Remember when AMT Model Car Kit was $1.50

Built more than a 100 models as a teen- folks threw them all out when I left for college- also my baseball card collection- started to build them again in the 80's but would build and give to neighbor kids- built many Corvettes in the 90's when I was hot into Corvettes- still have many of those-

Do not remember what those in the 60's cost but I got .25 cents a week allowance so must have gotten most of them as gifts- Birthday and Christmas maybe-

Built mostly military stuff then- many planes-

 

Yep, I built a bunch of them as a kid. I remember them being $1.25 before they went up to $1.50.

The first one I built was a '40 Ford Coupe. It was painted metallic blue and made into a supercharged gasser. Got 2nd place in a model show.

Boy, you could get dizzy off all those paint and glue fumes!

--- Steve ---

 

I'll be getting the Rat Packer F/X Chevy II kit in the mail today... Anyone ever built that kit???...

 

I converted it to stock wheelbase & stuck a '69 Camaro floor under it. Go figure.

p.s. I used the AMT '66 Nova Pro street interior tub- RHD'd it. So I only used the body really. I remember the detail was a lil' hard to pick out on the trunk/ tailights. But it would be a cool subject straight outta the box- yellow too!.

 

Just got it and it's molded in white...
Did yours come with molded styrene tires???....
No biggie! I have enough AMT Goodyear vinyl slicks to do a couple dozen builds....

 

I love these OLD threads!

Up here in Canada for me the price of a Model Car Kit was $3.14. And available at the local corner store in the Balsa wood, Frisbee, and kite section. But this selection was very limited, maybe one Glow-In-The-Dark Monster Kit and the usual war craft. Also to mention that these models were always kept up high and out of reach. And having to ask the store keeper to dig out the desired box to read all the optional builds usually brought on the discerning eye. He knowing all to well that I wouldn't be buying today. At a 65 cents a week allowance it was awhile to a purchase. $0.65 as I remember then was also the price of an Imperial gallon of gasoline.
My first Model Kit was of a Lola GT, a real easy put-together kit with a little electric motor in the rear to drive the wheels. I seem to recall Japanese script on the box, so who manufactured it of that I am not certain. But I do somewhat remember my first Revell or AMT, or then again perhaps it was MPC. Well either way, what it was was a bubble topped Corvette Stingray. I think it may have had something to do with the Bill Bixby T.V. series "The Magician". It had an optional bubble back half that certainly predicted the 80's Vettes.
What I really recollect of those sunny days and tryin' to get ALL the models I could, was the Tom Daniels pamphlet that could sometimes be found in a Monogram Kit and showcasing what was soon to be available! WOW!!
Does anyone remember his base-ball style collector cards?
And thinking about all this...
I am certain there is a box in the mezzanine full of unused water-slide decals and another full of optional tires and rims.

 

hey all, I've been searching the net looking for a 1/25th scale car carrier trailer to put behind a big rig. a buddy of mine had one years ago, but have not seen another one like it, any ideas? have surfed all the model places I have found so far, and no dice. anyone have a good list of sites to check? thanks.

 

Just found this photo from the very early 80s. I had everything from the Beach boys (purple pickup) to Buck Rogers (musta been a gift from a distantly related aunt or something). The AMTs on the top row were clearly my favorite.

 

the price feels the same,but the quality not so much.its gotten better,and with better comes a higher price.likes this 1:35 sherman M1A1.ive spent close to$120 so far.it has a working suspension,you can roll it over your finger and you'll be amazed.I doubt ill finish it any time soon tho.

 

I remember (but not often) when I was a kid, somewhere around '57 or '58, I was down to a friends house playing in the creek when his neighbor pulled into his yard with a semi truck. We wandered over there to see the truck when he got into the back of it to get something. I couldn't believe my eyes.... right in front of me had to be over 200 model car kits that hadn't been released yet. It was a '32 Ford 3 in 1 roadster. These kits were to sell for about two bucks. Most of the others ( Jo Han and Lindburg) were selling for a buck and buck and a half. He saw us drooling over these and told us if we didn't say anything to anyone he would give us a couple. Wah-hooo, ran right home, got out my glue, paint and building supplies, pulled my shade, shut my door, and Ma didn't see me till supper. Had this particular car untill the 90's when we had a basement flood and lost a lot of crap. Musta got thrown out with some other junk as we had help cleaning up. That car actually got me into building hot rods....whew, fond memories.

 

All the model cars I built when I was kid and now if have a 53' Merc...You could do a whole thread on this.....(Cars never built) None of the manufactures ever built a model of the 1953 Mercury...so now what do I do?

 

I saw a Model Car Kit at K or Wall Mart way back.
It had like 10 pieces that snapped together....?

And that's still to many...
Kids today (Sorry, maybe not Your kid but..99% of therestofthem) have zero attention span and there's no way they would sit still long enough to snap it together!...Painting it......Yeah right!?

 

Funny to read this here. I buy and sell model kits. I once purchased a 1/32 scale (3/8" =1') model of a Pershing 1A missile. I paid $40.00 for it. I knew it was a rare kit but how rare? When I got home I looked it up in my value guide, Yes Virginia there is a value guide for old model kits! It was worth $900.00!!! I eventuall sold if for around $700.00 to a collector. I make model kits too for my living. I have one in my inventory that sells for $200.00. At swap meets you can get great bargains as was said but a rare box art and kit can get real expensive. The old AMT car kits have been re released a number of time. Well many of them have anyway. That said the classic AMT car kits of the 50's and 60's go for big dollars in a good and original release box. As with anything else old and collected, condition is everything.
If anyone needs to know more PM me and I'll see what I can do to help with value or collectability etc.
Mike

 

I remember being bothered when a car kit went to $4.00 before I graduated high school, and I could get a big truck or trailer kit for under $15.00 most of the time.
Then I got older and buying kits to kitbash. I have a couple of plastic model cars on the shelf that costed me $125.00 without buying any metal etched components or aftermarket anything.
I had a Testors bottle of burgundy metallic paint with $.25 marking on the lid at one point in time as a kid.
Graduated in 1984. Still kitbashing.

 

Anything new???

 

This is what I paid for my models in 1960. 79 cents to 1.49. Got 1.50 allowance Cutting grass painting on house. Raking leaves etc. So getting a model at the five and dime was a big deal for a 10 year old

 

got some sticker shock over the holidays....the local hobby shop had an average of $25 for most of the kits....lots of re-releases....

 

When I started building models they were around 98 cents. I built this in 1959. The only survivor from hundreds I built. The grill is a Vanwall I think. Fashion of the day,