The PopCult Bookshelf

Aurora Plastic Models Catalogs: Volume 1 – The 1960’s
compiled by Anthony Taylor
APT Publishing
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8312227680
Paperback $35.99
Hardback $64.99

This book, the first of two volumes, is manna from heaven for fans of Aurora Model kits. A huge, mainstream hobby from the 1950s into the 1970s, and still a popular pastime today, one of the most creative companies making these assemble-it-yourself kits was Aurora Plastics.  I’m reviewing the first of two volumes here because it was a gift from Mrs. PopCulteer for Easter. I’ll be getting the second volume in a few weeks.

In this book, after a brief intro by Anthony Taylor, you get over 320 pages of pure gold–ten years worth of retailer sales catalogs from Aurora from the 1960s.

These catalogs were available in most hobby shops so kids (and adults) could make wishlists and see the full product line. A special treat for collectors of today is the presence of the original suggested retail prices, which are hilariously low. Back then you could get a top-notch model kit for less than what you pay for a candy bar today.

The catalogs are reproduced in full color, close to their original size, and they trace the evolution of the hobby over the course of the 1960s. The early years see the catalogs dominated by airplanes and cars, with just a few historical figures in the mix.

As the years progress, we see a virtual explosion of pop culture topics, as Aurora’s selection reflects the passions of the day, from the space program to James Bond and spies, to superheroes, Batmania, hit TV shows and movies and even “original equity” creations designed to cash in on the burgeoning counter culture.

And we can’t leave out the monsters. “Monster Kids” loved model kits, and one of the major forces driving the hobby was the Universal Monsters, with additional kits featuring Godzilla, literary horror and other scary subjects. At one point they even combined the monsters with hot rods. The package art shown here is incredible and the product descriptions priceless.

Aurora Plastic Models Catalogs: Volume 1 – The 1960’s is a brilliant time capsule of a hobby that is still going strong. In fact, at the end of May I’ll be going to WonderFest USA, the countries biggest convention devoted to model kit building and horror, and I intend to hook up with Anthony there to buy the second volume, which is devoted to the 1970s.

That means it’ll have Prehistoric Scenes, Monsters Scenes and other model kits that I grew up attempting to assemble.

Aurora Plastic Models Catalogs: Volume 1 – The 1960′s is a must-have for any model kit collector, and will be of great interest to anybody interested in pop culture from the 1960s, and one of the most creative ways to ever play with toys…building models.

You can order the book from Amazon, through Anthony Taylor’s website, or track him down at one of the many conventions he’ll be attending and/or organizing this summer.