I Miss Phil's Hobbies
I miss Phil's Hobbies. I live 150 miles from where I work and rent a small apartment for weekdays in Dallas. Every Friday evening on my way up I-35E I would stop in Farmers Branch (a suburb of Dallas) at Phil's. There I would hang around for a couple of hours talking with fellow modelers and the staff. It was a golden age. And of course I purchased my models there.
Luckily Phil's didn't have a rule about completing a model kit. Not once did they refuse to sell me another kit just because I hadn't finished the last one I had purchased from them. It was a pleasant relationship. I managed to drop at least $50 each Friday there.
Unfortunately, Phil's closed the doors in July 2003 and since I have not found a place that I wanted to hang around. I still buy lots of models but that is online through Squadron, HobbyBuy, etc. or on eBay. But it is just not the same. At Phil's one could open a kit and take a look at it. The guys who worked there were modelers and very knowledge. And even if they couldn't answer a question there was usually some other "regulars" hanging around who could.
If Phil's had also had a bar attached it would have been a great experience.
In my last post (hey, it was only July. I'm getting better about posting!) I had mentioned buying Wespe Model resin kits from Adrian Laptuca in Romania. I had thought maybe he WAS Wespe Models. I asked Adian. I was wrong. But buy from Adrian anyway. His prices are competitve with Wespe Models, his shipping cost is very reasonable, he ships quickly, and his customer service is of the highest quality. He has changed his eBay ID to miltary_and_civil_models.
BTW: if you build small scale armor like me (well I use the word build loosely) then it would be of great benefit to you to check out the Braille Scale forum on Missing-Lynx ( http://www.network54.com/Forum/47210/ ). It is very informative, the people are great, and I love seeing the pics of other modeler's work in miniature.
Remember, it is better to have entered a model contest and lost than to have collected stamps.
Luckily Phil's didn't have a rule about completing a model kit. Not once did they refuse to sell me another kit just because I hadn't finished the last one I had purchased from them. It was a pleasant relationship. I managed to drop at least $50 each Friday there.
Unfortunately, Phil's closed the doors in July 2003 and since I have not found a place that I wanted to hang around. I still buy lots of models but that is online through Squadron, HobbyBuy, etc. or on eBay. But it is just not the same. At Phil's one could open a kit and take a look at it. The guys who worked there were modelers and very knowledge. And even if they couldn't answer a question there was usually some other "regulars" hanging around who could.
If Phil's had also had a bar attached it would have been a great experience.
In my last post (hey, it was only July. I'm getting better about posting!) I had mentioned buying Wespe Model resin kits from Adrian Laptuca in Romania. I had thought maybe he WAS Wespe Models. I asked Adian. I was wrong. But buy from Adrian anyway. His prices are competitve with Wespe Models, his shipping cost is very reasonable, he ships quickly, and his customer service is of the highest quality. He has changed his eBay ID to miltary_and_civil_models.
BTW: if you build small scale armor like me (well I use the word build loosely) then it would be of great benefit to you to check out the Braille Scale forum on Missing-Lynx ( http://www.network54.com/Forum/47210/ ). It is very informative, the people are great, and I love seeing the pics of other modeler's work in miniature.
Remember, it is better to have entered a model contest and lost than to have collected stamps.
posted by the Mediocre Modeler | 8:34 AM
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