138 replies to this topic

[mrmike]

Part of my problem is that I need to better organize my parts box. I also belong to the Classic Plastic Model Club and any spare parts that I don't want or need, I can bring to a meeting and let the other members take what they want.

[Matt T.]

I've got to buy all these kits, otherwise the hoarders will get them!

[Danno]

last time I did an inventory it was 220...that was 3 years ago..

trouble is I ain't building..and as One Forum member branded me lately.."A collector"... hoarder I can handle... but not Collector

here ""some"" on the recent (last 2 years ). purchases..

What you really need is ... an escort!

[Aaronw]

Not loooking to ruffle feathers, but doesn't it seem that lots of people get pretty judgemental on this topic?

I mean, who's to say how someone should enjoy their hobbby? There's definitely something negative trying to label people as "hoarders" because they buy more kits than they build. I don't mean that to come across as defensive, as I definitely have several lifetimes' worth of unbuilt kits, it's just that there's no cookie-cutter "right" amount of kits to have, or not have, is there?

I noticed a similar phenomenon with 1:1 cars, and I think that anything people are passionate about brings out the "what I would do" scenarios. Often, when I have one of my Mustangs out somewhere, people will walk up and say things like "If I owned this I'd put Cragar wheels on it!" as if somehow that had any relevance. If it's not your car who cares what wheels you'd theoretically put on?

I dunno, I guess I just really don't get why anyone would waste time trying to determine if people are builders, collectors, hoarders, etc. People all just have the number of kits they want to have, and it realy doesn't hurt anyone else, so why not just move on and not trouble youself with fretting over it?

I always find these threads on whatever forum tend to end up with a fair number of badwrongfun comments. They also tend to bring out the amatuer psychologists who try to explain how we are compensating by having a large number of kits.

I'm not a hoader or a collector, I'm just a bad businessman, I'm starting a hobbyshop, but never quite get to that actually opening a shop stage.

[Harry P.]

I dunno, I guess I just really don't get why anyone would waste time trying to determine if people are builders, collectors, hoarders, etc. People all just have the number of kits they want to have, and it realy doesn't hurt anyone else, so why not just move on and not trouble youself with fretting over it?

It's just harmless forum chatter, that's all.

[Danno]

I'm not a hoader or a collector, I'm just a bad businessman, I'm starting a hobbyshop, but never quite get to that actually opening a shop stage.

Bingo! I like that. Once again, I'll have to steal that one ...

Reminds me that the way to make a small fortune is to start a hobby shop with your large fortune!

[Jon Cole]

Not only was I a hoarder, but now I'm stuck with it. Because, ya'know, I just might need that one. And THAT one. And so on.

So now half of my basement is jammed with model kits. What I don't have shelves for, they stay in storage boxes.







So much shelfing hidden behind boxes... I cannot photograph it all.

Edited by Jon Cole, 05 May 2011 - 03:09 PM.

[Darin Bastedo]

I used to think I was a model kit hoarder until recently. I met a man who I promised I wouldn't disclose his name. Who had literally thousand of kits, and almost all vintage really hard to get stuff too. I've lived in apartments his stash wouldn't fit into.

[Jon Cole]

I used to think I was a model kit hoarder until recently. I met a man who I promised I wouldn't disclose his name. Who had literally thousand of kits, and almost all vintage really hard to get stuff too. I've lived in apartments his stash wouldn't fit into.

Ditto. This (person I know) entire second floor is stuffed with kits. Walls are stacked from floor to ceiling. The rest of that room is all shelves, also stacked up to the beams. Both levels of his two-car garage/barn are packed. You can park a car in each bay, but the walls are covered, except for a workbench. The staircase between the two barn floors is unpassable. In the main house, a few walls are covered. I would say about 1/3 of the open shelving in his kitchen is stuffed with Dupli-Color spray cans. His work bench is between the kitchen & living room. It too is surrounded with kits.

A year ago January, I fell down his main staircase. Broke my ankle. Fortunately, his wall of kits, and boxes of spare parts prevented me from slamming into the wall. I remember picking up wheels and other parts off of myself, and the floor. I would say the house contains between 7000 to 10,000 kits.

Now THAT'S a hoarder.

Edited by Jon Cole, 05 May 2011 - 03:21 PM.

[jbwelda]

yeah Boreham, sure got a corner on the Escort market! I once saw a bunch of those esci crystal Escorts at a clearance center and bought 3 or so real cheap. they had 20 or more there, i should have bought more. nice minilite wheels, BDR i think it is twin cam motor, cool cage roll bar that can be adapted for pretty much anything, and in general kool parts. the clear plastic seemed kind of brittle though so i never built one out of the box. nice stash man, i envy some of those Escorts you have there.

im not a collector...

im not Im Not IM NOT!!!

[samdiego]

Not working very much since last Sept has really taken a toll on my stash. I could average about 1 1/2 a week. The upside was resorting to cars that I sort of regretted buying, like The Beatnik Bandit 2. Under hideous graphics, there's a really nicely engineered model. I finally did a silhouette that came out nice. The Ford C900 that I've sat on since the first release. Now I really need to do something with the half finished 16th century galleon wood kit that I started 6 years ago.

[ra7c7er]

I used to think I was a model kit hoarder until recently. I met a man who I promised I wouldn't disclose his name. Who had literally thousand of kits, and almost all vintage really hard to get stuff too. I've lived in apartments his stash wouldn't fit into.

Same here. I just meet a guy who's model kits wouldn't fit in my first apartment. Then he goes on to tell me he only builds about one a year but buys between 50 and 100 kits a month and has been since the 80s. Not only has model kits in his basement and spare room but in TWO storage units.

[greymack]

 Hi guy thought I'd revise this thread here .Now that I have built some more shelves in another room I'm ready to do some major model hoarding .So tells see more of you model hoarders.

[Eshaver]

To be honest , I probably have a couple of hundred model kits . They;re all singles as opposed to having multiples of any one kit . I do dioramas and each diorama has it's own set of cars that stay with that diorama . I've "Borrowed a few cars on the last diorama only because a show came up, finances were running thin as this last diorama nearly ran into the 1400.00 range ! Hey, I got in deeper than what I had estimated back in the spring when I decided to actually do this one .

 

Look, I've given up alcohol and tobacco years ago. My largest expense is usually my son's education expenses . The dioramas are paid for from side work I do as in Meusuiem work . Besides, fresh dioramas generally get me new work leads ................

[Ju Ju]

 this last diorama nearly ran into the 1400.00 range !

hey ned- i sure would like to see that $1,400.00 diorama

[Qwit Pushin]

I consider it 'minimizing my carbon footprint'.  By insulating my home with a floor-to-ceiling layer of model kits, I'ver reduced my heating costs and thusly my dependence on fossil fuel. Everybody wins.

[mademan]

Yep.... IM a hoarder. with around 2k kits in my "future builds" collection and around 100 or so started/stalled projects.

[Tom Geiger]

Interesting thread.  I don't see any problem, unless it interferes with real life obligations.  As long as we have jobs, support our families and our bills are paid, what we do in our off hours is our business.  I have relatives that have no interests at all. They sit and watch TV. I showed my bro in law a model project I was working on once and his response was, "That's work! Why would you do work that you don't have to?" There are those who get it and those who don't. 

 

As far as collector or builder, who gives a ######?  I was a stamp collector for years and the whole idea there was just to collect and own the specimens. There is a thrill in the hunt, just like we have when we finally get a holy grail kit.  Only nobody in the stamp collecting world says, "You have more stamps than you could ever mail.  Are you going to use all those stamps?" 

 

I may have 1000 kits. I don't know and refuse to count. When I got into the hobby 25 years ago I was like a kid in a candy shop. I'd go to shows and come out with huge bags of kits.  At this stage of the game I'm selective.  I still put $100 in my pocket when I go to shows, and if I see something, I don't hesitate to buy it, but if I don't I leave with the money in my pocket.

[DrKerry]

I have a little over 500 kits.

[2000-cvpi]

I am younger (30) than the average modeler on here, but I did not have the period of time (the distracting girl years) away from the hobby. I still got married, had two great kids and built models at the same time. So I have acquired about 250 unbuilt kits, 150 ish built models to rebuild and a ton of parts. So far my collection has stayed out of the rest of the house, my model room is not full yet. So I think I am not a hoarder, maybe a combo of collector and builder.

It's been almost two years since I wrote the above post. For a few months after this thread ended, I started down the road to uncontrolled model buying. My stash went from 250 unbuilt kits to over six hundred in less than a year. I got them from flea markets, neighbors, garage sales, Craigslist, my lhs. It got out of hand very quickly since I wasn't picky at all. If it was reasonable, I bought it. I realized that I was getting out of control with buying models. I sold off just over half of my collection, almost all of my built ups and kept what I really want. I can only hope that I have enough time to build them all.