# Are We A dying Breed?



## toysoldierman20 (Mar 29, 2009)

Are we a dying breed? It seems to me that every year theres less hobby shops around then the year before.How many young people do you know today that take the time to sit down and assemble a model kit? To me it just seems like a very much faster paced world then when we were kids.
With all the vidio games and computers,etc it seems kids just don't want or have the desire to do some of the things we done when we were young.
Will building models die out with our generation?What do the rest of you think?


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## Zorro (Jun 22, 1999)

toysoldierman20 said:


> Are we a dying breed? It seems to me that every year theres less hobby shops around then the year before.How many young people do you know today that take the time to sit down and assemble a model kit? To me it just seems like a very much faster paced world then when we were kids.
> With all the vidio games and computers,etc it seems kids just don't want or have the desire to do some of the things we done when we were young.
> Will building models die out with our generation?What do the rest of you think?


The hobby won't "die out" entirely but it will continue to shrink. Not many people cast army soldiers out of lead, build balsa wood airplanes, or tinker with crystal radio sets anymore like my father did in his youth. Times most definitely change.


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

Folks attention span is less. My Mom and Dad built my first models for me, then with me, and then cut me loose on my own. (dad loved toys so he was a good buyer) he also worked alot so I got alot of guilt kits...lol.
Kids don't get that kind of leg up anymore, and make no mistake, even with a simple kit there is a learning curve. Frustration and no supervision can kill any desire to try building. Alot of guys _my age _don't build kits,..no hand eye coordination..smart talented guys, but no desire to work on a kit. I'm pretty sure the only kids still building stuff have Hobby dads of one kind or another.
When a given population's death/attrition rate exceeds it's ability to replace the lost numbers...it's starts to "die off" 
Yup. Dying breed.

Steve


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## Jodet (May 25, 2008)

Yes. 

Personally, I blame Fine Scale Modeler magazine. If they'd spent the last 30 years running articles of general interest to modelers of all skill levels and modelers of all subjects we'd probably have 10, 20, hell, even 30 more modelers than we do today.


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

Oh yeah those guys..lol...How many times have they run how to air brush? Decaling made easy?...lol. It's the family/no family thing...models aren't babysitters. (Untill the kid dosen't need a babysitter...)
They are trying. Can you Imagine running a print hobby mag with the way the internet is giving them a run for the money? 

Steve


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

steve123 said:


> Folks attention span is less.


Hm? Wha? I wasn't lis - oooh, a butterfly!



Well, I went to MosquitoCon last weekend and everybody there was an old fart like me. There ain't many younguns building models, fer sher.


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## Dr. Brad (Oct 5, 1999)

Nope - it'll become more of a niche hobby as the years pass. That's life... I still enjoy it (the hobby - actually life too, now that I think about it).


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## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

hobby shops are still around. Mine is...but we're getting killed by the recession!


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## Lloyd Collins (Sep 25, 2004)

It is just like when I was into comics, in the mid 90's. At shows, conventions, and shops, all adults! To keep the hobby going, we can't die. Don't you die on me now!


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## Cajjunwolfman (Nov 15, 2004)

A few years back I got involved in trying to attract younger members to the IPMS group I was a member of at the time. I went so far as to conduct a survey at the contest to gain some insight. Most parents I spoke with, especially single parent households, were very devoted to their children. Provided the child was interested they were willing to devote time, money, effort, and committment. The real problem or complaint they had was lack of follow-up. Since they themselves did not know anything about modeling they felt unable to guide the child beyond their first model at the Make and Take. They would have been enthusiastic about the childs involvement if there were a series of courses or ongoing learning about the hobby. We considered this but were unable to implement the idea due to lack of resources and interest from our group.
Mad Cap, sorry to hear the LHS is suffering from the recession. When I spoke with Hobby Shop owners about economic downturns in the past they were not concerned. They were of the opinion that people turned more to the hobby because they were staying home when times were tough. Sorry that's not working for you!
The participants in Scale modeling, R/C, and Model Railroading all have an average age of mid-forties at best. The only real cross-over to modeling seems to be in the War Games arena. Flames of War, Citadel products Warhammer and Warhammer 40K all have a good following of younger people as well as adults. I also see more and more girls involved. Asia, UK, Europe all have extensive model communities unlikely to go away in the future. 
At the time I reentered the hobby in 1995 everyone was talking about the death of the hobby. We thought a kit for $50 was unacceptable. Kits in the $100 plus range are standard fare now. Subjects I though would never be done have entered in mainstream modeling, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Figures. The selection boggles the mind. 
I hate to contemplate the demise of something that has been so meaningfull in my life as modeling. 
The longterm prospects for the Hobby may be in question based on what we know today. However I think pronouncing the hobby as dead right now is a little premature.


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

I don't know about you guys, but my kit price "comfort level" is a lot lower than 50 bucks. I spent blood money on my last two Moebius kits.
I would spend more if I made it, but for at least this little while, I'm looking for some less spendy kits.
The lack of follow up...means, if you guys will spend the time with my kid and show him what to do, I might get him a kit, otherwise he's back on Nintendo. 

Not dead,...but ........

Steve


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## JeffG (May 10, 2004)

I used to work part time at a large, well stocked hobby shop here in Michigan...until they closed. I loved it there. The staff were friendly and we offered a lot of pointers and tips to our model building customers. We would also see all types of skill levels from novice to expert, and I believe that is where the business is being dealt a serious blow.

At the better hobby shops there was an atmosphere. A place where like minded individuals could go and shoot the sh&# and talk all afternoon about projects and things. Something that is missing from this electronic, internet era. That face-to-face interaction is a key ingredient that gets modelers geeked to go back home and build. It's almost like a friendly contest; 'Yeah, well look at this!'. I think this type of fun, motivating environment is what's needed to keep interest in the hobby. Many people these days, young and old, have the attention span of a gnat. How else are they to be motivated to do something as time consuming as modeling if they've no place to talk and relate with others that have the same interests?


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

I take no joy in my thoughts on this. I love building kits..any kits.

My pals and I yak on the phone about this quite often.
Slotcars? Unless dad is involved...too spendy.
This truly breaks my heart,...I would always have a kit waiting at home for me on report card day...I'd love to share my joy, I have given away 3 Artin track sets and cars to go with 'em as well as lots of kits...But I can't be there to mentor...they have parents, and the parents thank me, and then the stuff goes in a closet after a few week of inattention. 

Sorry This really makes me sad for the hobby.

Steve


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## jgoldader (Mar 26, 2008)

Ah, the old perennial topic!

I mostly model real space subjects, and from my perspective, it's a golden age! When I was a kid, about all there was to build was the space shuttle and the 1/48 LEM. Maybe an X-15 would be repopped now and then, but that's about it.

Now with this newfangled Internet-thingy, there's New Ware and RealSpace and scratchbuilding, and all of a sudden, after a very long absence from modeling (13 years), I've got a pile of unbuilt kits, all new things that were never available before. A scratched 1/144 Titan III is on the workbench, and the 1/144 RealSpace Mercury-Redstone, Gemini-Titan and Delta II are in the to-do stack. I've learned how to scratchbuild, and now have the Pioneer-Venus Orbiter, NEAR-Shoemaker, New Horizons, and Explorer 1 in 1/24 in the old display cabinet; the RealSpace 1/24 Voyager, Pioneer 10, and Magellan are there to keep them company.

Modeling is becoming more and more of a niche hobby, but paradoxically, some segments of the hobby have a much better selection of kits available than they did 20 years ago.

Jeff


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## razorwyre1 (Jan 28, 2004)

dying, no. shrinking, yes.
ask anybody who was in any industry that catered to kids in 1978... that was the year that kids stopped being interested in anything slow moving. and they have never come back.

however, now that the big GK fad has come and gone among the fanboys, the market has settled down to those people who are really interested in it, which has allowed folks like moebius to be successful under a different business model. and lately ive seen a few young adults get into model kit building.. folks that were too young to have seen the original aurora are really getting into it. 

i think the hobby is still graying, and still shrinking, but will soon hit a point where it stabilizes.


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## toysoldierman20 (Mar 29, 2009)

Its interesting to see everyone's point of view.I have 2 Grandsons age 8 and 6 and I've gotten them interested in model building as well as the old time Universal Monsters.
They live in N.C.with my Son and even started their own monster club.They meet once a month and must come with a parent as well as a new model that is monster or horror related.I cann't begin to tell you how much this thrills me!
I have 4 grown children and I always got involved in all their activities as they were growing up.Today usely both parent work and it seems there little time for hands on involvement with their kids interest like there was when we were growing up.


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## Arronax (Apr 6, 1999)

The trouble with being a shrinking breed is that there will be less of us to support the manufacturers. They in turn find that expenses aren't covered by sales so they produce less subjects. Modeling interest wanes with the lack of new product. Sales drop further. The hobby shrinks down to two people (one of whom is John P).

And we disappear.

The bad news is we are a dying breed. The good news is that we have the web and we'd have been dead for a few years by now without it. The web keeps the model producers in business and extends our modeling lives.

That and pre-painted, snap kits.

Jim


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## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

I've read all the replies up to now, and I think everybody has made valid points on both sides of the question.

Yes, there is a lot of competition for younger model builders' attention these days - but then, wasn't there always? Sure, computer/video games have been added to the mix, but when I was growing up back in the sixties, I had other pastimes to consider beside building plastic models, too. But at contests back in 2000 and at libraries or one of the LHSes hearabouts now, my "Aurora presents the Universal Monsters" collection still seems to attract kids whenever I put it on display. So the old classics don't appear to me to have lost their appeal.

On the other hand, there are two mistakes I think model manufacturers have been making that are strangling the hobby:

1.) They don't advertise beyond the realm of hobby magazines - at least, that I've seen. I admit that I haven't cracked open a comic book or _Boy's Life _(is that one even still around?) for a long time. But I recall getting all excited about Gigantic Frankenstein after seeing the ad for him on the back of a Superman comic. Whereas a full-page ad in _FineScale Modeler _or_ Amazing Figure Modeler _is just preaching to the choir. I suppose that there's probably a good reason for it, but why we never see a TV ad from Revellogram is something that somebody will have to explain to me.

2.) They keep putting out models of tired old subjects. _How many more WWII subjects _*MUST*_ we have??!!!?? _R-M is reissuing the Fab Four Aurora Monsters this year and I'm all for that, but I won't be buying any - after all, the Aurora Monsters have been reissued at least once every decade since they were first released in the 1960s. I was much more excited about Noseferatu; yes, as a subject it's admittedly another moldy goldy oldie, but at least it had never appeared as a styrene kit before.

I agree with Cajjunwolfman and razorwyre1 that, while the plastic modeling hobby isn't dying necessarily, it is shrinking. The manufacturing side is trying to lure new builders with snap and prefinished kits. On the user end, the IPMS and other groups have Make-and-Take programs to get models into new hobbyists' hands. But there is a built in limit to these approaches: in order to be exposed to them the prospective modeler has to go into the LHS or modeling event in the first place.

It seems to me that if the hobby is going to be expanded, then any outreach program needs to appeal to to the general public. I tried to implement that idea back in 2004, when the IPMS chapter of which I was then serving as President hosted the Region 4 Convention. We were the first chapter (as far as I know) to present a trophy for the Best Work By A Female Modeler, in order to try and shift the older-male-dominated demographics. We got a pretty good response, which I cite as a small example of how effective the strategy of reaching out to the non-traditional communty can be for recruiting new plastic modelers.

I don't believe the hobby is dying, but these days it's going to take more of an effort from everybody involved to sustain it. Thanks for coming up with this interesting and thoughtful thread, t.s.man!

Mark McG.


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## DinoMike (Jan 1, 1970)

Mark McGovern said:


> 1.) They don't advertise beyond the realm of hobby magazines - at least, that I've seen. I admit that I haven't cracked open a comic book or _Boy's Life _(is that one even still around?) for a long time. But I recall getting all excited about Gigantic Frankenstein after seeing the ad for him on the back of a Superman comic. Whereas a full-page ad in _FineScale Modeler _or_ Amazing Figure Modeler _is just preaching to the choir. I suppose that there's probably a good reason for it, but why we never see a TV ad from Revellogram is something that somebody will have to explain to me.
> 
> 
> Mark McG.


 My opinion? It's fear, pure and simple. Everyone involved is so afraid of trying something outside of the 'standard' arena and losing money that they'll never do it. Now, in the case of Moebius, that's a big concern... while the company has hit a few 'out of the park' as far as bringing out kits we're jazzed about, I'm sure that the funding just isn't there for 'speculative' advertising.

Revellogram, on the other hand, while being a larger, more well-established company, quite likely has a number of 'suits' in charge (as well as stockholders ) that don't want to see profit margins slimmed down to any degree by 'out of network' advertising.


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## Zorro (Jun 22, 1999)

toysoldierman20 said:


> I have 4 grown children and I always got involved in all their activities as they were growing up.Today usely both parent work and it seems there little time for hands on involvement with their kids interest like there was when we were growing up.


My wife and I both work a lot of hours but we are heavily involved in our daughter's activities - school, gymnastics (4 days a week and half a day on Saturday), piano lessons, church, etc. One thing that is not being mentioned here is that most American kids today, _just like their parents_ - have less true _leisure_ time than Americans did in the latter half of the 20th century - just good old "down time" to do whatever you feel like doing. As a family, we typically don't sit down to eat until 8 pm because of our _very_ busy individual schedules. After dinner, my 9 year-old usually has at least 45 minutes to an hour of homework (_definitely_ more than I remember having at that age). After that, it's bedtime. Believe me - she has a very full, active life and her Mother and I are very much a part of it - her life just doesn't include model building. 

Come to think of it - when I was a kid, model building was almost exclusively a solitary pursuit. Mom and Dad had little to do with it beyond providing the funds used to purchase the kits.


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## Jafo (Apr 22, 2005)

I agree with almost every point in the thread so far. But to Mark I have to say that WWII models are far, far more popular than my beloved sci -fi or your horror. Yes there will always be another P-51 or Sherman tank kit. Supply and demand still reigns. Also blaming FSM all by itself is unfair I think, they try to cover alot but I agree it could be much more. The new editor is a sci-fi fan and has gone to and posted pics from Wonderfest in the mag recently. So there is improvement. Then the greedniess of the companys that own the rights ie: boeing, nascar etc want their excessivly large piece of the pie. rumor has it not many more Nascar kits will be made directly due to that cost involved with licensing.( another large thread im sure)
Not to begrudge companies like mobieus but I was really looking forward to the conan kit but when i saw the price, I put it down without even looking at the rest of the box. I hope it sells well for them but I think it will be pretty bad. I really wonder if big frankie was that big a seller for them. I suspect not. They (Mobeius) are makeing some great kits otherwise and I hope they continue. 
Is the hobby dying? No Shrinking? yes. But right now is a great time to be a modeler.


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## toysoldierman20 (Mar 29, 2009)

I remember when I was a kid most hobby shops held weekly contest on Saturday you would bring your entry in and the owner of the shop and some others would judge it.The winner would win a free model.All the rest of us would buy a new model and take it home and work on it all week to have it ready for the next Saturday contest.
We even had a model builders club in both grade school and high school.It was an after school activity and a heck of a lot kids belonged.
Its a real shame that things like that aren't done anymore!
The hobby shops around my way all host gaming clubs such as war hammer,etc.They could care less about selling a model cause the money they make is in selling gaming supplies,comics,etc.
I inquired at the local mall hobby shop about starting a model building club and the owner looked at me like I was from another planet!His answer to me was "Who the Hell freaken builds models anymore?" I was completely taken off guard by his response and left shaking my head.I was so upset by the whole conversation that I felt like breaking down and having a good cry!
The owner made me feel like I was some type of :freak:!


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## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

toysoldierman20 said:


> ...The owner made me feel like I was some type of :freak:!


You got that 180 degrees wrong, t.s.man - *he* is the :freak:. And with that attitude toward his customers, he's a lot of other things that the hankster has fortunately not provided smilies for - ! 

Mark McG.


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## Arronax (Apr 6, 1999)

toysoldierman20 said:


> IThe hobby shops around my way all host gaming clubs such as war hammer,etc.They could care less about selling a model cause the money they make is in selling gaming supplies,comics,etc.


One of the main reasons I got into sci-fi modeling was a local store called Enterprise 1701 (it's now Sci-Fi City). They carried comics, books, lots of model kits, miniatures and some gaming suppies.

After a few moves and a change in ownership, their direction changed. Now they have oodles of gaming supplies, board games (?), some obscure action figures, comics, resin statues, weapon reproductions and half the floor space devoted to video games and role playing game tables. You can still find the odd model kit but no modeling supplies.

I stopped going in there when I asked if they were going to get the Polar Lights 1/1000th TOS Enterprise and the counter staff said they'd never heard about it and no one else was asking for it.

Jim


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## DinoMike (Jan 1, 1970)

Arronax said:


> One of the main reasons I got into sci-fi modeling was a local store called Enterprise 1701 (it's now Sci-Fi City). They carried comics, books, lots of model kits, miniatures and some gaming suppies.
> 
> After a few moves and a change in ownership, their direction changed. Now they have oodles of gaming supplies, board games (?), some obscure action figures, comics, resin statues, weapon reproductions and half the floor space devoted to video games and role playing game tables. You can still find the odd model kit but no modeling supplies.
> 
> ...


 Man, I remember Enterprise 1701! That's where I bought my Billiken USA Predator kit. How times change....


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## spocks beard (Mar 21, 2007)

I lost my only local hobby store around four years ago, Now the closest is about an hours drive away. We have a micheals close by, But they really don't stock a lot of Model kits & deffinately NO sci-fi kits.As a matter of fact, The kits they do stock, sit and collect dust.Sad


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## jackshield (May 20, 2008)

the hobby is definitely getting smaller, my town, oklahoma city, has lots almost all of it model shops.
i think the4 hobby has evolved:

equipment more accessible, technology better.

i would never have conceived, as a kid in the 70's, i would sit down at a computer and create and print my own decals;
model 3d parts and have them printed;
design complete scratchbuilts or add-on's to kits.

i do believe its a great time to be a modeler, especially since i am an adult with adult children = real hobby fundage!

never would have dreamed i would be dropping a bill+ on a model kit, 2-3 times a month.


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## jaeg (Oct 21, 2008)

I'm pretty sure I'm one of the only kids in my high school that builds models. Then again I'm known for being the kid with weird hobbies (programming, models, other stuff considered weird by ********.)lol


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## Zorro (Jun 22, 1999)

Question. Why is the hobby (seemingly) so healthy in Japan?


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## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

They eat a lot of fish there, Zorro. :hat:

Mark McG.


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

Yes it's the fish...and the Gundams....
Those kits are stunning...in the box!...

Steve


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## deadmanincfan (Mar 11, 2008)

If you refer to a Gundam robot as an expletive deleted robot...you might be a *******...


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## TAY666 (Jan 8, 2000)

Jafo said:


> Not to begrudge companies like mobieus but I was really looking forward to the conan kit but when i saw the price, I put it down without even looking at the rest of the box. I hope it sells well for them but I think it will be pretty bad. I really wonder if big frankie was that big a seller for them. I suspect not. They (Mobeius) are makeing some great kits otherwise and I hope they continue.



From what I have been hearing, I think Conan is selling quite well for Moebius.
In reality, that kit is very cheap.
Getting 2 full *resin* figures in that scale for $100 is almost unheard of.
Yeah, for styrene, the price would be high. But that is why they switched to resin. With the number of molds they would have needed to pull off that kit the price would have been near where it is now, and they would have needed to sell thousands to recover their investment in tooling.
Going with resin, I am sure they only need to sell hundreds to cover the molding, licensing, and sculpting costs.

Personally, I don't think the hobby is dying. I think it is evolving.
Back in the 'good old days', we had big companies churning out tens of thousands of a kit that was cheap, inaccurate, and really soft on detail. And while there may have been a lot more variety from the big companies back then, the selection was still limited to some extent.
Now we have small GK companies doing subjects that big companies would never touch in a million years because they could not move the volume of them needed to make it cost effective. Yeah, they cost more, and are harder to find, but they are out there.
And now we have these new hybrid type companies popping up like Moebius and Monarch.
Small companies that are applying GK thinking to styrene kits.
Yeah, they cost a little more than what you get from the big guys. But the higher prices and smaller opperations mean they can produce subjects that wouldn't have been considerd profitable before. And they keep customers coming back because of great details and high quality.
I think we are experiencing a true renaissance in the hobby.
And I think it will be going strong for many more years also.

Sure, there might not be as many kids entering the hobby, but I have seen a lot of young adults (mid-late 20's) entering this hobby who have never tried it before. I see them all the time on the boards and email lists. Asking questions and getting pointers on their first few kits. So the hobby is still gaining new members, just not from the same demographic that most people are used to looking at.


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## TAY666 (Jan 8, 2000)

Double post.


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

I'll only argue one point and it's OT so I'll keep it short. In the 70's Monogram was kicking out some World-Class aircraft kits...I spend 50 on a Tamiya kit it's perfect..falls together... I purchase a re-release of a Monogran kit, its wonderfully detailed, needs some love and skill to pull it off,...BUT IT"S ONLY 20 dollars...

Sorry OT...

Steve


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## Mark McGovern (Apr 25, 1999)

Not really OT, steve - after all, price is a factor. I can even tie your remarks in with something TAY666 mentioned. He pointed out that GK companies make kits of subjects that the major companies "...would never touch in a million years because they could not move the volume of them needed to make it cost effective." As we all know, the flip side of that coin is, the GK kits are far more expensive than the mass-produced models. And yet, even in the Juniors categories at IPMS shows - not to mention WonderFest - these pricier models appear.

So, not only are younger modelers still trickling in, they (or presumably, their parents) are committed enough to put out some serious coin in pursuit of their hobby.

Have a great weekend.

Mark McG.


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## PF Flyer (Jun 24, 2008)

A most interesting thread. When my daughter was about 4, we built several of the vintage PL kits together (Jetsons, ScoobyDoo van, etc.). She stayed interested for several years, built some dinos and other kits. Now she's 11 and still builds something (the Aurora white stallion) occasionally, but pretty much has other interests. She does still enjoy O gauge trains, but mostly building on the layout, not running the engines and cars.

Anyway, I discovered two things doing those PL kits with her that made things go much smoother and seemed to help maintain her interest:

1) Kids ALWAYS want to build as fast as possible. As long as they're not covering themselves, you, or the house with paint and glue, let 'em go to town. Tough as it may be, keep your detail-oriented middle-age retentive tendencies in check. Ditto if they want to do the paint or decals first, which they often do.

2) Encourage, encourage, encourage. Display their work (when they're not playing with it), show it off to visitors, let them tell about it and explain how they did the paint, figures, decals, etc. Gradually, they begin to take more pride, more time, and more care with their kits, though the idea of taking more than an hour or so at one sitting remains an alien concept.

Just my two cents worth...and I'll add that I wouldn't mind seeing some more pre-painted interesting kits for kids, like the Jetsons and ScoobyDoo. One of our very favorites was Herbie.


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## steve123 (Feb 9, 2009)

PF Excellent point!
My turning point as a jr modeler was: I had just built the AMT kenworth Conv. I painted it candy apple red over the white plastic..when my Dad saw it he said" I don't mind buying him models when they come out like that" He took me and got a trailer the next day...But even as a kid I was wondering how bugged he was when I botched one.... He didn't tell the above comment to me...I overheard it..

I was 11.

Steve


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## razorwyre1 (Jan 28, 2004)

toysoldierman20 said:


> I inquired at the local mall hobby shop about starting a model building club and the owner looked at me like I was from another planet!His answer to me was "Who the Hell freaken builds models anymore?"


right there is the problem. his answer was crude and rude, but to the point. if models walked off his shelf with any sort of regularity, he'd have been all over your idea. 

i believe tay is correct about evolution, and i think the contraction that is still ongoing will stabilize soon. i just wish the corporations that own the hot properties would figure out a way to make accommodation for the GK producers so they could get legal. that would go a long way to helping the hobby. (right now the cant, even if they wanted to.)


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## TAY666 (Jan 8, 2000)

PF Flyer said:


> 1) Kids ALWAYS want to build as fast as possible. As long as they're not covering themselves, you, or the house with paint and glue, let 'em go to town. Tough as it may be, keep your detail-oriented middle-age retentive tendencies in check. Ditto if they want to do the paint or decals first, which they often do.
> 
> 2) Encourage, encourage, encourage. Display their work (when they're not playing with it), show it off to visitors, let them tell about it and explain how they did the paint, figures, decals, etc. Gradually, they begin to take more pride, more time, and more care with their kits, though the idea of taking more than an hour or so at one sitting remains an alien concept.
> 
> Just my two cents worth...and I'll add that I wouldn't mind seeing some more pre-painted interesting kits for kids, like the Jetsons and ScoobyDoo. One of our very favorites was Herbie.



Yup!
And #1 is a tough one. Tougher than you might think.
But my daughter still proudly displays her first few kits. Even though she knows how bad they are now, she has such fond memories about building them.
She has started to build one of them again (using a different kit) just so she can actually see the difference 5 years later.
Anyone interested can see her work here
http://www.tylisaari.com/models/britny/britny.htm


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

I don't know...My Daughter Beth has been building models for about 6 years and 2 of my 6 sons still build models one is 18 the other is 32 and they both started when they were about 8 years old...I just gave my grandson Erik a Gigantic Frankenstein for his 3rd birthday (I'm sure his Dad, Neil, my 32 year old, will help him build it ) I've been building them since 1960 so around here the torch just keeps getting passed on...:thumbsup:
Mcdee


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## toysoldierman20 (Mar 29, 2009)

I think thats the only way that we'll be able to keep the hobby going is by what you and I are both doing.Passing the love and knowledge on to our Grandkids.


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## starduster (Feb 12, 2006)

I've been modeling since I was 9 yrs old, I think I had just about every AMT car that was ever offered to modelers this was in the early 60's, along with the Aurora monster kits a few I still have but all those car models were either lost in moves or were given in swaps for some comics, now at 64 and after a bout with inflammatory rheumatoid arthritis and a weekly inoculation of methotrexate I can resume my modeling interests which is building a 15th century plastic sailing ship, and a mars exploration vehicle diorama a few years ago, I'm fortunate to have several well stocked hobby shops within driving distance and have noticed young modelers are buying model kits some are the new monster kits some model cars, I don't think this hobby will die anytime soon but may decline in some areas, I tried to interest my son into modeling but he was wooed by the computer games and still is involved in them and now at 26 I don't see him modeling any time soon as he and his fellow workers are competing via the computer.
what I do see is a lack in the two leading model railroading magazines yes, I'm into model railroading...well actually trolley modeling... but to have articles that walk a reader through the building of a steam locomotive like they had in the 50's and 60's, I built one of those locomotives along with the issue and was surprised when the darn thing actually worked after the eleven issues...and still works, and this can also work with computers, have modelers follow along with a weekly build and unlike the magazines one can ask questions while building maybe this the type of thing that's needed today, just my two cents worth this still is a fun hobby that's for sure. Karl


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## TAY666 (Jan 8, 2000)

I think something else we need to keep in mind.
A lot of kids loose interest in the hobby then pick it back up again 10-15 years later.
They hit their teens and have a whole lot of other things to occupy their time.
Then after time passes and they have a family of thier own, they come back to the hobby as it is a good way to pass the time, while still being home to take care off / spend time with their kids.
I think in a few more years, we are going to see another wave of modelers re-entering the hobby. As they built the kits when they were kids and come back. About 8-10 years ago, there was quite the supply of cool kits on the shelves at stores like TRU that I am sure a lot of kids built. PL, Toy Biz superheroes, Revell reissues of some of the other Aurora kits, etc.
When you start hitting your late 20's / early 30's the nostalgia starts to kick in, and you generally have a little more time and money to track down stuff you liked as a kid. Or stuff you wanted to have, but never did.


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## deadmanincfan (Mar 11, 2008)

My dad was a child of the Great Depression, so I doubt model building was a pastime for him, but he did "help" me "build" several models when I was a child (remind me to tell you sometime about what he did to my Aurora James Bond). While I may not have a child of my own, my lady's daughter recently gave birth to a boy, making me de facto grandfather...and if this grandpa has anything to say about, young John Carter is going to be brought up building kits! :thumbsup:


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## Cro-Magnon Man (Jun 11, 2001)

Yes, the hobby is probably evolving - it's appeal is becoming more selective, to quote from 'Spinal Tap'. Like Trevor says, in the good old days big companies mass-produced kits to a wide customer base.
But what did that result in? All those kids buying Airfix kits in the 1960's and 1970's didn't result in a mass market that would persist up to now. 
So I don't think we should hope for a return to the same thing, mass produced kits from big companies, widely bought by kids, because it would probably only lead to a 'dying-out' again.
What we should hope for is that there are enough of us adults buying to keep the manufacturers interested in us.


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## SUNGOD (Jan 20, 2006)

I think I'd agree that the hobby is not necessarily dying out, just evolving. Local hobby shops seem to be a dying breed but of course there's the internet now which is where I buy most of my stuff. I find local hobby shops could often be their own worst enemy too as they weren't exactly welcoming to customers and could be a bit stuffy. I don't know if it's a problem over in the States and other countries but making models is sometimes seen as a bit of an oddballs pastime here in the UK (a sad loner sitting at a desk sticking bits of plastic together) and sometimes it's better not to mention it to people or they'll look at you stupid and say something like "you make those Airfix things?" Collecting diecast etc doesn't seem to have the same stigma. Airfix have tried bringing in younger modellers by doing Doctor Who kits but I don't know how successful that's been.


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## mrmurph (Nov 21, 2007)

I'm fortunate that my LHS owner seems enthusiastic, welcoming, and informed. I should stop by more often. ;-)


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## SoleSky (Feb 20, 2009)

My Hobby shop just closed down, but I'm only 16 and in the future Id show my kids modelling, I think its just one of those bell curve things.


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## Arronax (Apr 6, 1999)

SUNGOD said:


> they'll look at you stupid and say something like "you make those Airfix things?"


While true, as an Englishman, I'm always astounded that 99% of the population of England seem to actually know what an Airfix kit is and that the word "Airfix" is synonymous with the words "plastic model kit."

Jim


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