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The Man Who Speaks His Language
1963 Annual Edition American Modeler

Annual 1963 American Modeler

Annual 1963 American Modeler magazine cover - Airplanes and Rockets     [Table of Contents]
  Aircraft modeling has undergone significant changes over the decades - both in technology and preferences. Magazines like American Aircraft Modeler, and American Modeler before that, were the best venues for capturing snapshots of the status quo of the day. Still, many things never change, so much of the old content is relevant to today's modeler.
  Whether you are here to wax nostalgic, or are just interested in learning history, hopefully you will find what you are seeking. As time permits, I will be glad to scan articles for you. All copyrights (if any) are hereby acknowledged.
Since the era of online shopping that began in the mid-to-late 1990s (maybe a bit before for some tech-savvy modelers), hobby shops and the wealth of knowledge that was contained within began disappearing. This advertisement from the Annual edition of the 1963 American Modeler magazine illustrates the close relationship many modelers used to have with their local hobby shop operators. Some of the bigger hobby shops near larger metro areas have managed to survive, but most small-town establishments have gone the way of the IBM Selectric typewriter and the buggy whip. At first the problem seemed to be that the online distributors won due to lower prices, but in the last few years the surviving local hobby shops (aka LHSs) have tried to meet the online princes in order to retain customers. The last remaining hurdle is the advantage online outlets have through tax-free purchases. Inevitably, tax-revenue-hungry legislators will win the battle and remove that barrier as well. Maybe at that point we will begin to see LHS operations begin to reappear. That might be the one good thing that will result from Big Brother's ever-increasing imposition on our lives.



"A Tribute to The American Hobby Dealer"

Aurora Plastics Advertisement from the 1963 Annual Edition of American Modeler - Airplanes and Rockets


The man is a Hobby Dealer, and thank goodness there are thousands like him from Maine to Malibu. Many storekeepers who sell hobby products wouldn't know a glow plug from a nite light, or a smokebox from an ash tray. He knows. You're a model airplane buff or an HO railroad fan, you come to him for advice. Or for repairs too tricky to handle yourself. Or for that rare kit or part nobody ever heard of. He not only heard of it, he probably has it in stock.
 
A good man to have around. You feel confidence in the merchandise he sells. You pay a fair price for it and you know that if something goes wrong, he'll stand behind it.
 
You feel at home here. Nobody rushes you. Nobody pressures you to buy something and get out. You like this man, this businessman who's never too busy to help out, even if the problem has nothing to do with turning a profit.
 
In a time of automatic vending machines, help-yourself floor displays, and pay-as-you-leave checkout counters, it is comforting to know that here is one man, your hobby dealer, who holds fast to the traditional values of Quality, Service and Plain Dealing. It is time to remind ourselves, without embarrassment, that it is this kind of philosophy that has enabled America to prosper, and endure. Support your hobby dealer, visit with him soon.

An advertisement in tribute to the American hobby dealer by Aurora Plastics Corp., West Hempstead, N. Y.



Posted 7/21/2012

 
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