Plastic model kits get boost as coronavirus shut-ins turn to old-school hobby

[modeltrains]

Okay, so this from May isn't exactly late-breaking news, but I just came across it.

Plastic model kits get boost as coronavirus shut-ins turn to old-school hobby for ‘something to do’

Revell, the 77-year-old plastic model kit-maker, has seen a sales resurgence as stuck-at-home families revive what was a childhood staple for many baby boomers.

www.chicagotribune.com

Plastic model kits get boost as coronavirus shut-ins turn to old-school hobby for ‘something to do’

By Robert Channick
Chicago Tribune | May 04, 2020 at 4:17 PM
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Revell, the 77-year-old model kit-maker that was acquired out of bankruptcy two years ago by a German investment fund, has seen a resurgence as a growing number of people stuck at home during the pandemic painstakingly piece together everything from ’60s muscle cars to “Star Wars” spaceships.
“We saw a spike in the weeks leading into the stay-at-home directives,” said Lou Aguilera, 50, president of Revell USA, based in northwest suburban Fox River Grove. “Since then, our online sales have seen significant growth from people just staying at home, looking for something to do.”
Founded in California in 1943, Revell pioneered the plastic model kit that would become a childhood staple for many baby boomers. In 1986, Revell merged with its chief rival, Morton Grove-based Monogram, making the Chicago area the center of the model kit universe.
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