Model Kits and the Recession.

[bobs_buckles]

Originally Posted by JohnReid

Hi MIkey! yeah you just might be right, we will probably need our hobbies more than ever now.

Ditto Mike, a valid point.

Happy days!

Von Buckle

[bobs_buckles]

I'm a sucker for tools and gadgets when it comes to modelling. I would say I spend a 3rd of my hobby budget on them. Anyone else like their tools? If you could pick one what would it be?

Cheers,
Bob

[Kitboy]

For me a good point is buying stuff in American Dollars. Some kits got very cheap for me. I have ordered quit a lot recently from the U.S. It's a good time to posses Euro's (sorry).

Although not a WW1 release; Classic Airframe's Fokker G1 in 48 scale was suppose to be released at this moment. It has been cancelled cause of economic crisis. Too bad for me. This is the only subject I heard of being cancelled cause of the crisis. No for this part rumours from Eduard or Roden I believe.

Cheers, Nico

[davecww1]

I too have cut back a lot on my spending the last couple of years and while I can't afford to buy the latest short run resin kits I used to get, I can still get a couple of Roden or Eduard kits every month or so, and have also found ways to get new kits to review for certain online publications that really saves me cash. So while I can get by with what I have, I seem to be selling kits in order to get the cash to buy new ones instead of the old practice of charging them on my credit card.
Dave

[Rob_Owens]

and have a couple of OOP rarities (1/20 Nichimo Cessna 172, 1/48 Revell H-34G, 1/32 Revell N1K1-Ja) which seem to command high prices, despite the economic situation. Also, since I don't build 1/48 any longer, I'm not tempted by new Eduard releases. And thanks to the efforts of that Prince, Mike Taylor, I've managed to acquire new 1/32 Roden kits at a very hefty discount Life for me is indeed good!

[mgtaylor]

[FOKKERJ]

Hello All and Happy Belated Birthday John Reid,

During the late sixty's, I use to buy my kits for 29 cents on up, everything from REVELL, AIRFIX, AURORA, HAWK, to the knock-offs. I walked into a hobby shop around '78, spent about $20.00 and walked out with a large bag full of 1/72" kits, mostly AIRFIX, they're probably still unopened and in a box out in the barn. I remember going into a hobby shop in the mid eighties and seeing my first Limited Edition PEGASUS kit, it was a Siemens-Schuckert D.III for $8.00 to $16.00. It did not have any landing gear or struts and looked a little rough! I left without it!
About four years ago, I started to make up for the previously stagnant 25 years of no kit buying. It started with a 1/4 scale R/C kit and progressed back to plastic. I have focused on previously owned kits and new kits on sale. A little to a lot of research can really save money, with all of the lessons along the way. Vac-formed, injection molded plastic, and resin. 1/72" to 1/32".
Over the last four years I have acquired and rat holed a stash that would keep most normal builders busy for a lifetime. At the rate that I am going, it will take me several life times!

Bob, my favorite tool has to be my EXACTO knife with the 1/2" round Aluminum handle, it fits just right and with a sharp blade it handles many tasks that other tools might be better suited to accomplish. It never fails to amaze me! I find carving on plastic to be very therapeutic and rewarding for me. I like PEGASUS and other limited edition kits as they require carving. Now I need to see if I still remember how to paint! Then my favorite tool will be my brush. I wish that I still had my favorite brushes of yesterday, hopefully the new replacements will work fine.

Thanks John for a good thread, Jay

[Rittersbach]

Some of us have enough stashed that they will require a line item in our wills. I will continue to buy kits even in tough times to keep WWI modeling alive. Not to mention adding to the stash, or not to mention, aquiring kits can sometimes be almost as enjoyable as building them. Please note I said almost.
As long as I have a job I'll buy kits. If I lose my job, that's when my stash will come in handy.

[mgtaylor]

I agree with Ritter. Of course Since rejoining the Hobby as an adult too in late 99 I cant get enough Kits / Resin / PE / Tools PAints Decals and on and on. When I get in a LHS now I already have so much at home All I end up being able to get that i dont are bits of Wire and glue. I constantly shop for small diameter wire / sanding sticks etc.

Line Item in the Will ? Yep . me too Guilty as charged.

aquiring kits can sometimes be almost as enjoyable as building them

"Allllllllllmooooooost" Maybe. Yes When the Post man arrrives. In fact I like the UPS man for the very reason he throws my delvieres along my walkway and into bushes by my front door cause it gives me the Chance to FIND them Before "Wifey" has a chance to see them and then HIDE them IN Plain SIght mixed up with the ever growing stacks of other new kits in the garage ? Hee Hee Hee

JUst walking in to my garage (where my hobby has been banished to ) in to the Stacks of loosely organized deshelved Stacks and stacks of Kits I get a rush of excitment like i did when I was a little kid walkng thru the Stacks of Model Kits at the LHS, Only nobody is looking over my shoulder if I take on off the shelf and Open the box to poke around the pArts and read the Intruction Sheet !!!


BUt I'd rather build too. But until time/work/wifey/kids etc co-operate then I can imagine and make little grpous of kits Id like to build together ?

Yours MIkey

[AROTH]

After reading some of these last comments, I do not feel so bad after all - my wife just shakes her head in disgust when I keep buying and keep hoarding. As mgtaylor said, sometimes I just enjoy opening the boxes and looking inside at the contents.

Anyway, she spends her money on her two horses and their needs, so who is she to talk? Ha-ha.