Tuesday, May 03, 2022
hobby shop
random memories - saving here
in my hometown, mid 1970s, Mr. Kleeb owned the local hobby shop. He was the classic kindly old man who loved models and engineering.
As a kid, I'd mow lawns, earn money, and ride my bicycle to his shop (12 miles away) to stare at the model kits, and try to figure out what I could afford.
During slow times, he would chat with the kids, find out what they liked, and would almost always "find" an old kit, something "just put it on sale" and make a deal work. (Guillows Series 600 was, and still is my favorite line)
He sold me quite a few $6 kits on sale for $3.72 mostly in crumpled bills and coins.
I went home from college to visit in the mid 1980s, as he was closing the shop to retire. (at 80+) We chatted for a while. He asked me what I was doing in college. When I told him I was studying computer science and engineering? he lit right up and said "another good investment in model airplane kits"
He ran the shop as a business, but also his hobby. He loved getting kids interested in engineering, so we would have a next generation of builders, designers, scientists.
I never knew his "discounts" and finding things "just went on sale" was his way of investing in the future.
We need more model airplane builders, and less beep-bip-boop - ipad kids.
in my hometown, mid 1970s, Mr. Kleeb owned the local hobby shop. He was the classic kindly old man who loved models and engineering.
As a kid, I'd mow lawns, earn money, and ride my bicycle to his shop (12 miles away) to stare at the model kits, and try to figure out what I could afford.
During slow times, he would chat with the kids, find out what they liked, and would almost always "find" an old kit, something "just put it on sale" and make a deal work. (Guillows Series 600 was, and still is my favorite line)
He sold me quite a few $6 kits on sale for $3.72 mostly in crumpled bills and coins.
I went home from college to visit in the mid 1980s, as he was closing the shop to retire. (at 80+) We chatted for a while. He asked me what I was doing in college. When I told him I was studying computer science and engineering? he lit right up and said "another good investment in model airplane kits"
He ran the shop as a business, but also his hobby. He loved getting kids interested in engineering, so we would have a next generation of builders, designers, scientists.
I never knew his "discounts" and finding things "just went on sale" was his way of investing in the future.
We need more model airplane builders, and less beep-bip-boop - ipad kids.
# posted by cstatman : 10:52 AM
