how old are you??

[Jantrix]

I just cruised past the 40 marker this past June. Like most of us, I built as a teen and then picked up the hobby later on when life slowed down enough to allow a hobby. All in all, I'm in a good place right now. My health is good and getting better. I've had two carpal tunnel release procedures done and am sans an appendix (that one near killed me). The releases were successful at curing my symptoms however my hands do shake a bit now when I'm doing fine work. Married to a great lady that supports my hobby and have two teen sons, one of whom enjoys modeling now and again, both of whom I am extremely proud of. That's me in a nutshell.

[scubadiver411]

I hit the BIG 4-0 last April and have been building since I was 10/11 because my older brother was building models, stopped at 18 and started again at 29. My wife will complain about me having too many model kits in the basement, but I keep telling her.... "if my hobby was hunting/fishing/ or drinking at the bars, I wouldn't be home with her and the kids all the time, so she should be lucky"

Remember, you're only as old as you feel

STEVE ALLEN

[CHR1S619]

I'm 29 & i've been building off & on since jr. high. i'm still meeting & learning from people. I hope to keep building for years to come too

[E St. Kruiser50]

I just finished reading all these posts, and laughed so hard at some, I had to wait to comment.

Been 20 in my heart for a long time, even though I've been buildin' for 58 years.

My dad got me started when he'd go to the hobby shop for H.O. stuff.

I started with military, but soon discovered cars, as I grew up in SoCal, and that was the end of me. I was hooked for the rest of my life - model cars and real cars.

Raised both my boys building model cars too. Sure was fun

A grown man playing with toyz - YOU BET!! Keeps all those creative juices flowin'.

Sometimes I get so excited about a new idea or model, I lay there at night and can't go to sleep - just like when I was a little kid, with my flashlight and new model under the covers, hopin' my dad wouldn't catch me - LOL

Hope I got about another 30 years to go, cuz I got about 500 kits yet to build - EEEHAH

Edited October 16, 2008 by Treehugger Dave

[BigGary]

Just getting rolling on the downhill slide at 59. It doesn't seem possible. Wasn't my son just born yesterday? No, he's 34 and occasionally builds models. I started at age 7 while recovering from a tonsilectomy. It was airplanes 'til age 11, then cars until 1:1 cars came along. I built a few models in grad school to retain my sanity, but money was scarce. Now I wander back and forth between cars, planes, R/C planes, depending how the mood strikes and the constaints of the budget.

Nice thing about model cars -which are not toys- is that they always sit correctly, don't fly away, don't cost 100's for one, have no FCC regulations, satisfy my creative instincts, and don't take up much space, (not counting the unbuilt kits). lol

Even when I was 10 years old I pictured myself building models in my retirement years until the peepers give out. I'm not retired, just unemployed right now, which would make you think I have lots of time for model building. It is interesting to note that if I spent as much time on models as I do on model forums, I'd get a lot more models built!

Oh, well...

Gary

Edited October 16, 2008 by BigGary

[jarheadndn]

im 30, been building off and on since i was 8. in the U.S.M.C. i built on the wekends, and got a few others to stop drankin and started building with me, then got hurt and discharged, so had to sell my whole collection. but now im getting it back and building alot more since i cant work anymore.

[E St. Kruiser50]

im 30, been building off and on since i was 8. in the U.S.M.C. i built on the wekends, and got a few others to stop drankin and started building with me, then got hurt and discharged, so had to sell my whole collection. but now im getting it back and building alot more since i cant work anymore.

Thank you deeply for your service and your sacrifice.

I'm glad that model building is filling a special need in your life.

We're all grateful to you. God Bless you - Dave

[FloridaBoy]

I am 61 years young, building since I was 5, working on dealer promo AMT kits of the early fifties. I can remember putting masking tape fender skirts at age 6 with my Uncle Bob on a dark turquoise acetate dealer promo 51 Pontiac 4 door Chief sedan. We even got real brave and make mud flaps, took my grandma's hat pins and made antennas and we were hot. We also learned to remove the friction motors, and turn the frames upside down to lower the stance.

I have been building on and off but my last revitalization came after a sports injury in 84 and when gimping around at a Ben Franklin, I saw the "new" AMT Ertl trophy series kits I thought I would never see again. I bought and bought, joined the IPMS and built again. I was labeled a "sixties era builder" with my construction and design approaches.

Here it is 20 years later, and I am still building new stuff, but my old body work on my forty fords and 49 mercs were just fine, so they are getting a refurbishment of today's stuff.

Thank God I am retired and have the time. I only display my cars at local contests, along with my old Pactra Revell trophies to educate and reach out to the future of our hobby, youths, and middle aged guys looking for something to create with their hands, and hope there is a Chip Foose in the bunch.

Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman

[Billy Kingsley]

I will be 24 this Saturday. (10/18/84 is my birthday). I've been building-and contributing to model message boards-since I was 15, in 2000.

I've got about 800 unbuilts. (Actual number unknown) If you shop real smart you can find a lot of kits $5 or less...I did...and now the basement is full!

[slash]

i'm 35 years old.my dad got me into this and he still build model cars. my son is 14 and he builds model kits too

[rmvw guy]

Born in 1950, do the math. Didn't realize there are so many youngsters on here. Just a Senior moment. Still feel like I'm 12 sometimes when I'm building. I built my first 1/25 scale in 1960, a brand new at the time '60 Edsel.

[Ramfins59]

I turned 66 back in April. Started building models back in the late 50's. Stopped when I discovered cars, bars & girls (not necessarily in that order) in the mid 60.s. Rediscovered the hobby back in the early 90's and have been happily at it again ever since.

[Harry P.]

We're resurrecting 5 year old threads now?

[Lunajammer]

Depending on who you ask, some folks think older is always better.

[JunkPile]

We're resurrecting 5 year old threads now?

Some of the older ones seem to be interesting. 51

Edited June 8, 2013 by JunkPile

[uncle potts]

We're resurrecting 5 year old threads now?

This ones new to me, hadn't found the forum then.

54, can remember 29 cent gas, was introduced to models by my grandmother to keep me out of her hair while visiting for a couple weeks during the summer.

Some people think that models are for kids, but most of those never built them, and just plain don't get it.

[Madd Trucker]

I turned 65 in March and remember when gas was .24 cents a gallon Ihave been building sence 14 then 3 years off for the military and 6 more years off then back again andhave been building sence then .

[cobraman]

I will turn 62 towards the end of this month. I have been building on and off for well over 50 years. You would think with all the building I have done I would be a better builder. I have quit several times and always come back to it. Read an article not long ago that stated that things like model building and jigsaw puzzles as well as crossword puzzles are great for us older people. Helps keeps the mind sharp and the hand and eye coordination good. Don't know if that's all true or not but I am now building as much as I ever did. I plan on stopping only if my eyes get alot worse or when I take my dirt nap. : )

[Tom Geiger]

I didn't even realize this thread was five years old. Would be interesting to see if the 20 year old OP is still on the board and building today.

The good part of the thread is seeing a lot of younger guys (under 50) involved.

Me? I've been 50 for 4 years now!

[Danno]

I'm old enough to know better than to post my age on the internet . . . limits yer options, y'know.

Besides . . . I'm still in the witless protection program.

PS> I remember when Billy started posting . . . when he was 15. OMG! He's 29 now!! Yikes.

Edited June 10, 2013 by Danno

[Harry P.]

I didn't even realize this thread was five years old. Would be interesting to see if the 20 year old OP is still on the board and building today.

His last post was March 17, 2010. My guess is he's long gone.

[LOBBS]

I'll be 34 here in a couple of hours. Just this weekend at the Heartland Nats someone remarked to me that it was good to see the "younger" being involved with the hobby. I guess I don't look my age, lol.

[Pro Wrench]

I'm 43. Don't remember when I started building but I can remember blowing some of them up with firecrackers and using them for target practice so I had to have been pre-teen. Then when I WAS a teenager I discovered real cars and girls. Got back into the hobby about 20 years ago when I saw a car that had been detailed by someone that was really good and have been into it off and on since then. Seems like I tend to pick them back up when I am recuperating from some injury I sustained doing something stupid. My current wife (number 5 ) encouraged me to dig them back out in February after hernia surgery. She didn't want me getting to bored sitting around healing up because I tend to get into mischief when that happens. I have found that after all these years I really lost a lot of dexterity in my fingers. Likely the result of beating my hands up making my living working on real cars and a few years that I worked in the oil and gas fields of Wyoming.

[LOBBS]

I'm 43. Don't remember when I started building but I can remember blowing some of them up with firecrackers and using them for target practice so I had to have been pre-teen. Then when I WAS a teenager I discovered real cars and girls. Got back into the hobby about 20 years ago when I saw a car that had been detailed by someone that was really good and have been into it off and on since then. Seems like I tend to pick them back up when I am recuperating from some injury I sustained doing something stupid. My current wife (number 5 ) encouraged me to dig them back out in February after hernia surgery. She didn't want me getting to bored sitting around healing up because I tend to get into mischief when that happens. I have found that after all these years I really lost a lot of dexterity in my fingers. Likely the result of beating my hands up making my living working on real cars and a few years that I worked in the oil and gas fields of Wyoming.

Funny you should mention recovering from hernia surgery as to what brought you back this time around. That was exactly the same thing that got me hooked again as an adult.

[peekay]

I'm 63 and I can remember when petrol was...um....er..... ...BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH, I can't even remember what I had for lunch!