Model Building or , Why do you play with those toys ? Can the moderators please remove this ??

General Discussion General Modeling Discussion
1

I bet that got your attention ;

Good . Did you know that many of us do not realize that there are a majority of the population see what we do as grown men and women is playing with toys .

To them , Building models is just that . Isn’t it sad that many folks don’t have enough imagination or just plain gumption to build models .

What is it that drives us to do this ? Open a box full of meticulously molded parts ( Well mostly ) and dive in . Devouring the instructions and be totally spaced out concerning the outside area around us .

The hurt to our wallet receding quickly once we smell that Styrene or Resin causes a complete transformation of our mental state . We become like children , slavering over those parts , the instruction pages and we get big eyed like a child on Chistmas morning when we see flawless decals !

Then we go into a fugue state as our hands grip those parts , quickly seeing a basis for our actions . The parts line up and recieve the ministrations of the glue and a miniature Tank , Airplane , Car , Truck or Ship begins to appear .

We dream of the day it’s finished .To many standards .Some want them to be built to contest quality , Some , Museum quality and many to Oh , that’s nice , it’s finished now , let’s shelve it and start the next one .

Well , it is our hobby right ? You bet . Now why don’t folks understand we’d rather sit at our bench creating , rather than spending tons for Ski gear or Scuba gear as many do or spending it on sport team apparel .

We don’t lean that way . We’d rather see what we did , and not have it just a Memory or a Worry . The Tamiya or Trumpeter U.S.S. Missouri and all the aftermarket may get close to $ 650.00 , but we will have it to look at for a long time . Not so when we are worrying about the drain that boat payments , for instance , that are dragging us down . The boat has to go , but the Missouri Model doesn’t have too , see !

Gees , I am glad I am a modeler ! Tanker - Builder

2

It is a hobby. Like the guy who plays golf, goes fishing, plays video games, flies kites, collects stamps, gardens, works on a hotrod, plays bingo, etc.

3

Really…I don’t see it all that differently than “playing with toys”, it’s just a different sort of “play”! Even being in the second half of my life(most likely), don’t think for a second, that every plane I finish doesn’t strafe everything else on the shelves…and the wife…and the dog…and the deer heads on the walls…and…

My ski team took 1st place 2 years ago…I was in the top 5 for “most improved” over the season…that was on a pair of skis that were already old and outdated when I got em, 25 years ago! I got a lot of flak from the “pros”…those that had the latest/greatest gear and had an ego about their skiing abilities. Got a LOT of challenges from them clowns…and served em a nice hot plate of crow at the bottom of the hill, on a few ocassions!!!

4

No shame in loving your toys. Along with modelling I also collect vintage Marx Battleground and Fort Apache pieces. Hung on to all of my Star Wars stuff from the 70’s and my Sgt. Rock comic books too. My daughters, both in their 20’s, do find it amusing to see me admiring my stuff though.

5

agree with everything you said TB , ever thought of going into public speaking mate , reckon you’d be good at it .

steve5

6

I’m at that age where my body is undergoing some profound changes. The hair which once hung to my shoulders has retreated, my hearing is shot from decades of heavy metal, my eyesight has grown fuzzy, and all of those injuries I’ve endured through sports and military service have returned with a vengeance thanks to sub-zero temps. My second puberty has become a miserable experience.

If revisiting lost youth by putting in long hours at the end to create scale works of art is “playing with toys,” I’m old enough now to tell you to step off - get off my cloud, stay out of my happy place, and go mind your own darned business. The next time you feel as if you need to lend me your two cents on the matter, the bank is downtown and I guarantee that they’ll pay more interest on your investment than I ever will.

If that comes off as crotchety, blame it on decades of sniffing glue. :wink:

7

So…this is what I have to look forward to???

8

Only if you play hard- [;)]

9

Yeah- and it gets worse!

10

Frankly, I dont give a chit what people think. When I build, It is “Me” time, time to space out and forget. For me, it is more than building, I will spend more time doing research. watching videos of the subject, than actually building.

It’s a learning process as well, more than just playing with a toy.

11

I consider model building to be art.

12

simple answer to all of the above…"because I like it "

13

Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional.

14

Hi Steve5;

Well , to be honest with you , I did have to do a lot of public speaking at builders conventions . The subject ? How to clear a site for a house without damaging old growth trees .This was back in the seventies .

Many builders thought I was nuts . Until they saw my housing sales figures . I did not build any house that didn’t leave some old growth in place .Lots of shade and fresh air . Service alleys behind the houses as well as driveways and 60" sidewalks 8 feet from the curbs .

This was driven by my love for old growth trees by the houses I grew up in . Plenty of space for a child’s swing or a love seat swing . Willow trees with lots of shady overhang . This to me was only right . T.B.

15

They say the difference between men and boys are the price of their toys.

However, I still can’t see why the attitude about men who do model building just because kids do also. Kids play with paint and paintbrush too, yet the public will pay millions for a painting done by an older painter. Same with sculpture. I played with modeling clay as a kid- many kids do. Yet the public reveres sculptors. Maybe they see model kits as paint-by-numbers, yet I think this attitude is aimed even at scratch builders. Maybe the popularity of adult coloring books may change things.

16

I do it for stress relief and I enjoy it.

Midnightprowler, what was your MOS? I was a 62E 365th, Co. D Combat Engineers, New Cumberland PA 81-87

17

Me too. Everyone is entitled to some alone time to enjoy this great hobby.

18

I miss Sgt. Rock[:'(] !!

19

The Haunted Tank!

20

I’ll be honest, I don’t really see people looking down at our hobby as being immature. These are much different times. Middle aged men are collecting toys, playing video games, collecting comic books, etc.

Years ago, if you were a middle aged man or older and you were collecting toys, building models, etc, you were probably looked down upon. Back then, grownups were grownups and did not do such “childish” things. Now, it’s completely different. I’m 41, and I know and see a lot of people my age and older at hobby shops, at comic book stores, at toy conventions, etc. It’s much more accepted nowadays.