Scale Modeling and Youth?

[drsnapper55]

Lots to say here, but after reading the comments and opinions in the recent topic about the current popularity of the scale modeling hobby, I wonder how kids are being impacted by the hobby and what this means for the future of scale model building?  Is the focus of the hobby becoming more for adults, kids, or both?  Does this matter?  One thing that comes to mind for me most recently is the change that we are seeing with the Revell Make N' Take program:

http://web.ipmsusa3.org/news/updated-make-n-take-temporarily-resumed

 

[ERIK88]

That is definitely a sad article on the discontinuation of the make and take program. I think it's hard to reach out to the youth, I mean there are many other hobbies out there that give instant gratification with less effort, let's not forget the cost of supplies and the fact that every kit on average is about $20 bucks or so. A kid can't buy a model with a $5-$10 weekly allowance like they once were able too. That and the fact that they can't even go to a local retail store and buy a can of spraypaint or glue if under 18.  

[ERIK88]

I think the focus is more on adults, and your occasional kid who is probably introduced to the hobby from a close family member who is already an avid builder. I think they would probably fit The casual weekend builder who wants to have a quick fast snap kit to build alongside grandpa . There are enough baby boomers and grandsons / daughters to capitalize from! Lol

[Quick GMC]

if aftermarket detail parts and photoetched parts didn't exist, I would have 0 interest in the hobby. I consider myself a car enthusiast, but I build because I have always been infatuated with miniature detail. 

[SfanGoch]

That is definitely a sad article on the discontinuation of the make and take program. I think it's hard to reach out to the youth, I mean there are many other hobbies out there that give instant gratification with less effort, let's not forget the cost of supplies and the fact that every kit on average is about $20 bucks or so. A kid can't buy a model with a $5-$10 weekly allowance like they once were able too. That and the fact that they can't even go to a local retail store and buy a can of spraypaint or glue if under 18.  

The 20 buck average kit price is a non factor. The average retail price of a video game is $44.25 and kids buy them like candy. As Erik pointed out, there are many other hobbies and activities which provide instant gratification for less effort. Using two opposable thumbs to move keypad controls is a lot easier than using them in conjunction with the other eight digits to manipulate small parts into place. Less thinking involved, too.

[Art Anderson]

Time was, 40-60 years ago, when this part of the plastic modeling hobby was primarily kids, from about 9 or 10, to at least the time when they got their first driver's license.  Now, about 1975-76, model car kit sales began to drop severely, to the point that the once-powerhouse, AMT Corporation barely avoided bankruptcy in early 1979 when Lesney (the Matchbox Toy people) stepped up to the plate, bought AMT--but as it turned out, to no avail, as Lesney AMT went down when the parent company filed for bankruptcy in March 1982, this time to be broken up among other stronger toy companies (Ertl got AMT, Mattell got Matchbox Toys, for example).

But something was already in the wings by '82--a great number of those once-kids, you know the "Boomers" began to return to model cars, something which had captured their attention perhaps 20 years earlier.

The corrent resurgence likely id due to a lot more new product hitting the stands, certainly US car subjects, in the 8-10 years or so since Walmart dropped model car kits as a chain-wide set of SKU's--model car kits in virtually every Walmart.  Why was that a good thing?  Walmart was in a position to DICTATE the price point of any model car kit they considered buying--meet that price point regardless, or lose the sales.  That's what truly drove model kit tool-making and production to the Far East--it was called "survival".  And, that hs lead us to where we modelers sit today,  With a seemingly endless string of new, never-before-done subjects, and with much greater emphasis on features and details that would never have seen the light of day in a model kit 10, 20, 30 years ago, not with any of hte Big Box retailers dictating price points.

Today's kids building model cars?  Yes, they do, just not in huge numbers--but then, back in the late 50's to the early 70's, while perhaps a majority of baby boom kids did at least build one or two or three,  those who were dedicated, hooked on this hobby as preteens and teenagers were a much smaller group.

Art

[Kit Basher]

 

Today's kids building model cars?  Yes, they do, just not in huge numbers--but then, back in the late 50's to the early 70's, while perhaps a majority of baby boom kids did at least build one or two or three,  those who were dedicated, hooked on this hobby as preteens and teenagers were a much smaller group.

Art

That's a very good point, Art. I think we tend to believe that in the '60s, every boy built model cars. Looking back to my own acquaintances at that time, I can only think of 3 or 4 who consistently built models of any kind. The same holds true today. Of all my friends, I am the only one who builds models. So if only a small percentage of kids today build models, that was true back then as well. The percentage may be even smaller now, I don't know.

I suspect that the desire to build something has not decreased. Look at the popularity of Legos.

 

 

[Brett Barrow]

Note that this is about the IPMS dropping their Make n Take due to a price increase, not Revell.  Revell is still doing it.

I have to say I work in the hobby business (Mon-Fri for a web-based retailer, and Saturdays at my LHS) and I'm optimistic about the future and "young folks".  Folks younger than me, anyway (I'm 38).  Gundams and Sci-fi stuff are pretty popular with the younger crowd, as well as table-top games like Warhammer 40K and the like.  I am personally pretty heavy into Gundams right now and have been for the past year or so - they're fun!  The first new hobby shop to open in years around here is a Gundam/Anime-focused shop and he seems to be doing pretty well.  

I don't know if it's just anecdotal and it's just me, but it does seem like most Saturdays since this spring a beginner (mostly adults getting back into modeling) have come into the shop and bought all the paints and supplies for a first-timer build.  We recently did a intro to airbrushing class and had almost 40 people there.  It might just be the economy getting better, or maybe there is an upswing in interest in modeling, but it's definitely not doom and gloom out there. 

[Tom Geiger]

Younger people today are building models.   We don't see a lot of them in our organized hobby and that's our own fault.  There are people in our aging herd  vocally discourage young guys from participating,  criticizing the modern subjects and tuners that they want to build.  This happens on boards, in clubs and at shows.  The young guys get the cold shoulder, and the hint that they aren't welcome.  This isn't good for the hobby.

Think about it... young people interested in modern subjects today are no different from who we were when we were young.  In 1968 we were building models of new annuals, which were essentially contemporary cars back then.  We, and they, love the cars of our experience.  We cannot expect a kid born in 1995 to have passion for mid 1960s cars because they aren't part of his life experience.  And just as we still hold a passion for "our" cars and build them today, I suspect these young guys will too... unless we run them off!

A few years ago TSSMCC / NNL East was approached by a group of young guys in their twenties who had started their own model car club, called the "Diversified Scalerz" in New Jersey. They asked if we would consider adding a "Modern Sports" category to our show. They cited that when we had themes like "Tuners" and "Modern Muscle" that the tables were full, and we had to agree that this would be a good thing. So for the first time in anyone's memory NNL East added a category.  In our conversations, we told these guys that we expected them to promote this to attract more young builders and of course populate the tables!  They agreed and they followed through very well!

They started going to the regional shows,  Liars show in Long Island,  MidAtlantic NNL in Maryland and  Super September Showdown in Pennsylvania, traveling as a group with their bright blue club shirts.  They are friendly and respectful, the kind of people we need to carry the torch in this hobby.  They progressed in the hobby to the point of starting their own show. The first year was an open house, and now at the 4th annual show, it's a good sized event.  They have been accepted into our herd and we attend their show!  This is a good thing.

For those in NJ, The Diversified Scalerz  4th Annual Model Car Met & Contest is coming up!  Saturday October 3rd, 9am-4pm at the Disabled American Vets of NJ, 612 Mill St, Belleville, New Jersey.   I'm hoping everyone will come out to support this club and their event!  

 

[Howard Cohen]

In this part of the continent, young modellers are few and far between. At the local model car contests the past few years, there were less entries in junior and senior/teen. We have tried to encourage younger builders by making sure they always received a prize. Strangely enough, they liked it  But the numbers have been dropping the past 5 years and we seldom see more than a handful.

One of my friends used to have a model car building class at his school but that was stopped (no, I don't know why).  

I hope Revell doesn't drop the make&take as I am in the process of working with a local museum to have a Christmas make&take activity. This museum does activities every month for kids from 5-20 and they get a good response. The model car idea was well received. 

I hope to be chatting to Revell and Round2 at Toledo next month and I'll ask them about the program.

[Nytrozilla]

Change needs to come soon. I'm watching the 13 year old son of a friend this weekend. When I showed him my collection, he said, "Cool models. Can I plug in my X Box?"

I took Drafting in 7th grade. We were taught model skills for presentations and mass studies. I was already building before the class.

Edited September 26, 2015 by Nytrozilla

[Spex84]

I've already commented on this subject on "the other" forum, but thought I'd chime in here too....I agree that it's disappointing that kids are not building models the way they used to. Many reasons have already been mentioned--the closing of hobby shops, the fact that model cars are now a specialty item that you have to seek out, the difficulty in buying glue and paint as a minor, the rising cost of kits...etc.

When it comes to models vs. video games, games offer replayability and can provide entertainment for months. Sure new AAA console games might be $70 here in Canada, but two kits and some paint/glue will run the same price, and most kids who are new to the hobby will probably build those kits in a weekend and then be bored.

Video games offer instant gratification because it's literally built into their structure. A good game leads players along a learning curve and rewards them for reaching certain goals. Building model cars is a much more self-directed pastime, where builders must set their own goals. It's a different kettle of fish.

Young people still love to build--LEGO is re-configurable, and offers replayability and almost endless creative re-combination. Video games like Minecraft (immensely popular with young people right now) offer a similar sort of thing in the digital world. Kids are building some fiendishly complicated stuff in the digital world these days.

Why would a kit build a model car that sits like a lump on the shelf and gets dusty when they could customize a photo-realistic car in a video game, choose a different paint scheme every day, drive it, crash it, and race with their friends?

Some video game/collectible franchises, such as Skylanders and Disney Infinity, have been combining the digital realm with the physical--you purchase a figurine (like a plastic action figure or collectible), and then that figurine unlocks a playable character in a digital world.

Imagine if the Revell Ford Raptor model kit came with a chip or code that unlocked the same truck in an online racing game. Would I bother? Probably not. Would it attract younger builders? They'd probably just use the chip and leave the styrene in the box. But I could be wrong....maybe it would work. Maybe it would spark an interest.

Most video games lack the physical "zen" of cutting, shaping, painting etc, and also lack real, tangible results. I think the main problem is that modern culture has drifted away from celebrating the value of tangible results, working with your hands, etc. We're awash in a sea of "likes", digital media, "consultants", trending memes, etc etc.  The dominant media narrative these days is about how everything is dynamic and shifting, and to stay relevant you have to be ready to shift, too. Models seem curiously inert in that context.

I think eventually, people will realize that making something real is valuable. We already see this with the "Maker" trend, craft marketplace websites like Etsy, and the 3D printing movement.

Where models fit into this, I'm not sure, but the future of modeling is going to rest with convincing young people that it's not about the end result (a lump of plastic), it's about the skill and knowledge it took to produce that result.  Kind of like how it might be cool to be in a band...but it's way cooler and more rewarding to be a musician.

With that in mind, I agree that encouraging any kind of building is a good idea. I sometimes come across rants and screeds against tuner cars, lowriders, and especially donks....guess what, you might not like the 1:1 cars, but if they're inspiring young people to build models and be creative they're a good thing!!

 

 

 

 

 

[GaryR]

I'm apathetic on this one, I'm not sure what difference it makes.

Times change, kids don't play with barrel hoops anymore either.

The hobby is geared to adults, since I'm 63 that's fine with me.

I don't see the problem here, it's just gone from a kids hobby to an adult one.

REAL hot rodding will be gone in 30-50 years, it just life. ENJOY it while you can!

[russosborne]

I agree with Gary.

I have never understood the need that some people have of "passing down" a hobby, job, way of life, etc. When I am dead and gone I don't give a rat's rear what happens after that. And things change. We (old farts) might think it is for the worse, but generally it really is for the better, at least for those living after that change has taken place. Personally, I am a big fan of indoor plumbing, for an example.

As long as models last my lifetime I will be happy. If they don't, there are lots of other things to do with my time that I will also be happy with.

 

BTW, I am not against younger people getting into this. I gave a good third or more of my then stash to a kid back in Ohio about 6 years ago who's mom had advertised on Craigslist asking for a couple of kits for her son to build since he was interested but they couldn't afford to buy any for him. If someone wants to do this I will help if possible. But I am not putting a gun against a kid's head saying you have to do this to make me feel better either.

 

Russ

Edited September 26, 2015 by russosborne
added a thought.

[Ace-Garageguy]

The way things are going, there'll be a time in the not too distant future when the average human in a "developed" country lacks the physical skills to do much beyond operating a smart phone, a zipper, and a roll of toilet paper.

If that's the kind of future-world we want, fine.

If not, teaching kids to build ANYTHING just might be a good idea.

Edited September 26, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy

[GaryR]

I worked with young people around 30 years old, to them 50's and 60's cars are quaint antiques.

And why not? A 65 Mustang is FIFTY Years old! The equivalent in 1965 was a 1915 model T!!!

It's not anything in their frame of reference, SOME enjoy it, but I get why most aren't interested.

It's not too hard to understand really. They like stuff from their world, not the past.

[Lownslow]

I worked with young people around 30 years old, to them 50's and 60's cars are quaint antiques.

And why not? A 65 Mustang is FIFTY Years old! The equivalent in 1965 was a 1915 model T!!!

It's not anything in their frame of reference, SOME enjoy it, but I get why most aren't interested.

It's not too hard to understand really. They like stuff from their world, not the past.

Exactly

[GaryR]

"

The way things are going, there'll be a time in the not too distant future when the average human in a "developed" country lacks the physical skills to do much beyond operating a smart phone, a zipper, and a roll of toilet paper.

If that's the kind of future-world we want, fine.

If not, teaching kids to build ANYTHING just might be a good idea."

  WE WANT? It's not up to me what kind of world the future holds!

What are you going to do, force kids to build things? Why? aren't they free to decide what they want to do?

Look, I 'm GLAD i grew up when I did, I'm GLAD I won't have to live in the coming idiocracy, I don't care about 99% of what millennials care about and vice versa. Such is life. But the fact is, times change. People don't give a rip about much other than celebrities, sex,  money, phones and narcissism these days, SO BE IT! They will get the world the want and deserve. I cannot change that and building car models won't change a thing.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I worked with young people around 30 years old, to them 50's and 60's cars are quaint antiques.

And why not? A 65 Mustang is FIFTY Years old! The equivalent in 1965 was a 1915 model T!!!

It's not anything in their frame of reference, SOME enjoy it, but I get why most aren't interested.

It's not too hard to understand really. They like stuff from their world, not the past.

And what exactly IS their world?

From what I see in my daily experience:

Constant communication about mostly nothing of any importance whatsoever, a society that's pretty much free of actual IDEAS, almost unbelievable widespread ignorance of science, math and history, and a mindless reliance on completely unnecessary "technology".

[Ace-Garageguy]

I'm GLAD I won't have to live in the coming idiocracy... People don't give a rip about much other than celebrities, sex,  money, phones and narcissism these days, SO BE IT! They will get the world the want and deserve. 

Exactly.

But unlike some of you, I believe we have an obligation to the future, and igniting the spark of interest in MAKING THINGS in just one young person might be the act that resonates down through the long-term survival of the human species, rather than letting its fire dim and die.

Edited September 26, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy

[Lownslow]

And what exactly IS their world?

From what I see in my daily experience:

Constant communication about mostly nothing of any importance whatsoever, a society that's pretty much free of actual IDEAS, almost unbelievable widespread ignorance of science, math and history, and a mindless reliance on completely unnecessary "technology".

Exotics, Imports and modern muscle cars thats our world. but often seen as the kids with the goofy camber cars, ricers and donks.

Edited September 26, 2015 by Lownslow

[Tom Geiger]

 

Exactly.

But unlike some of you, I believe we have an obligation to the future, and igniting the spark of interest in MAKING THINGS in just one young person might be the act that resonates down through the long-term survival of the human species, rather than letting its fire dim and die.

Bill- your post appeared as I was typing the below, but it ties in....

I just discovered something interesting.... there is no Boy Scout merit badge for Car Modeling. In fact the only badge related to cars at all is one on "Automobile Maintenance" (at least they'll know how to check their oil!).   There is a merit badge called "Model Design and Building" which is about building industrial type models and clearly states "no kits".  As far as hobbies, there are still coin and stamp collecting merit badges, and there are badges for basket weaving and pottery but as a car society, wouldn't ya think there would be badges for Automotive History and Automotive Design?  And the grand hobby of model building from kits.. whether it be cars, aircraft, ships or other subjects.  There is a merit badge about Railroading, and that includes a section about designing and building a train layout, but that's it!   

So we have a major disconnect, one that is that scouting is not giving boys exposure to anything automotive, never mind our interest in model cars.  I think we found a project boys! 

List of Boy Scout Merit Badges

Edited September 26, 2015 by Tom Geiger

[Ace-Garageguy]

Exotics, Imports and modern muscle cars thats our world.

Mine too. I was into exotics and imports when vintage muscle cars were "modern". Still am. 

It doesn't have to be either-or. 

[GaryR]

From what I read most millenials don't care about driving or cars. They use Uber ( LOL) to get somewhere and seem to think a perfect world is never leaving their living space for much of anything. This goes back to the LHS vs the inernet thing.

Why this seems so cool is beyond me! like driverless cars, woo woo. Give me a break.

I think it's dumb and pathetic, BUT it's irrelevant what I think. Tell a kid they are missing out and you get a blank stare and are written off immediately as a know nothing old coot. I don't CARE anyway.

So why belabor the point.

Jeeezz! Last night after my wife and I went to dinner I was behind some kid in a Mazda3. He sits, turn signal on staring at his stupid phone ( That's what traffic lights are for ya know), not turning right. Finally I tap the horn, he freaks out, turns, then TRIES TO RACE US IN OUR MUSTANG GT! Hilarious. He's driving a Mazda3! Wife and I both laugh at his frenzy'd shifting, then I leave him behind. How STUPID is that?

 The point is....this kid is clueless about cars! The Mazda3 is a fine car, I also own a Mazda6, but it ain't fast! The kids SO CLUELESS he doesn't get he might as well be walking against a Mustang, Challenger, Camaro etc. I get this all the time, kids in Hondas ( har har) and, get this... Toyota corollas that want to drag. Their own "special" world! I get "challenged" because the Mustang stands out.

Edited September 26, 2015 by GaryR

[GaryR]

Tom ,realistically how many kids even CARE about scouting anymore?