O-Scale Woolworth's 5 & 10 Completed - Who Wants One?

Hi Andre,

This kit brings back a lot of good memories, this is another home run kit that you're now offering. !!!!!

Alex

I really like this building. I understand the need to compress it somewhat, but 5" deep seems just too narrow unless you put it against a wall. Ameritown buildings are 6" square, Woodland Scenics are about 7" to 9" deep, and MTH's vary all over the place but rarely as narrow as 5". If you line up several manufacturer's buildings into a city block, I believe the 5" depth is just not going to look right for a building with such a long front. I really think you should consider offering a version with about a 7" depth.

Also, are there any windows, doors, and/or a loading dock door on the back?

Ken

Yes please!

Get the store and build a layout when you can.

This was the Woolworth store here in Lansdale where my Grandmother worked in the toy department in the 1930's. She would bring the toy trains home that customers brought in for service for my Grandfather to repair which eventually lead to the creation of Henning's Trains in 1939.

Here is ours.  

Andre

Yes I want one. But as you already know I have to hire you or someone to build it for me. In your prototype photo of the Woolworth store on main street here in Greensboro one can see a fancy roof crown on the smaller building adjoining Woolworth's to the left in the photo. That was the longtime location of Kay Jewelers on the corner. Ellis-Stone, primarily a Ladies and young women's wear store was on the right.

The train Depot was one block east and two blocks south and all the downtown stores were sand-blasted to remove the soot post-steam era[1953 for Southern Ry].

Yes, I want one.

==========

In Mobile, our 5&10's and near-5&10's were: 

Woolworth's

Neisner's (started in Rochester NY)

S.H. Kress & Co. (started in PA)

W.T. Grant (a cut above the 5 and dimes)

Sears, of course

- but not "Kresge's"

(McCrory's only appeared in this area in the 1980's - a horrible place that did not last long; it bought and ruined "TG&Y", a Southern chain that was like a miniature Wal-Mart, without the really ugly people.)

I never heard of "Kresge's" until I was well into adulthood, and some 
"newcomers" would confuse "Kress" and "Kresge" - the only "Kresge" that I ever

entered was it's later incarnation: K-Mart. "Kress" was not a regional chain; it was all over the Northeast and Southeast. (To add to the newcomers' confusion, the name was often pronounced locally as "Kress's" - "Im going to Kress's lunch counter today.")

So, I don't need a Kresge - I need a Kress.

BTW, all the stores above - that is, their buildings - still stand in downtown Mobile - except the Sears store; it was torn down in the 80's for a hotel.

Kress chain was known for Art Deco arcitecture; there is a large painting of it's founder, S.H. Kress, in the National Museum of Art entrance area in D.C.

I remember our Woolworth store for the time we went in and back to the pet supplies. There was a cage there with several squirrel monkeys in it. Our youngest son went in to a crying fit, almost uncontrollable. We had always kidded him about his baby picture looking like a monkey. Yes, we bought one and guess who raised it for 8 years. That is their normal life span. It was like raising a baby but a lot of fun and I loved it.

I posted the details of the revisions we made to the final building in another thread:

Having rushed out the first version of "Woolworth's" last night, we have made a few changes to the kit.

• Window blinds for the upstairs windows are now included at no additional cost.
• We have expanded the depth from five to six inches. Being the same depth as some structures already in the market makes sense.
• We have added a decorative facade to the top of the Woolworth's sign also jutting up between the windows as shown on the original photo of the Greensboro Woolworth's.

Here is the full rundown on the building:

The structure measures 14.00" across and 6.0" deep. The height is 8.0".

Everything you see attached to the building is included. Sidewalks, vehicles, people are not included. The Woolworth's sign is etched with the name in relief for ease of painting. The front window signs are laser etched. Windows are 3/32" acrylic, replacing the acetate.

Interior scenes and instructions are downloaded from the River Leaf website.

We are experiencing a technical problem on the website and it is down more than it is working. Website hosting service keeps insisting they are working on it, however, these has been going on for a few days now.

To place your order, email me at andreemd@gmail.com. We will send you an invoice. 

The retail price is $109.95, plus shipping.

For a limited time - until Midnight Monday, August 10, we are offering the kit for $100.00 even, plus shipping.

Email me to order -- >> andreemd@gmail.com

Cutting windows for first orders of Woolworths:

Thanks Bill Henning for the information of how Henning's Trains got started and how it began with Woolworth's.

Jim,

I remember the pet department in the back in the Butler store.  It was right behind the toys.  The big wide staircase that went to the basement where the housewares was cool.  I didn't care about the housewares, I just liked the stairs.

Someone emailed us asking if the building was flat all across the front and I realized it may not be evident the building has a recessed entrance. Here is a better view:

and don't forget Newberry

Spent much time shopping in them as a kid buying H.O. trains and Beatle 45’s.

The luncheonette was a real treat too!

The two I visited were quite longer in length. One even had two sets of doors.

I do prefer the older upper window look like the original photo shows.

A 3 over 3 glass divided by the muntin would enhance the look even more for that time period.

Looks like another good, much needed model for O.

All we had so far all these years was “S” scale Plasticville.

Man, there are times I wish I hadn't decided to model a line in the country, as it'd be great build structures like this. You did a great job with this, and I've seen the real store you modeled in person once...

Woolworths was joined by Roses and McClellands in Suffolk. I eventually got to know the president of Roses thru the Hatteras Marlin Club. Thanks for the good memories Andre.

As I remember Woolworths, it first had wooden floors and was later remodeled. That was a BIG deal back then and made the front page of the local paper. I am sure that you are including the planked, dark brown, oiled, floors. We can include sound with cheery customers and squeaking floors.

Ordered one by e-mail AM today and just saw your update. Are you including interior and exterior lighting or do we need to handle this? Please reply here as have no e-mail for a week.

Thanks. Wally World doesn't compare with these icons.

Thank your for your order. Lighting is not included in the kit. The lighting in the photos was achieved by shining an LED flashlight down into the entry way.

I don't have room or the right theme, but this is a cool subject.

The speed of your adapting to customers is amazing, like a Ninja .

 I don't know that I would consider Sears 5 and dime. But they had lunch counters, and the best O train selection. The one near us had a section as big, or bigger than most hobby shops. (that riled up LHS-s of the day. They wouldn't touch another places loco (you know that helped the hobby here).

 I remember Marx, and H.O. at Woolworths. 

By 1970 the "mall movement" had fully hit us, and that did change things.

Kresge worked for Woolworth, before he opened his own 5¢ & 10¢.

McCrory was Kresge 's partner.. it is K-marts/Sears today.

I knew all but McCrory's

I liked Woolworths goods, and considered them the originals. But Kresge food was great.

 By the 50's end it wasn't really five and dime.(Detroit)

Art deco?

I wish......

 You never would have gotten me out of it 

This looks great!

Next: a Western Auto store.....

Is your website down? Strangely it won't load for me today?

Correct, more than a week is working really bad.

We are making all the arrangement to move to a different server soon.

Sorry for any inconvenience.  Any thing you need feel free to contact us via email.

thank you

Andre. 

I'll take two. Sent you an email.

I would like one but can't get into your site.

and don't forget the Ben Franklin stores

Andre,

Being born and raised in the Pittsburgh area,  I have to ask if you could do a G C Murphy 5 & 10 sign for the building front.  If you could,  I'd be in for a building.

Nick

Ben Franklin, almost forgot about that store. Its were we kids would go after school and weekends. Parents could buy almost all their needs there also. Memories.

Adriatic..."You never would have gotten me out of it "

I love this store and there would have been little chance that anyone could have gotten me out of it either. However, this shot is of Kresge-Newark, and should not be confused with that of Kresge's 5 & 10. There was no management connection between the two.

Well beyond five & dime...

Nick,

Yes I can do for yo. Please send me your information to my email address andreemd@gmail.com

Andre.

Jim,

I sent you an email.

Andre.

A great name to add.

thank you for your information.

Andre.

 I didn't know there was different sales focus, or corporate identity for that store vs SS Kresge .

Interesting.

  You can see that often today too. Privately owned franchises vs corporate owned versions of the same place can differ. 

 As it turns out, written accounts seem to vary on the early history of "Kresge the man" and his deals, to boot.

Which is correct I haven't a clue. 

Apparently the same man did help start both though.  

I was sorry when we lost our Woolworths here in the UK but have managed to get 3 indoor signs from one of the stores.

Andre,

Thanks for replying.  I will email you this evening with the  G C Murphy Co photo information for the sign.

Nick

You convinced me.  Order submitted.

John

Andre,

Maybe a Madison Hardware store from NYC????

Excellent concept and execution.

A new building in O?  Now that's worth celebrating!!!  

George

I will take one. sent Email on your website.

John Pignatelli