Schiffer Publishing Ltd

Aurora Model Kits Revised & Expanded 2nd Ed. w/ Updated Price Guide

by  Thomas Graham

Reviewed By  Steve Jahnke, IPMS# 34991

MSRP: $29.95 ISBN: 0764325183 Available from Schiffer Books (www.schifferbooks.com). In the 1950's a lot of us "older modelers" got our start in plastic model kit building with Aurora model kits that were available at our local Five and Dime and other variety stores. This book by Thomas Graham chronicles the Aurora years from the 1950's through the 70's bringing back a flood of memories of that era. The book is a look back at Aurora history from its earliest beginnings in a 40'x 100' converted garage in Brooklyn New York, to becoming the largest maker of hobby crafts in the world by the 60's and finally the company's breakup in the 70's. Even today some of the company's finer examples of kits are still available through Glencoe, Polar Lights, and Revell/Monogram. The first 99 pages of the book is broken down into 9 engrossing and well written chapters, almost every page is illustrated with full color photographs of built Aurora kits or their fabulous box art. From pages 100 through 176 we are treated to an Illustrated Directory of Aurora Plastic Kits from 1952 through 1977 including price guide. The first nine chapters include the following: Chapter 1: In a Garage in Brooklyn. Traces the history of early days of Aurora with the original founders of the company, Abe Shikes, Joe Giammarino, and John Cuomo. This chapter chronicles the company's first model airplane kits, the Grumman F9F Panther and the Lockheed F90. These first two kits were blatant and exact copies of the kits as originally produced by Hawk Models. Chapter 2: Build Them All. In 1953 Aurora expands to a new location in Long Island and sets aside 10% of gross sales to build new tooling. Based on an article in the 1952 Collier's magazine the company produces it's version of the then top secret and as yet unseen Nautilus atomic submarine, becoming an instant runaway best seller for Aurora. Chapter 3: The Worlds Largest. This chapter tells of Aurora's early involvement with figures, a prominent product line in the company's future. Chapter 4: Movie Monsters. In the 60's Aurora enters the "monsters and ghouls" market with huge success. This is a well illustrated chapter for the figure enthusiast. Chapter 5: Modeling's Golden Age. Modeling's golden era in the mid to late 60's is chronicled in this chapter. We see Aurora has changed with the times offering more complex and detailed models to compete with the other modeling giants of the time. The book claims that in 1967 total model sales topped $224 million (a quarter billion in 1967 dollars!!!) and hobby stores made a third of their profits through kit sales. Chapter 6: Stars of TV and Comic Books. This chapter chronicles Aurora's figures lines from JFK to Alfred E. Neuman of MAD magazine fame. Chapter 7: Transition. The beginning of the end to the classic Aurora line as new management takes over to re-invent the company whose prior management had held a steady course for 25 years. Aurora is bought by Nabisco. Games and crafts are the new images of Aurora. Chapter 8: Aurora Classics. Highlights of the best Aurora had to offer. Chapter 9: The Legend Continues. This chapter traces the continued life of Aurora kits into the present day thanks to the efforts of Monogram models and Polar Lights. Price Guide. The price guide is broken down into the logical categories of: Aircraft, Rockets and Missiles, Popsicle Aircraft Trading cards, Ships, Military Armor and Vehicles, Automobiles and Trucks, Science Fiction, Figures, Miscellaneous and Reissues by company. This book is an easy and interesting read; I had a hard time putting it down. It brought back a lot of memories of those times and the great Aurora kits that we all built in the early days of plastic modeling. Thank you IPMS and Schiffer Publishing for the opportunity to review such a neat time capsule of a book. I highly recommended this book purely for nostalgia reasons as a look at a by-gone era as well as a practical price guide for collectors.

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