Went to our only Hobby Shop in Jacksonville yesterday. First time in just under a year. Each time I have been there, the model selection gets smaller and smaller. Paints are a REAL PITA to get. Since it opened about 5 years ago, I have been there about a dozen times and only once did I see a person under 30 looking at models. Most are my age or older. I'm on a Facebook page for builders and 98% are old farts like me. Our area used to have THREE well stocked Hobby Shops till about 8 years ago. Those I frequented often. In the last 25 years, I can recall seeing only ONE kid...a boy about 11 years old, buy a kit. And that was about 22 years ago. Gone are the days when a kid sees the cool box art on the model of a WWII plane in a Department store and that triggers the kid to want it. The internet is loaded with stuff for my Hobby but I just don't see many youngsters being in tune with it.
Now who I REEEALLY feel bad for is the Model Train enthusiasts. That Hobby is just about gone! High costs and kids drooling on video game controls has really hurt.
