Bristol - Modelmania is closing down.

[Will01Capri]

We hear ya Pak36,I’m 74 years old and just shake my head at the need today of young people’s want of instant gratification!!

I'm 59, I suppose a mere youngster to you Mr Ragnar lol. I love instant gratification. . . .

As for shops, I still love going to to old proper model shops and hardware stores.

Just because we gettin gour ages in............. i'm 33 and i love going into old skool proper model shops. They are like an alladins treasure trove. But i can see why they are going as everyone buys online.
It's a shame because when i buy a new model i do actually like to see it in person, unless of course it is super cheap.
My kids are never going to see this, which is why i am trying to build up our collection so we can share them with the kids.

Did anyone say when they are closing down?
If they still open, i think i would like to visit before it's too late.

[wibblywobbly]

They probably have already closed their doors. I know a guy who runs an RC truck business, he took the route of a small office/storage place on a trading estate out in the sticks. Free parking and surrounded by woodland. Most of his business is internet based, but he still gets people who pop in every day for a coffee, chat, and to see what they are buying. It seems that this is the magic recipe now.

[General Jumbo01]

It's unfortunately been happening for years. Specialist shops of any kind tend to be family businesses and when the family retires, so does the business. Some of the best specialist model making businesses are just a man and a dog in a shed making white metal lamp posts and bus shelters in OO - with no wish to sell on the molds even if there is a buyer!

Still, we'll always have HobbycraftI in our local retail park, who incidentally have just stopped stocking Tamiya paints on the basis that the stock is too expensive! Thank goodness the postman will deliver acrylics!

[Will01Capri]

One thing I always thought about would be to open a model shop in.my later years, but it would only be for myself as I know there aren't that many out there locally who are interested in this hobby of ours.

We are toying with the idea of turning some scrap land into a small RC centre where people can crawl, mock war, race and sail. Maybe as part of that we can keep a stock of basic parts and offer basic services and have a club sort of thing. But again it would only be to support our interest than a money maker.

Unfortunately computer games killed this off.
I used to love going into model shop.with my brother and father to go buy the next airfix kit.

[rochesb]

I used to buy the 'orginal' Airfix magazines too, I remember the days when the cheaper Airfix kits came in clear plastic bags so you could see all the details. I can still remember cycling 5 miles in the 1960s with my grandfather to our local model/DIY shop where he treated me to an Avro Anson kit for passing my 11-plus entrance exam for Grammar School ...… happy days......

[rochesb]

There's an echo round here...… stupid Edge Browser......

[silversurfer1947]

Duplicate post deleted

[Dark46]

Blimey I've just joined and read this. Such a shame Bryans knowledge is amazing. I used to live in Fishponds between 90-07 and was often in there, buying eother models or 00 railway.