Quitting the Hobby

[89AKurt]

Totally understand, be well and prosper.  There are times I want to sell the house, get an RV, and get lost.  I've reduced interest in the latest, greatest, most expensive cars coming out, reduces the clutter (there is another similar word verboten for use in public) in my head.  I've also had spells of no interest in models.

[Bucky]

Right now, the main thing keeping us from selling out and grabbing a motorhome, is my stash....and the cost of the motorhome!! LOL

i have even thought of doing that, and pulling a trailer set up as a hobby room! (Am I sick, or what?)

[lordairgtar]

8 hours ago, OldTrucker said:

In my case I am down sizing because we will probably be moving very soon as our neighborhood has become unsafe. Vandalism, break ins has gone way up and can't sit outside without that skunky smell saturating the area!

Had people on the 4th tossing quarter sticks in peoples yards and when they came out to complain they were being beat up by a bunch of punks, even on man's wife who was dragged through her yard by her hair!

Will be going top a 55+ housing complex in a small town where my son lives. Still two bedroom but less storage space.

At least I can drive a few blocks to his house and use his garage for any paint work.

Can't imagine that going on in Bourbonnais. Of course it's been years since I lived there.

[slusher]

Alan, I wish you. well, you can always drop by. I stop building once and have never stoped since returning...

[MrObsessive]

12 hours ago, OldTrucker said:

In my case I am down sizing because we will probably be moving very soon as our neighborhood has become unsafe. Vandalism, break ins has gone way up and can't sit outside without that skunky smell saturating the area!

Had people on the 4th tossing quarter sticks in peoples yards and when they came out to complain they were being beat up by a bunch of punks, even on man's wife who was dragged through her yard by her hair!

Will be going top a 55+ housing complex in a small town where my son lives. Still two bedroom but less storage space.

At least I can drive a few blocks to his house and use his garage for any paint work.

It's why I moved to where I am now. Not one but TWO shootings next door to me within a three year period. The second one involved a death and that's when I knew it was time to go. It was a bit sad as I lived in the house for 13 years, but the neighborhood was NOT the same as it was when I moved there in 2006. I'm in a MUCH quieter neighborhood now and my house stands alone and not a duplex like I had. Just hope the neighbors don't start changing for the worse like the last place.

As far as the hobby.........I've slowed down a bit over the years, but haven't thought about stopping altogether. At some point I'll have to consider downsizing the kits and then there's that aspect of just who's going to want this stuff after I'm gone.

[1972coronet]

On 7/15/2020 at 10:29 PM, alexis said:

I've decided to lay down my tools, and sell my kits. The time for (escaping) the world's issues by playing with (sophisticated) toys is over.

You won't be around for the long-awaited 1968 Coronet release ! I know that you've been championing its cause for some time...

Okay , now to be serious ( ? ) . I've taken a few sabbaticals over the years ( 1990-1992 ;  1996-2002 ; 2005-2010 )  ; sometimes due to (clinical) depression ; others just because I lost interest  , and ; lastly due to my mum passing away .

If I lived closer to Bakersfield (which is really only 6 inches away , according to my map ) , I'd cruise-up there and peruse your inventory , sling the _____ , and wish you well ---- I can only do the latter . 

Take care , man . Maybe we'll see you around here again some day .

[stavanzer]

John, You are welcome to come up. Heck, 6 inches is Bakersfield to Santa Fe NM , on my giant Wall map! I'd really enjoy meeting you. I've seen your name on the board, and wondered if I've ever bumped into to you at a Model Show. The same, goes for the the other Posters from California.

I'll miss the '68 Coronet kit, I guess. I hope that it sells well, and is a hit. I will miss seeing the '64 Olds kit, that is for sure.

Tank Care, hoping you make it by some day.

[tim boyd]

Alan...sorry to hear this, but I understand.  The advice to hold onto a few key things is good; I've heard similar advice from others who left the hobby. 

I always was interested in reading your perspective, even when I did not always agree!

I wish you the very, very, best, and I thank you for your enthusiasm for and contributions to the hobby over the years.

Best wishes, best of luck, and Best Regards....TIM 

 

[Modlbldr]

Alan,

Sorry to hear you are leaving the hobby, but only you know what is best for you. I have enjoyed trading with you in the past (and some quite recent). Take care, stop in once in a while to say "Hi", and enjoy the next phase in your life to the full. Hope to see you around some day. 

Later-

[BlackSheep214]

Wow... I can understand your reasoning. Man, I wish I could be in California to see what you’ve got in your auto and aircraft stash. There are a number of car kits I’d love to get my hands on from my youth years. 

[gtx6970]

Ive been going thru the pile the past few months myself. I decided to thin down dramatically, or at least down to some resembles reasonable. 

Sold over a 100 kits a while back . ( all more recent stuff )

Currently selling a lot of much older kits on facebook pages . 

 

I have a deposit on a vintage 1/1  car. and planning to retire in the next 16-18 months . SO I will have ( hopefully ) much more free time to use. But odds are the 1/1 car will take up a very large portion of that

[Tom Geiger]

I urge people not to make hasty decisions right about now!   We are months into this pandemic thing and we are not thinking straight!

I know I’m not thing straight and worried about the future as I sit home. I’ve decided not to make life changing decisions and to just ride out the situation!   

 

[Brudda]

On 7/15/2020 at 10:29 PM, alexis said:

Well, the time has come. The world is changing (and not for the better). 

I've decided to lay down my tools, and sell my kits. The time for (escaping) the world's issues by playing with (sophisticated) toys is over.

I've buried 40 years and part of a marriage into Plastic Modeling. It brings me less pleasure every month. Time to move in new directions, and become a different version of myself. I want nothing more than to hide from ugly reality, and continue to futz around with kits. But, the time is coming when than won't be an option, so it's better to move now, than wait for the decision to be taken from me by circumstances. 

It has been great fun, and I wish it could continue. Sadly, it can't, at least not for me. I've enjoyed everybody I've corresponded with on the board. I have talked to some great folks, and had some great times. Had some great trades.

If you live in Southern California, and are interested in buying my collections of Car, Truck and Airplane kits, send me a PM. I cannot deliver, but I'll be happy to help otherwise. I'm chronically disorganized, so there are no lists for me to share, although, i can take and text as many cell phone pics as you would like. I've got several parts boxes, and 20 years worth of kits.

So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish!

Best wishes to you sir. Life pulls us in so many different directions. I understand. Keep safe and good luck to you and your future. 

[Lizard Racing]

I wish you luck in your new life without modelling.  One tip: sell the stash if you want but do not sell the tools.  They represent an investment and if you decide to start up again, you will still have tools.

[Oldcarfan27]

I remember 13 years ago I said I was hanging it all up and tried to sell my entire stash to a local collector who would ask me when I was selling, to give him a call.

I gave him a fair price for the whole K&K (kit and kaboodle) and he turned me down flat! After that, I swore I'd never again offer anything to so called "collectors"! I said, all I have was fair game to build or trash - or whatever I felt like doing with it! Collectors be dammed!

Instead, I boxed it all up, stuffed it in the rafters of my garage and moved on with life. Kind of forgot about it all, until my son became 10 or 11 and we got to talking about cars and I told him about a big prize I had in the garage waiting for him.

We pulled out the boxes, he exploded in happiness and I pulled out kits I forgot I even had! It was like a huge Christmas in July. I felt I stumbled upon a giant treasure trove in my own home!

Ever since, it has been a personal getaway for me to explore, create, modify and build these cars into anything I want. Even if I don't finish them, I've decided that it's the "journey not the destination" that I enjoy. I let my son finish them if he wants to, and If he doesn't, at least it's still relaxing for me just as it is.

Point is, Alan - may I suggest you keep the ones that you most like and put them away for someday. You may find that "someday" you'll again want those favorites, and cost will prevent you from getting them back. Collector's wont give you squat to buy them from you, but they WILL gouge you to sell them back!

Best Wishes!

Edited July 23, 2020 by Oldcarfan27

[larman]

22 hours ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

Collector's wont give you squat to buy them from you, but they WILL gouge you to sell them back!

 

That is 100% truth, right there. ?

[stavanzer]

Patrick, Would you like a crack at my stash?. You'd have to come up to Bakersfield, and practice "Social Distance" but I can work with that. I'll make some good deals.

PS. This goes for any board member who's willing to make the drive.

 

[Oldcarfan27]

On 7/24/2020 at 2:55 PM, alexis said:

Patrick, Would you like a crack at my stash?. You'd have to come up to Bakersfield, and practice "Social Distance" but I can work with that. I'll make some good deals.

PS. This goes for any board member who's willing to make the drive.

 

Alan, I'd love to see your collection. You'd probably have a lot of great stuff I'd like to own (or at least USED to own! ?)

Unfortunately, I'm currently not able to drive up there to "God's country" of Bakersfield, nor do I have the funds right now to do any buying. 

But I would enjoy seeing your current stash before it all goes away. PM me some photos if you're able!

I love to live vicariously through other builder's collections!

Too bad you won't be doing any more trading, we shared some GREAT stuff.

[Eric Macleod]

This topic is interesting to me. I was seriously thinking of a post similar to this one and here you are with the same topic. In my case, I find myself in a similar position but for different reasons. I have developed just a slight tremor in my right hand and am not quite as good with a brush in my left. So, here I am with models (and threads) started all over the place but interruptions because of my frustration with my inability to complete the model to my satisfaction because of a physical limitation. My decision has been to cut down to perhaps 6-10 kits and sell off all the others. Now I just have to get past that stage where I feel like disposing of everything.

I wish you and others the best as we move down the road together.

Eric

[stavanzer]

Folks.  I'm ready to start the formal process of disposing of my stash of kits.

Some of you may have noticed my (now removed) posts about this. Please accept my apologies.

If you want info about the Stash Clearance, PM me, so I don't trigger the mods.

P.S. Eric I grieve for your loss. Your Classic Builds are some of my favorites!

[stavanzer]

Update on selling kits. So, I've sold about a third of them. I'm taking a bit of a break. I sell between 6 and 14 Kits every Time my auctions end. It is a very slow process, but it is steady.