Ye Olde Rocket Forum

Go Back   Ye Olde Rocket Forum > The Golden Age of Model Rocketry > Kit Collecting
User Name
Password
Auctions Register FAQ Members List Calendar Today's Posts Search Mark Forums Read


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 06-24-2012, 07:14 PM
gerryfortin gerryfortin is offline
Addicted Collector.. now Rockets
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Portland, Maine..Vacationland
Posts: 205
Default Black vs. White Kit Numbering on Skill Level Facecards

Need to ask another question as I dig deeper into K kit packaging differences.

Noted that skill level facecards can be found with either black or white numbers/letters in the lower left corner for kit numbering. The observation is only for kits designated as K-x/12xx and not for later kits numbered 12xx only. So far, I have not seen the same kit with facecards that have white letters/numbers or black letters/numbers. It appears some kit facecards were printed with white letters/numbers only for the kit number while other kits use the black lettering as rest of facecard. Make sense?

Does anyone know the background behind this skill level facecard difference? The white kit numbers/letters do stick out as the balance of skill level facecards are printed in black letters.

Thanks....Gerry
__________________
Estes kit pricing history and individual kit descriptions at www.seateddimevarieties.com/BAR/home.htm At least a work in progress....

Last edited by gerryfortin : 06-24-2012 at 08:33 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 06-24-2012, 09:03 PM
Jerry Irvine's Avatar
Jerry Irvine Jerry Irvine is offline
Freeform rocketry advocate.
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Claremont, CA "The intellectual capitol of the world."-WSJ
Posts: 3,780
Default

There are more people collecting string into balls than are flying model rockets.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 06-28-2012, 12:14 PM
Cohetero-negro's Avatar
Cohetero-negro Cohetero-negro is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,256
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by gerryfortin
Need to ask another question as I dig deeper into K kit packaging differences.

Noted that skill level facecards can be found with either black or white numbers/letters in the lower left corner for kit numbering. The observation is only for kits designated as K-x/12xx and not for later kits numbered 12xx only. So far, I have not seen the same kit with facecards that have white letters/numbers or black letters/numbers. It appears some kit facecards were printed with white letters/numbers only for the kit number while other kits use the black lettering as rest of facecard. Make sense?

Does anyone know the background behind this skill level facecard difference? The white kit numbers/letters do stick out as the balance of skill level facecards are printed in black letters.

Thanks....Gerry


Former 1960/1970s VP, Bill Simon is known to read and post on here. I forget his ID, but if you search the forum messages, you can find him and then send him a PM. People like Bill would be able to answer those questions. Vern bless his heart, was President of Estes Industries during the time of Damon control and when K-Kits went to K-Skill, and finally Skill, and he is in his late 80s now so memory could be an issue. Bill is younger, in his 60s I think, and would have a better recollection of 'why, what and when'.

I think much of your questions have answers that are simply attributed to what supplies Estes had on hand when they needed things made in their print shop and other manufacturing areas.

Like the blue/green casing motors ... those were made blue and green not because they envisioned something called the internet and ebay 30 years later and how it would create discussions and speculation ... nope the motors were green and blue because they ran out of the brown/tan paper and simply used what they had on hand until their order of brown paper arrived.

Many things were done on the fly and had no real purpose other than to get product out the door.

Model rockets while interesting, just don't have the mystery of a Jenny Flyer Stamp or a Civil War I musket or cutlass.

Like I stated in past postings, it really is better to just collect the K-Kits because of the following reasons:

1)They are harder to find and cost more
2)There was little variance from year to year, so creating a complete K-Kit collection is both possible and impressive to rocket hobbyists.
3)You probably won't ever be able to capture every single K-Kit/Skill Level example as those were made on the fly [excuse the pun] and you will never be certain to have every example that ever existed.

To this day, there is one and only on K-Kit I don't have in my collection ... well I think I don't; I scour ebay every day in search of my goal.

Jonathan
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:50 AM.


Powered by: vBulletin Version 3.0.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe © 1998-2024