SF Bay Area Modelers

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
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Maiesm72 wrote:

they charge full retail so the price discount may bring the prices down to earth....I've been going there since 1973. Great selection of A/C.
Craig

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Is this an omen or are they just trying to move out some of their ancient stock....
Craig
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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
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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
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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
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check your prices at the register. I bought a kit and it did not register at checkout......
Craig
Maiesm72 wrote:

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Maiesm72 wrote:

and lucky me I got the lady who did not know a tank from a toilet plunger....
Craig

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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
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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.)
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"i'd like to smother that girl in chocolate syrup and lick her till the cows come home." -frank
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that was zappa, but whatever.
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Stop whining and build something!
-John
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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
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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
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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
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Eric Ferguson wrote:

HAM Radio! philosophical forerunner of the internet!
                        Bill Shuey
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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
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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;
http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/aw.nsf/html/mt http://www.freetranslation.com / http://www.systranlinks.com/systran/cgi
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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