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
2 Comments:
I stumbled on your blog and think it's great. You've verbalized many times over much of what has passed through my head about this stupid hobby. I especially liked your post from several years ago about missing Phil's. I live in the Washington, DC suburbs and so far have seen the Squadron shop in Wheaton, MD close (it was magnificent), Meteor Productions close, and my version of Phil's, "Grandad's" in Burke, VA close. I'm down to one hobby shop in my metro area and I'm holding my breath that it will stay open. Sure, I get a lot of stuff from the internet and there is a Hobbyworks not too far away, but it's not the same.
Time was there were at least 2 real Hobby Shops in any given town. "Time Was" = 50 years ago. You have kindred spirits here in Gardner Massachusetts. I've been building so-so models since 1958 and never stopped. There are about 5 of us that get together every once in a while and just spread newspapers out on the dining room table chop and glue away while talking about the merits of one model or another. I build, almost exclusively, 1/72 scale aircraft and 1/25 scale cars and trucks. My studio looks like the history of military aviation hanging from wires and fishing line over head. I spent 1967 to 1971 as an aviation machinist mate PO2 in the Navy working on SP-2H, HU-16C, S2B, C-117, UH-34, CH-19, and E-1B aircraft in NAS Brunswick Maine and NAS Norfolk VA. (VAW-121) It IS great fun to model the museum pieces I used to crew in down to the Bu numbers. It's a bit disconcerting that the newest, hottest aircraft on the apron back then are all gate guards and sitting in the Air & Space museum! Right now I have more unfinished models than my actuary table allows. Great blog, I'll tell my friends about it. I'm also a rail artist, check out railroadartprints.com.
Thanks, Chuck Heidorn
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