What do you do with your built kits?

[moparfarmer]

Don't have that many but display them in an enclosed case in "the Room"

[disabled modeler]

On 7/29/2018 at 5:33 PM, Anglia105E said:

I do understand why scale model car builders display their built kits on glass shelves, or in cabinets with glass fronted doors or possibly in individual perspex cases, but my feeling is this..... all my built kits, and also the diecasts, are displayed within a diorama setting. I believe this to be important because that way you are viewing the cars in an environment that looks real, and if the builder of both the cars and the diorama has got it right, the whole scene appears much more interesting than rows of built models on glass shelves. When you move on to the photography aspect of our hobby the diorama setting, for me, is absolutely essential in order to create the illusion of reality.

David

David...I want to do just that with some very special ones of mine but have to use my display cases for now.  I had 2 larger dioramas about 1/2 way done in 2011 but we had a small tornado decide to remove them and other stuff from my collection.  One was a 60s gas station the other a 1970 car dealership...both and other stuff were a total loss or just gone sadly.   I used the MRC gas station kits for them and just added to them...now I find myself looking for stuff to repair models/promos and to start over on them.

[Anglia105E]

Hi Mark.... Sorry to hear about the tornado, which must have been devastating for you. All that hard work on two dioramas... gone. Sounds like you have a positive attitude, and all the new stuff will be interesting and just as enjoyable. Certainly, if you can put together a diorama which doesn't have to be spectacular or too large, this would be a nice way to display your more important and special scale model builds. My Hooper & Co diorama, which you may have seen on here, only occupies a baseboard area of 3 feet by 2 feet 7 inches so not large, and I find that I can set up some quite interesting little mini scenes within the whole setting. I like your idea of using an MRC gas station kit as a basis from which to build a more extensive project. I went down the route of building everything from scratch, starting with the Hooper building from balsa and other hardwoods, as it was in 1958.

David

[High octane]

10 hours ago, moparfarmer said:

Don't have that many but display them in an enclosed case in "the Room"

Don't have many? I had a president of a model car club back in the mid 70's tell me that he would rather look at 12 nice lookin' builds than 50 that were just thrown together. It's about quality and not quantity. I like your display case and that '70 Charger box also.

[OldTrucker]

These are older pictures and many of the cars have been rotated out for newer ones and there are some on a dresser not shown.

But have just about as many if not more that are in their boxes in the closet because I have no more cases nor room for them to be displayed.

 

[Turberticus]

For me, space is limited for displaying built models. I am usually working on commission builds so those will be shipped/delivered to clients, or I will list some of my builds on eBay. I do keep some builds for myself, specifically cars that I am passionate about and invest a lot of time in. I have three Tamiya F1 cars in a Tamiya 1/12 display case, and one F1 car displayed on my desk in a Pioneer stackable 1/18 display case.

[Tom Geiger]

23 hours ago, High octane said:

Don't have many? I had a president of a model car club back in the mid 70's tell me that he would rather look at 12 nice lookin' builds than 50 that were just thrown together. It's about quality and not quantity. 

Totally agree!  There are guys who take pride in how fast they can slap 'em together.  Assembling chassis and interiors and then squirting the entire assembly flat black. Leaving out the engine and gluing down the hood...  no prep, no primer and mold lines everywhere.   I cannot understand what the friggin rush is... nor how they can be happy with mediocre results!  I'd rather finish two a year that I'm proud to display!

 

And to answer the original question:

My main display case sits in my office. It is a huge china cabinet. I bought it at a second hand furniture store for $100. I am planning on adding a shelf between each existing shelf. This is where my own builds reside.  You will note that all my displays are behind glass,  I believe in protecting my babies from dust.

The old display case... I've had this one 30 years.  My sister bought a house and the previous owner left it behind.  It was free.  Again, I'd like to add shelves.  This one just has old builtups and promos in it now.

The light wood curio cabinet hold much of the Olde Kustom Kollection.  This one is a curbsider... which means I found it for free on garbage night. Can you believe someone threw it out? There is nothing wrong with it at all!  In the corner are a few acrylic model cases I acquired cheap.  I have yet to mount them.

So that's the grand tour.   Note that all the storage cabinets here cost a grand total of $100.  So anyone can do this!

[Lizard Racing]

When I started building again some years ago, I did dioramas. That was an effort to legitimize my hobby to the wife.

Now the collection has swelled to 65 models, built and unbuilt.  I had to disassemble four dioramas to make room. Four dioramas remain.

I did give a Ferrari Enzo to a friend as a wedding present. Otherwise, I keep all of them.