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By Michaell Duane Archer, Golden

As every parent knows, it is too easy for children to find trouble these days. Violence and sex are everywhere and negative news is trumpeted loudly and instantaneously by the media. Video games and technology downplay social interaction. Society as a whole has become more uptight since I was a youngster; kids today are in a tight box and even small infractions seem to be dealt with harshly now. Good clean fun is hard to find circa 2007.

My youngest son, Anthony, plays Warhammers at the local Games Workshop store in the Colorado Mills shopping center. Warhammers is a combined game and hobby. It’s a tad on the expensive side but keeps his face out of the darn video games and the ever-nefarious Tube. For that, my wife Elaine and I are grateful.

The entire store concept is sort of a back-to-the-future hobby shop. They offer free game lessons, contests, assembly and painting classes. As long as the kids are over 12 years of age and behave themselves, they are welcome to come by and play a game on one of the store’s three large game boards. Parents, too, are welcome.

The manager, Dan — or “Dan the Man,” as he is affectionately known — and his staff keep the kids focused and occupied. The hobby side requires the kids to assemble an army, paint and decorate them. The game side is quite complex and encourages reading, planning, independent study and thinking. There is a tremendous amount of social interaction between staff, kids of all ages and adults who play Warhammers. We’ve never encountered the “buy something or move along” attitude prevalent nowadays. The place reminds me so much of my own childhood haunt, the Model Hobby Shop.

The Model Hobby Shop, located just west of Federal Boulevard on West 38th Avenue in northwest Denver, was owned and operated by Ernie Katz and his son, Gene. Two nicer and more patient men you could never meet. And patience was an operational prerequisite in dealing with mostly poor pre-teens who could take weeks to make a decision about a $2 purchase. In those days many small stores made their way not with cut-rate prices but with service.In the late 1950s, plastic model cars by AMT, Monogram and Revell were all the rage. The store had a front-window display case showing some of the customers’ finer efforts. It was a real honor to have your car in there for a few months. I had a 1957 Ford on display, with doors, hood and trunk that all opened and closed. It was painted a special reddish copper my dad mixed for me, and had lots of cool detail such as sparkplug wires and cloth-covered seats and dashboard.

By the early-1960s the slot-car racing fad had taken over our imagination. It was more expensive, but more fun, also. Model Hobby Shop had a six-lane track in the basement, down two flights of narrow, rickety stairs. It cost just 25 cents an hour to rent a lane, with races on Saturday night and Sunday. From Friday afternoon to Sunday night the place was SRO for several years. With perhaps 30 or 40 kids jammed into the space — and an exposed car battery powering the track — it would never today pass a fire inspection.

Gene hand-built the track and it was a dandy. To start a race he would stand on the lower stairs and flash the lights on and off. Today when I see lights flash I still think of Gene and clearly see him standing there with a big grin on his face.

It is amazing how thoroughly kids planned things in those days. Money was tight, so one had to deliciously savor each spending opportunity. Though the boomers learned frugality from their Greatest Generation parents, they haven’t been as good at passing the virtue on to their kids. But, blessedly, I see the boomer thoughtfulness in my son and the kids who play at the Games Workshop store.

Greed killed slot-car racing as it does so many good things. The prices of the best motors and parts soared beyond the means of the kids. The adults took over the hobby, won all the races and quickly ruined it for everyone. But a fad back then lasted years as opposed to months or weeks today.

By offering a variety of games requiring small, medium or large armies, it appears the Warhammers players will never meet the same, sad fate. I hope the game and the store are around to nurture my grandchildren one day, too. There is still good clean fun for kids out there circa 2007.

READER COMMENTS

If there are any slot car tracks left in Denver, I don't know about them as I haven't messed with slot cars since I was a kid.

My guess is that the only tracks left in town are ones people have in their homes. I have no idea if one can even get parts, cars and track anymore.

You're right, it's good that some things never change. It's good that your son has a hobby he enjoys and that his father enjoys it with him.

Good memory on that, thanks! I would have never remembered the name. It was a ways for me, also - and the size of the place inhibited the personal 'feel' of the local shops such as Uncle Hank's and MHS.

Are there any slot tracks in Denver now? The last one I remember was in Arvada on Old Wadsworth but it closed several years ago.

DTH had an HO track; I'm thinking perhaps it was only up for the contest. But you're correct, the contests weren't the real fun of the hobby.

My son has all of his Warhammer guys/parts in separate boxes and bins...just like when I had boxes for grills, engines, tires, wheels... Some things never change and thats good, IMHO.

Michael:

You're thinking of Celebrity Sports Center and I forgot they had slot car tracks. Celebrity was a long distance to go and I was not of driving age when they had the tracks.

I didn't know Downtown Hobbies had a track.

I had bad experiences with model contests as I specialized in tractor-trailer rigs and other heavy civilian equipment. Between the politics of the judges and someone stealing one of my entries; I just said the heck with contests as they took away the "fun" that the hobby was supposed to provide.

Hi -

Thanks. I remember most of those shops but they were too far away for me to frequent regularly.

Yes, one could get a lot out of $2 (for the 'double kits') and $1.49 for the regular ones...those are pricey now; I've seen some of them for over $200 on eBay.

I had a bad experience at Downtown T & H. I was in the finals of an HO race sponsered by Aurora and the owner jiggled the tumblers (long story) so his kid could win the race.

The big Disney-owned complex on South Colo Blvd - the name escapes me - had three huge slot tracks but by then the hobby was already in decline.

Excellent Michaell! Your story reminds me of my favorite hobby shop when I was a kid...Uncle Hank's Toys & Hobbies in Westminster and later Arvada before Henry Kunugi (sp?) retired. I always enjoyed talking with Hank and Joe Gill and enjoyed spending whatever money I had there. Henry is long gone, and I don't know what happened to Joe Gill; but I have wonderful memories of the place.

When I got into the slot car racing hobby, I went to Gran Turismo Raceways nearby Uncle Hank's Westminster store.

As my model making became more sophisticated, I also started frequenting Downtown Hobbies on California Street and Caboose Hobbies in the old Denver Putz building. I also would now and then when gas money allowed travel out to Colpar Hobbies in Aurora when it was owned by Russ Colley if I recall the original owner's name correctly.

Sadly, all of these places except Caboose Hobbies and Colpar Hobbies are gone now. I don't know who owns Colpar now; but the new owners were smart to keep the name since Russ built a good reputation and loyal customer base.

All hobbies are expensive; but my parents were happy to see money go to these places as I got so much creative and constructive use of my time in return from them.

$2 for an AMT, Revell, MPC, or Monogram model car seemed like a lot back then; but compared to spending $5 on a Starbux latte that will literally go down the toilet a few hours later, one got more long lasting enjoyment from the model kit.

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