I started my first kit at age 4 (almost 5 to be more likely) with help from my dad. It was a Pyro or Lifelike kit of a Brontosaurus. After that on was the Revell Prinz Eugen and on on it went. I dont think snap tites and considering my age/skills ever entered the picture. But the first kits I seem to remember building solo were all the old Hawk kits: Me-109, Zero, Corsair, etc… I never truly broke away from the hobby, although I did certainly slow down at the end of high school. After I joined the Army and finished training, my modeling took off again with a vengeance due to a well stocked PX and my paycheck and no debts… It has been madness ever since, although time is the main crimp now. ( and these online activities that divert my attention…[:O] )
I think I was 6 or 7 when I first built my kit. I had a uncle who was serving in the army at that time and whenever he was on his leave, he would take me to a local stationary store and bought me 1/35 figures (knock off of Tamiya). Since then I was hooked on to this hobby.
7… Never left.
I can’t rightly remember when I started building models. It might have been when I was about 5 or so. Some things I do remember was that my father had built a few including an ocean liner, fully painted and my friend’s father had a set of the Aurora WWI aircraft on dispaly including the Nieuport 11 with the rockets mounted.
There were a few intervals that I didn’t build. During my undergraduate days of college I didn’t build. In grad school I built at least one airplane and numerous RPG figures. A couple of years off when I moved with my job from coast to coast, but I soon started wooden ship models, R/C ships then slowly back into plastic with some breaks in between.
Mike T.
I was 36 when i started modeling i decided to take a break from the hobby one year later but started back 16 hours later after i ran out of beer and got bored, i never looked back since, im 39 now. [#toast]
Ron.
I started at about 8 or 9…once I got my guitar at 15 I took off about 6 years to dedicate myself to that, and then resumed when I was about 22. Haven’t stoped since, although it’s more of a winter thing with my racing obsession right now.
I am still plugging away on the DML Hetzer however, as my bike undergoes a bottom-end rebuild! I’ll have some new WIPs up next week!
I think I was 9 or 10 I when first started. My first victims were 1/72 jets like the Delta Dagger and a ship or two that my brother and I would sweet talk my mom into buying for us at Woolworths. We broke the parts off the sprues, slapped them together with glue and managed to get a decal or two to stick to the unpainted plastic!! I was happy as a clam. When I was 11 or 12 my dad took me to an army base and I saw armor kits for the first time!! I was immediately infected and Monogram 1/32 WWII armor and 1/48 fighters was my disease! Soon I graduated to Tamiya 1/35 armor and also remember building some 1/48 Hasegawa (I think) fighters. However during high school I started getting frustrated with my progress as I could not afford the tools and equipment to build the way I wanted (like an airbrush etc). Eventually model building was replaced by comics, fishing and girls (not necessarily in that order!).
Over the years I never lost an interest in models. I finally returned when I was 45. Last year while taking care of my sick dad and not having much to do I decided to buy an issue of Fine Scale Modeling. This magazine changed everything! I was amazed at the way models were being built now, as well as the quality of kits, the easy availablility and enormous amount of supplies and aftermarket parts, and all the new techniques!! After reading a few issues I couldn’t stand it any longer! I went to an LHS and bought my first model after 27 yrs…a Tamiya 1/35 T-34/76 1942. Funny thing is I built this exact same kit when I was 14 or 15 yrs old and the kit has not changed one bit! That was 30 yrs ago, I’m 46 now and I’m enjoying the hobby more now than I did when I was a kid.
One thing that has made my return so enjoyable is the modelling community like FSM Forums! Thanks for letting me share this with all of you!