This document contains the following sections:
cardfaq@bellsouth.net
| Steve Brown
|
Anything can be modeled in paper, but the most common subjects are buildings and vehicles. Buildings are a very popular subject and well suited to the medium. Kits are available of many famous buildings and castles. There are also many kits available in common model railroad scales, suitable for inclusion in a railroad layout. Aircraft and ships (both civil and military) are also popular.
Paper models can be surprisingly sturdy, and can stand up to handling well. They derive their strength from their structure; even seemingly flimsy paper can be strong when it's shaped properly.
The basic elements of a card model are cylinders or cones. The cylinders can be square or rectangular in section, as buildings usually are, or they can be round or oval, as in an aircraft fuselage. They can even be polygonal--a castle tower may have five or more sides. Cylinders can be tapered, and a cylinder which tapers to a point is a cone. Again, the cones can be square (like pyramids) or round in section.
Most paper models are built up from these simple elements. Once you've mastered the basic skills, more complicated shapes can be formed from these basic ones. Shapes involving compound curves, such as a ship's hull, are built by forming an appropriately shaped paper skin over a framework (much as a real ship is constructed.)
The basic operation of paper modeling are
Only a few simple tools are necessary for constructing card models. A complete set of tools can easily fit into a cigar box. Only a small space is required for construction, or for storage of unbuilt models. This makes it an ideal hobby for people with small homes, or students in dorm rooms. It's easy to pack all the necessary tools and several kits into a small case, so you can easily travel with your hobby.
The hobby is also economical. Kits are inexpensive, and no specialized or expensive tools are needed. An entire village of HO scale buildings can be had for less than $10. Of course, some kits are expensive, but even the most expensive are much cheaper than a plastic model of comparable complexity.
Card modeling is distinct from, but related to origami, the craft of folding paper. There are numerous Internet resources on origami--it's beyond the scope of this FAQ to list them. However, if you're interested in origami, a good place to start is Joseph Wu's Origami Page. You may also wish to consult the appendix, Related Arts.
Paper has been used in modeling since its invention thousands of years ago, but those ancient modelers probably did not use paper for the construction of entire paper models. The roots of the modern paper model go back to 15th century Europe, where the printing technology and the paper came together. These first models were very simple rectangular pictures, to be cut out and glued to wooden blocks as toys or educational aids. At first, religious themes predominated, but over the next several centuries, they evolved to cover a broader set of topics.
Printing technology took a step forward in 1796, with the invention of lithography, which allowed the production of clear images for large press runs. The paper models were developing too. The rectangular cutouts began to follow the outline of the figures, and a folded strip was added at the base to allow the figure to stand on its own. Then extra pieces were added, to be glued to the face of the figure to give a three dimensional effect. By the late nineteenth century, the models were fully three dimensional. The JF Schreiber company of Esslingen, Germany began publishing paper models in 1831 and is still publishing today.
Paper modeling as a hobby had a heyday in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, but in the 1920's began to wane in popularity, as competition came from mass produced wooden model kits and metal toys. In the 1940's, wartime shortages of wood, metal, and labor produced a resurgence of interest in paper models.
In the 1950's, in the US and Western Europe, the competition from plastic models gradually crowded out the paper ones. Some companies, such as JF Schreiber and Wilhelmshaven in Germany, continued to produce high quality kits, but the medium couldn't match plastic's popularity. Simple, `tab-and-slot' models were also produced for use as promotional gimmicks.
In Eastern Europe, were polystyrene was less ubiquitous, paper models continued to be popular, and a great variety were and still are produced.
However, even in the West, some modelers continued to be attracted by the medium of paper, and the growing international commerce of the 1980's has led to a rising popularity. It's now possible to get paper models from all over the world.
from Bob Santos <SantMin@aol.com>: Growing up during WWII we did a lot of paper modeling because most other model materials were in short supply. Wish I could find some of those now. I have all the repro penny flyers but I remember a Jack Armstrong model that assembled into a nice little Piper Cub that was suspended inside a box that looked like a TV (we had no TV back then). All was connected with strings to a set of aircraft controls (stick and rudder pedals) and whatever you did with the controls moved the strings to make the little airplane assume the proper position. GREAT.
Another was a B-17 that was based on a paper tube with a little mirror in the nose making it a little periscope. You looked in through the tail and saw cross-hairs looking down so you could drop marbles on paper targets.
Does anyone remember the giant paper circus that started with models printed on Kool-Aid packets? How about the books that made 3-d working models of all the popular comic strips of the time (I think that set was late 40's or early 50's)? I often wonder what happened to all those plates.
from Beppi <beppi@fachschaften.tu-muenchen.de>: King of all paper model designers for me is the Czech old-hand (over 30 years in this business with thousands of models!) Richard Vyskovsky. It's unforgiveable that he's not mentioned on your page! [He is now!] The difficulty and perfectionism of his kits are unsurpassed and he modeled virtually every castle and other old building in Czechoslovakia as well as a lot of modern or foreign ones, most in model-railway sizes. He also did noteworthy planes, cars, trains etc. and his wife Anna does folklore puppets. The Prague castle (115cm x 60cm complex with single buildings of 1-4cm) took us about 3 months to build and we afterwards earned many puzzled looks from the tourist hordes when we walked through the real thing exclaiming "Look, the window which gave us so much headache to build", "There's the big gap where you didn't cut out properly" or "This chimney shouldn't be here, Richard cheated us!"
One problem with his legacy is its unavailability. Most of his models appeared as attachments to the fortnightly editions of "ABC", a Czech youth magazine (which also carried kits from other designers), from 1962 until today (We have a 10cm stack of this attachments at home), but have never been published elsewhere or with explanations in other than Czech language. Another problem is the socialist (that is: bad) quality of paper and print. A few of the more well-known kits have been published separately and in better quality by Albatros, Prague, but their approach to marketing is also rather socialist. Some are available (at high prices) from a small company in Munich (Germany), which sells a very large range of paper models from all over the world at flea markets and fairs. They sometimes, reluctantly, do mail ordering as well. Richard is still designing (although he must be quite old by now), for example a whole line of classical Greek and Roman buildings came out in "ABC" just a year ago.
from Chip Fyn <chipfyn@quest.net>: That nostalgia stuff hit a nerve with me. A few years ago, I realized that I've always been a paper modeler and that it's roots must have been the addiction I had for the Lone Ranger Town that had bits printed on the back of Cherios boxes and that then you had to send a box top and a quarter to get the layout and a bunch more cutout and glue up buildings. Then when the radio program came on every Wednesday, you could follow the action with your layout. (Hmmmm. The first virtual media experience?!) This was back in 1948 or so.
from Jack Graham <jgraham@nisc.net>: Ah yes! The Lone Ranger Towns and Maps! More like 1947. I wonder if we could get reprints from General Mills? I think it was a box top and a dime not a quarter. I was only able to get one set and longed for the remainder. My favorite "send in" was during WWII and it was a map, buildings, army vehicles, and a bomber plane. Here's how it worked. The bomber had marble "bombs" on a turret. The "bomb sight" was a mirror viewed at an angle from the tail of the plane. The mirror being located inside the plane tilted at an angle. The map on the floor was seen through this mirror and a marble was released to bomb a building or vehicle. Man what I would give for one of those again! Anyone remember Build-A-Set brand tab and slot paper models? I wonder if those could be resurrected.
from David Kemnitzer <DKemnitzer@eypae.com>: I have a nearly complete set of buildings that were part of the Nabisco Shredded Wheat Toytown and the Toytown Carnival. These came printed on the dividers which were in each box of cereal. Like all premiums I think certain models must have been harder to get (probably the entire production run was sent to another part of the country.)
from Roy Miller <miller@csd.com>: It's nice to know that someone else out there has a nice case of nostalgia for the old paper stuff of W.W.II. The Bomber plane mentioned had to be one of the best Radio serial offers ever presented. I would love to find one or get it re-issued somehow. The airplane was actually a model of a B-29 and was offered as a premium for the Hop Harrigan Radio serial, I believe by Kellogg's. There is a nice photo of the shipping envelope in the delightful book "Toys of World War II" if you can find a copy. This book is a good source for information on many of the paper models of the time including Build-A-Set and the Color Graphics "Young Patriots" sets. These were made of heavy cardboard and could survive the rough usage by an eight year old boy. I am fortunate enough to have several examples of the W.W.II stuff including a Build-A Set Military set and the Lionel Paper Train set (which included die cut flanged wheels and track!). A replica kit of the latter can be obtained from PMI minus the wheels and wooden axles. It is not die cut and the cutting lines are difficult to see, but it can be built and, from a distance looks like a real Lionel train.I agree with Jack, it would be great if some of these could be resurrected. I remember the Build-A-Sets and Color Graphics sets particularly. The higher cost sets ($1.00) included many working gimmicks such as guns that shot projectiles and targets that exploded when hit.
Panzerdeisel has a section on Scale Modeling in WWII (in German and English) which shows German children and servicemen building models, at least some of which are paper models. A model of the era is also shown.
Also see The History of Paper from Mead Paper Corporation.
The following listings are order by continent and country, in no particular order. Despite the fact that sources are grouped by country, don't look at only one category. Many of the sources listed here will ship to internationally.
PAPER MODELS INTERNATIONAL 503-646-4289 9910 S.W. Bonnie Brae Drive Beaverton OR 97005
H&B Precision Card Models 703-620-9727 P.O. Box 8173 703-620-9720 (FAX) Reston, VA 20195 106022.2701@compuserve.com
from Peter Heesch <106022.2701@compuserve.com>: `I presently carry the Wilhelmshaven line, the LJ Models (mainly buildings in HO and N scale for railroad buffs) from Australia and the American Promotion Models (a line of approximately fourteen 4 to 6 inch wing span plane models which retail for $2.00 each). I also publish a quarterly newsletter titled The Möwe for the Friends of Wilhelmshaven Models. The annual subscription rate is $15.00 and enables subscribers to purchase models from me at a 10 percent discount. We are still experimenting with the format of our catalog. The 1997 edition is bi-lingual, 54 pages with 6 color photographs and includes all the models of the Wilhelmshaven and LJ lines.'
The Paper Soldier 518-371-9202 8 McIntosh Lane Clifton Park, NY 12065
The Village Hobby Shop carries ships from the Wilhelmshaven, Modelcard, JSC, and Scheuer & Strüver lines, and a few others. They prefer credit cards for mail order.
Village Hobby Shop 512-452-6401 2700 W Anderson #402 512-443-5302 (FAX) Austin, TX 78757 vhsaustin@aol.com
Looks Like... Paper Models makes buildings for model railroad layouts, in N, HO, S, and O scales. Send an SASE for an illustrated brochure.
Looks Like... Paper Models 200 N. Second St., 1A5 Cary, IL 60013 looks-like@keypage.com
Dover publishes a line of architectural models, mostly in HO scale, and a few others, such as a train, a Mayflower, and a Santa Maria. They also have a line of simple models called "Easy to make..." which go together very quickly and are nice for children. Available from bookstores or directly from Dover.
Dover Publications, Inc. 31 East 2nd Street Mineola, NY 11501Note: Canadians wishing to order from Dover will be referred to their Canadian distributor, Irwin Publishing, telephone 1-800-263-7824 or 1-416-445-3333, fax 1-416-798-1384.
Robert Kaelin has a modest line of aircraft models. He is planning on designing more and is also considering doing some Pennsylvania RR cabooses, so let him know if the RR stuff is on your wish list. He has a generous part replacement policy; if you screw up a part, he'll replace it for an SASE.
Robert J. Kaelin (516) 727-3813 1099 Ostrander Ave. Riverhead, NY 11901
from Robert Kaelin: `1:24 scale detailed models of classic American light planes from the 1930s and 1940s in addition to two military training biplanes of that era (Focke-Wulf Stieglitz of Germany and US Army Stearman PT-17). Printed on colored card stock. Each with full instructions including sketches of subassembly details in addition to three-views of completed model. Prices range from $7 to $12 postpaid first class. NY State residents must add applicable local sales tax.'
Jerry Haines publishes the Authentic Flying Models line of detailed, colorful, die cut, WWII fighter aircraft in approximately 1/40 scale. These are flying (or rather, gliding) models. He now has 8 models in his line.
Jerry Haines Sales 818-919-4767 1337 Donna Beth Ave FAX: 818-919-0657 West Covina, Ca. 91791
SCI / Space Craft International 1-800-4-SCI KITs P.O. Box 61027 or 1-626-398-4800 Pasadena, CA 91116-7027 FAX: 1-800-307-0007 commerce@scikits.com or 1-626-398-8600
Natick Stamps & Hobbies (818) 305-7333 405 S. Myrtle Ave. 1-888-60-STAMP Monrovia, CA 91016 (818) 305-7335 (FAX)
Papermation has a small line of models (Box Truck, Van Truck, Cistern Truck, Bulldozer, Track Type Loader) priced at $6 each.
Papermation P.O.Box 614 Dayton VA 22821
Bellerophon Books 800-253-9943 36 Anacapa Street 805-965-8286 (FAX) Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Geoblox publishes a line of geological card models. The models are intended as teaching aids, demonstrations, or classroom projects, and are supplied as books of patterns, to be copied onto card. The line presently includes five books comprising 98 models on geological and paleontological subjects. A sample model, demonstrating paleomagnetic banding, is available at their web site. They accept checks and purchase orders only, but will ship internationally.
Geoblox 104 West Croslin Austin, TX 78752
Linea Forma 800-846-5446 PO Box 66866 Portland, OR 97290 bgob@lineaforma.com
Wurlington Bros. Press publish a series of postcard models titled "Build Your Own Chicago."
Matt Bergstrom Wurlington Bros. Press 1316 W. Montrose Chicago, IL 60613 USA info@wurlington-bros.com
Tru-Flite Models offers reprints of the Rigby Wheaties cereal box premiums.
Tru-Flite Models 3720 Hessen Road Casco, MI 48064
Wildcat International Corp. Dept MC 416-494-8045 (FAX) Ontario, Canada M1W 1V4
The Hobby Factory #37 52318 Range Road 213 Sherwood Park, Alberta Canada T8G-1C3 dersar@wci.ab.ca
From Garry Sarver <dersar@wci.ab.ca>: My business is located in Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada. I do take mail orders and ship a lot outside of Canada. I even ship to Europe. I carry most of the common names: Schreiber, Usborne, Dover, Fly Model, GPM, JSC, Pierres de Papier, Wilhelmshaven, Bellerophone and some old Maly models. I am still working on the net catologue and only have about 3/4 of the stuff in it.
Marcle Models Turnagain, Finch Lane 01494-765910 (FAX) Amersham, Bucks, HP7 9NE England christopher@marcle.co.uk
Hooton AirCraft Administration Percy Street LIVERPOOL L8 7LT UK par@cct.u-net.com US Agent: Joseph Bloom 908 22nd St NE Canton OHIO 44714 USA Joe.M.Bloom@mcdermott.com
Usborne produces a modest range of fairly simple and colorful dioramas, including some unusual subjects, such as a haunted house and a wizard's castle. They are widely available through bookstores and are available in the US from PMI.
Usborne Publishing Ltd. Usborne House 83-85 Saffron Hill London EC1N 8RT UKUsborne books are published in the USA by Educational Development Corporation.
Benjamin Pollock's Toyshop has a mail order catalog with a line of paper theatres and other models. For more on paper theatres, see the Theatres section.
Pollock's Mail Order 0171 379 7866 44 The Market 0171 636 0559 (FAX) Covent Garden London WC2E 8RF England louise.heard@virgin.net
from Louise Heard <louise.heard@virgin.net>: 'We are a supplier of cardboard models. Our speciality is the toy theatre. As well as English thatres by Pollock's, Everett and Jackson. We sell a variety of European toy theatres. We also sell a variety of cut-out models for both children and adults.'Our beautifully illustrated catalogue features a selection and comes with a miniature theatre to cut out with a production of Hamlet. It costs £3 (£3.50 - U.S.A.) and is available by writing to us or by telephone.
Alphagrafix makes model kits for the model RR market in card, resin, and white metal. Their line includes over 250 card kits of buses, trams, buildings, and other subjects. Some of the kits are multi-media, including card structures with resin or white metal detail and textured parts. Most of their custom is by mail order; payment by check or money order only. Inquire about custom designs.
ALPHAGRAFIX 23 Darris Road Selly Park Birmingham B29 7QY England
Metcalfe Models has a line of about 25 buildings in OO and N scale. Some of the models are buildings seen on the Settle and Carlisle Railway. They accept credit cards and ship internationally.
Metcalfe Models and Toys 01756 797806 1 Carleton Business Park 01756 794886 (FAX) Carleton New Road Skipton North Yorkshire BD23 2AA England
ModelYard publishes a line of OO scale card models for railway modelers. Shipping is free within the UK, and they'll ship internationally (not for free.) They accept credit cards.
Model Yard 0113 228 1066 (UK) 16 Helmsley Road +44 (0) 113 228 1066 (Int'l) Leeds LS16 5JA England
Roger Pattenden 0181 427 0818 (UK) Heritage Models 0181 863 4352 (FAX) PO Box 903 Harrow, HA1 4XY UK roger@heritage-models.co.uk
Cybermodels 0181 427 0818 (UK 9am-9pm) PO Box 903 0181 863 4352 (FAX) Harrow, HA1 4XY UK
Cabaret Mechanical Theatre 0171 379 7961 33/34 The Market 0171 497 5445 (FAX) Covent Garden +44 171 379 7961 (Int'l) London WC2E 8RE +44 171 497 5445 (Int'l FAX) England barecat@cabaret.co.uk
Ediciones Merino, S.A. Jorge Juan, 68,2 28009 Madrid - Espana
La Ciutat de Paper Corsega 465, 1er, 1a, 08037 Barcelona Spain
Möwe Verlag 049-4421-43666 Rheinstrasse 23 049-4421-43911 (FAX) 26382 Wilhelmshaven Germany mail@papermod.de
Scheuer & Strüver GmbH (040) 69 65 79-0 Jollassestieg 4-8 (040) 69 65 79-79 (FAX) 22303 Hamburg Germany
Ulrich Rüger's papmobil has airships, planes, and a rocket.
Ulrich Rüger Im Steinengarten 11 D - 70563 Stuttgart Germany 101613.2614@compuserve.com
Kartonmodell International +49 89 2016525 Waldmann GmbH +49 89 2021024 (FAX) P.O.Box 140647 D-80456 Muenchen Germany
Thomas Pleiner carries models of his own design. He is also the exclusive distributor outside Europe of the CFM-models line. He will ship world-wide; inquire about shipping costs. He accepts cash, check, and money order. A brochure and promotional CD are in the works.
MTP-Studio Thomas Pleiner Ergoldsbacher Str. 19-21 D-84056 Rottenburg a.d.L. GERMANY thomas.pleiner@t-online.de
Editoriale Domus S.p.A. 39-2-82472529 Int'l Via Achille Grandi, 5/7 02/82472455/357 Italy 20089 Rossano, Milano 39-2-82472383 Int'l (FAX) editorialedomus@edidomus.it 02/82472590 Italy (FAX)
from Peter J. Visser <peter@peterjvisser.demon.nl>:Thoth publishers 035-694 41 44 Prins Hendrikstraat 13 035 694 32 66 (FAX) 1404 AS Bussum The NetherlandsThey specialize in architectural books and have sometimes paper model kits. At the moment they only have the Feyenoord Stadium (De Kuip) in Rotterdam.
from Peter J. Visser <peter@peterjvisser.demon.nl>:Leon Schuijt Uitgeverij (072) 511 76 28 Lisztstraat 7 1817 HH AlkmaarPublisher since 1959, has over 250 models in stock (boats, planes, buildings, cars).De Prins Uitgeverij (026) 443 75 74 Groen Van Prinstererstraat 26 (026) 443 75 74 (FAX) 6828 VX ArnhemRun by Koen Berfelo, son of Jan Berfelo, who made more then 100 models (airplanes, ships, cars, buildings) between 195- and 1970 under the name Veritas. Koen now publishes and distributes paper models including some old Veritas models. They are the Dutch distributors for the Spanish publisher Alcan.Sjoerd Hekking Bouwplaten (033) 462 27 75 Westerstraat 80 3818 NM AmersfoortDesigner and publisher of buildings, mostly lighthouses. Most are postcardmodels.Iceberg (079) 3479945 Wingerdpark 74 2724 RG Zoetermeer The Netherlands http://www.peterjvisser.demon.nlDesigner and publisher since 1981, mostly fun postcards. Published two architectural model kits in 1988.
Editions L'Instant Durable (33) 4 73 91 13 87 (FAX) P.O. box 234 63007 Clermont-Ferrand cedex 1 FRANCE art@instantdurable.com
from Alain de Bussac <art@instantdurable.com>: ``L'Instant Durable distributes a nice catalog of 48 pages presenting on 24 pages an historical text about architectural paper models in the world since the beginning of the 19th century and the rest of the pages offers a selection of the most famous publications: Epinal,Schreiber, micro model, Dover, l'Instant Durable, Ciutat de Paper,Domus...with photographs in colour with presentation of the collections.``This catalog has been published during an exhibition in Paris in 1987, organised by the Stichting Kunstprojecten of Rotterdam and the Caisse Nationale des Monuments Historiques.
``The text is all written in French
``Price:180FRF [or $40 US] by slow air mail, door to door from France.''
Editions Pascaline 5 Rue Pascal 63000 Clermont-Ferrand FRANCE
from Robert Tauxe <Tauxerob@aol.com>: Have returned from a trip to Brittany, in France, where I haunted shops for paper models, particularly looking for Editions Pascaline. No luck. Did find a new series of simple models published by Editions Ouest France, 13, rue du Breuil, Rennes, all designed by Dominique Ehrhard. These are large format, like the simpler Dover books, with a Breton flavor: 6 Lighthouses, 4 Traditional fishing boats, 3 Ocean liners (the Normandie, The France, and the Titanic), and a 3 masted ship. They are in print, and retailed for 85 Franks @ (5.7 = $1). Nice entry level models - colorful, large (can't comment on the fit - haven't built one), and attractive format. They look easy to build.
Pelta (+48-22) 827-66-14 00-050 Warsaw (+48-22) 826-91-86 (FAX) 16 Swietokrzyska Str. Poland pelta@warman.com.pl
Gryf Hobby (091) 415 16 68 (TEL/FAX) Boguslaw Czyzynski ul. Artyleryjska 26 74-100 Gryfino 1 P.O.Box 23 Polska / Poland gryfhobby@gryfhobby.com
from Thomas Peters <thomas.peters@unibw-muenchen.de>: I have ordered twice from GryHobby, everything worked fine. They want foreign orders prepaid - I understand this policy. Their English knowledge is poor/non existent, but their German knowledge is very good. Bank transfers are expensive, I send money (DM) as a consignment of valuables, then the German postal service insures the shipping.
Ballermann & Son Yesteryear Prints Skragade 6 DK-9400 Norresundby Denmark
from King Butler <kbutler@mandala.ca>:
I, and some others, have been trying to find the address for the Czech
youth magazine "ABC". The magazine is published fortnightly and
contains a card model with each issue. For what it's worth, I got the
address, but apparently no-one there speaks/reads English because they do
not respond to letters sent to them. The magazine is very cheap - about
$0.25 per issue. [Reportedly, Nikolaus Waldmann of Germany
(address above) carries reprints of some of the models published in
ABC.] The address is:
Reakce ABC
Domazlicka 11
Prague 3, 13000
Paedagogischer Verlag des Leherinnen- und Lehervereins Zurich Vertriebsstelle Postfach 8126 Zumikon Switzerland
from Kell Black <blackk@apsu01.apsu.edu>: Write and they will send you an order form.They publish ONLY Swiss related models, and most of them come on two large A3 sheets, all with instructions in German, some with text in French. The models are very easy, straightforward, and the diagrams are crystal clear, as they are intended to be teaching aids in Swiss classrooms. They have about 60 different kits, and they are grouped in the following categories; transportation, history and culture, geography, Christmas and holidays, activities for young children ages 6-8, and workbooks. We bought and made lots of the architectural and transportation models, such as a City Gate of Basel, the Clocktower of Bern, the reconstructed Roman Home of Augusta Raurica, two Swiss Air Jets, the Airbus 310 and the MD 11, a working cable car and a Swiss rescue helicopter. We found these kits in toy shops and art supply stores, and they cost 2 SF apiece, that is, about $1.50 each. Cheap by any standards!
Dupré Graphic Ships 00 32 9 379 86 13 (FAX) Rommelsweg 39 B-9980 St.-Laureins Flanders-Belgium
Moshe Lemer carries models from the Israeli Air Force Magazine and ModelArt, as well as an assortment of other models. The collection is mostly aircraft, but includes some ships and ground vehicles. He has a list he will send by e-mail or paper mail, or you can check out his WWW page and see pictures of some of the models he's built, as well as the list. You can purchase the ML kits with a credit card through xprss.com.
Moshe Lemer 17/5 Avraham Keren Street Kfar-Saba 44208 Israel moshelmr@bezeqint.net
from Moshe Lemer <moshelmr@bezeqint.net>: "I have models of airplanes, ships and armored vehicles in various scales. If you are interested, please e-mail me."
The LJ models line is available in the US from H&B Precision Card Models. The line includes HO scale riverboats and buildings, and N scale buildings.
LJ Models (03) 5341 2001 P.O. Box 100 (03) 5341 2001 (FAX) Buninyong, Vic. 3357 Australia
B.C. Models publish a modest line of buildings in HO scale. By modest, I mean it's only a few models. Their showpiece model of Rippon Lea, with over 1000 pieces and 20 pages of instructions, sounds anything but modest.
B.C. Models 61 3 5331 9943 (FAX) 1 Cameron St Ballarat Victoria 3350 Australia bgcarey@netconnect.com.au
Note that this is not an comprehensive list. In particular, mail order sources which also have a web site are linked from their listing above, and may not be listed below. So always check the mail order listings, even if you're looking for web sites.
Also see the section on Free Models available on the Internet.
from Wendy Kwang Yee Leng <yeeleng@jtc.gov.sg>: The theatres sure look interesting. But I have an innocent question. What is the significance of collecting/building them besides being nice to look at? Is it supposed to show how the props/set look like when the play is first acted? Or, the kit just provides all the props to act out the play?
from Kaye Meldrum <kjmel@pacbell.net>: In answer to your question, both, I think. Some of the theatres are historic in that they are reprints of original ones that have been around for more then a hundred years. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote about "one penny plain, two pennies colored", which meant that Victorian children could buy a theatre and color it, or purchase it already colored. Some of the theatres are actual models of real buildings, such as L'Instant Durables, and, most of them do come with all props, people, etc.
from Kell Black <blackk@apsu01.apsu.edu>: My father tells stories of his paper theater productions back in the 30's. He saved up his coins to buy and/or make complete sets for his favorite plays. (He was a very precocious youngster, I imagine.) He staged living room productions of Gilbert and Sullivan, Shakespeare and others for his friends and family, and my uncle tells of being roped into several productions of this or that. As my father tells it, that was as close as Shakespeare got to rural mountain Georgia when he was a kid.
Readers interested in paper theatres may also be interested in Crechemania.from Bob Bell <bobbell@portal.connect.ab.ca>: The toy theater is part of the history and culture of Europe... particularly England and Germany. During the late Victorian and Edwardian times the toy theater could be found in almost every home, usualy the property of the oldest son, and it was considered part of the children's cultural education. The scenes and characters were actually drawn at the theater by artists hired by the companies that published the toy theaters.
Although these theaters are nice to look at they are meant to be used to put on plays. I had the pleasure of watching a play when I visited Pollocks Toy Museum in London a few years ago, and I was completely captivated. The combination of lighting changes, good music, special effects (such as a flash of light when the wicked witch suddenly appeared), and deft handling of the characters, was, for me, more thrilling than any live theater production I have seen.
To get a good "feel" for the toy theater read R. L. Stevenson's "Penny Plain and Twopence coloured".
Another source is the Cabaret Mechanical Theatre.
from Robert Tauxe <Tauxerob@aol.com>: I am an innocent on the art of international payment, having never used anything but a VISA card and a personal check in U.S. funds. I have a few pound notes stashed away, and some spare German change from the late 40's, but that probably wont do it. I've seen occasional references on this list to other more arcane forms of payment that sound like international vouchers of some kind, but don't know what this is. If I wanted to order something from Marckle, in UK or S&S in Germany, how would I pay for it? Where would I get those voucher thingies?
from Bob Pounds <Bobp@dynamite.com.au>: I've found the least expensive way to purchase from overseas (and remember, for me, the US is overseas) is the good old plastic card.
I used to always use Bank Drafts, but the inconvenience of having to go to bank to arrange them, then the cost of international postage on top of that was just a pain in the you-know-where.
Added to that, banks drafts are not cheap. My bank charges $A6 for each draft, and one bank I tried when I lived in Thailand wanted to charge $US25 per draft! But bank drafts are secure. They are drawn in favour of a particular person or company, like a cheque, and are usually endorsed with an upper limit (often the next whole dollar above the amount for which the draft is made). The down side is that some companies will not ship orders until the draft is cleared. In the case of (say) a US company in middle America, the draft must make its way from the local depositing bank branch to the US office of (say) the Australian bank's office in New York, clearly adding several days to the delivery time.
Virtually all reputable businesses will accept one of the major credit cards, especially Visa and Mastercard, and sometimes Amex. In the past month alone I have renewed magazine subscriptions in the US and the UK, purchased models from PMI, obtained a book from Japan, software from Canada and a recording from New Zealand -- all on plastic.
I use some fax software to send the orders directly from my computer. In fact, to send a simple one page fax to the US or Canada costs me less than the postage to send the same letter airmail. I have my signature digitised and this is added to the appropriate point in each letter.
So what's new? Nothing, except that this is the method that works for me and has reduced my 'outward bound' costs to only the cost of the dial-up fax and I save however many days it would have taken for the letter to have reached the supplier.
International Reply Coupons were originally developed to cover the cost of a return letter. Thus I could send Bob Bell or Myles a letter with an IRC and they could each exchange the IRC at their post offices for the relevant stamps for a reply, even if the local air mail postage charges, comparing exchange rates, were different. (Back in the dim dark days it used to be that one IRC equalled sea-mail return and four IRCs were needed for an airmail reply. Now, one IRC is USUALLY the rate for airmail. I recently purchased a number of IRCs for letters going to the UK for which I was requesting a reply, and was assured, yet again, by Australia Post that one IRC now buys an airmail reply.)
IRCs may be useful for small amounts, say up to $5, but as 'negotiable instruments' to use the jargon, they are not worth the trouble, and often can only be exchanged for stamps, not cash. [IRC prices vary widely, e.g., about $1.05 in the US vice $3.75 in Canada.]
Some postal jurisdictions also have what are called 'International Money Orders'. You buy these as you would a bank draft. There is a charge, usually a percentage of the value of the money order. Recipients of money orders can exchange them at most post offices or deposit them into a bank.
Having said all that, I still will generally use my faxed credit card details, although I would be reluctant to send this information to certain countries. I have no doubt at all that within a few weeks my bill would show all sorts of charges from all sorts of exotic locations. My fall back in this case would be to use bank drafts.
Editor's note: the following comments comments apply to purchases made in the USA using IMOs issued by the USPS.from Keith Walker <keithwwalker@yahoo.com>: About a month ago, a message was posted requesting information about the best way for someone in the USA to order a kit from overseas. Everyone agreed that using a credit card was the best and quickest method.
But there are some vendors overseas out there who do not process credit card orders, and they will accept payment only by a check or bank draft drawn in their own foreign currency, or an international money order (IMO) from the United States Postal Service (USPS). Depending on your post office, IMO's can be quick and easy to get, so you can get your kit from overseas relatively quickly for less cost than it takes to get a bank draft ($10-15).
There was confusion about IMO's that are issued by the USPS, however. Some posts stated that they are only issued in the foreign currency denomination, and the last time I purchased one it was issued in American $ denomination. Who was right? Who was wrong? It turns out that nobody was wrong, but to find out why I had to dig into the USPS website and I spoke with several USPS employees to find out more.
It turns out that there are THREE different types of money orders used for International Postal Money Order Service; and depending on WHERE you send your order, the IMO that you get will be different!
The following IMO service descriptions are taken verbatim from a USPS bulletin, which went into effect December 1, 1995. If anyone has updated information, please comment.
I will list ALL countries that accept IMO's as stated on the USPS form (just in case there really is a cool hobby shop in Vatican City that sells the Popemobile replete with a photo etch incense burner!); but will list the most prominent countries at the beginning of their own respective lists.
The former Trust Territories of the United States are the only countries accepting the domestic postal money order from the United States. The fee for this form is $0.85.
The Federated States of Micronesia (Kosrae, Pohnpei, Chuuk, Yap)
The Republic of the Marshall Islands (Majuro, Ebeye)
The Republic of Palau (Koror)
The following countries accept international postal money orders from the United States using the International Postal Money Order form MP1. The fee for this form is $3.
Canada
Japan
Mexico
Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, British Virgin Islands, Cape Verde, Costa Rica, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mali, Montserrat, Nigeria, Peru, St. Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sierra Leone, Trinidad and Tobago
The following countries accept international postal money orders from the United States using the Authorization to Issue an International Money Order form set. The fee for this form set is $8.50. This form says it will take a maximum of 4 to 6 weeks for the IMO to arrive at its destination.
Austria
Belgium
China (and presumably Hong Kong)
Czech Republic
France
Germany
Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Italy
Netherlands
Poland
Slovak Republic
Sweden
Switzerland
Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, Colombia, Corsica, Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Croatia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Greece, Guadeloupe, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Korea, Republic of; Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Martinique, Monaco, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, New Caledonia, Norway, Paraguay, Philippines, Reunion, St. Bartholomew, St. Martin (French), St. Pierre and Miquelon, San Marino, Senegal, Slovak Republic (Slovakia), South Africa, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uruguay, Vatican City, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
I can only assume that countries that are not listed do not have a reciprocal exchange with the USPS; and you probably don't want to do a lot of model shopping from Mongolia or North Korea anyway.
Now for some examples.
If you wanted to send an IMO to Japan, you would look up in the list and find that Japan accepts the 'form MP1' type of IMO, which costs $3. This form is orange-pink in color, and is just like a regular money order in format. It is issued in US$ DENOMINATIONS! So you have to know how much your order is in US$, because the foreign post office will do the currency conversion. I have recently used the MP1 IMO to order a kit from Atelier Noix in Japan (he only accepts IMO's), and the exchange went smoothly, I got the kit within two weeks. To account for any currency fluctuations between the time when you get the order and the time it is redeemed, be sure to err on the generous side of the fluctuation to make sure things go smoothly (1-2% of final order including shipping).
If you wanted to send an IMO to England or France, you would use the 'Authorization to Issue an International Money Order form set' which costs $7.50 (let's call it IMO-2). This IMO-2 is ISSUED IN THE FOREIGN CURRENCY of the recipient's home country. It has been about ten years since I have last used one, but I believe that the process goes like this. You tell the USPS employee how much the IMO-2 should be in the foreign currency. They calculate the exchange rate of the currency. You pay the employee, and fill out a form instructing where the IMO shall be sent. That information is sent to a processing center where the IMO is issued in the foreign denomination and then mailed to it's destination.
If the process still works like that, then I would assume that it is still slow, since the IMO-2 has to be processed at a central facility. At least the IMO-2 is issued in the foreign currency so that you don't have to worry about any currency fluctuations whilst in transit.
Hope this clears things up! Please if you have any comments (especially experiences pertaining to the 'Authorization to Issue an International Money Order form set') please post them. Hopefully this information can be posted to the FAQ file.
Finally here is the link for the Universal Currency Translator just in case you want to know how much that kit costs where ever you are.
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from Bob Pounds <Bobp@dynamite.com.au>: Geoffrey Deason was among the doyen of card modelers. His interest stretches back to his boyhood, and over the ensuing years he had a great influence on card modeling both as a practitioner and a promoter. Deason was a regular contributor to a wide range of British modeling magazines, principally those of the old Model and Allied Publications (MAP) stable, and especially "Scale Models". At one time he was editor of the company's "Model Cars" magazine, and I certainly recall his articles in "Model Boats".
His major work was a book published in 1958 called "Cardboard Engineering with Scissors and Paste", which was reprinted in 1969 under the title "Simple Cardboard Models". Ninety per cent of the book is devoted to scratch building and covers road and rail vehicles, ships, etc, and usually also dealt with motorising the models, where this was feasible. Curiously, there is no mention of aircraft. Deason was a contemporary of Micromodels' Geoffrey Heighway -- indeed, in the book he has a photograph of a small car model which he made from three business cards and "which was the prototype for a Micromodels model".
His scratch modeling tips were brilliant. I have never found anything to match his method of producing wire-spoked wheels for sports and racing car models. Deason was also a great advocate of jigs - for all sorts of jobs. His construction guide for the wheels, great and small, of a traction engine is particularly impressive. While he was not a 'rivet counter' in terms of absolute accuracy, he was very much of the school that the finished product should be as accurate as YOUR SKILL LEVEL PERMITS IT TO BE. In other words, the end result should be satisfying for the constructor in terms of his or her ability at that time. He did not condemn the neophyte whose skills did not match a more advanced builder.
But he always encouraged builders to learn more. And this is the great advantage of the book: no matter what your skill level, there is sure to be something in it that you will learn. For example, the gum-strip technique for shaping the very complex hull shape of the Paddle Tug "Anglia" is not something a first-time builder would be wise to undertake, yet would be a very appealing new method for compound curve shapes for someone with reasonably advanced skills to try.
Deason did not like the simple 'cut-out'. If the original of the component being modeled was three-dimensional, then insofar as it was possible for it to be so, the model must be, too. Yet sometimes his modeling instructions seem to say the opposite. It was really a clever inspirational ploy. YOU were encouraged to try adding a bit more. In the instructions for his model River Clyde puffer, the deckhouse has only card cut-out windows. However, a builder, having reached that stage, and having developed a level of self confidence, would hardly resist adding clear plastic or cellophane "window panes" (this modeler included).
Deason seemed content to model almost anything but equally it is clear that ships were a great love. In 1972 he released "Cardboard Ship Models" which details construction methods for three model boats that ranged from a very simple destroyer to a reasonably complex coastal ferry.
Indeed, I recall an article in "Model Boats" (July 1975) in which he outlined construction of a model boat (SY Cardella) which then was fitted with a live steam engine. His goal was to sail the boat across the particular lake, and as I recall the venture succeeded.
Model and Allied Publications either changed owners or names (or both) in the early 90s and now trades under the name of Nexus Publications. I do not know if any of Deason's books are still in print, but next to an original Pollock's theatre (uncut) or some of Herr Schreiber's models from before the turn of the century (also uncut), Deason's books are absolutely the best thing for a card modeler to find. I have a reasonably comprehensive library of card modeling books, but none approach the craft with the seriousness and intent of purpose of Geoffrey Deason's.
I do not know if Geoffrey Deason is still alive. Given that he was a contemporary of Heighway, he must be getting on in years. Certainly, in "Cardboard Ship Models" there is a photograph of him. It shows a slight, balding figure, whose age I'd put at about late 50s or early 60s. If that was in, say, 1971, just before the book was published, he would now be well into his 80s.
Neither do I know if the books are still available. Perhaps someone in the book trade could do a search of books in print for us to see if these titles are still in print, or perhaps a list subscriber in Britain might be able to more easily check with Nexus for us.
from Bob Pounds <Bobp@dynamite.com.au>: Lozier also deals with models in plastic and balsa, but only in a half-hearted way. Card is clearly his preferred medium. The car models he describes are very good, and feature a lot of useful ideas, but his boat and locomotive models are poor by comparison. Lozier is not a purist when it comes to card modeling - he happily includes the odd bit of wood or plastic if that helps make the model better, but nevertheless he IS on the right track.
from Bob Pounds <Bobp@dynamite.com.au>: I very nearly passed this book up. It was 'only' architectural models, and not what I was interested in at the time. But since I bought it nearly 30 years ago, it has become a well-used reference. Essentially it is an introduction to architectural model making. In his preface, Bayley says: 'The purpose of this book is to make a clear and constructive approach to cardboard model making, which is a craft of considerable importance and is extensively used by professional model makers, architects and display artists'. The introductory chapter outlines a range of easily made jigs that will help the model maker, and then, through a series of graded exercises, the model maker takes on increasingly difficult tasks. The first model is a simple four-sided, flat-roofed building; the last is a modern church. Along the way we build a Cotswold cottage, a medieval gatehouse, a Norman keep, and several other interesting (constructionally) models. For those who aspire to build architecturally accurate models from original plans, either as a hobby or for a living, this book is an excellent introduction.
from Bob Pounds <Bobp@dynamite.com.au>: If Mr Ford's Model T is your idea of a great thing to model, this is a great book. Lots of diagrams, plans (all dimensioned) make it a treasure trove for Model T aficionados. Unfortunately, Ross never gets beyond a simple disc wheel for his cars. If only he had read Deason, he'd have known how to make spoked wheels.
from Larry Stillman <larrys@vicnet.net.au>: I think that Heighway (who designed Micromodels) might have learnt his craft from this book - many of the designs seem eerily reminiscent of what I have seen of some Micromodels.
from Kell Black <blackk@apsu01.apsu.edu>: The design of developments and intersections calls for a knowledge of auxiliary views and revolutions. This in turn assumes a working knowledge of descriptive geometry, and two and three view drawing. And this presupposes that one already knows how to use a T-square, compass, dividers and triangles. I'm sorry to say that if one is interested in design, one is best advised to begin at the beginning. The book above is recommended by the chair of the Engineering Tech department at Austin Peay State University (Clarksville, TN) for anyone wishing to learn this stuff on his/her own. It is a high school text, and it is exceedingly clear in all of its descriptions of processes and techniques.So, that's my advice. Start at the beginning. I know that all those illustrations of developments of scalene cones by triangulation look intoxicating, but you'll only end up frustrated if you try to begin your designing there.
from Kell Black <blackk@apsu01.apsu.edu>: This is an AMAZING volume, 320 pages devoted to exploring the art of geometry through card constructions. It is made up mostly of photographs and diagrams collected during the author's decades of teaching a course entitled "Working with Paper" at the Zurich School of Art. The German text is actually secondary to the illustrations; my own students have been using a copy of an older, much smaller, now out-of-print edition of this text for years, and no one has ever asked to have a single word translated.An expensive book at around 75 dollars. If you're interested in nosing around used book stores, you might find an English translation of the small first edition, copyright sometime in the 1970's. It used to be a required text in basic three dimensional design classes at the Rhode Island School of Design.
from Clark Britton <cbritjr@swbell.net>: The Zeier book was also reprinted by van Nostrand in a paper back edition. It was very affordable. I agree this was a great book on card construction and has many applications.
H&B Precision Card Models 703-281-0813 P.O. Box 8173 703-281-0813 (FAX) Reston, VA 20195 106022.2701@compuserve.comPublished quarterly in Germany by Möwe Verlag. An annual subscription is DM 25; subscribers get a 10% discount from Möwe Verlag.
Möwe Verlag 049-4421-43666 Rheinstrasse 23 049-4421-43911 (FAX) 26382 Wilhelmshaven Germany
The Cardformation Newsletter P.O. Box 375 Hazelwood, Mo. 63042 CARDJON@primary.net
from Jon Murray <CARDJON@primary.net>: ``I publish a US newsletter called CardFormation. The newsletter promotes the hobby. We publish 4 times a year and have kit reviews, articles by modelers, a card modeling tip, sources of card models, free want ad service and a hokey informational editorial by written by myself. I include a simple model (sometimes 2) in each newsletter.... Our next issue Summer 97 will include a Tomahawk Cruise Missile model. We have had Boats, planes, buildings, missiles as well as Space Vehicles in the models.''
Cardboard Engineering Group Editor: Nicholas B. Jackson "Siskins", Bracken Lane, Storrington Pulborough, West Sussex, RH20 3HS UK
from Kaye Meldrum <kjmel@pacbell.net>: Just received my latest issue of the British 'Cardboard Engineering Group Newsletter'. The editor, Nick Jackson, is wanting to retire from writing this year [1997] and is looking for volunteers to continue next year.
Marcle Models Turnagain, Finch Lane 01494-765910 (FAX) Amersham, Bucks, HP7 9NE UK christopher@marcle.co.uk
The editor apologizes, but some of the citations below are incomplete. If you have any further information, please notify <cardfaq@bellsouth.net>
The Old Strathcona Model and Toy Museum (403) 433-4512 8603 - 104 St. Edmonton, Alberta Canada T6E 4G6 Bobbell@connect.ab.ca
Paper Airplane Museum (808) 877-8916 Maui Mall (808) 244-4667 (FAX) 433 Nihoa Street Kahului, HI 96732 USA
J.F. Schreiber-Museum Information tel +49 711 3512 3240 Untere Beutau 8-10 fax +49 711 3512 3229 D 73728 Esslingen am Neckar GermanyAdmission is DM 5 for adults, DM 2 for children.
Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum Dr. Siegfried Stölting Hans-Scharoun-Platz 1 D-27568 Bremerhaven Tel. 0471 - 48207-48 Fax 0471 - 48207-55Some comments on previous meetings are below.
