Showcase your Aurora figure kits here!

Hepcat · February 11, 2014, 04:36:26 PM

Here's a scan of the cool back cover ad from the one-shot Warren Super Heroes magazine cover dated October 1966:

Mcdee · February 14, 2014, 07:56:39 PM

Hi Hepcat, you might know something about this, as it seems to be a Canadian exclusive... I grew up in Ottawa Ontario and vaguely remember my buddy getting a separate Portrait of JFK when he bought his Aurora JFK model back in 64/65. I saw this kit on ebay a few weeks ago and got it... here are the photos of the JFK kit with the added Portrait and paperwork that came with my ebay purchase. It is the same size as the Box art but the Mort Kunstler signature is visible and not cropped off by the Aurora graphics. On the paperwork it starts off by saying "Enclosed in each carton you will find 24 authentic memorial JFK Portraits". So I'm thinking these came in with a Carton of Aurora JFK kits and the storekeep would hand one out to you if you bought the kit. That would explain my memory of my childhood friend getting this with the kit. We used to buy all our kits from a Smoke Shop and the Store owner knew us by name (back then) So I imagine this was a sort of promo and by the time I bought my kit... it was long over...
Until I saw this on ebay I had totally forgotten about my childhood friend getting this portrait with the kit. Do you have any knowledge of this promo from waaaaay back then. I've not seen it mentioned in any Aurora books I've picked up over the years??? I really admire your collection and knowledge on this subject and was hoping you could shed some light on it.

I'm an Aurora collector also but I can't find any info on this .

The kit is mint and all this came in with it...
Denis

Hepcat · February 15, 2014, 12:58:02 AM

Quote from: Mcdee on February 14, 2014, 07:56:39 PMThe kit is mint and all this came in with it....

Oh wow! Great find! Those are tough, particularly with all the paperwork.

Quote from: Mcdee on February 14, 2014, 07:56:39 PMHi Hepcat, you might know something about this, as it seems to be a Canadian exclusive... was hoping you could shed some light on it.

I really know nothing about the Aurora Kennedy kit. I have a hazy recollection of having seen ads for the Kennedy model kits, but I don't remember seeing any in stores. But then again that wasn't a subject that would have caught my eye at the time. Kits of real people would not have interested me. I was much more into kits of the Creature, Mummy, Bride of Frankenstein, Roth Mysterion, Brother Rat Fink, Francis the Foul, warships and planes, slot cars etc.

Quote from: Mcdee on February 14, 2014, 07:56:39 PMI grew up in Ottawa Ontario.... We used to buy all our kits from a Smoke Shop and the Store owner knew us by name (back then)....

Oh man, those were the days when model kits were a central feature in the lives of most young fellows! That's why I'm still collecting the kits I remember.

Whereabouts in Ottawa was this shop? Do you remember its name? Which kits do you remember buying and building?

Mcdee · February 15, 2014, 01:36:25 AM

Man, I was into the same kits you were...Loved Francis the Foul and of course all the Monster kits by Aurora. The Kennedy kit was a must have kit at that time as he was shot just 2 1/2 years before it's release, I was 9 when he died and 12 when I got this kit, then Batmania hit...You're right, it was a great time to be a kid. The name of the store which was in Vanier on Beechwood ave. in Ottawa and its' name was, I believe Model land. We moved to Gatineau Quebec in the early/mid 60s (Just outside of Ottawa)... and the Smoke shop was called Notre Dame Smoke Shop as it was on Notre Dame Street in Gatineau...So of course we called it the Smoke Shop of Notre Dame. (How cool was that!

)

Cheers
Denis

Mcdee · February 15, 2014, 01:46:35 AM

....Just wanted to add that the owner of The Smoke Shop of Notre Dame name was Guy and he was a cool cat...He sponsored a monthly Monster Model contest but later expanded it to all figure models like Batman, Superman and of course the Weird-oh kits as well...Every month someone would walk away with a Grand Prize of a Shiny Silver dollar and anything you wanted off of (what we called) the 10¢ rack....Oh Man...Good times!
Denis

Hepcat · February 15, 2014, 02:30:36 AM

Quote from: Mcdee on February 15, 2014, 01:46:35 AMHe sponsored a monthly Monster Model contest but later expanded it to all figure models like Batman, Superman and of course the Weird-oh kits as well....

Was the winning kit then displayed in his store window? That would have been smart on the part of the store owner because the winner would of course proudly drag his parents and buddies to the store to show off his celebrity status, which would lead to additional sales of pop and cigars.

Mcdee · February 15, 2014, 02:57:58 AM

Yep...You nailed it! Actually all the kits entered were in a display case for the full Month and the Winner got his kit moved to the Store front Window for the next Month ...a Real Honour complete with Bragging Rights!... The Kits that didn't win could be re entered (of course) and more times than not, when you Won... That Shiny Silver Dollar bought your next cool Kit ! The Principal of my School would even announce the Winner over the School intercom....Times were waaaay different then....Building Models was a cool thing to do and over the endless years it seems that everyone would eventually win a Month of Glory.
Guy was a very smart man as this Model Contest became very well known. I remember The Gatineau Review(local Newspaper) even did an article on the Smoke Shop Contest... calling it The Smoke Shop of Notre Dame. I think I spent every allowance and monetary Birthday gift there....we all did

. It was a Great Hang out... Where's my Time Machine...I want to go back there now!
Denis

Hepcat · February 15, 2014, 04:10:04 PM

Quote from: Mcdee on February 15, 2014, 02:57:58 AMThat Shiny Silver Dollar bought your next cool Kit !

And in Canada that Silver Dollar was still made of silver until mid-1968!

Quote from: Mcdee on February 15, 2014, 02:57:58 AMThe Principal of my School would even announce the Winner over the School intercom....

Announced by the principal over the intercom! That is wild cool!

Here's a write-up I did on one of the variety stores I frequented in London:

http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=14482.msg346578;topicseen#msg346578

universalmonsterkid · February 15, 2014, 05:40:04 PM

I like the plexiglass cases , great way to store them and still keep them safe from "prying" hanhds. Great collection it must have taken a lot of time and patience to collect.

Mcdee · February 15, 2014, 06:30:53 PM

That Davis Variety store sounds like a blast, and I loved Black Cat gum, candies 3 for a penny... different world...By the way Hepcat, that was a great and nostalgic review you did, Thanks for that!
Those plastic cases have already saved a few of my kits from disaster ....the curiosity of my 2 cats and 3 Grandkids have proven these cases to be worth their weight in gold

I've put my collection together over the years trying to recapture the feeling of being 10 years old again, for being between the ages of 8 and 16 were probably the best years of my life. Back when the biggest decision I had to make was spending my allowance.

Denis

Hepcat · February 16, 2014, 07:04:49 PM

You know I wouldn't say that those were the best years of my life, but I still remember and cherish the things that were cool from those years. And of course the cool things included the model kits, gum cards, comics, magazines, vending machine premiums, cereal premiums and other monster related and toys in general. They also included things like soda pop in returnable bottles, home milk and bread delivery, passenger trains to all kinds of cities and towns, and wonderful local candy stores and diners with unpretentious menus and counter seating on rotating stools! And the items related to what I liked about those bygone days are what I collect these days.

poppydave · February 16, 2014, 11:44:37 PM

Too cool, I remember having these models they were and still are great.

propman · February 17, 2014, 01:16:24 AM

I bought my JFK model NIB a couple of years ago. I always buy model to build and not just to leave in the box. I know they are worth more unopened, but it's just not as fun for me that way. Mine did not come with the post either.

"D"

BigShadow · February 17, 2014, 03:39:13 AM

Quote from: propman on February 17, 2014, 01:16:24 AM
I bought my JFK model NIB a couple of years ago. I always buy model to build and not just to leave in the box. I know they are worth more unopened, but it's just not as fun for me that way. Mine did not come with the post either.

"D"

Beautifully done! I'm the same way. I know the models are worth more unopened, but I just love putting them together. For me, their is nothing better than a late night of relaxing while watching a horror movie, drinking a few cold ones, and putting a model together. That is my idea of relaxing.

Hepcat · February 17, 2014, 03:43:25 AM

Quote from: poppydave on February 16, 2014, 11:44:37 PMToo cool, I remember having these models they were and still are great.

Which ones?

Quote from: propman on February 17, 2014, 01:16:24 AMI always buy model to build and not just to leave in the box. I know they are worth more unopened, but it's just not as fun for me that way.

I don't keep my kits unbuilt because of any kind of value considerations either. I keep them that way because I find that owning kits that look like they could be on a store shelf leaves me with feelings of wonder and delight.