Back In The Day

I started model building by repainting Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars when their paint started coming off or I would take them apart and I restored or modify them. I also had 1/25 scale die-cast cars and I added more details to them to make them look more realistic. I remember years ago going to the pharmacy in Jacksonville with my grandparents to pick-up their prescriptions. My grandfather always picked up Captain Black pipe tobacco. Grand mom picked up candy and other items for my sister and I. I would always head to the small selection of model cars and modeling supplies in the toy aisle. If I was good I usually got to pick out a model car. Here was one of the last models I purchased at the pharmacy.

There were some great little hobby shops that were around back then. Yorktowne Hobby Shop in Cockeysville. They are still in business today. Yorktowne was always one of my favorites. There were others who are no longer around like Lyold's in Towson, Md. and Family Hobbies in Arbutus. They always had a great selection of model and supplies. They continue to be missed by many modeler's today. Those were the days before we had Wal-Marts. Those were the days before Wal-Mart put many of the family owned hobby shops out of business! Then to add insult to injury for my fellow modelers Wal-Mart stopped carrying models all together a few years ago. Time keeps moving forward and all that is left are the memories of these wonderful hobby shops and the great friendships that were started and the good times we had back then.