"easiest Mean Streets Mean Sets" Topic

I am new to paper modeling and I want to start easy and build on my experience. Can someone recommend easy models from the Mean Streets Mean Sets collections?

They are all pretty easy.
I have done several Mean Sets, and never any real issues.
In fact, even for a beginner, they were well explained and easy to make.

Some of the 'working doors' are a bit fiddly, but pretty easy to overcome the issues.

I would highly recommend them.

Try one of the blocks that is one building, like the Acme Warehouse (Block 5), the Police/Fire Department (Block 6) or the Federal Building (Block 8). See also the Court House (Block 14) and First National Bank (Block 15) which are only slightly more work.

Follow that with O'Banions (Block 9) and Anastasios (Block 2).

Then you'll be ready for some of the busier blocks, like the Diamond Ace (Block 1) or Chinatown (Blocks 17-20).

Honestly, these are all pretty easy, just time consuming. I started and printed out to much, so I got discouraged. Better to only do one block at a time. But they look great when they are done, and inspire starting on the next one.

Dear flooglestreet,

Please forgive me for not yet responding to your E-mails of the last three days on this very question. I can only explain that I'm just finishing a book for publication and have let it dominate my time.

However, I'm very pleased to read the two comments to date, not least because they say pretty much what I would have. Sergeant Paper's recommendations are spot on--just the very ones I would have suggested.

Regarding your same questions about "Mean Sets," I'd have to say that most are fairly simple, though some are larger or have more features than others. But just to help get the hang of things, I'd recommend The Secret Room, The Opium Den, The Drug Store/Barber Shop, The Garage, and The Old Farmhouse for the greatest simplicity.

The latest re-design of The Night Club is probably about the most complex, but with no architectural feature not in one of the other designs. Similarly, The Cheap Hotel has three rooms, and the shared Bathroom, so requires a bit more time. The Middle Eastern Bar has a number of sub-assemblies (the Fountain and the Bar) as well as several rooms, so also takes a bit more time.

However, and this is the point, once you get familiar with the general assembly features of the simplest designs, the more complex only require more work, not more difficult work.

And to Sergeant Paper, "Yes!," it is easy to get ahead of oneself when having several "Mean Streets" (or "Sets") all at once. To get the best results--as with anything else--it does take a bit of time, and each Block Section or Set deserves to be built as well as possible, as I'm sure you have seen for yourself.

When you have a full city block with sidewalks, alleys, and streets put together, it is admittedly something more than the mere sum of its parts!

TVAG

Patrick

Not to worry, I got my answer. What's the book about? Also, do you have a random generator for Mean Streets still available? Its one where you could dice up a location(Mean streets block) at random.

Yes! I do indeed still have the Random Scene Generator, and I'll send it to you.

I've begun updating it to include ALL of the current "Mean Sets," but while all locations are listed, not all the details for each have been completed. Still, no reason not to add your own details as you might think work best!

And the book I've just completed editing and prepping for publication is "For A Brevet Or A Coffin!," about the 68 US Army Officers killed in action during the Indian Wars after the Civil War, west of the Mississippi. The plan is to offer it through Amazon and if this experiment goes well, I may start offering more TVAG Publications through the same service.

Happy T-Day!

TVAG