After 40 years, San Antonio Hobby in Mountain View is closing. I first came there in 1971 or 2 with my uncle CG. We were playing a lot of Richtofen's War and that was a great place for models. In those days Aurora had a decent line of 1/48 WWI aircraft. Had mucho fun.
Last summer I got back into modeling and having SAHS so close was a Godsend. They had everything. Books, models, paints, detail kits, decal sheets, figures, landscaping stuff, props... And not just for models but they also had everything for RC aircraft, cars, model railroading, you name it.
I went there this evening to see what's up. The shelves were practically empty, there was almost nothing left.
I made a friend of sorts there, a guy who works there. He gave me tons of tips, advised my on buying my airbrush, and generally was supportive and informative. He was there and said they maybe maybe maybe will start a new place but who knows.
Joni Mitchell was way right about taking stuff for granted. It;s more than missing a resource for a hobby. It feels like part of my past is getting cut off. Also, places like that are hard to find. It's like we are coming off of an age where you really could get anything and everything. Yes, life continues to improve for most folks - longer lifespans, ease of access to consumer goods, etc. But is it me or are things getting more and more standardized, normalized? Where can you go for the quirky stuff? There are canning supplies I can't get anymore - will all that go away?
I'm no change-o-phobe, but sometimes it feels wasteful to see something unique go away.
In any case, I am glad I was a patron of San Antonio Hobby. I wish everyone involved well, and I do hope they will start again.
Sons Of The Silent Age, David Bowie