Is Your First Squadron Shop Memory Mailorder or Store?
Albert Cherer
came into contact with the Squadron shop in two ways. I had moved from
the Midwest to the East coast and several of my drugstore purchased
models were ruined. My Dad came up with insurance claim money and some
out of pocket money. Something like seventy five bucks came my way to
compensate my losses and take my mind off the move away from friends.
Boy was I like a pig in a poke when a junior high school friend of
mine told me about the Squadron Shop In Silver Spring on Sligo Avenue.
I beileve the Artiplast Fiat G-55 Cantauro was my first purchase. Then
I came by there catalog slash mailorder form. My first order from
Detroit had an Airfix He-111. the 1/76 Scale World War One tank.
Seventy five dollars was a mother load in the winter of 1972/1973.
This was a year before the oil crisis so a lot of Airfix kits were
fifty cents. I got the Monogram Sturmgeschutz with one of those
Shepard Payne guides along with a Tamiya Panzer II. Man I almost
didn't care about girls as I glued and brushed along, but I do say
almost.
I kept in close touch with the store after I grew up. The Squadron
Shop moved and had a fire. I was there for the fire sale. The store
held out as long as it could. I was there the last day in Wheaton. Of
course all the prices went up. Metal, resin, masks, wheels, aftemarket
decals, types of airplanes and even armor have been kitted that I
never thought would see the light of day. I frequent three local hobby
dealers who help keep things going. Still I miss the initial
enthusiasm of that Fiat from the Silver Spring or that WWI tank from
Detroit. I still use Squadron and especially appreciate the shipping
discount for big orders. All this reminds me that I put a snap
together kit in the Toys For Tots load for this years donation. I
picked the RevellMonogram Space Shuttle. Maybe, just maybe some kid
will be as pleased with building that as I was the Artiplast G-55.
Seasons Greetings
Big Al Cherer
Rob Gronovius
IM) just before I left for Germany as a 2nd Lt.
After buying and building kits in Germany, I mentioned to him that all the
"offensive" markings on the German WWII armor kits were covered in indelible
ink, he sent me a Squadron flyer so I could order some after market decals.
That would have been in 1988.
BTW, I got my penpal's name from the first modeling magazine I ever bought,
Challenge Publications' now defunct Military Modeling, Nov 87 issue.
Rob Gronovius
Major
US Army
Kent Kinal
ad in Scale Modeler, placed an order for some Airfix kits. First Time I
ever ordered anything modleing related through the mail (Hadnt even known
you could do that!!) Subscribed to the old Squadron magazine, saw things in
there that just amazed me; a Ju-87 with a scratchbuilt engine comes to
mind.
First time in the store (on the John R. Hazel park Mi} would have been July
or August 1971. Bought a Paasche H airbrush, which I still own and use.
Cant tell you how much I have spent on mailorder since then, how many
magazines have been purchased, or how many airbrushes I have owned in the
interim, but do remember those firsts from Squadron.
Kent
"Albert Cherer" <10251...@compuserve.com> wrote in message
news:f50e25b0.01122...@posting.google.com...
RRosa23776
guy came with a package. I figured it was from my father as he was a merchant
seaman and always sending stuff home. Anyway, the package was for me; from
Squadron Mail Order. It was Monogram's Hell Diver. The reason I got the kit
was prior to purchasing that one, I had gotten their Avenger and I remember how
one of my brothers was so impressed with all its action features. Well, that
was almost thirty years ago...but I still get thrilled when I see the UPS guy
coming.
Happy Holidays
Raymond Rosario
William H. Shuey
I remember Sligo Avenue from a visit or two. I really got into
Squadron Shop after they moved to Georgia Avenue, not far from my Aunt's
House. Squadron Mailorder-I remember when Squadron ran a quarterly
publication that was half magazine and half catalog. I still have a copy
or two of that.
I also remember driving up to Philadelphia to visit a new Squadron
store that had opened. While I'm there in comes this guy, real well
dressed, with two big "goons" right behind him. They stuck to him like
glue while he went around the store, looked like characters straight out
of "Da Godfadda". After he paid for his purchase and left I asked the guy
behind the counter who that guy with the muscle in tow was? "Oh Him, that
was our Mayor". Duuhh!
Bill Shuey
MB3986
continued building them for six or seven years over the objections of my
mother, who viewed anything made of plastic as "junk". I returned to the hobby
about ten years later after college and the Army. I saw a Squadron ad in
Scale Modeler magazine and took a vacation day to drive from my home in
northern New Jersey to the store in Syosset, Long Island. In 1978, my employer
transferred me to Chicago. I checked out the store in Elmhurst. I visited the
store every year at Christmas.
It was almost like a pilgrimage, as my wife called it. I was sad when they
closed that store. There's still something special when the annual catalog and
the monthly supplements arrive in the mail.
Rufus
"around the corner" during my youth - the one formerly on Route 64 near
Route 83 in the NW Chicago suburbs. My first encouter with Squadron
came along with getting my drivers licence, after which riding my bike
some 20-30 miles to the shop also became routine. It was filled with
great stuff on display, and had an "open box" policy - there was one
open box example of everything in the store, and you could look before
you bought. And the coffee pot was always on, and folks generally got
to hang out and jaw about everything and anything. It wasn't until much
later that I even learned they had a mail order biz. Now I'm a regular
mail customer.
Although I also lived in So. Maryland for a bit over a year and was
aware of the shop in Wheaton, MD (and by bizarre coincidence I happen to
be from Wheaton, Ill.) I never got a chance to drop in there.
Where have all the good times gone?...
--
-Rufus
James Philmon
I grew up in maryland and remember stumbling upon the shop on Sligo
Ave in Silver Spring. That was before I was a modeler. I picked up
modeling as a hobby while I was in college in the late 70's. I
visited the Georgia Ave location many times over the years.
Jim Philmon IPMS 12047
Bill Banaszak
Bill Banaszak, MFE
Bill Banaszak
I believe I started ordering from them in the late '80s. Before that I
occasionally ordered things from other places. The first place I
ordered from was Scale something-or-other in Federal Way, Washington.
That was back in the '60s.
Bill Banaszak, MFE
Ralph Nardone
January of 1983. I was attending college at Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach,
and at the time, there were few hobby shops in the area. It didn't take
long for me to start ordering from them on a regular basis. Once I
graduated from college, I stopped using them as often (since I lived in
South Florida, land of Warrick Custom Hobbies and Orange Blossom). I may
start using them again since my move to South Carolina, though.....between
SMO and Model Expo, I can find most of what I am looking for. And I can
always order my airliner supplies from Clint or Russell Brown.... :)
R
Unamodeler
early 70s. At that time there wasn't a REAL hobbyshop in Billings, Montana.
Prior to ordering from Squadron, I used to be on some sort of "automatic"
distribution from "Scalecraft" or a similiarly named outfit located in Seattle.
Customers would specify what scale and subject matter and then would be
surprised when the latest release showed up on their doorstep along with the
billing. That was back prior to the infamous Arab Oil Embargo..............
and said a lot about "trust" among the modeling community.
Rick Fluke
dog...@blackfoot.net
Mike Brickman
local Hallmark card shop. The selection was good, but only if the box
was blue, and the label said "Monogram".
I moved in with my Aunt & Uncle in Chicago while going to college.
When I learned that Squadron had a store not far away, I obviously HAD
to get there. I remember buying a street map and planning my "safari."
Opening their front door was almost a religious experience. I'm sure
that I had a glazed look in my eyes for a couple of days. I visited
that store dozens of times before I graduated, and for 3 years I spent
every dime of my spending money there. (Young'ins may be interested to
know that a bottle of Testor's paint cost 15 cents back then!)
Then my room-mate introduced me to his girlfriend's room-mate, and
some of my priorities got re-arranged.
Sigh. Thanks for opening up those memory banks...
Mike Brickman
IPMS 12894
Jaznugent
News."I sent off several dollars and got the Frog P61 ($1) among other gems.
Later Squad. Shop replaced Warbirds (both from Detroit). This was back about
1963, even before "Fine Scale Modeller." Later went to Squadron on John R with
a buddy. There was a guy in the store going around with Windex cleaning the
cases and we went around right behind him sticking our greasy foreheads against
the cases going, "Wow, look at that one!" Probably happened a lot. We also made
many one day sorties into Chicago (turn off the I-state on Ill83 south to US20
-I can still visualize it) and I still remember they guy that did the !/72 US
fighters including the Reggiane 2000 conversion to P35.
Jack Horstman
around 1975 and seeing an ad that mentioned the store on John R in the
Detroit area. I showed it to my dad and the next Saturday off we went!
That was the start of a monthly two hour drive to see the latest and
greatest that they had to offer. About a year after we started these
treks the manager gave me a SMO catalog and I began to order as well
as make the trek. I was really bummed when they shut down the store.
Jack "the 109 nut"
On 21 Dec 2001 23:18:28 -0800, 10251...@compuserve.com (Albert
William H. Shuey
copies in a folder somewhere upstairs. I'll bet you also remember "Official Hobby
Paints". First U.S. outfit to make paints for military colors. I've still got a
Monogram Wildcat in their Non-specular Blue Gray and Light gray. I've also still
got some HISAIRDEC decals, they are a little thick and some have stuck to their
cover sheet and are a job to clean up for use, but they still work and the colors
are correct.
Bill Shuey
John Hairell
Cherer) wrote:
[stuff snipped]
Sligo Avenue walk-in, summer '72.
John Hairell (guar...@erols.com)
AMPSOne
My first memory of Squadron Shop DC was back when it first opened on Sligo
Avenue in Silver Spring in 1971, right after I got married. First visit ran my
checking account down to $.04 -- not a good way to begin married life!
Recall Roy Dwyer grousing at the time he was having to pay for air freight on
some of the kits which made them uncompetitive -- $3.75 for a 1/72 Heller Ju-87
when other stores got them in for around $1.49.
Cookie Sewell
AMPS
Bill Woodier
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though
checkered by failure than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither
enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows
not victory nor defeat"
Tom Cervo
>around 1975 and seeing an ad that mentioned the store on John R in the
>Detroit area. I showed it to my dad and the next Saturday off we went!
>That was the start of a monthly two hour drive to see the latest and
>greatest that they had to offer. About a year after we started these
>treks the manager gave me a SMO catalog and I began to order as well
>as make the trek. I was really bummed when they shut down the store.
>Jack "the 109 nut"
I got down there in 1970. All the shops I'd been to in my hometown had a row or
two of kits and one or two built-up, half-painted kits hanging on strings from
the ceiling. I think I spent an hour just walking around with my mouth hanging
open, between the assortment of kits and the incredible finished kits on
display. I saved a few bucks for gas money and spent the rest.
Ron Smith
Bill Banaszak
bottle before you bought them. ;)
I still use my HisAirDecs, too.
Bill Banaszak, MFE
Cliff Davis
a fluid state. Well, semi fluid anyway. I have one bottle of "exhaust" that I thin
ever so often and can still use!!
Cliff Davis IPMS / USA 3687
Highlands Ranch, Colorado
J Harrell
to Roy Sutherland fuss.
Jim
floo...@gmail.com
Rufus
> Grew up near 8 Mile and John R! Was in the Squadron shop in the mid 1960s. Had great time in there as kids, and before long I was a radio flying missions in Vietnam. Being kids playing with model airplanes was more fun.😀
>
a high school-er in the mid-late 70s...used to ride my bike out there
(some 20+ miles, I think) to both buy and hang out.
...then I went on to become an Aero/Astro Engineer.
--
- Rufus