As a youngster I had the 1909 Hupmobile kit, likely on it's Hawk issue. I remember it being molded in yellow plastic.

Some years ago I built the Glencoe Models reproduction of the Strombecker Disneyland TWA Moonliner. When I first bought the kit and opened the box, I found these crazy FASTWAY decals to be applied on the Moonliner instead of the TWA (Trans World Airlines) decals as used on the original Strombecker kit. Then it dawned on me, the TWA was in front of me in the form of fasTWAy. It was Glencoe's clever way around a licensing issue with the Disney Company. Turned out to be a pretty nice model once assembled. Thanks again for the history of this long gone model kit company from the Quad Cities!

For some reason, the name Strombecker only seems to bring slot cars to my mind. I can't recall anything else.

Thanks for this great video. I do have in my collection both the 1909 Hupmobile and the 1902 Rambler from Strombecker. I do like both the box art and the way the kit is put in the box. The red wheels in a bag and the chassis and wings put in the middle stuck on a piece of carton in the box and the rest of the parts in a bag. The fact that I'm collecting and building 1/32 scale kits and I do have these 1/24 kits shows how much I do like these kits.

This filled in a lot of background for me. The first slot car set I had was Strombecker in its very earliest release. The cars were very well proportioned, although the Healey and MGA were a little larger than their purported 1/24 scale. They ran rather poorly, and had on/off buttons for control. Dad adapted the track to Scalextric rheostat control and braid type pickups like we still use today. This existed on the living room floor for a full year before a better track platform was built in the garage. Mom new she had two boys even though she only gave birth once!

Absolutely fascinating. From the depths of my childhood memories I recall having had the '32 Ford Hotrod as a kid of about 5. I recall that the plastic wasn't like today's styrene but was more like polythene in texture. Would love to find some of those kits today.

I hope in time you can interview Nick Argento of Glencoe Models. Nick is truly one of the heroes for having acquired and put many classic kits back into production.

Strombecker made some of the nicest solid wood scale models. Their airliner series (DC-3,DC-6, and Convair 340) were quite nice for the era.

Thank you!

Thanks for such a thoroughly researched and info-packed video! Never knew of the Polk's connection, but their big toy store on New York's 5th Avenue (one block south of the Empire State Building) was five stories of ecstasy for a kid. Fifth floor was all models.

@BigLisaFan

3 жыл бұрын

I have heard about Polk's Hobbies. Sounded like the promised land for a model builder.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

@@BigLisaFan Very true Clare, and the magic of Polk's (aside from being in the heart of bustling New York City) were the shelves of imported kits from Europe! First time I ever saw an Airfix kit was at Polk's. Also FROG from the UK, Heller from France, and Faller from Germany. Then add all the U.S.-made kits, and you had model Nirvana.

@tonygee6418

3 жыл бұрын

I remember Polk's in the 60s/70s and there were 5 floors of nothing but hobby kits and other things... sure could use them now

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

@@tonygee6418 Agreed 100%! I walked-by the Polk's location while visiting Manhattan in 2004, and the building was empty. Sure great memories though!

@arodrigues2843

3 жыл бұрын

Celebrating Aviation : The Plastic Kit section, on Polk's, was in the 5th. or in the 2nd. or 3rd floor.?? I used to be frequent customer, but I can't remember really in witch floor were the Plastic Kits.!! But I remember, (in another floor), to see that big Sailboat from Strombecker's.!!! God, how I miss those good old times..... Cheers, Mike.!!

Thanks again

Wonderful!

Strombeck Becker... Now say that 5 times really fast! I enjoyed Max's first version of this history, and the new video is even better. For a view of some amazing rebuilds/refurbished Strombecker slot cars, you can check out Chris Walker's photo essay on SFI below: I remember Strombecker's slot cars fondly, and Chris' magic touch make these cars even more appealing: www.slotforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=197713&hl=%2Bstrombecker+%2Bbuilds Thanks, Max!

I want that Skyrocket kit.

My family had that 1st generation slot car set, D Jaguars. ( and first gen Aurora HO with the vibrator motors) Also had several of the big rocket kits... anything space age was a huge seller back then. THANKS for this!!🙋🙋🙋

I had a Strombecker 1/32 scale slot track that I believe was produced on contract to Chrysler Corporation. You could buy them at dealerships in the 60’s. It came with a ~64-66 Baracuda and a Ferrari. My dad worked at a dealership and got me a set for Christmas one year

Wow, thanks for that Max. I am just beginning to appreciate some of these kits from my youth and you are totally enlightening me. Yeah that's right I typed totally enlightening. Just really enjoyable. Thanks bud.

I have a wooden Strombecker New York Central Mikado (2-8-2) set up as "park display" on my HO Scale layout. I also have a Strombecker NYC wooden boxcar that someone fitted regular HO Scale trucks and couplers to so it could be ran on a layout, it is in one of the trains on my layout as I type this. The Strombecker wooden diesels and coaches could also be fitted with trucks and ran on a layout; they even had a cavity inside to accommodate the electric motor and instructions on how to do it. But it was impossible to do the same to the wooden steam trains. The same Dowst firm that bought the slot car range also owned the Tootsietoy line of metal and plastic cars. According to Wikipedia, "Later, plastic as well as die-cast toys were identified with both names as "Tootsietoy-Strombecker". The name Tootsietoy was often applied to larger, but fairly realistic plastic cars and trucks through the 1990s, but some die-cast were also still made like the Hardbody series in Matchbox size and slightly larger than 1:43 scale." About a decade ago, I was feeding and watering the dog in the backyard of the rental house we were staying in when I happened to look down and saw something partly buried in the ground. It was a Tootsietoy Roadster diecast; these small Tootsietoy cars that were also found in the "JamPacs" were closer to HO Scale than Matchbox. Just this week, I finally finished cleaning it up, repainting it, and painting in additional details. I then placed it on the layout next to the Strombecker steam locomotive.

Fantastic. These videos are you strong suit! I built the T-37 kit when Aurora produced it. Thanks.

Those Polk Bros. illustrations look like John Lovitz and one of the Pep Boys.

Wonderful update! Keep 'em coming!

My eyes almost popped out of my head when I saw, "Scale Model Sailboat No. B 1 30 Ft." 30 FEET? Then you read the fine print.

good old Mat Irvine the man who built K9 for Doctor Who plus many other things.

@hertzair1186

3 жыл бұрын

David Sirett : Matt wrote an excellent book on space models called “Making Space”

@maxsmodels

3 жыл бұрын

@@hertzair1186 he is a museum quality builder

I still have the Temco TT-1 "Pinto", and the Cess a T-37 "Tweety Bird", (from Strobecker) that I bought from Polk's, 314, 5th. Av, 2nd. floor, in NYC., NEW IN THE BOXES.!!!! I also have a model of the Convair YF2Y-1 "Sea Dart", but I have to check its maker.

Good video! The music is no Kyoto Tachibana (whom I love) but it's fun and I always know it has to be one of you videos! My thanks to the guys mentioned for getting the old kits available again (many thanks), and thank you for these great videos!

Love the PMJ All About The Bass knock off song at the end.

G'Day I used to go to Strombecker's Slot Racing back in the 70s here in Perth West Australia, it had been open since the 60s,hours of great fun!

Some of the Strombecker space kits, and large scale flying models, were made in England by a company called Selcol Products Limited, but I do not have the dates for these versions. Another great history video.

So am I correct in assuming that the Manned Nuclear Interplanetary vehicle (Perhaps the influence for the 2001 Discovery?) and the Lunar Reconnaissance vehicle were never re-released by Glencoe? I still have those built from when I was a kid , in my attic. I should get them down. In the mid-1960's there was a junk store called Angels on the South Side of Chicago. Packed with so much stuff you could not walk in there. But there were what looked like mountains of old Strombecker Space Ship model kits. Perhaps old stock that was closed out ?

@andreacook7431

3 жыл бұрын

There's a new version of the NEV that Moebius just came out with, but it's not using the old molds, just Krafft Ericke's original design

Thanks for the update from the first video. Okay, where is the "cat approved" picture? :-)

Sweet Thank You!!!

Hey young man this is sledgemaster again watching another wonderful show and history and beautiful models

I have a '32 Ford Coupe model in 1/24 scale which I wonder if it was made by Strombecker. This one takes an electric motor with penlight batteries. It has a driver figures and an opening trunk lid molded in a copper colour as well as the rad shell. The body and fenders are molded in black and the roof looks like it may be chopped a little. 'd sure like to find out who made it if noithing else.

who is doing this music its great.

👍👍

Japanning? Interesting dead word I'm sure is about gloss finish.

Max can you shed light on the fate of the Mitsibushi Raiden think it was Revell the Moulds supposed to have went the bottom on the ship they were in an think they were Revell and it was a 1/32.

I hate to see wooden models go. I wish they was still around

@andreacook7431

3 жыл бұрын

My dad had a number of wooden ship models, so they still make SOME

@jamesjustice4515

3 жыл бұрын

@@andreacook7431 ok thank u. From the #sledgemaster

If u ever get to meet nick and the oh other two. Tell them that sledgemaster said thanks

200 pounds is pretty lite. Wish I had the money to get some of them

God u all young man

My sledgehammer is 100 pounds. You can see it on #sledgemaster on KZread

Lame music choice