shop, a record shop, a book shop, or whatever, it was fun to browse and discover stuff you didn't know existed. Now I hardly ever find something in a shop which surprises me. I think that's one of the factors that's contributed to the decline of real world shops.

 

[Stef N.]

I was quite lucky as a kid. Visiting my grandparents always involved a walk up the road to Michael's Models on Finchley High Road. It stocked everything. And the shop from the legendary Yellow Pages advert was a bus trip away in Potters Bar. Beatties seemed to be everywhere at the time and definitely went to the one in Watford (St.Albans maybe too, but that's a bit hazy).

 

I'm still lucky that there are a few around here, but I would struggle to visit any of them without a car.

[pacificmustang]

My post relates to hobby shops in Perth West Australia, which is where I grew up.

there were 3 shops I remembered frequenting. Stanbridges, every modeller in Perth would have visited Stanbridges at some stage before they closed about 5 years ago

A small shop that was jam packed from floor to ceiling with kits, trains and everything in between! Stanbridges was primarily trains, but dealt in plastic kits too. A full range of Humbrol paints, glues and tools as well. It’s where I bought the then new Tamiya Lancaster.

In the CBD there was also a shop upstairs in the Hay St. mall. I can’t remember the name unfortunately, but I remember 

ogling the Frog Whitley and Monogram USN aircraft kits there . They also help a monthly comp. I entered an aircraft carrier, but didn’t win. The owner kindly explained why I didn’t win and pointed out where I could improve. He then pulled out a Monogram 1/48 Hurricane, complete with faded paintwork and lovely exhaust stains down the fuselage. I had no idea models could be built to this standard. 
Talking of comps, Myer, an Australian Dept. Store once held a model competition where I won 3 different categories, one with a clean sweep.

I was 16 at the time but similar success has continued to elude me despite entering many other comps.😆

The Loco Shed, was as the name implies, a train shop, but plenty of kits and where I was introduced to Scale Models magazine 

There was also Perth Hobby Centre, Strombeckers,and Tim Vickridge’s Modelcraft  in Fremantle . Tim was a big name in WA modelling circles, a very generous man with his time and advice. He introduced me to Iwata airbrushes , Xtracolour paints and FS colours.

 

Bruce 

[Stef N.]

4 hours ago, Janine05 said:

Do you think high street shops should also change their opening hours instead of the old fashioned 9am to 5pm?

A couple near me open Saturday and Sunday which personally helps. If they could open/shut later that would be much better as well.