Social Media Creates New Interest in Old Val’s Model Kit

AVON - Thanks to the internet, an old model of the Val's Hamburgers building is getting some renewed interest. Designer and owner David Proell says he created the Val's railroad building model back in 1992.

I loved going to Val's, and it had such a neat old building. It was actually an old gas station at one time, way back before 1959 when they turned it over to a hamburger place. And, my dad actually had a gas station in the St. Cloud area at the same time, it was kind of competition.

Proell says the ironic thing is he has been planning on discontinuing the Val's kit, because interest had been waning. But, he says he's been receiving more emails over the past two weeks from people interested in buying the kit.

Proell owns JL Innovative Design in Avon.

He says he creates about two new kits every year.