On Trying to Enhance the Hobby-A Call to Arms

[FloridaBoy]

I am a model car builder and say so proudly. I have been at it, with a few hiatus, since the age of 5 in '52 when my same age uncle and I put masking tape on '52 Pontiac promo's to "customize" them. I have had my day in the sun, no pun intended since I live here in South Florida, and after a long retirement of entering contests, I am competitively active again.

South Florida is no different than the rest of the country. Many hobby shops have closed here, and the remaining ones are not as enthusiastic carrying plastic as they once were, opting for RC to pay their rent and keep them alive.

I still have vivid memories of the sixties and seventies when there seemed to be always a model car contest. Between my model car club with its bi-weekly intraclubs, to the 10 hobby shops and Ben Franklins throwing local and Pactra/Testors/Revell contests. I won a share of them in Ft. Lauderdale, and now that I am probably the last one down here still building, I am looked at, uncomfortablly, as a local legend. I am always asked what it was like then, or is this the golden age?

The answer to the second question is yup and nope at the same time. First, with modern tools, technology, availability of parts, materials and supplies, not even to cover paint and glues, there is no time better to build a plastic model car, bar NONE. But what hurts is our environment. After surfing for many years, and seeing a movement against surfing contests, I watched that sport decline only to see it rebirth itself when contests got back in vogue.

Same goes here in our hobby. As much as many guys "build for themselves" we need to show off our work, and that is where contests become very valuable. Even if you are not competitive, there are always primer tables, or "display-only" tables to show your stuff off. What is more valuable is seeing where you are with the rest of the model building population. But like me, after so many compliments at the non-compete tables, I got the bug to compete again, and I have promised myself that I will build for myself and my style, and not just to win a contest. My goal is to make the next model infinitely better than the one I just finished. Other aspects of model car contests are vendor tables where you can pick up stuff you never thought existed, and most importantly gabbing with contestants and eveyone else there.

As a judge, I consider myself a hard-A%%. If you enter and have poor glue joints, or paint job, or body work, or just paint an interior flat black, you are toast. But I write long comments on judging sheets on every car, trying to be positive rather than critical. The only time I left a sheet blank was when a joke was placed on me, and Augie put one of his cars in the contest area for me to "judge". But if you don't win, that doesn't mean your stuff is inferior, I have seen grand prize winners from one contest completely lose in another. The joy is in the contest.

This is way too long. Don't be afraid of judging. Enter and learn from your win and learn from your loss, you will only get more stoked and a better modeler. This year I will be going to Birmingham, Atlanta, and Tampa, in addition to the local contests hosted by my club. If you see me at one of these contests, I am a large guy with always a big smile and loud demeanor, come up and say hello and tell me about what you brung.

Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

[Mike]

As a person who builds for himself, I can say that the hobby in our area in North Dakota is growing. I've seen increasing entries in the contests up here the last 3 that I've attended, and new people each time. And I enter contests to have fun, show off my work, praise others, and admire the skills of my fellow builders. Winning's an after-effect if it happens.

[Peter Lombardo]

Hey Ken, don't get so down on the hobby. I think there are many influences affecting the hobby today, and the biggest one is in my hands right this very minute. Computers and the internet are having a tremendous effect on the hobby. Some good and some bad. When I was a kid (early 50's) I had only two diversions from life when I was indoors. Drawing and building models. TV wasn't allowed all that often to me, so this was it. I loved building model cars as a kid. I always thought it was the "golden Age" back then in the early 60's. The great AMT customizing kits, the Johan kits, Revell's series of racing and custom show cars and especially the great parts packs that let us build personized customs. Then, real cars, girls and parties (read that as drinking) came alone and it was bye-bye models. The Navy, College, and marrige (kids) and then the models found their way back. Today they are one of my "happy places" I can go to get away from the pressure of making a living.

Today, I believe computers have replaced "building" hobbies as the main past time for American kids. Computer games with the incredible graphics command our kids attention today. The computer, and the internet are driving many local hobby shops out of business. They undercut the prices and ship in one or two days. I try and buy as much as I can from my local guy because I need him. I can go to his shop and browse awhile and pick up all of the little things like paint, glue, metal tubes, rods ( along with some kits) and this kind of stuff. Stuff that is very tedious to buy over the internet. Besides, Fred is a great guy to talk to. I know many think that today is the "Golden Age" of model building. I think that is so. More kits, Resin, Photoetch items, super glue, new paints, huge aftermarket industry and best of all, computers. Computers, which may be killing the hobby, are also saving the hobby. I love having a place to go where I can communicate with other modelers. I love having a place to go and research a new project and most of all, I really enjoy posting my new builds and seeing all of the great builds that you guys posted here. Think about it, a few short years ago, none of these sites existed. Comuters and the Internet have opened up this great big world to all of us. Enjoy the possiblities.

I, for one, am not worried about this hobby. As long as there are enough of us building and sharing our experiences, there will be a hobby. As long as we still drive cars and trucks, some one will make models of them. I see more and more contests in the magazines all of the time. I don't normally like the "Judging" environment, chosing to show at an NNL type show, but that is just me. If I wanted to, there are many contests in the NY Metro area (driving distance) that I could enter. No, don't worry, there will always be a model car hobby. Too many of us need to work with our hands and actually build something, other then a spreadsheet or low score on a computer golf game.

[mr moto]

I enter local contests and enjoy them as much as anybody. They are a great way to reach the public but I know that the contests and winning are not what the hobby is about and they're not the only way to show the public about our hobby. Our local club (and just having a local club is one good way to make your presence known) sets up displays at a couple of local libraries and we're expecting to expand them to more. We also have a very fine local museum (USS Kidd) that invites us to put on modeling demos once a month. The demo mostly consists of several members sitting in the lobby working on models and we talk to whoever comes by and shows an interest. So if contests aren't your thing there are other ways to share the hobby with others!

[Phil Patterson]

The competition and neglect by the big box stores has also played a part, you can't sell your product if you can't get shelf space. Yet those same big box stores probably put out of business anyone in your home town that sold model kits, whether it was a department store or some small local hobby shop.

There's still a market for the hobby and kit hobbies in general, but it has to compete for shelf space with rows and rows of deodorant, generic cookies and who knows what else.

I doubt that the model kit business is the only one negatively affected by the "marts", it's just been so obvious to us in the hobby, we may be overlooking others.

That AMT or Revell kit may only be the first thing you can't get at the store anymore.

[FloridaBoy]

Maybe I am a little insecure, but please don't think I am down on the hobby. If I were, I wouldn't be spending so much time and money on it everyday. My insecurities are probably based from a real experience in the early '70's, when the hobby took a turn away from my street rods and customs, to funny cars, weird-0h's and the street rods had those really weird wide tires that look like a Roth sweatshirt. Then AMT went bad with poor box art, Revell/Pactra/Testors sort of abandoned their national contests, and the hobby virtually disappeared. That was a multi-faceted tragedy to me, not only was my styling preference gone, but so was my hobby going out of vogue. Heck, here I was in college, and even in my cramped dorm, I found some time to build.

But along came marriage, career, house, new social and culture stuff, music, and so on. I even customized a 1:1 car to replace the non-existent model car hobby. I had a lot of unbuilt kits in the storage area, but there was no supplies such as paint or stuff around, and with no contests, or any other forum to show off, why build when the finished product went into the hutch with the dinnerware?

I don't want to see that happen again. In '85 when just about most of us "came back", you just couldn't imagine the level of my joy seeing the AMT '49 Ford, '40 Fords, and '49 Merc sitting on the shelf at the local five and dime at the mall. I bought scads with my "tennis money". I got injured playing tennis and went to model railroading and model cars while I was home bound. Then things started happening, I see a hobby shop, new supplies, join a club, build a workshop and voila.

Right now, to me this is the golden age. First, the hobby is so diverse into size, style, type of approach, medium, philosophy, and a million other factors. Second, even though you will still find "trophy hounds" and some nuts at contests, the vast majority of guys are real terrific to spend time with and share techniques. I do not see any infighting in this hobby like I do in others, who argue scale, era, etc and other nonsense.

Contests are there if you are willing to travel, and now I have made that committment. Now that I am getting old, this hobby has been good to me, it has given me a creative outlet, nice little unique work products, a ton of experience working with different fixatives, solving problems, and with every new issue or reissue by the manufacturers, I get excited like I did when I was a kid.

I am not down on the hobby, I am sort of down on our environment. In my view we are struggling fighting for hobby attention to recruit new people in the hobby. Plus, even though hobby shops have closed, the strong ones have survived, and they learned to listen to their customers rather than trying to dictate their tastes. Plus, Michaels and Wal Mart are so supportive that not only do they carry nice inventories, but sponsor certain kit runs. So, it ain't all bad, there are rays of hope.

I wonder how we can support the growth of the hobby. My guess is to participate -- go to hobby shops, participate in forums, purchase supplies wherever you can, interest others in the hobby. I have even given some guys in my neighborhood a car to start and showed them how to paint. Having workshops at Arts and Crafts are very valuable, but one of the most is to attend and more importantly participate in contests enabling them to grow and thrive. I purchase both magazines from my LHS, and even when the cars aren't my cup of tea, I always learn something new.

We are throwing a local contest in the first weekend of November at the Deerfield Beach Train Station. I will keep you all informed. This whole thread is not to push that contest, but I would love for everyone to come into money to travel down here just to meet. In the meantime, you will see me at Tampa, Birmingham and Atlanta, probably near the street rods and customs.

Thanks for the input and looking forward to hearing more.

Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

[bob paeth]

As most of you know, I am a "member" of the "golden age of modeling". I was there almost before dirt was invented, let alone styrene. Our hobby has had its ups and downs for years. Besides the comptition from girls, 1/1 cars, girls, partying, girls and then girl griends, I have seen problems develop from slot racing, computer games ( both commercially as well as home games ), lack of hobby shops, you name it. BUT, the hobby seems to survive. I too, miss the local contests that we used to enjoy. NOW A CHALLENGE TO EVERYONE: Visit your local 1/1 custom car shows. Interest the promoters into providing space for a contest. Convince them that that the modelers will increase their "gate". If you have problems with money for trophies or plaques or ribbons go for a modest entry fee, with 100% being returned to the entrants. With the slow demise of the hobby shop and little or no interest of contests from the "big box stores" these car shows are just about the only avenue left.

If you belong to a club, promote the hobby by working with the "Boys and Girls" clubs or maybe the "Boy Scouts". Hold a simple contest foir this source of young talent, The club treasuryshould be able to afford ribbons, if nothing else. Be responsible for the thrill of winning to a young builder. Another possible source of sponsorship might be a local new car dealer. All of the modelers have parents who might be in the market for a new car, what better way to get the parents into the show room than to look at the entries of their kids and their friends

There are probably more ways to promote our hobby that you will read about on these web sites that we all enjoy. if our hobby is to survive, we all must be active.

bob

[FloridaBoy]

Bob is so right. Also a hero to me, but that is another subject. There is another way we have found to promote the hobby. Down here in SoFla, and I am sure in other communities throughout the US, there are auto clubs, like MOPAR, Chev, Ford, X vs Y, and they all have picnics or gatherings regularly during times of good weather.

Our club started hooking up with these clubs and offered to throw a contest at their event, at no expense to them. Although our club is pretty well equipped with a portable tent and display tables, and real talented and knowledgeable guys to make our plaques. But any group of guys can do it.

Most of these events are held in public parks with picnic kiosks, and you could use their tables covered with used bed linen. Make up class designations (not too many), and voting sheets on your computer and copy them at Kinko's. Then set up an NNL format in which the cars are voted on by the participants.

Simple, but if you can locate yourself to the center of the event, you would be surprised to see how many people show up and vote. At the last MOPAR picnic we ran out of voting ballots, and had to run to the front office to make more.

It is not that hard, and the fun you have makes up for it about 100 times over.

Ken "FloridaBoy; Willaman

[VW Dave]

Ken - It sounds like you're saying that those of us who do not participate in contests are actually hurting the hobby, rather than enhancing it. There's more to this hobby than contests and trophies IMO; I can name at least three people from my HS that dropped the hobby after losing at a contest because they were not as good as another builder.

I find that doing things like a 'make it & take it' event for kids at our local auto museum is much more rewarding that some small trinket or trophy that will only serve to collect dust on a shelf(or take up space in a box). Compared to a contest, an interactive event like a 'make & take' is much less threatening to a rookie/aspiring builder.....there are no losers, just winners.

This is one of the three tables we had filled at our first event in the winter of 2005. Notice that even the Ford GT and Porsche Carrera GT can't keep the kids & parents(and even grandparents) from their models:

[Guest Davkin]

I even customized a 1:1 car to replace the non-existent model car hobby

The hobby was non-existant in the 70's? Geez, that's news to me. I received my first models for Christmas when I was 7 in 1973 and went along happliy building many, many models all on my own completely oblivious to the fact that there was ever such a thing as a model car contest, clubs or even magazines until late 1984 when I discovered such things existed. For every one of us that participate in forums, attend shows and contests, and read magazines I bet there are at least a hundred modelers that do no such things. I beleive we are just the tip of the hobby iceberg so to speak. Judging the state of the hobby based on what we do or don't do seems rather presumptuous to me.

David

[Tonioseven]

I got started in the hobby in the '70's . Hey FloridaBoy, how close are you to Naples?

[m408]

"hobby" noun. An activity or interest engaged in primarily for pleasure; a pastime.

I got back into building model cars after an absence of over 40 years. Back then it was tube glue and brushed paint. The only contests were with yourself. Can I make the next one better than the last one?

Now, with all of the high tech tools and materials available and the skill levels that are seen at shows and on forums, it would be easy for people such as myself to become discouraged with our own abilities.

No, I'm not interested in scaled brackets to run individual brake lines. Nor am I interested in spending hours with many assorted polishing pads to get that perfect shine.

I'm constantly asking basic questions on "tips and tricks" to try to "catch up" and have gotten a lot of help and support.

I doubt that I will ever enter an official contest. Again, if my next build is nicer than my last one, I have won my contest.

As the dictionary says, an activity or interest engaged in primarily for pleasure; a pastime.

[RJWood]

The only contest that I ever entered was 38 years ago. And I won the Grand Prize. It was a local Hobby shop, just a few blocks from my house. I was 12 years old then, and had entered my "Snake" Funny Car. I did a good job with it, looked as good as the box art model, at least thats what I thought. I would go by the store and see my model there sitting in the window with some of the other entries. (the store had all the entries in the window for the week prior to the contest, pretty cool Idea) The day of the contest I was there (early couldent wait) and then came the winner they drew my name first, I was happy to win but dident expect this would be the way to do it. But through it all the one small thing that made it so special to me was something that another contestant said on seeing my model which was; " At least his model looks good enough to win". And 38 years later the Grand Prize & Model are long gone but I still remember that contest and the kind words of another modeler. The words alone to a 12 year old were the real prize, the contest? it was just a raffle.

It was a few years after that when another hobby drew my attention away, GIRLS,GIRLS,GIRLS....pretty hair and finger tips

GIRLS,GIRLS,GIRLS. whoops, I still get carried away thinking about em'. Shhhh dont let my wife here....LOL

Ron

[Scoopdaddy]

Hey Guys, Great topic. I to being 51 was raised in the "Golden Age" of Modeling. Back in 66 our local 7-11's had a store wide model contest. You entered your build and they hung it from the ceiling, in a transparent plastic bag with a bottom, for all the world to see. I won 2nd place in our district with a Myers Max dune buggy. Dang ! too much glue on the chrome engine

If the model companies are experencing a decline in sales, let them become "Pro Active" in the preservation of their own industry!! As many of you have stated....competiton is tough. What kid do you know that can drop 15.00 to 25.00 for a model- 7.00 for paint and be able to build two a week? Revell, AMT and the rest will have to, sad to say, get out of the Muscle Car mind set and start producing the cars that the young men and women would want to build, in the styles they are looking for and sponser the contests that will bring the young ones out. This is what I mean by Pro Active. Build with your children and grandchildren. We can only do what we can. Modeling will be around for a long time with people like us looking after it.

Just my 2 cents.

Scoop

Edited August 23, 2007 by Scoopdaddy

[FloridaBoy]

I think a few guys missed my point. I haven't competed in a model car contest in 12 years, but attended, judged or displayed at just about every one within driving distance. To me competition only improves us, if we keep our minds and hearts open, and not get too down on ourselves when we lose. I have always learned that you learn as much, if not more, from a loss, than a win. But, what makes the hobby is the ESSENCE of the contest, the making of friends, the interchange of ideas, the accessibility to display your work to many (again, display and primer tables), table vendors. By missing one of these events, you are missing out on one heck of a lot of fun, a lot of learning, and a stronger feeling of Connection to the hobby.

Granted, there are idiots in every hobby, and we are no exception, like poor losers, gripers, nitpickers, critics of work during display hours, and other challenges to our coping skills. But to me this is far overwhelmed by the positives. For example, I displayed some Pactra winners on a non-compete table with the trophies and a brief history, and the Grand Prize winner who is known to us all, took over 50 pictures of my car. Many guys commented on that they either remembered the car from way back when, and/or they rekindled some fond memories.

At a contest, I always see an idea, style, or technique that I want to try out that just doesn't come out in the internet or a mag picture.

Hey, I was there in the early to mid seventies when the hobby died down, and to those who on this thread were getting started, I really have you guys to thank for keeping it going when I thought it was totally dead. I know kits were produced and some contests were held, but only way down from the sixties, when Five and Dimes and 7-11's were holding contests, heck even back then the churches, the City, and department stores held contests then. I was building fast just to have enough to spread around, and had to keep a notebook to keep track where what was and when it would be over.

The trophies are insignificant, but now more importantly, provide a refresher of a contest, just like an oldie you hear on the radio, that provides a fond memory.

The reason I started this thread was instigated by the closing of another hobby shop, the negativity of the hobby shops owner toward plastic model car kits, some griping of some builders, and hearing some attitudes of guys not entering. For example, two guys showed up on a Sunday morning takedown to show their cars and they probably would have both won, and I commented to them that we sort of owe it to show the public and our youth the potential that this hobby offers. Even my 19 year old son is starting to see what no results from video games offer compared to the plastic creation he did a few months earlier.

My intent is two fold. First, I plan to be increasingly active in the hobby. More at car shows, and will try to work with the 1:1 car club groups to throw one day contests. Plus, I plan to try to make contests more fun for everyone, competitors or non-competitors alike.

Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman