A lovely blast from the past, I remember these being hung on peg board at my local hardware shop. They were hung on the wall just behind the door as you come in, series 1 at the bottom and as you looked up the wall the higher the series with the ever so elusive 1/24 Harrier etc at the top......I dare not to look up there........I could stretch to a series 2 or possibly 3 but only if I had saved my pocket money by earning extra and combined it with my birthday money! Seeing this brought it all back to me.....the smell of the hardware shop, the ding of the bell as you walk in and the delight of seeing all those kits to choose from.
Thank you for writing that brilliant comment, I think bringing back some of these good memories is so important. Thanks so much for taking the time to write your story I enjoyed reading it
I use to send money from Wanganui, NZ and buy ten at a time and when they arrived i would send for ten more, i was eight at the time. It was a different world back then. Happy modelling to all
Thank you so much for that! What a beautiful display. Took me right back, when I'd buy kits from my local newsagent. Your video actually made me 'get something in my eye' as it were, with the nostalgia. Your built kits are lovely, too - and you have my favourite from that period: the P-51, 'Fool's Paradise IV'. Simple kits, yes, but they do look very good. The bubble packs were great - the bubble could be used as a decal bath, or a paint palette, or even cut up and used in place of plastic card, which I did often. Lovely video. Thank you again (and I somewhat envy your collection, too). Nice one. 👍👍👍
I worked in a model shop in York from 1971, I remember these started coming into the shop from about 1973 I think. They were a great improvement over the bags and we're very popular.
Our life at modelism was so much better back then...just getting our hands on a kit was a joy!!! Now we became quite picky and waste a lot more time sometimes with nonsense. Lovely to see this video. Thank you!!!
Thank you, I tried to recreate that wonderful moment when you entered a shop and you had to decide which model to get with your pocket money. You are right we must enjoy our hobby! Thank you for your lovely comment
I love to see real home made Airfix kits where people like me brush painted their models and tried their best to achieve better effects. I admire enthusiasts who use all the best equipment, spray guns etc but as a 10 to 14 year old as was glad to afford the paint and the model. Thanks Graham, this is my past and memories too.
I remember the days of not having all the paints needed. I do like using the airbrush I did on the Fiat G50. On these older kits I do like to do a retro build using a brush. Glad you enjoyed the memories
I have fond memories of Saturday visits to F.W. Woolworth & Co. If I’d been a good boy during the week by completing my school homework, my dear late father would have rewarded me with a blister pack kit. If I’d been extra good a cream cake from their cafe was an extra bonus!!👍😎
Thank you for sharing your lovely memories. Blister packs and Woolworths were a big part of our young lives. You were extra lucky I don’t remember a cafe in my Woolworths!
Oh, the Green-eyed Monster is rising up!!! Great memories of the upstairs of Robinsons Store Dungannon! Upstairs was AIRFIX!!! Roy Cross's art work was like the aviation artist Michael Turner, the perfect expression of the air war!!!!
Really cool vid. A newsagents in Derby called Poyntons used to seel these on a market stall, along with other kits. I remember building the French imperial guard but seem to remember it being in a box ? Great memories 😊
Glad you enjoyed seeing them again. I didn’t realise I had so many! I think most of them ended up in boxes. I tried to recreate that walking into a shop and seeing all those kits moment. Thanks for watching and commenting
I remember how the Spitfire kit had one-piece solid wings. All other plane kits had top and bottom halves to each wing, but not so the Spitfire for some strange reason. I built a lot of the models you show, thanks for the trip down memory lane. I also remember putting a Lancaster pilot in the Me-109, he did a much better job filling out the cockpit than did the skinny, frog-shaped pilot figure that came with many of the series 1 kits.
I love the description of the pilots. The Spitfire never quite lived up to the beautiful Roy Cross artwork on the packaging. The newer Airfix Spitfires are so much better. Glad to hear you enjoyed the video and thank you for your comment
Being from the U.S., I never knew these were a thing. These are simply, awesome! I bought one off of ebay today after, seeing this video. Quite a different marketing approach and, I love it! So simple and unique, for me anyway.
That’s great ! Which one did you find? I liked them because you could see the parts and look at the instructions before you bought it. Thanks for your comment
The series one Hawker Hurricane was one of my favourite Airfix kits....I built quite a few during the 70s as a kid....I may have to build another one day!
Ah yes the artwork was a big inspiration and also being able to see the parts and instructions. Thanks again for your comments. There is another video with more blister packs
The vintage Airfix blister packs are a favorite of mine to build/collect. Thanks for sharing. Bill PS: they made HO Train accessories in blister packs too.
I can remember just before that, when they came in a polythene bag with card folded about the top, usually with the same image later used on the blister pack.
I’m glad that these kits brought back some memories, the illustrations are a big part of the appeal to me. Thanks for looking and taking time to comment
❤ loved this vid. It propelled me back to my childhood in the early 70s . I recall the clear bags more than the blisters. Fond memories of news agents selling airfix model kits and me scrounging money off my parents to go and buy one. Results were always gluey finger marks and fingers fused together!!
You are right the kits used to be everywhere. I’m still getting glue on my fingers Tamiya extra thin cement at the moment! Thanks for watching and commenting
Thank you, I enjoy building some of these older kits. Sometimes for nostalgia, sometimes to catch up with ones I never had at the time. I always like to see what Airfix release in the vintage classic range. Thank you for watching
That was the moment I wanted to recreate. I had been collecting these blister packs for a while. It was where I started with the hobby. Thank you for your great comment
Great collection! Brings me back to the 70-s when i started to be crazy about model kits, and i'm still crazy! I had Tiger tank in blister pack, the tracks were broken during the built, great respect to you - collection and built kits also.
Lovely display - nice that you have included the built up model. All those 'blister packs' reminds me of my trips to my local branch of Woolworths, where I purchased most of my model kits, including the very same Airfix Matilda tank, for the princely sum of 25p ! (those were the days ! 😄).
Glad you liked it, I do like to show the models built up. I’m hoping to encourage people to get model making. We were all in Woolworths back in those days. The Matilda is great kit
I started building models again about three years ago. I have a few in blister packs and bags which I probably won't open. Great collection. I also have a few matchbox kits as well. I loved the Roy Crossley and Roy Oxley art work. I also have a few Commando books as well. I also had a paper round in the 70's. 👍
We have lots in common. It’s a real dilemma about building the bagged kits. I did just buy another Me 262 in box so I can keep the blister pack unopened. The box art is a great part of the hobby for me too and Commando comics brilliant!
You’ve brought back some very happy memories. My Saturday trip to the newsagent to spend my pocket money on these. It always took me forever to decide which one to buy. The local newsagent had a lot of Frog models too, but I seem to remember these being more expensive than Airfix.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed the memories. I used to take a long time to decide, so much choice. It was Airfix then Matchbox for me. Frog models had some great subjects. Thank you for taking the time to write your comment
These were my staple when I was a boy, I use to save up two weeks pocket money then spend the Saturday down at our fantastic local model shop choosing one.
This is a total joy and a world I miss so very, very much. 18p for a Series 1 kit, 25p for a Series 2 kit.....a paint or two and/or a tube of glue ..that's Friday pocket money evening sorted!! Built, painted and proudly placed on top of the Telly before bed-time.😁😁😊😊 Then the long wait until next Friday after school and hope nobody has bought my next choice.😬
That’s a wonderful comment and exactly the memories I was trying to recreate. Television sets that you could put things on top of! That’s a great memory. Lovely comment thank you
When I started making kits, I seem to recall that bagged Airfix Series 1 kits cost 17p in Woolworths. Boxed Series 2 kits were 25p, I think. Oh happy days ...
I had the Side Series F4F Wildcat I picked up at the Wright-Patterson AFB gift shop. Never built and lost to time. My brother was bought a ME 262 that was I was so jealous of. Nice work and thanks.
I can can imagine that an Messerschmitt 262 versus Wildcat could cause some envy. But winning the battle of Midway makes the Wildcat the winner. Thanks for watching
I remember these kits; a real shame they are no longer made like this. The blister packs were a real boon for youngsters, as the model was identical to the one in the full box but at half the price!
Had a bunch of those when I was a kid back then. Ah memories! Built that 0-1 3 times. 6 Scorpions, 4 0-2's, 5 Westland Scouts and at least 1 of most of the other aircraft. Never remember seeing any of the figures over here though.
I remember them selling off the last of these old bag kits to make way for the box ones in the late 70s.. came across a dump bin of typhoon and sea skua for 5p each..
Bought back happy memories of building them,the only one i didnt do was the fiat jet but i suppose 20 plus of the shermans makes up and most are still in my rapid fire armies 50 years later.😊
It was good to get them out on display. I am like you never built the Fiat but lots of Sherman’s. They are in the Coastal Defence fort video. Thanks for watching and commenting
Really nice collection! I bought an old Airfix bagged kit for $2.00 last month. I think it's from the '60s because the artwork is very plain. Thanks for sharing.
I remember when these blister packs first came in, replacing the bagged kits. I remember them costing 25p, so I could get two if I had 50p. I made a lot of the kits that you showed.
They were so much better than the bags. Nice to have the paint schemes in colour too. I like to see the old prices on them. Glad you saw some of the kits you made
Good point! Also a pilot or aircrew. My favourite stands came with the Matchbox kits that could be positioned. I think that Frog kits may have done that first.
My first ever model kit was almost certainly an Airfix series 1 in a blister pack, trouble is, due to the fog of time I can’t say for certain which one it was! I’ve narrowed it down to either a Hawker Typhoon bought from Woolworths in Whitby whilst we were on a family day trip or a Westland Scout bought off a carousel in my local newsagent. I strongly suspect it was the Typhoon...
@@grahamhurst4613 There was a Woolies not far from where we lived and they had a fair selection of kits but not that many as it wasn’t a particularly big store. Must have bought some kits from there but really can’t say with any degree of certainty which ones! Airfix kits were mostly bought from larger stores on shopping trips to Sunderland (Joseph’s) or Newcastle (Beatties). Only occasionally purchases were made closer to home from local newsagents or hardware store.
I have just bought the old boxed whirlwind expecting it to be a lot of work but was amazed at just how good it's moulded. But the original blister packs were very hit and miss. The Pup for example is gorgeous but the spit 9 with its solid wings and bent props was horrendous.
The old Spitfire IX I just built for nostalgia luckily the new one is a much better build and shape. I liked the Pup a really nice build. The Whirlwind wants to be built it was breaking out of the pack. Thanks for watching
Man, the modeling hobby must've been at its prime in the 1960s to 90s. Back then stuff was cheap now you would have to pay a good amount of money for a singlw kit. At least that's the case where I'm from.
We were lucky I could afford kits on paper round money! I think most of the Airfix starter sets and 1/72 is still good value for money. The hobby has changed but with much greater detail. I am still enjoying making kits old and new. Thank you for your comment
I forgot the ships 🤦♂️ I do have a couple in the collection. I think I found helicopters a bit fiddly to build. I have just bought a vintage classic Whirlwind to make up for that. I’m sure I built the Scout and gazelle but they haven’t survived. Thanks again for watching and your comments
That price tag 40p. Says everything doesn't it? One could convert the price back into pre-decimal sterling, I suppose... 8 shillings sounds a little more expensive..🤔 Somewhere in my house, I have a small stash of Japanese manufactured (I think) models of WW2 tanks and planes. These date from the 1970's I would imagine. All are boxed and unopened. I have absolutely no idea as to their value, but I would like to know if there is a price guide for such items. Obviously, anything is only ever worth what somebody is willing to pay.
The first place I would have a look is an online seller like Kingkit and of course eBay. I’m sure you would have no trouble selling complete and boxed kits. Thanks for looking
At age 7. My very first plastic kit was an Airfix Fokker XXIII with Finnish and Dutch markings. Tube of glue was empty after every few builds. Humbrol paints took day to dry. Messy hobby.
These were the first kits I started building so it’s a nostalgic collection. It was great to see the parts and instructions. Thank you for your comment