Iron Modeler

Author: Iron Modeler

  • Let’s revisit the whole niche retail thing, shall we?

    I've been reading with great interest some of the comments on one of the larger modeling forums, in which a modeler goes to a few hobby shops, asks for a particular kit, and gets different answers to the same question.  The groundwork:

    The kit in question is the Airfix 1/48 scale Spitfire XII, which is only now starting to hit the sunny shores of the U.S.–apparently, they've been available in the UK for a few months.  Several have been built and photos posted around the modeling sites.  But the fact remains that it is only now becoming available on our side of the pond.

    One shop told the person that he couldn't possibly want the Airfix kit, as all Airfix kits are "crappy".  They also didn't make an attempt to order said kit for him.

    Another shop told him they didn't carry Airfix because the distributors didn't carry Airfix.

    The third shop promised to order one for him.

    Let's break this down.  First, I can tell you from experience that it has been quite a wait for these kits–I've been trying to order them for our stores for a month or so.  It appears that they've finally started to come in at the distributors, so I'm hoping that they'll be able to fill the orders.  Why is this an anticipated kit?  Nobody else does a mainstream kit of Spitfire XII in 1/48 scale.  There are a couple of conversion kits, but no full-blown, everything included kits.  Until now, that is. 

    So, from the modeler's standpoint–he comes into the store looking for a particular kit.  This should have been a clue to the personnel at Shop #1.  He knows what he wants.  You don't know him, you don't know what he builds, you don't know what he's capable of doing.  Apparently, you haven't even tried to get to know him, since you basically told him "Tough Darts, Farmer Brown."  Do you ever think you'll see this guy again?  Probably not.  And, were it the loss of just one sale, it might not be a big deal.  But, since you decided you didn't want to try and win his business, you didn't bother to find out that perhaps this gentleman spends a bit on his hobby.  I don't know whether he does or not, either, since he doesn't live near our shops–but in the retail game, you assume the guy spends millions every year, and you do your best to get at least part of that.

    Also, for a shop to dismiss all kits from a particular manufacturer as "crappy" is ignorant.  Every manufacturer–well, save maybe two–have great kits, so-so kits, and kits that were either best not made or date back to the Truman administration.  Sure, Airfix has some dogs in their line, but for each dog they have a nice kit.  It shows that the shop personnel are not aware of the fact that this kit is one of Airfix's latest and greatest. 

    Shop #2 committed one of the biggest sins in the hobby business–they lied.  See, back in the day, you might have been able to get away by telling a customer that you can't get it since your distributors don't carry it–most customers didn't have the foggiest notion of who the distributors were.  But in this day and age, the Internet is the great equalizer–a customer can tap a few keys and get an answer almost immediately.  Now, there are truly some things that we don't carry because the main distributors we use don't carry it–usually, these products are aftermarket bits 'n' bobs that cater to a small protion of the market.  In order to get stock on some products, we'd have to open an account, usually with the manufacturer, and place what is sometimes a rather large stocking order.  If we had three or four customers a week asking us for one of these products, we'd look into getting set up with them.  But Airfix kits are widely available–I can think of at least four distributors that we deal with that carries Airfix kits.

    The last shop seems to know what they're doing.  But they need to be sure to follow up–order the kit, and then contact the guy when it arrives.  Cultivate the relationship from there.

    Now, from the standpoint of the various shops, here are some thoughts.  It pains me when I read a post from a person I know to be a local that starts out with "My local shop doesn't have anything."   Have you been one of those?  Well, my reply is usually, "How do you know what we carry?  I haven't seen you in the store but once, and that was when we were having a sale."  We can't read minds.  We also can't stock two of every kit, decal, and aftermarket detail set in the hopes that sooner or later we'll stock something that interests you.  Let the folks at the store know what you're waiting for, or seeking.  In this day and age, most people working in hobby shops are only vaguely aware of what a model kit is, let alone what there is out in the world.  Help them, help you…

    Also keep in mind that just because you have a deep interest in the Farleigh Fruitbat Mk.I, you might be the *only* person with such an interest that shops at that particular store.  I am of the mind that I can sell one of anything, but when it comes to the truly obscure, my record isn't great.  So, if you want that new Tamiagawa Fruitbat kit, tell the guys at the store you want one–they should be able to special order it for you.  Don't be upset, though, when they request payment–read what I just said about truly obscure subjects.  Merchandise that sits on the shelves represents cash flow that's not flowing.  When the merchandise is fairly pedestrian (P-51's, M4 Shermans, Tiger tanks, Corvettes, etc.) the store tolerates it since that inventory does turn over fairly frequently.  But that hypothetical Fruitbat kit–which retails for a hypothetical $150 US Dollars, may well sit there for ages if you decide that, yes, the kit is everything you wanted and then some, but you decided to order instead from the online retailer because his price is $15 less than MSRP, well…

    I've told you about my time working in the hobby shop in Ft. Lauderdale.  Most weekends, we'd have a sort of unofficial club meeting, since most of the gang would stop in on Sunday to see what was new, hang around a bit, and look through the stock of whatnot we kept behind the counter.  One friend sticks out in particular, since I can't remember one time when he didn't buy *something*–a bottle of paint, a decal sheet, some glue.  If every customer did that, imagine the possibilities…

    And, the last item–one not brought up on the other forum–is discounts.  If you get a store discount, that's great.  But does the face behind the register know that you're a local club member and eligible for said discount?  Speak up.  Tell them that you're a club member.  Don't be an ass and throw a hissy when the clerk doesn't automatically know you and take the discount.  See "We can't read minds" above.  Also, consider the discount as our gift to you.  We don't have to take anything off MSRP.  We do this in appreciation for your business. 

    Some stores (ours included) offers a Rewards card.  The catch is–in our store, at least–you can either take the club discount or participate in the Rewards program, but not both.  We're trying to help out here, but we're a business and still need to turn a profit…if you do use the Rewards program, once again, you'll need to let the smiling face behind the counter know.

    Niche retail is a two-way street.  Stop in, say hey.  Stay a while, if you can.  If you don't see it, ask.  Let us know what it is that you're looking for.  You might be surprised at what we could do for you.

    Thanks for reading.  Be good to one another, and I bid you Peace.

     

  • Modeling Philosophy

    I can't speak for anyone else when it comes to the what/why/when/how they build, and I won't try to.  I won't presume to tell anyone else how to build their models, or why they should.  I will tell anyone who listens that they can do whatever they put their mind to–an answer to the proclamation,"I could never do that!"  Yes, you can.  It isn't difficult to do–back in the day, we experimented with techniques, products, and materials until we happened upon something that worked.  Later on, as clubs gained in popularity, you could ask the other members.  Now, with the Interwebs, you can post the same question to a few dozen forums and get hundreds–if not thousands–of answers within an hour.

    As for me, I fall into several of the loose groups of "categories" that modelers tend to get dumped into these days.  Most of the time, I'm a casual builder, building models largely out of the box to suit one person–me.  Usually, the model is anticlimactic–as Deep Purple said it in "Knockin' At Your Back Door", "It's not the kill / It's the thrill of the chase."  The meat of the project is the research for almost all of my projects.  Sometimes, the research will be brief, but I will find something that interests me–unusual paint scheme, interesting history–and take it from there.  Sure, there are the times when I'll pick up a kit and have at it.  Even then, though, I do manage to do a quick bit of research on the subject.  

    From time to time, I'll get involved in a project that requires more research than others–and these projects usually involve a limited-run kit.  Some of the earlier efforts lacked details and the only way you could discover them was to look at photos.  Some examples include Special Hobby's 1/48 Ju-87A kit where you were instructed to add some details in the cockpit.  The instructions weren't clear on what and where, so I had to source some photos to help in the additions.  Digging for the information was a bit of a challenge, since it wasn't exactly thick on the ground.  I haven't done a web search, but I'll bet there is more information floating around cyberspace now than there was ten years ago.

    Another project that I'm in the middle of that has required more research than I usually put into a project is Special Hobby's 1/48 Macchi C.200 kit.  While it is better out of the box than their Stuka was (the benefit of four or five years experience on their part), there are still areas that come up a bit short.  The details are better, for sure, but I didn't like their method of attaching the main gear struts.  There was a shallow dimple in the upper wing and a small pimple on the top of the struts, which in this kit were a bit on the oval side.  Even if they managed to be round, I knew that the gear attachment wouldn't hold up for a minute.  So, I did what I thought would make a stronger landing gear system–and, in effect, rebuilt 99% of it as well as add missing details.  Some photos of the gear well:

    Here's the left side, unmodified–see the dimple?

    DSC_0156

     

    And the right side–notice the strut well liner (not quite complete) and gear trunnion with a moutning hole for the new strut made from scrap sprue

    DSC_0155

    You'll notice that the added detail isn't superdetailing by any stretch–it is merely adding bits and bobs until the end effect approaches what I see in photos of the 1:1.  I don't try to represent every hose, harness, line, fitting, and connector–but I have great respect for those modelers who do.  A friend said to me, "I could never do that.", to which I answered "Yes, you can.  All it took was some basic materials and time."  Sorry, I can't locate the strut photos right now, but they were rebuilt using aluminum tubing and paper that had been saturated with CA (aka Super Glue)–when the CA cures, you're left with a thin, flexible material similar to plastic.  The only parts of the struts I kept were the fork castings.  It took maybe an hour for each strut, and the wells took an hour each.  Nothing difficult about that–Chef Martin Yan used to sign off on his shows with his signature, "If Yan can cook, so can you."  Well, If I can do the detailing work, so can you.  I'm no modeling God…

    Back when I first started surfing the Web, I made the acquaintance of Al Supercynzski.  His signature was "Build what YOU like, the way YOU want to…and the critics will flame you every time!"  I can think of no wiser words when it comes to modeling.  Each one of us derives our own satisfaction, enjoyment, or compensation from the hobby in our own way.  Build your models to the best of your ability.  There's more than enough room for all of us.  Al's gone now, but his words live on…

    Thanks for reading.  Be good to one another, and I bid you Peace.

  • Collection(s), backlog, back burner, and SIDNA

    (This is another post from the Early Years of the Iron Modeler blog. 

    In the interceding years, I’ve sold kits at several SIDNA Sales, and I’ve bought new kits as subject that interest me are released.  It can be a vicious circle–a new, State-of-the-Art of a kit comes out, so you have to decide whether to keep the older kit or sell it and buy the new kit.  One of the models I have on the workbench that is close to completion is one such kit–the Eduard 1/48th scale P-39Q.  I have one of the new Arma kits, too, but the Eduard kit is still viable.  Given the fettling you’ll need to do with the Arma kit, the Eduard kit is no more difficult to build…

    As for the backlog I discussed back then, only three of them never were finished.  The Monogram F-106 was deemed fit for the spares box when I inventoried the box and realized that, over four moves, some parts had gone missing, and I determined it easier to start over.  The Minicraft C-32 made the trip to the plastic boneyard once the Zvesda kit was released–it is a quantum leap over the Minicraft effort.  The only one never finished that’s still in work is the Neil Armstrong figure…)

    I’ve already told you a little bit about the stash I’ve assembled over the years. By some standards, it is large, by some it is paltry, but all the kits were acquired because I intended to build them. I still do, as a matter of fact, but…

    My current inventory count is somewhere in the high 1,800’s. Why so many? Well, the first reason is access—having worked in hobby shops, the kits are readily available and carry an employee discount. That would explain the half-dozen copies of Classic Airframes’ P-6E kit to go with the four of their F4B-3 (the plan was to kitbash a few of them to get an F4B-4). It also explains why I have every variant of the F-111 in 1/72 scale, and how I managed to get a bunch of the Hasegawa 1/200 scale “Purple Box” L-1011 TriStar kits and decals to go with them.

    But I digress. I do have collections mapped out for all those kits. To wit:

    1/48 scale World War Two aircraft. This was my original collection, and much of the stash fits this description. At the beginning, everything was 1/48 scale—fighters, trainers, bombers—but these days I limit it to fighters and twins in 1/48 scale, all the four-engine heavies are now in 1/72 scale. To be honest, even the twin bombers are in 1/72 scale, but they’re repeated in 1/48. One of these days, I’ll decide which scale to stick to for the larger subjects…

    1/72 scale modern aircraft. I branched into jets after building Monogram’s then-new F-105G kit while in my sophomore year of college—I’m a Thud fan, and the kit was then and still is a very good kit. I donated that model to the AFROTC Detachment there at the school, and a year or so later decided I wanted an F-111. Well, back in those days, the only ‘Vark kit in 1/48 scale was the Monogram revision of the Aurora kit—it ain’t much to look at. The more I started to look critically at the kit, the more I was convinced that I could never get it to meet my standards (which were then and still are fairly lax—if I can compare the model to a photo and see discrepancies, I’ll either fix them, ignore them, or simply don’t build the kit.) and I gave it to a friend who thought it was the best think since bottled beer. I went to the local hobby shop and found Monogram’s 1/72 F-105G and built it. Basically, it was a smaller version of the kit I built the year (or so) before. I decided that a 1/48 scale Thud was the same size as a 1/48 scale B-25, and I had already started to downsize that group, so I stuck to 1/72 for the jets as well. A few years ago, I realized that there was no way that I would ever build one-let alone two—1/72 scale Convair B-36 Peacemakers. Hobbycraft had just released their 1/144 scale kits, so I decided that modern bombers would be done in 1/144 scale, so that became a collection-within-the collection…

    1/35 scale armor. After college, I caught the armor bug. It came on slowly—a Sherman here, a Panther there—and before I could say “General Patton”, I had a whole bunch of armor kits. When we moved, I culled the stuff I was sure that I’d never build—mostly German WWII—and sold it off in favor of the modern tanks, multi-wheeled armored cars, and anything from the Middle East wars. I’ve been pretty good at keeping within the framework, although I’ve added WWII Mediterranean Theater equipment to the list—which has had the consequence that I’ve replaced a lot of the kits I sold off. Never fails…

    1/350 scale ships. Ship fever has always been with me, since I built Revell’s Arizona kits—1/720 and 1/426 scale—multiple times. I’ve settled on U.S. Navy and selected others in 1/350 scale. I dallied with 1/700 scale (and still have some aircraft carrier kits in the smaller scale) and 1/400 scale, but I’ve decided that I can get most of what I want in 1/350 scale without a lot of hassle, and wait on the rest. If nobody does an injection molded kit, there’s always resin.

    1/144 and 1/200 scale airliners. I’ve always had a soft spot for Air Florida and Braniff, and those two carriers form the basis of my airliner collection. I also have been known to toss in some Southern Airways, Delta, Eastern, and European carriers into the mix, too. Narrow-bodies get done in 1/144 scale, wide-bodies in 1/200…

    1/24 and 1/25 scale automobiles. I started out collecting MOPAR musclecars (Road Runners, ‘Cudas, and the like) and NASCAR Stock Cars. Well, the sheer numbers of subjects I want to do has meant a pretty large collection…

    100mm and 120mm Military Miniatures. I’ve been ignoring this group for far too long—I started collecting figures when Michael Roberts was producing his superb 100mm figures from the American Civil War. It has been a few years since I painted a figure, I should probably get back to work on one soon…

    Also, each collection has some collections-within-the-collection. I have a 1/72 scale USCG collection, a 1/48 scale Century Series collection, a 1/48 scale Florida Air National Guard collection, and the beginnings of a 1/48 scale South Carolina Air National Guard collection. I’ve already mentioned the IDF and WWII Italian and Braniff and Air Florida collections as well.  Sometimes, they can be pretty straightforward, other times, they can get convoluted a bit…

    Having all those models in the stash can be troublesome. Moving them all is a hassle—and I’ve done it eight times! They take up a lot of space, for sure. They add temptation to stray from a current project–or, on the flip side, they get forgotten.  And, even if I were to finish one model a week for the rest of my natural lifetime without buying anything new, I’d wager I still wouldn’t finish what I have. The answer? SIDNA…

    SIDNA—Shit I Don’t Need Anymore—is exactly as the name implies. Every now and then, I’ll do what a friend calls a Fleet Rationalization Plan where I go through the stash and cull those kits that have either been superseded by better ones or subjects that I’m fairly sure that I’ll not build anytime soon. They get sold off at shows, via the Interwebs, or at kit auctions. I’m about due again…

    And even after I cull the dead inventory, I still have a backlog of kits in work. Right now:

    1/72 scale FineMolds Ki-100b, started by a friend. He gave it to me several years back, all it needs is a tailwheel (the original got lost) and paint. Not my usual scale for single-engine WWII fighters, but this is a nice little kit—or so it appears. I’m looking forward to getting it finished.

    1/48 Revell (Monogram) A-10A. This is one of those “For Someone Other Than Me” kits, and it is shaping up nicely.

    1/700 USS Independence, being converted to USS Cowpens. This is one of those rare small-scale ships I have in the collection, and is currently more of a back burner kit than anything else, especially since Dragon released their 1/350 scale kit a few months ago!

    1/35 Sturmgescheutz IV. This is one I’m doing as part of a group build with the local AMPS Chapter, and I’m woefully behind…

    1/48 Special Hobby Aermacchi C.200. No progress lately, and there really needs to be some soon. I have to get this one finished and in the books. There’s a review that needs to be done…five or six years later (don’t be alarmed–the in-box look was done in a timely fashion).

    And, on the back-burner, I have:

    1/48 scale Monogram F-106A. If there ever was a back-burner project, this is it. I started this one in 1995. I decided to re-scribe the panel lines. What was I thinking….

    1/24 Monogram 1995 Dale Earnhardt Silver Monte Carlo SS Stock Car. This is another kit I started years ago (1995), I finally unearthed it during the latest inventory effort. And now I find out that there might be a new set of decals for the same scheme coming out—this one might wait a little longer.

    Reheat 120mm Space Shuttle/SR-71/U-2/ER-1 pilot. He’s painted for the most part, I just need to do some of the detail painting. You’d think I’d sit down for a few hours and do it….

    120mm Reheat Neil Armstrong on the moon. Someday, I’ll finish this one. The basic figure is built and primed…has been since about 1999!

     1/144 scale Minicraft C-32/Boeing 757 with Ethiopian Airlines decals. Another review sample (the review was done ages ago—1998 or thereabouts), the decals were produced by a company that’s been out of business for at least five years. If the kit itself weren’t so horrible…

    I promise, I’ll make the time–once the days stretch to thirty hours long….

    Thanks for reading.  Be good to one another, and I bid you Peace.

  • “I think that tree needs a friend…and here he is.”

    I don't recall the circumstances that led me to discover that there was more to PBS that "Sesame Street" and "The Electric Compnay", shows that I watched as a kid.  I was in my last year of college, and one Saturday I was up early–well, early for me at the time, as I had a bad head cold and the runny nose wouldn't let me sleep.  My roommate and I had a small TV, and the cable did work–but the same old lament, nothing good on.  I flipped through the channels (all ten or so that we got), and finally stopped on the local PBS station (WMFE, Channel 24 from Orlando, if you must know).  It was the top of the hour, and I was greeted by a man with a reddish-brown afro streaked with gray, a gnarly beard also streaked with gray, a huge paint palette with a few smears of oil paint, a canvas, and some brushes.  He spoke in a soft voice, and let me know that today he was going to paint a mountain. 

    The man, of course, was Bob Ross, the show was "The Joy of Painting", and paint a mountain he did.  I was mesmerized–he took a blank canvas, a handful of brushes, some oil paint, and a half hour and painted a landscape.  After that show, I was hooked.  I would tune in every week to watch as Bob would take that same old blank canvas and turn it into a nice little scene, all the while commenting on how "we need trees in our world where the critters can live" and "we don't make mistakes, we have happy accidents", always in that same soft voice.  Every now and then, he'd have one of his rescue critters on the show–a squirrel, or maybe a fox–and he'd tell us how he rescued them and was getting them ready to go back to their homes.  His son also painted, and every now and then he'd let Steve do a painting.  Of course, Bob Ross became an enterprise–he sells more books and painting supplies now that he's gone than he ever did while he was alive, I'm sure.  He has certified instructors that travel the country, teaching people how to use the "Bob Ross wet-on-wet method" to create their own masterpieces.

    Bob Ross' mentor, William Alexander, also had a painting show that would air during the week.  Perhaps the most interesting of the painting shows was the one featuring Gary and Kathwren Jenkins–Gary was a hoot.  I guess you have to have a shtick, and Gary certainly did–he and his wife would paint many different subjects, from landscapes to florals.  I must say, these were all very entertaining.

    As I watched more PBS, there were other shows–"This Old House" was nearing their 10th anniversary.  I remember watching them work on the Weatherbee Farm with a couple who's sweat equity didn't really seem to be making the cut.  Again, though, I was taken in by the craftsmanship of Norm Abram and the "Hey, can I do that?" interruptions from Bob Vila.  Through the years, the main host has changed a few times (Bob got fired, Steve Thomas took over and did a fairly decent job–he's since left and been replaced by Kevin O'Connor, a decent host in his own right), the projects have changed (they went big for quite a few years before going back to what made them great–renovation older houses with owner assistance), but the gist is still there–you can do this, and we'll show you how.  After a while, I also started to watch "Hometime", back when Dean and JoAnne Liebeler were playing like they were married.  Now, JoJo wasn't Dean's first partner–Peggy Knapp was, and I remember watching that first season and was amused when they changed co-hosts and the format following that season.

    In Ft. Lauderdale, we also had Chef Jean Pierre, he of the Left Bank bistro.  Another fun to watch chef, he taught us all what tomato concasse is, and there was always the mother of TV chefs, Julia Child.  I never tired of watching Julia cook–she was entertaining and funny.  There was also the "Great Chefs" series where you would hear about a few chefs and listen to them cook.  Nathalee Dupree was also on, cooking her Southern dishes…

    Along with the cooking and painting shows, every now and again you could catch an episode of "The Hobby Shop" and "Adventures in Scale Modeling". both produced by South Carolina ETV, and both hosted by Mike Lech.  Bless his little pea-pickin' heart, Mike tried.  His shows were fun to watch, because you never knew what that week's episode would bring.  The intros to "Adventures" were sometimes hilarious–"The F-14 Tomcat is the Navy's Top Gun.  Today we'll build a model of a 1969 Camaro…"–and the show itself had some moments, too.  Mike would enter the workshop by descending a staircase that, if you looked closely, ended at the studio ceiling.  He'd try the Bob Vila "Hey, can I try that" and meet with an epic fail on purpose so the guest would correct him and his technique.  In later years, the projects grew more ambitious–I recall Bruce Radebaugh's kitbashed B-25G–and the editing got better, but by that time the writing was on the wall. 

    But my favorite PBS show, by far, was "The Frugal Gourmet" with Jeff Smith.  I knew how to cook by the time I was 13, but I learned a lot about cooking and culture from watching Jeff.  I learned how to stir-fry, I learned about exotic (for the time-remember, this was 1987) spices and seasonings and how to use them.  I got to watch as he travelled the world, learned how different cultures ate, and then showed you how to cook the dishes.  He made me want to try his recipes.  I did, and they worked.  Unfortunately, the show met a very quick demise after molestation and sexual abuse charges were made against Mr. Smith–the cases were settled out of court, and he largely disappeared from the public eye.  His books have been out of print since then.  The shows have not been re-broadcast in any way, shape, or form.  I doubt that you'll ever see DVD boxed sets of the show  As another of my favorite TV chefs, Alton Brown, said about Smith:  "Unfortunately Smith became embroiled in a sex-abuse scandal in the mid-1990s involving young men who had worked for him. Not only did his career screech to a halt, but his earlier work was also tainted in the process. And that's a real shame, because were it not for Smith, I know of at least one would-be cook who'd still be on the sofa ordering takeout."  Amen.

    Most of those shows are gone.  These days, we'll still watch "This Old House".  Roy Underhill's "The Woodwright's Shop" is also a hoot–how he hasn't lost a limb by now amazes me.  "The New Yankee Workshop" was also a favorite, until the series ended last year.  There are some new PBS shows we watch, but it seems that the type of shows I liked are a dying breed, at least on PBS.  Wth the advent of satellite, digital, and cable TV with 600 channels, if you can't find it, it ain't there…

    Thanks for reading.  Be good to one another, and, as The Frugal Gourmet would tell us, I bid you Peace.

     

  • 300 channels…nothing on

    Does anyone remember what "UHF" and "VHF" meant on a television set?  If not, you probably don't remember life without cable TV and/or MTV.  But I grew up in that generation of over-the-air, broadcast TV, where you got (if you were lucky) the three major networks and several local channels on the UHF dial.  In South Florida, Channel 4 was the CBS affiliate, Channel 7 had the peacock, and if you wanted to watch ABC you tuned to Cahnnel 10.  The UHF channels were 23 (which was the Univision channel), 33, 39, 45, and 51 (which handled the Telemundo duties).  The two we got best were 33 and 39, although when we first moved to Ft. Lauderdale, we would watch Channel 51 because that's where you could see Tarzan (the Ron Ely version), "Championship Wrestling from Florida" (loved Gordon Solie, the MC), and "Creature Feature".  Later on, we would also catch an episode of "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert" or two…

    Sunday mornings were CBS mornings–one of the local TV celebrities was Chuck Zink, aka Skipper Chuck.  On Sundays, Skipper Chuck would read the funnies from the Miami Herald.  We didn't get the Herald, but the funnies in the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel were the same funnies–that's when we learned what syndication was.

    During the week, we'd get to pick between reruns of "The Three Stooges", "Gilligan's Island", or "The Mickey Mouse Club".  A few years later, we'd get "Flipper" and "The New Mickey Mouse Club" to add to the playlist.  Lest you think we were children of the Idiot Box, we didn't watch too much afternoon TV–we had to do our homework and chores before we were allowed to watch any TV.  We also had a canal out back–part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' drainage projects in South Florida–an more often than not we'd go fishing in the canal.  Before the hydrilla got out of hand, there were a lot of fish in the canal–bluegill, catfish, largemouth bass, and even cooters.  When we weren't fishing in the canal, we were riding bikes or paddling canoes up and down the canal.  After we were done, though, the TV would go on…

    Sunday evenings were always the same–We'd watch "The Wonderful World of Disney" and "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom".  That changed as we got older–we'd watch "60 Minutes", find something else to watch for an hour, and then it would be time to get ready for bed.  Of course, if it was football season, we'd watch the Miami Dolphins play…

    Funny thing, though–when I was a sophomore in high school, my father had to have back surgery.  The occupant of the other bed in his hospital room watched the soaps–so, as a result, so did Dad.  And, when he came home, he got the whole house hooked.  Funny thing about soaps–the last time I saw an episode of "Days of Our Lives" (about 1994), it was no different from what I saw in the 1980's.  

    When I was in college, we had our nightly rituals.  In particular, Tuesday nights were "The A-Team", "Riptide", and "Remington Steele"; Thurdays would find us watching "Magnum, P.I." (or "The Cosby Show" and "Family Ties"), "Simon and Simon" (or "Cheers" and "Night Court"), and "Hill Street Blues"; and Fridays playlist would be "Hunter" (or "Crime Story") and "Miami Vice".  Other favorites from the era include "Kate and Allie", "Newhart", "The Golden Girls", "Facts of Life", and the final seasons of "Quincy, M.E."–actually, "Quincy" was a favorite before I went to college…     

    Once cable came along, the options grew.  You could watch Morton Downey Jr. on WWOR from New Jersey.  You could watch more wrestling from Georgia on WTCG (later WTBS and "Superstation TBS").  And, after August 1981, MTV was there to bombard you with music videos.

    Since my college days, I have had very few "Must See" shows.  I would catch "Mystery Science Theater 3000" every Saturday, I very seldom missed an episode of "ER" (up until it became as much a soap opera as "Chicago Hope" had been).  The early years of "South Park" would find me on the couch, watching to see what trouble Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Cartman would get into.  "Law & Order", too, was regularly watched–even reruns on A&E.  For some odd reason, I'd also stop at The TV Food Network.  Their early shows were fun–some intentionally, some not.

    Lately, though, I don't watch much network TV.  NBC's Thursday night lineup is a favorite (that would be "The Office", '30Rock", "Community" and "Parks and Recreation").  We'll also watch "Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain" on Sunday nights to keep us up on the week in motorsports.  Other than that, we're pretty much surfing.  We'll find something we like, watch it until it goes back to reruns ("NCIS", "Bones", "Wings", "Major Dad")…

    Our most recent indulgence has been "The Smoking Gun Presents: The World's Dumbest…" on truTV.  Why?  I have no idea…TV has indeed become the "vast wasteland" that Newton Minnow warned us about…

    Next time, I'll tell you how I discovered PBS, Bob Ross, and "This Old House".  Until then, be good to one another.  I bid you Peace.

  • You can’t rush perfection

    Working on corporate jets is challenging in many ways.  An airplane on the ground does an operator no good, as it costs the owner money.  The airplane doesn't like sitting, either–when an airplane sits, stuff breaks due to lack of use.  But the biggest challenge is making the delivery date after a large maintenance event or modification.  You can only estimate things like that, for the most part.  Experience tells you how long that inspection should take if all goes well, and that same experience tells you how much additional time you need to add when a discrepancy comes to light.  When everything is being done in-house, it can be relatively easy.  But when you deal with outside vendors (Non-Destructive testing technicians, engine shops, interior shops, paint shops, etc.), you are sometimes left to their mercy–you can only tell them what your time line is, but you can't make their schedule for them, too.

    We're in the middle of a fairly large inspection at work, one that involves taking the airplane down to component parts, replacing worn and time-limited parts, inspecting and having the lot X-Rayed, etc.  We have a small crew, and only three of us have extensive experience on the make and model of airplane–the other full-time guy we have has very little experience on this type, and the three contractors we used had little to none as well.  So, the heavy lifting is being put on the shoulders of three people, and all in all, the entire crew is doing a fine job.  However, we have those outside forces at play–both engines needed heavy maintenance which required their removal, and the interior is likewise away getting refurbished.  Well, we're at that point where we need to get everything back in the same building and back on the airplane.  There's still plenty to do, yet some things are not going to get done until we get the other components.  Think of it this way–you've disassembled a puzzle that someone else put together, and then you have to put it all back together again–four weeks later.  You have to remember not only what you had for breakfast yesterday, but you have to know where that odd-shaped panel that only has a label reading "R/H LAV" on it actually fits.  Fun, yes?

    When a job gets this close to the end, the customers get antsy.  You can only tell them what's going on and hope they understand.  For instance, once we get this airplane back together, we have several days worth of functional tests and ground checks to do in order to make sure everything is working as it should be.  Then we have several known issues we need to troubleshoot and repair yet.  And, when you take an airplane apart this much, invariably other issues get introduced that need to be addressed, too.  Add to it that this particular inspection on this type of airplane requires not only a post-inspection test flight, but said flight must be done by a factory test pilot.  So, there's another scheduling kink to factor in–after all, you don't want to pay any contractor–let alone a factory pilot–to stand around and wait.  If you tell him the airplane will be ready on a given day, it had better be ready.  In the best scenario, the flight will go well and the airplane will be ready for final spiffing–clean the interior, touch up the paint, clean the airplane, and call the customer.  But sometimes small things are discovered during the flight–and they too will have to be addressed before we can put our stamp of approval on the airplane and send it out the door.

    The old saying, "We will sell no wine before its time" comes to mind at this point.  As much as we would love for the customer to come by, pay the bill, and fly away tomorrow, the fact remains that we will not release the airplane until we are satisfied that it is ready to be flown and delivered.  It will be ready when it is ready, all we can do is offer an estimated completion date.  I would hope the customer understands…

    Thanks for reading.  Be good to one another, and, as always, I bid you Peace.

  • Spring is here…

    Back when I was a kid living in Florida, the arrival of spring went largely unnoticed.  Face it, when winter temperatures rarely duck below 40 degrees, there isn't that much difference between seasons.  You knew it was Spring when you woke up at 6AM to temperatures in the mid-80's (and humidity to match).  And sure, we lived in Ft. Lauderdale, so there was that big college crowd.  But as a kid, what did I know from Spring Break?  All we knew was that the beach was crowded with a bunch of semi-conscious and half drunk college kids, and a new batch arrived every week, and that went on for about a month and a half.

    Then I went to college in Daytona Beach. 

    Now, Embry-Riddle didn't do a Spring Break as such when I attended, but those of us who were wise would find a way to have our own version of Spring Break.  One year, I had my schedule planned out so that I was done with classes by 2PM every day.  That year saw an amazing stretch of clear, sunny days (from mid-January to nearly April), so that meant I was at the beach no later than 3PM every day…it didn't always work out that way every year, and after a while it got old, but it was fun while it lasted…

    Back in those days, Daytona Beach was a sleepy little Central Florida town most of the year.  Mid-January brought the race fans for the sports car race, the stock car races, and the motorcycle races.  The motorcycle races coincided with Bike Week, one of the largest East Coast gatherings of bikers.  As soon as Bike Week ended (usually early February), the college students began arriving, a new batch every Sunday, until late March or early April.  Towards the end of the college students' run of the town, families started arriving for their own Spring Break.  The town started to go back to normal until late May, when the summer crowd moved in.  And, in late August, the sidewalks were rolled up, the banners welcoming this week's tourist groups came down, and the town went back to sleep for the winter…

    I recall my first Spring Break in Daytona Beach.  My roommates in college at the time were from Panama and the Dominican Republic, and they wanted to see what it was all about.  So off to the beach we headed.  1983 was probably the start of the real big Spring Break festivities in Daytona, and you could tell.  It was a combination circus/party/trade show.  Want to test-drive a brand-new Dodge Shelby Daytona?  There you go–sign up and do it.  Free samples of the latest alcoholic beverage?  Are you 18?  Okay, then, here you go.  Tobacco?  Same deal–you had to be over 18, and they'd give you free samples.  Posters were everywhere, as was a whole bunch of other SWAG (as in Stuff We All Get)–painter's caps emblazoned with the logo of a local bar, sun visors, mugs, hats, you name it.  MTV was there, alerting everyone to their existence–they launched barely a year and a half earlier.  The movie production companies were there, too, advertising the next year's releases–that was  about the time that the movie "Spring Break" was opening in theaters (25 March 1983–the movie was shot on Ft. Lauderdale, and if you look, you'll see "Cobra Wrestling" t-shirts being waved in one of the bar scenes).  Yes, I did manage to get one of the movie posters…don't know what happened to it.

    There were the free concerts, too–Daytona Beach has a bandshell and numerous pool decks, an they got put to good use.  Some of the acts I got to see?  A Flock of Seagulls, The English Beat, The Fixx, Starship, Cheap Trick, Southside Johnny, Four-In-Legion, and Vixen.  (In addition, Embry-Riddle hosted free concerts featuring the likes of Missing Persons and Foghat).  Chances are, if they were popular, you could catch them in concert during Spring Break for free.

    Every year, Spring Break would bring something different.  In the mid-80's, the City Fathers in Ft. Lauderdale began to pass laws that, while not outright bans on Spring Break festivities, put a huge damper on the things that were going to be permitted–this after residents got fed up with the damage done by 'Breakers.  Of course, the city forgot that those two months or so of less-than-societal behaviour put a lot of money into the city's bank account.  Oh, well–their loss was Daytona Beach's gain. 

    In 1986, MTV began live broadcasts from Daytona Beach.  With MTV, Spring Break in Daytona Beach became a big deal.  As the years passed, more people came to town, things got rowdier, and similar to events in Ft. Lauderdale, students died when too much liquor met up with 12th floor balconies overlooking pools.  You know that Redneck joke, "Hey, hold my beer and watch this?"  It was happening more and more frequently.  As the popularity grew, the events drew more traffic, and some partiers died in traffic accidents.  By the mid-1990's, Daytona Beach followed Ft. Lauderdale's lead and passed city ordinances that pretty much put the kibosh on Spring Break.  No matter–new venues like Panama City Beach and South Padre Island, Texas were all too happy to take in the yearly masses of revellers.

    These days, Spring Break is still alive and well.  'Breakers are returning to Ft. Lauderdale and Daytona Beach, although not in the same numbers.  Most students, attracted by low "all-in-one" pricing, low airfares, and liberal drinking laws, are heading to the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Mexican beaches to do their partying.

    But I can say, "I was there when…"

    Oh, and an interesting footnote–for as rowdy as they are portrayed in films and TV, the bikers were actually more polite, more courteous, and friendlier than 99% of the Breakers.  They left the place cleaner, they weren't drunk in public (well, not that often), and they actually exercised self-control.  I guess that's one reason the city welcomes the bikers year after year.

    If you are heading out for Spring Break, enjoy yourself, but be smart.  Be good to one another, and I bid you Peace.

  • Modeling Regression (Or How I Cured AMS)

    Do you ever look back on things you did as a kid?  Do you ever wish you could have a "Do Over"? 

    The other day, my wife was surfing eBay, looking at older model kits.  I glanced over at the the screen and immediately recognized a snapshot of a box.  The more she looked, the more kits I saw that sent me in the Wayback Machine to the mid-1970's.  A while later, I went over to the Old Plastic Model Kits website and did some surfing of my own.  Those images kept me in the '70s for a while longer…

    The first thing I checked out was the MPC Profile Series kits.  MPC marketed the Airfix line of 1/72 scale kits in the States back in the day, and they came up with the idea of tying the kits to the contemporary monograph series of the same name.  The kits differed from the standard Airfix/MPC fare by offering several decal options with each kit.  The box top was plain white with color profiles of the aircraft featured on the decal sheet.  When I used to go to Lionel Playworld, I would see these kits all over–there must have been a full aisle dedicated to them.  They were a little rich for my blood, and by the time I appreciated them for what they were, I was firmly established as a 1/48 scale man.  Shame, too–some of those kits still hold up today.

    Staying with MPC for a while, does anyone remember the "Pirates of the Caribbean" tie-in with the Walt Disney attraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World?  MPC did a series of seven "Pirates" kits as well as a series of four kits tied to "The Haunted Mansion".  I built one of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" kits as a kid–I though that "Zap/Action!" feature was pretty neat…

    I was also good for a good number of the MPC car kits, AMT big rig kits (like the Kenworth W-925 Conventional from the TV series "Movin' On"), and a few Revell and Lindberg ships.  I recall building Revell's 1/426 scale USS Arizona a few times (and their 1/720 kit of the same ship once or twice, too), and Lindberg's 1/525 Essex-Class aircraft carrier, I believe in the USS Ticonderoga boxing.

    If you want to walk further into your youth, drive your browser over to Schiffer Publications and get copies of Remembering Revell Model Kits, Monogram Models, and Aurora Model Kits, all by Thomas Graham.  If those books don't stir up memories, nothing will.

    What is the purpose of this nostalgic walk in the park?  Just that–a refreshing trip down memory lane.  One of the comments I made to my wife–I think it was about an Aurora kit of the Piper Aztec C–was that back then, none of us (the kids on the block) really cared if the model was in some wierd off-scale.  None of us really cared if it was accurate.  All we knew is that it was kind of neat.  And we built them in the space of an afternoon, painted them, slapped the decals ("stickers" in those days) on, and if the model survived a week, we must not have been feeling well.  We played with them.  Only later did I become attuned to the research and historical aspects of modeling.  Those silly looking crosses, stars, bands, and circles actually meant something.  The colors the instruction sheet called out were done so in order for you to build a model of some famous pilot's airplane, or driver's race car.

    As I got older, the research aspect of a model became appealing.  I still like to do as much research as i can on any given subject before I build a model.  But I'm happy to say that I haven't fallen into the trap of being so wrapped up in minutiae that I don't build at all.  If I ever do, I have a sure-fire cure.  Read on… 

    If you happen to be one of those modelers who haven't touched a kit in months because you "can't find the reference on the color of the button fourth down from the right on the back-seater's left console", and are recognizing it for what it is (the dreaded Advanced Modeler's Syndrome, or AMS), here's a way to break the cycle–go to the local hobby shop (or even dig deep in your stash) and find one of those kits from your youth.  Build it.  Sure, you might be tempted to "bring it up to code", but don't.  Just build it.  Yes, you can fill seams, and airbrush the final color scheme.  Just don't get too wrapped around the axle about little things.

    I am thankful that Round Two Models has brought back the MPC, Polar Lights, and AMT kits (including the TV tie-ins); and J. Lloyd International has resurrected the Hawk Models line and revived the Lindberg line.  Moebius Models, too, has kept up with the Sci-Fi TV tie-ins from the '60s and '70s.  For as much as I enjoy building a good representation of an F-16 or Essex-Class aircraft carrier, I equally enjoy busting out the likes of a USNS Seaview from time to time, too…

    Whatever destination you seek, enjoy the journey.

    Thanks for reading.  Be good to one another, and I bid you Peace.

     

  • So, you want to open a hobby shop…

    I see it every now and then on the forums–"Since there are no hobby shops/no good hobby shops/no hobby shops that carry what I want in my area, I'm thinking of opening one myself."  To which I say, "Congratulations and good luck.  I hope you make a year."

    There's a saying among small business owners–"If you want to make a small fortune doing this, start with a large fortune."  And that's not too far from the truth, at least when a small business first starts up.  Many people forget that in addition to renting a space, paying the electric and water companies, and getting the Business license, you have to outlay more cash for store fixtures, display cases, cash registers/computerized POS systems, alarms, phones, waste disposal, high-speed Internet services, and that's all before you've spent one cent on product.  You'll have to pass several inspections–one for the local Fire Marshall, and usually one by the Insurance company.  Next comes the issue of finding people to work for you who have knowledge of your product.  This is especially important in the case of a technical product like RC cars, trucks, airplanes, and helicopters–of the people who buy these products, only a fraction can or will effect repairs themselves, everyone else brings them to the shop and pays you to fix them.  Time is money, as the saying goes, and the quicker you can cycle repairs through the store, the more repairs you can do in a day, the more money you can make.  A conservative estimate to open a small business these days is in the neighborhood of $500K–if you want to do it right.  You can do it on a shoestring, but your chances of success decline drastically.

    Now, I have never owned or started a small business–my experience comes from years working in the retail hobby industry as a worker bee/manager.  Here's a few things I'd do long before I made plans on what yacht to buy from the proceeds of my hobby shop (or other small, niche business):

    Location, location, location.  If you've lived in an area for any length of time, you know where the people shop–and if you do your research correctly, you should know where the kind of people you're looking to attract shop.  Once you've figured that out, start looking for stores for rent.  While you're doing so, make a mental note of how easy it is to get into and out of the store's parking lot.  Is the store in question tucked away in the back of the center?  If so, is the center equipped with clear signage directing traffic?  I've fielded many a phone call asking "Where are you?" because one of the shops I worked at was tucked behind a large restaurant among a few smaller shops. 

    Speaking of restaurants, don't assume that the dinner crowd draw will net you big money.  Sure, you'll get some business, but when dinner hour comes, people are window shopping while they wait for a table to open up or walking off that meal they just ate.  I've had customers break off a conversation in mid-word when that "Your Table is Ready" beeper went off.  Seriously.

    Are there similar stores in the area?  Unless you are 100% certain that you can outsell the established competition (not bloody likely), opening a store that's a block down the road from a similar store is financial suicide.  If you want to go ahead anyway and spend the money, write me a check for $500K you'll spend to start up your shop.  Either way, you'll be out the money, but by just giving it to me it will save you the stress, frustration, and anguish that you will be sure to suffer through that first year.

    So, you've found a location.  Good.  Now, think about what you want to stock.  A good hobby shop would normally stock plastic models, radio control, and model railroading, plus the tools and finishing supplies (read as paint, glue, coverings–all the stuff a hobbyist needs in addition to their kits/models/train sets).  Are there Boy Scouts or Awana and other Youth groups in the area?  You might want to find out when they hold their Pinewood Derbies and Raingutter Regattas, and stock the products they'll need.  Model rockets and kites are good bets, too.  Remember, though, for each product line, there are incidentals you'll need.  Take model rockets–you'll need to stock the starter sets, kits, launch pads and controllers, additional engines, wadding, igniters, plus the glues and paints one would need to complete the kits.  Remember also that the rocket engines qualify as Hazardous Materials when it comes to getting them shipped in.  Sometimes, the igniters and paints also qualify as HAZMAT, so be prepared for a higher than normal shipping charge.  Same goes for RC fuel, by the way–since the stuff is basically nitromethane fuel, the cheapest freight is by truck.  That will affect the when and why you order those items, too.

    In addition to the broad categories, you have to think about the items within those lines.  If there are no RC flying fields in the area, you can do one of two things–talk to the local RC pilots and see if you can assist in starting one, or carry a basic assortment of RC air products.  If the local plastic modelers all build cars with only a few airplanes, why stock up on all the 1/350 scale ship kits you can get?  Ask around, find out what the locals–the people you've decided you want as customers–are looking for.

    Oh, and let's not forget books and magazines.  Or maybe a smattering of toys if there isn't a good local toy shop.  Educational products–chemistry sets, microscopes, metal detectors?  Why not–you'd be surprised at the number of parents who choose to home-school their kids these days.  Then again, don't go overboard–getting a total restock of educational products in May might not be the best idea–wait until July, when the regular school year is about to begin.  Same goes for other products–why do a total restock on kites and rockets during the traditional rainy seasons?  Wait until just before the Spring and again in late summer…

    And finally, let's talk about the intangibles.  What do you mean?  Well, here are a few:

    1.  Discounts.  Will you offer discounts to loyal customers?  To local clubs?  To national organization members?  If so, how much?  If not, will you adopt some sort of perks plan, i.e., spend $100 and we'll give you $5 off your next purchase of $25 or over?  What about discounts to fellow merchants working in the same shopping center?  Military discounts?  It has been said that giving a discount is like taking that money right out of your pocket and giving it away.  Sure, that's one way to look at it.  But the other way to look at it is that if you don't give your loyal customers a discount, the other guys will.  And you'll lose that battle. 

    2.  Community service.  If the local Boy Scout Troop wants to hold a class for their Model Rocketry merit badge, can you help them by supplying kits and manpower?  Will you work with the local schools?  Are you willing to work with the local RC clubs to host a Fly-In or Race night?  Will you sponsor an awards package for the local plastic modeler's clubs?  Again, it might seem like you're pissing away money–but you are also building goodwill among the local groups, goodwill that should bring their smiling faces into you store more often.

    3.  The intangible intangibles.  Are you going to be one of those shop owners who is only interested in a customer if said customer buys something?  Or will you welcome people in whether they spend money or not.  That half hour you spend taking RC trucks with that couple might not yield a sale right then and there, but if you treat them right and know what you're talking about, you stand a good chance of making a sale in the future–and it might be in the not-too-distant future.  I've done it–I spent a half hour on the phone and another hour in person with a potential buyer of one of the more popular entry-level nitro RC buggies.  I went through the pros and cons, not only of that buggy compared to another brand, but also the pros and cons of nitro over electric.  Two days later, I spent another hour with him.  And, that Friday, he bought an electric RC truck that was one step down from top-of-the-line, far more than he was originally going to spend.  I could have spread the bullshit–"Sure, buddy, the buggy you want is the absolute best at what it says it will do, and you need to buy it today since they're in short supply."  I may have even sold him on that first day.  But sooner or later, he would have been back, an unhappy camper.  See, hobbyists talk to one another, and sooner or later this guy would have found out that he bought what was an above average starter buggy but not one that would do what he wanted to, and that met his level of experience and desire. 

    I've had another experience where I sold the customer exactly what he asked for–had to special order it–after giving the customer the full disclosure spiel about how we didn't;t normally stock and sell that particular brand, and therefore stocked none of the spare parts for it, since that brand had a reputation in the industry of being rather difficult to maintain.  Sure, it costs less than the brand we recommend, but if you can't gte parts in a timely fashion from the manufacturer, what good is it?  Nope, I want that one, says Mr. Customer.  After it broke on the first run, he called about parts.  "We'll have to order them, as I told you when you bought it."  How long will it take?  Well, try two weeks.  I don't believe he's been in the store since…

    That being said, remember too that some customers are never happy, no matter what.  Guess what?  That's part of doing business, too.  You just have to make sure that those who spread the good work outnumber those who badmouth you.  Also remember it takes one "Awwww, shit!" to erase twenty atta boys…and it will take another hundred atta boys to erase that one "Awwww, shit!".

    Will you mind if the locals use your store as a hangout?  You know, stop by, look at what's new, shoot the shit with you and their buddies?  If so, will you offer a coffee pot or sodas, either gratis or for a small contribution?  That goes a long way towards that all important goodwill.  If they ask and you have space, will you allow clubs to hols their meetings in the store without pulling some bullshit "I'll let you meet here but you have to buy all of your hobby stuff from me" attitude?

    Finally, here's my idea of what I'd do if I owned a shop.  First, I would open a true full line hobby shop, one that caters to the RC crowd–both air and surface, the model railroaders, the plastic modelers, and perhaps the gamers.  I'd let the locals know that I appreciated their business, and that I'm willing to work with them to get in the products they want.  Some of it might have to be on a special order basis–some of the pricier stuff where I think I'm likely to ever sell exactly one of something–and that is to the guy or gal asking me to get that product in the store.  Otherwise, my feeling is that I can sell one of anything.  I'd offer as comprehensive a selection of finishing materials as I was able.  I'd offer a "Good Customer" discount that would cover the clubs as well as those folks who came in frequently buy didn't do the club scene.  I'd support all the local hobby organizations, school, and youth groups, in the area as I was able.  There would be a small classroom where the staff could offer demonstrations and classes on the products we sold.  I'd hire the best people I could, and train them that attitude is what brings customers in, but knowledge and ability is what keeps them coming in.  Of course, the coffee pot would always be full and I'd do my best to offer sodas as close to free as I could.  I'd welcome people to come in, stay a while, and chat.  I'd try to cater to the locals the best I could as well as try to get the new products in as soon as they became available.  I'd have Customer Appreciation events from time to time.  Price matching?  That's kind of tough to do, but I'd stay competitive.

    And I'd be broke and out of business in a year.  Which is why I don't own a small business.

    Thanks for reading.  Be good to one another, and I bid you Peace.

  • Modeling Memories

    I remember my first model.  My father bought home a Revell 1/32 scale F4F Wildcat kit.  He had built models as a kid–he contracted Rheumatic Fever as was pretty much bedridden for a year.  As a diversion, he built balsa wood models.  He wanted me to enjoy the hobby, too, I guess, so he bought the Wildcat.  He and I read the instruction sheet a few times, and he explained to me that in order to build the model correctly, I had to follow the directions in order.  We started to build the model–he had bought some paints, too (if memory serves, one of the Testor's PLA Enamel sets), so we painted the cockpit parts in colors close to what the instructions called out.  What's Chromate Green?  Well, we had a green color, so that worked.  The first night, we painted the parts, then set everything aside to dry overnight.  Actually, I think we put the kit and supplies on top of the refrigerator…

    We would build a little bit each night.  With each step completed, I could see an airplane start to emerge from that bunch of plastic parts.  Some steps I could do myself; others I would get Dad to help me with.  After about a week–I'm not quite sure, as I was young at the time–we had a nearly finishe model.  We couldn't find the hole in the wing where the pitot tube was supposed to go, so Dad took the tip of the hobby knife and made one.  When everything was glued together, we set the model aside, again, to dry.  

    The next night was paint night.  I helped paint the model to match the pictures on the box.  Dad explained to me that it was better to apply a thin coat of paint, let it dry, then apply another coat.  Above all, he said, we needed to let it dry overnight…

    The following evening we applied the decals, and "my" first model was finished.  The model was placed on the bookshelf for all to see and admire.  To this day, though, I don't remember what became of the model–we moved not too long after, so I suppose it must have been damaged in the move.  No matter, it wouldn't be my last model…

    There's something refreshing about that story–I built a model, spent time with my Dad, and wasn't worried if the final product wasn't perfect.  Later, as we got older, Dad helped my brother and I each purchase a Guillow's balsa wood kit (I think I got the Cessna 170 and my brother got the Piper Cherokee) and he assisted us in building–well, almost building–them.  He would remind us that the balsa wood kits were his kind of modeling, and that we had it easy with those plastic kits to which I, for one, had become addicted.  I don't think either of those Guillow's kits got built, but he'd go on about the plastic kits we'd build, telling us that if we were real model builders we'd tackle a wood kit–yet to anyone who would listen, we were the family's artistes-in-waiting.

    Later on, I would buy and build Guillow's 3/4" scale Spitfire (it didn't fly, I built it as a static model), and my brother built a Dumas boat kit, which was waiting for a motor and radio control gear when he discovered BMX and Daisy's contribution to settling the Old West.

    Dad's gone now.  I don't think my brother has touched a plastic model kit since about ten years ago when we (my brother, my wife, my nephew, and I) got together and built (what else?) Snap-Tite kits.  My nephew was seven or eight at the time, and I don't think he's taken up the hobby (habit?)–he's been exposed to it, so he knows what it is about.  Each of us has seen and participated in the hobby, even of that time was brief. 

    We will always have those memories of how we were each introduced to the hobby.

    Thanks for reading.  Be good to one another, and I bid you Peace.