I was helping a friend out the other day with his first kit, and he was asking questions in general about the hobby. One of the things he asked was, “Who would ever need so many different colors of paint?” Just curious as to what some of the strange things you’ve heard are.
I’ve also heard from various demos:
-How many times have you glued your fingers together?
-I’ve only got 5 minutes. Can you teach me in 5 minutes?
-I’ve never done this before. What’s your advice? fill in blank Naw, that won’t work.
an ex-girlfriend once looked at some of my kits and asked me “how do you paint the inside once you have glued it all together?”. as i said she’s now an EX. Greg
“Did you made this?”…
Not exactly weird but mind blowing. After working for hours in a camo pattern of snakes and rest of weird things.
i asked my brother "doesnt look cool? "-The answer “No. I liked the plain sand color better…”
Not sure if I really have heard a lot of weird things said ‘about’ me, but the most common thing I hear ‘to’ me is:
“So, what would happen if I do… this!” (followed by some dumb hand gesture that suggests smashing the model. Usually far to close for my liking…)
or…
“Does this spin/move/work/turn, etc?” (said while pushing/pulling/twisting something until it breaks (props and/or rigging are good examples). Obviously not waiting for the answer…)
I don’t have a huge collection of finished kits, and there aren’t a whole lot of great ones in the lot. But, I’m still proud of them…
“Why would any grown man want to build models?”…I hear that alot…maybe not directly…But I still hear it. So I generally ask…“I dont know what makes 2 grown women go to the bathroom at the same time?”…
oh the humanity…how could i forget the silly threat thing…
i blocked my sister by threatening with a roasted kitten retalliation.
Cruel call the WWF, Animal Welfare if you wish but it worked just fine.
Snap Thing happened twice…Dynamicaly dealt with twice…(thank god for superglue…lol)
Yeah!!
I got asked BY A JUDGE at a MODEL COMP (!!!) - “Wow!! Did YOU make that??”
Schmuck. No, dickhead, I got it out of a cereal box / my four year old daughter made it / I found it / I pinched it off a table just over there …
Then there’s the question (also posed by Murray) “Does THIS move??” Which is usually followed by the sound of snapping plastic…and the sound of grinding teeth…
Then the statement comes - “Geez, you must have a lot of patience…”
For stupid questions? No, not really…
Then there’s the question from the wife…“Why do you need ANOTHER unbuilt model?
(To add to the hundred or so already languishing on the workroom shelves, silly!!)”
My pet peeve is when family and friends refer to my modeling as “playing”.
Why is it that artists are creating, and we are just playing? Modelers are among the most creative, resourceful and intelligent people that I can think of.
Referring to our hobby as playing is similar to listening to fingernails on a chalkboard…it makes me cringe.
It never fails, whenever I am at work at one of our terminals (waiting for my next load) reading my lastest copy of FSM. When someone ask “Do you build those?”, “If it doesn’t fly its a waste of time”, and the one that torques me to no end “You would you want to waste your time with those toys?”
Here is the typical Christmas suggestion list. My wife tells me that somebody in the family wants to know what to get me for Christmas. I tell her any model is fine. She tells me that they think that I already have too many models (75). Then I tell her to have them buy me ammunition…then I usually get a model! [:D]
I have heard before, (and it has happened from the person that bought me the model that they are looking at) did you paint that? Oh, sometimes it is hard not to make the smarta$$ comment that that was the way that they bought it for me. [}:)]
Many times I have had people come into my office where I display my finished models (I’m a Priest) and people have asked “Is that allowed?” after I tell them that I had made them. I actually answered once that I had gotten special permission from the Pope, but mostly I remind them that “Thou shalt not build models.” is not among the Ten Commandments (except for maybe that “graven image” bit but I haven’t built any models of God yet, I wouldn’t know what scale to use). It’s as if model building were some pagan thing.
Paul,
When god lets you what scale not to use, would you please let us poor sinners know so that we don’t get “condemed” over a piece of plastic LOL [:D][:D][:D][:D][:D] Sorry man, but I couldn’t resist!!![}:)]
I hate it when someone of liberal extraction asks me what kind of models I build, and I say I build mostly military subjects, and I get these kinds of looks from those people [:(!][V][:(][|)]
The “Peter Pan Syndrome” is really amusing…and can help you in boring grown-up conversations…Quite often I discuss with and advice kids on kit models rather than engage in conversations like the bloody boss said this, the neighbour did the other, i had 12 cans of beer in one go, we went to this joint/ club/restaurant , i am so cool driver, lover etc…Good for the parents (peace of mind) good fpr me peace of sanity and opportunity to drive more kids to “corruption”…lol.
When a model shop opened up in my area, I was one of the first visitor to stop in. All I found was RC and RC related items. I asked if he had any plastic kits. He told me, “We are into serious modeling. If you want something plastic, go to a toy store”. I never went back there, and he closed up three months later.