Berkeley Ace Hardware's basement hobby shop has been the destination for most
of the SF Bay Area's modelers for decades.
Even more reason to get there now. August 16th through September 13th they are
offering 25% off all plastic models. The sale flyer states that only exclusions
are items already on sale, special orders and train layouts.
They have a huge variety of new and old kits including models from collections,
are very well versed and very modeler friendly (well, most of the time and a
lot better that a couple of other hobby shops in the area).
Tom
It's a combination of too much ancient stock from collections purchased and too
much new stuff coming in every day.
Because they hired a new guy (long time IPMSer and modeler) to straighten out
the shelves and arrange things to make them easier to find, it has been easier
to shop.
Problem is new stuff won't fit in the back any more and the unopened boxes are
piling up in the isles...right in front of the newly organized shelves.
Tom
Thanks for the tip....I'm going there after a doctors appointment in Walnut
Creek. My Dad and Mom used to know the former owner many years ago. Brings
back memories of going down to the hobby section.....Maybe I'll find that
Capt. Hook Pirate ship...Hmm......Worth a look.....Thanks Again!!! Eric
Read into it what you want. :-)
They are far from alone in this area when it comes to being rude and insulting
to customers. Two in SF come to mind, especially "the speakeasy".
BTW, there are two new (at least to me) Asian hobby shops in the area. One in
the Japan Trade Center and one in Burlingame. Both have large stocks of Chinese
and Japanese kits of every description. Not very heavy on aircraft, but worth a
visit if you are in the area.
Tom
I went there today....talk about walking down memory lane....Place doesn't
seem to have changed since I was young....I saw model kits I haven't seen
since I was a kid....Saw model kits that made my mouth drool....I was oh so
tempted to buy something, ANYTHING.....but then comes "the Truth"...Where
would I build it, where could I display it....and the fact that I haven't
built a model in over 35+ years, and wasn't too good at it then.....Lots of
planes.....smaller tank section, and not that many ships.....Did see the
Capt. Kidd Pirate Ship......maybe I oughta go back and get that......After
all, 25% off brings it down to around $13.
I also saw an airplane kit (probably WAY beyond any minute skills I still
posses)....A Savoia Marchetti S55 Flying Boat......Just love the looks of
that 1920's double hulled plane....
Man, do I wish I had a couple of grand to spend......Big Sigh....Oh
well.......(But I can dream)......Eric
hey, i suck, i don't have an airbrush and i can't buy much.
but i build anyway. get the s55 and try. what would it hurt.
and it's a damn pretty bird. look up italo balbo on the net,
get his book, a facist life and be some history.
do you really need to see the bundy's visit to dumpwater,
fla again?
(aside fron christina's......ah, everything.)
Cool. The AMT kit of that and the B-49 jet version are good
kits. AMT did some interesting things in the years leading up to
their being sold to Racing Champions. As for room.......hang
them up! Then you have the option of gear up or down, although
I usually leave them down. Have fun.
-John in Santa Cruz
The third great AMT kit along the same lines is the XB-70. Three wonderful
kits.
Sorry you had trouble with the cashier. I'll mention it to Bill tomorrow. As I
mentioned in an earlier post, that is where an awful lot of American business
fall down.
Tom
Oh Boy!!! Opened the S55 Flying Boat.....Instructions are in Italian (well,
it IS an Italian aircraft, and kit (Delta2?)). Anybody have any ideas?
Also.....another Oh Boy!....I was reminded that out in the garage I have
some model kits unbuilt. And it's true....A Lindberg "Blue Devil Destroyer"
(I was planning on a RC conversion....someday)....I also found a Tamiya
"British 25 PDR. Field Gun"....Out there somewhere is the Tamiya "Quad Gun
Tractor" for this (but I remember the instructions are in Japanese). How do
I get the English instructions for both the S55 and the Gun Tractor?
Well, at least I have a smaller kit to start on BEFORE I start the
Planes....And if I can get the Quad instructions, 2 kits to get my feet wet.
Eric
Yeah, the XB-70 was a great aircraft....The one time I was at the A.F.
Museum in Dayton, I walked around that one and touched it as well. Didn't
see the kit for it though.
As far as the cashier goes.....don't worry about it....She didn't know how
to ring it up, but was shown.....I chalk it up to a learning
experience.....Still wish that the Judy's were still alive. They used to own
Berkeley Hardware. He also got me started on another hobby....My Dad
mentioned to him that I wanted a short wave radio. He went into his
basement, got an old Packard Bell radio that didn't work, and told my Dad to
tell me, that if I could fix it, I could have it. Had a bad rectifier tube,
replaced it, and the first station I got was Radio Australia....I was
HOOKED!! It tuned 5.5-18 Mcs. Boy does that bring back
memories.......Sigh......Eric
If you have a scanner and OCR software scan it in and run it through
one of those online translation sites..(if no scanner/OSC you can
always type in a few phrases or unclear areas of the instr.).. the
results might be a bit comical, especially with techincal text.. but
might help...
here are a few sites;
formatting link
if you don't like what you get from one , try another, some are better
than others, varies with the text...
failing that, I guess pictures where included... :-)
good luck
~V
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