So, just what is a local Newsagent?

[philp]

Ok, my time in my Mother's home country was very early on, before I started building, so not up on all the terms.
I see that many of you used to (and still do?) go to the local newsagent to get your kits.  I see that and think newspaper stand or book store, not a place that would have kits.  So, how does the newsagent compare to a hobby shop?

When I was growing up I picked up kits at a Ma and Pa shop that was close, the local T, G & Y 5 and dime store, and every now and them we would go to the mall that had a decent shop.  Also found stuff at the PX since my Dad was Air Force.

[lenny100]

most local newagents used to be more like your local coner store which sold just about everthing and the kitchen sinkand my local used to stock most of the airfix range, but alas today they are mostly gone now, and if they do still trade there is not that much in them anymore mostly boze and a large rack of mags with are usualy woman orianteded and the "Top" shelf

[PR19_Kit]

Funnily enough we had two LNAs in our town until recently, neither of which sold any models at all. But one them was bought up by a chain and promptly closed.

Yesterday I noticed that the remaining one had a small stock of Airfix stuff on the racks, including the Iranian F-5 and the FAA Sea Hawk. Amazing!

[Radish]

We haven't got a local shop...it closed last year, and the next village (whichever way you travel) hasn't got any models either. But I remember going into a little newsagent years ago and finding shelves stacked with FROG kits, as well as one or two original Aurora kits. Amazing!!

[Weaver]

There used to be an LNA on the back street behind our school which sold Matchbox and Airfix, which was damned handy for the wargames club! Funnily enough, the selection they stocked got more and more skewed towards armour over the years....

Local newsagents used to stock magazines and newspapers, sweets, cigarettes, basic foodstuffs, basic hardware, stationery and toys, which is how they got into kits. There are still some around, but I think what's happened is that the wholesalers they get their stock from don't stock kits in their toy ranges any more, and being non-specialists, the shopowners just assume that's because there's no demand for them. Many have joined or been taken over by chains in order to get the buying power to compete with the supermarkets, and over time, these chains influence them to become more like mini-supermarkets and less like traditional corner shops. They've also been squeezed by petrol station's shops expanding their ranges until some of them now resemble mini-supermarkets too.

[lancer]

My LNA is a Fourboys and still looks like a newsagents. It also have about 3 Airfix Gazelle starter kits and a couple of Revell 144th starter kits of the AV8B and I think F117!

[Nick]

My newagent is in fine shape and very busy with customers. Apart from magazines, papers, sweets, crisps, soft drinks, cigarettes and other tobacco products they also have a large range of birthday cards and some general household items like pet food, deodorant, tinned food, batteries, lightbulbs etc. They also have a Lotto setup and a licence to sell alcoholic drinks.

The best part of one side of an aisle is for toys. Matchbox cars, army men, toy guns, skipping ropes, jewellery sets etc. They have a number of Airfix and Revell kits too, mostly of the giftset type (paint/brush included). Bit overpriced for me but I think I could get a discount as they seem to have sat there some time now...

[NARSES2]

The best part of one side of an aisle is for toys. Matchbox cars, army men, toy guns, skipping ropes, jewellery sets etc. They have a number of Airfix and Revell kits too, mostly of the giftset type (paint/brush included). Bit overpriced for me but I think I could get a discount as they seem to have sat there some time now...

You could always get a paper round and get paid in models Nick