The first time my college roomate saw me I was at my desk, uniform book open, light drawn close, hat backwards, glasses off, brush between my teeth with OD on it, staring at an 1/35 ammo pouch on a tooth pick. She’s got a 4.0, it was pretty obvious.
Don’t tell her … show her some of your semi-finished work. [;)]
Let her figure it out from there … chances are she’ll be impressed by your work.
Most people don’t get it. One of my daughter’s friends asked me what I like to do besides play softball and I replied “I like modeling” (I realized then that I said it wrong). She said “Really, for what store?”. LOL
I get that quite a lot. And for the most part, once you show someone your finished models, they can’t help but like them, especially if they don’t build models themselves.
yeah i notice that too.
I just end up showing them a photo album of my work - or a finished model. They are usually speechless, then say “you must have a lot of patience”.
I must.
Cheers
LeeTree
[#ditto]
What y’all said…
Gip Winecoff
I used to get the “RCA Dog” head-tilt a lot when I told people I build models. Sort of the “Aren’t you a little old for that?” thing. Also they always assumed I built cars and airplanes. When I said “military” the head tilted in the other direction. But like a lot of others here the idea finally sunk in once I showed them the work I do. I wonder if anyone else has had this experience: most men are impressed with the vehicles, and women are impressed with the large figures (especially the mounted ones… girls always love horses). Dioramas usually impressed both sexes about equally. My first wife had never known a real modeler before; her brother had built car models (like we all did when we were young) and he blew them up with firecrackers (I think we all did that too… um… didn’t we?). She was a bit unprepared for dedication on my level; it wasn’t the reason we got divorced but I used to hear about the time I spent on them a lot!
My roomie pretty well got the idea by the end of the semester. I had a bunch of parts out drying after a post sanding rinse and took one look at them and the window she was gonna open and with a “That would not be good” nixed the idea. I think she pictured me having a nervious breakdown if the wind tossed them all.
Proof that she really got it-Me panicking over a paper and her saying “Stop, take a deep breathe and go…sand something”[:D]
I know the feeling. What suprised me, being in the airline industry, is when I pull out a copy of FSM in the cockpit or look at a Squadron catalog etc. or tell them that I build scale model aircraft most of my first officers look at me like I just told them that I still play with GI Joe (hey I did as a kid). Or I get the blank stare. Whatever.
Being at my airline for almost 5 years now I figured that I would run into someone that builds models. I’m still waiting.
Steve
Just wear a Tamiya T shirt.
You know, i never get the level of appreciation that you guys do… with any model! I always get the “That’s nice. Ho-hum.” look… why am i the only one among my firends that’s interested in these things?!?
I remember my wife mentioning to a friend that I like models - there was a pause in the conversation, as her friend thought I was preoccupied with the “Elle McPherson / Cathy Ireland” type of models. Once she realized that “plastic models” were being referred to, she paused again. Perhaps she wondered if I’d ever grow up!
If you really want to go for shock value after hearing comments about modeling being a kids hobby, show them a price list for resin kits or the Trumpeter Leopold or an Accurate Armour Oshkosh truck.
they’d commit you if you showed them that.
When I was yonger I used to hesitate when speaking of my favorite hobby. Now at 49 I just come right out and say " I build models." I would say 90% to 95% of the responses are positive and no funny looks.Funny thing though, most ask " Oh, railroading?"
In the 4 years or so that I’ve been modeling as an adult - there have been very few instances where the topic has come up. When it has - it’s usually met with indifference.
Something came up at work the other day though - and I’m wondering what kind of responses I will get. (if any). At work I do product training once in a while - so our company asked all the “teachers” to fill out these mini-biography questionaires. One of the questions of course was “what are your hobbies” - so I said “plastic modeling” and a few other things. The bio’s are supposed to be used in the brochure that they put out to advertise the training. It’ll probably take a few months before anyone sees the thing - I wonder if it will generate any response at all. My guess is - I doubt it.
Cassibill, I’ve nearly commited myself when I try to total what I have spent on this hobby. At the very least it is college tuition [%-)]
I have a good bit of friends that love to see the finished ones. They get amazed at what can actually be done with a piece of plastic.
I once was asked by a woman, after I told her I build scale plastic models, “What do you wan’t to be when you grow up”. I told her I tried being an adult once, didn’t like it, so I went back to being a child. [bow][bow]