How long have you guys been building models? I can claim to have been doing this since age 5, so … 43 years. But not “well,” whatever that means, until the last five years or so. And I took some time off to be married (twice: lost probably 15 years’ development time there), go to school (lost another five or six years), and work full time (probably a cumulative ten years’ wasted earning very little money).
I’ve been back into it seriously about two years now.
How 'bout you guys?
Started about 8-9. Built until mid-teens or so, and off or on for the next 20 years or so. Really dived back into it about 3-4 years ago. Now completely out of control. With all the new kits, quality, multi-media, and such, modeling has never been better.
intersting question…I tend to think of my building in phases:
introduction, building with little or no skill and absolutely no historical perspective…
time off for college, family, etc…
back into it again…this time with more that was lacking in phase one, and with the money to be able to afford our expensive hobby…I believe FSM demographic studies show my pattern as being typical…that’s why i don’t get so worked up when I hear that young kids aren’t building; I consider what we do as more of an adult-hobby, at least to the extent as most of the guys on her are building…
I’m in the same boat MR.
Built models (never a tank! shame, shame) for a few years until I was like 15 years old…basic kid stuff.
Went to college, got married, had a kid an now less than a year ago at 32 I’ve taken up model tanks pretty much exclusively. Helps that now I have a historical perspective being a history buff, can afford all the goodies, and have the patience to perfect it.
First thing that struck me coming back into the hobby after 17 years is how advanced and detailed models are now…I love it. I can’t believe in less than a year how big my stash is…I’m almost ashamed!
Got into it several years ago. junior modelor. do school projects with my models. been modeling seriosly since 11.
I’m 47 years old, and am approaching my first (1 year) anniversary in the hobby next month.
Larry
I built a lot of models when I was a kit, almost all aircraft. I had so many hanging from my ceiling and on my book shelves. Back then I build mosty 1/72, but had about 4 or 5 1/32 planes on the ceiling, a P-51B, Hawker Typhoon, Spitfire, Bf109G and an ME 262 Nightfighter.
Once I discovered girls and music I pretty much stopped building models. Many years go by, marriage, kids, divorce, 2nd marriage, busy iwth life. I didn’t build models during that period, but got interested in military history again and began reading a lot.
About 5 years ago I built an old Tamiya M4A3 and the ancient Tamiya Jadgpanther kit to get my feet wet and get back into the hobby. About 2 or 3 years ago I got the modeling bug big time and managed to build and finish a kit about every 3 or 4 months as I was still a casual builder and was very busy with family and career (I travelled a lot for my work). Two years ago I switched jobs and now travel very seldom. As the kids are older now, I have more free time and over the past year I’ve been cranking out about 1 kit a month.
Life is still very hectic, and there are times when I don’t go near my work bench for a week or two, and other times I can spend an hour more a day.
Same as MR. Just started taking modeling seriously a few years ago with limited success! [:D]
I have been building models since as long as I can remember. There have been periods of up to several years where I left, but then I came back to it in one form or another. This year I’ll be 52 and I do find that sometimes a particular event will trigger a memory. For my modelling memories, one in particular is associated with the old Beatles song “Hello/Goodbye”. When this song was first released I was in my early teens and I can still remember building some 1/72 WWI aircraft to it with my older brother.
Mike T.
Very similar to most of you. Built models of all types through teen age years. Faded out through college. Marrage, military. job, house, daughter and I came back two years ago at 50. My 20 years in the military (retired artillery officer), is what gives me my insperation. I tend to concentrate on 1/35 scale US post WW 2 artillery and support equipment.
The hobby is much more expensive now than when I was a kid, especially if you want to do it right. A model is not just the kit but additions for the barrel, PH parts, tracks, etc. A $20 kit could have another $40-$60 in add on to a finished model, not including paint tools etc. Fortunatly I am at a point in life where I can do this. I don’t know how a kid could be in the hobby the way us older modelers are unless dad helps.
I also find myself investing in not just the kits and add ons I want but in the work area and tools. I started on a work bench in my basement two years ago. It has now progressed to include a spray paint booth, computer shelving and now I am finishing the walls and floors to create a formal room which is my modeling studio.
I greatly enjoy what I do. The finished product bring back the smell of muzzel blast and keep history alive. The work keeps the creative jucies going with a personal outlet from all the other daily pressures. Thanks
I seem to follow the typical pattern as well. My first model was when I was six or seven, and I built a lot of models through my ealy teens. My earliest efforts were un-painted, although within a couple of years I was at least brush painting, and with cars I would usually spring for a can of gloss spray paint. At the time, I thought that some of my later builds were quite good, but would no doubt chuckle if I could see them today.
I high school, I most gave up building, although I built a couple of kits while in college. After the typical ten to fifteen year hiatus, I got back into it when I picked up a Revell 1/720 Arizona. A positively dreadful kit I had built as a kid, I had great fun trying to make it look like something. That was eight or nine years ago, and things have taken off since: Airbrushes, photoetch, scratch building, historical research, etc.
Same here…
Back at it semi-seriously for about 4 years now. I built (and burned) numerous models during the 1970’s, mostly prior to junior high school. Then other interests moved to the front of the line. I built one solitary model (a Phantom) during Air Force technical training, but then left the hobby during 19 years of service. About a year before retirement, I started getting “the itch” again and have been at it ever since with a focus on military ground subjects.
Redleg - I would like to add to your comments. Alot of what is concerned with the costs is relative, but not completely so. During the mid to late 1960’s I could buy a Mongoram 1/48 single engine aircraft or a Revel 3 in 1 set (Famous Aircraft series) for $0.69 each. The MSRP was $1.00. Testor’s paints in the little glass bottles were 8 or 9 cents each and I used to annoy the salesperson by buying one at a time to avoid salestax. We could go to the candy store and get jawbreakers for 2 cents and candybars and packs of baseball cards were a nickel each. We could get a lot with a $1.00 or 2.00 monthly allowance. Three to four gallons of gasoline was the relative costs of one Monogram kit.
Those kits don’t meet he standards of today for the most part for accuracy, the Monogram rivets, and the blending of the features of various models in one kit.
The costs as you state are increasing alot, and so are our demands for accuracy and details. We are not statifiied with the Monogram model/toys with their folding wings and retractable landing gear any more. You know, I could never get the Corsair wings to fold properly.
As my two sons show interest I help them how I can. Both play Warhammer and I have given them help with their figure paintings. Reminds me of my fantasy roleplaying days. Last Christmas my youngest received an Andrea piant set from me to help him along with his figures.
This weekend I plan to do a group build with my youngest son. He’ll build the Italieri 1/48 F-22 and myself the Academy 1/48 MiG 29. It should be fun.
I would love to have a workshop like you are mentioning, but our space situation limits me. Its great to be able to pass on the enjoyment to our children as our parents did. My father was the one that got me started.
Mike T.
I agree with what you are saying, the detals on the old kits are not what they are today. You can however still spend time and money if you get one of those old kits which may be of something which has not been redone today and try to add the details that are missing, just another thought. Yes we can all remember how cheap things were in the old days.
As far as the kid of today, besides the cost they have a thousand other distractions and things they can do which did not exist when we were their age. In this age of satelite TV with 300 stations, laptop computers, cell phones, and even this forum, it is hard to remeber a time of rotary phones, 6 stations on TV, the slide ruler and where mail used a stamp.
Life is great, no matter where you are! Thanks
I’m 46 and been into modelling seriously for a couple of years, exclusively 1/35 WW2 armour.
I’ve been interested in WW2 since i was about 8 or 9 and the fascination has never gone away. My main area of interest is the Eastern front though anything in the European theatre grabs my attention. I tried wargaming for a while but didn’t enjoy it as much as i thought i would. That led into modelling and i’ve never looked back. i just love the whole scope of building a model, from researching a particular topic, deciding on a diorama setting, building, painting, weathering. I’m hooked and i think it will be for life.
All the models i’ve built so far, good or bad, are displayed on a bookshelf. i haven’t run out of room yet and had to toss one out. Dunno how i’m gonna cope with that when it happens. i’m attached to them all.
My idea of a great day: sitting at the workbench on a sunny day with the workshop door open, sport on the TV in the background and a cold beer within reach. Heaven.
Cheers
While I went through the kid cycle, it had nothing to do with my current interest which is armor building. The spark was there from doing aircraft as a kid…but when I returned to the hobby it was for a very unusual reason. I had become heavily immersed in the MMPORG called World War Two Online (Ron knows what I’m talking about) and was part of a squad known as the Black Knight Bridgade. One of my squadmates fell seriously ill and was put into the hospital…and the squad wanted to do something special for him, so we put some money together and bought him a Matilda mk II kit…then the bright idea was to build it, finish it in colors like how the vehicles were shown in the game, and have his name along one side with the squad call letters, BKB. I was the only one who had any model related experience, so I got tapped. His wife said he cried when it showed up at his hospital bedside. That was in 2001. Since then I’ve built 77 armor models of various subjects and types, virtually all 1/35 and have 102 unbuilt kits waiting in the stash for their turn. You could say that I’ve turned fully to the darkside and haven’t looked back since. [;)]
AHH HAA!, I knew something was up ! you WERE a KIT, and not a KID! this means either you’ve had plastic in your veins since birth, or you are crafty crazy like a fox…which explains your diatribe on this and other boards![:D]
Take care buddy (Sorry Scotty, I couldn’t resist…)
SC