At what age does this start?
I think it can start at about any age. I certainly have my share of collected, unassembled kits…over 200. But I collected them all with the intent of building them.
I started buying them faster than I could build them in about 1970 or so,which makes me 13.
I think it happened because of aftermarket decal sheets, and kits like the MPC Profile series,or maybe the Revell dogfight kits,I know I bought one of each on the same day, one time,that set me behind by 3 models and 6 (6+?) markings schemes in one purchase
Rex
About 18 when I got my first credit card. Woohoo:p
It starts so gradually that you will find it hard to set a date. It is the old “leaky bucket” differential equation. if the outflow is only slightly less than the inflow, the stash will grow only very slowly. It is like compound interest with a very low interest rate- it still adds up over time, but in the beginning it is hard to see that you are saving much money. Do it long enough and the total builds up.
Yeah, I’m not sure there is any definite age here. With me it started when every time I found the perfect decal sheet for a build it was out of print. So I ended up buying every decal sheet I liked to make sure I’d have it when I started something new.
It spreads when you see good deals on stuff- ‘weeeelllll I’m going to buy this someday and it’s 30% off now so I might as well buy it now…’.
It isn’t long when you find out that yes, you are a hoarder…
It starts …when you buy same kit to make a better build of the one you finished
…when you buy a kit that you like that may not be there when you go back
…when you buy a bunch of the same kit so you can use all the markings in the decal sheet
…when you see bargain on model shows/swap meets
…whenever you pass by your LHS
…and before you know it you are already a model collector!!!
Your second point is what got me started collecting.
The issue we all have is there are to many new kits being released and I can only speak for myself but when I buy a kit I have good intentions to build it, then a month later I see another kit I want to build so all of a sudden last months kit gets put on the back burner…and so on and so on
Cheers Leo
Agree. As well as when I see a decent build I say, " hmm, I gosta get me one of dem!"
My stash started getting built when I was sixteen or so. When Hobby Lobby used to have a decent model selection and fifty percent off sales. Pretty easy to build a stash then!
I was out of modeling for a couple years or so and sold the sash. Came back just this February. And somehow managed to build a large stash in a short period of time. Mainly by getting stuff on sale and selling stuff that I’ve collected throughout the years.