we can do to help the model companies sell more kits...

[Harry P.]

Harry,

Great question but I think you knew the answers you would get before you posed it!

For me, it is because I have great intentions and really believe that I will build those kits. I was also drawn to the Big Lots & Wal-Marts when they were closing out kits and how could you not buy a kit that was only $5.00 ?

My question to you: Why did you buy that Mustang last year when a Smart car would get you around town just the same?

Let me guess the answer.............Because you can!

You're right on the money... yeah, I did know what kind of answers I'd get. But a lot of the time I'll do that... post something just to get you guys talking and keep things interesting. (insert devious laugh here)...

Why a Mustang? Honestly, I just thought the new "old" Mustang was so cool that I had to have one. I love the styling of it. I actually was going to get a Challenger, but when I priced the Challenger vs. the Mustang my decision was pretty easy... Also, the fact that Ford did NOT accept bailout money scored big points with me. (I know, no politics on the forum)...

[Harry P.]

Aren't Taylor and Jones the same guy???

[59-Desoto]

A question to all of you guys that have literally hundreds (if not more) unbuilt kits in your stash:

Why?

You couldn't possibly build them all in your lifetime, yet you keep buying more and more. Why? Just curious as to what sort of answers I'll get...

Cuz I want my second childhood to be more fun than my first one , and I got my own money and don't have to ask mom and dad , and my wife said I never grew up that I'm just an over grow kid @ 56. Wow life is good.

[highway]

1. I get kiiinda annoyed by seeing the amount of people with more kits than they need and even multiple kits of the same cars..

I only have 4 kits "spair" at the moment of which im building on my 8 weeks summer holiday soon, being from the UK i find it sooooo hard to find old american 1/24'ths here and when i do they cost quite a bit and are ofcourse second hand. STILL..

2. Seeing you guys with that many kits i guess its acceptable if your a kit collector (which to me makes no sense) yes is probably why the american kit manufactures arent selling as good as they used to..

3. I agree that if you made all them kits then you would all be emailing kit makers to start making certain cars which now 2010 will be of amazing quality and the prices will go down with a higher demand..

4. So maybe you all should stop buying kits or maybe ship some crates over to me

1. I kinda annoyed that you say I don't need my 400+ kit collection, many of which are multiple kits of the same cars because THEY HAVE PARTS I WANT!!! And, for your information, if someone posts they need a part from one of those kits, I willing wiilingly trade the parts I'm not using they may need!

2. I'm BY NO MEANS A COLLECTOR, I'M A BUILDER!!!

3. I DO PLAN ON BUILDING ALL I HAVE!! Again, for your information, I also added my name to a mass email to both Revell and AMT someone started on another forum to see new kits made.

4. I WILL NEVER STOP BUYING NEW KITS TO ADD TO MY COLLECTION UNTIL I DIE!!!

Edited June 16, 2010 by highway

[RodneyBad]

1. I kinda annoyed that you say I don't need my 400+ kit collection, many of which are multiple kits of the same cars because THEY HAVE PARTS I WANT!!! And, for your information, if someone posts they need a part from one of those kits, I willing wiilingly trade the parts I'm not using they may need!

2. I'm BY NO MEANS A COLLECTOR, I'M A BUILDER!!!

3. I DO PLAN ON BUILDING ALL I HAVE!! Again, for your information, I also added my name to a mass email to both Revell and AMT someone started on another forum to see new kits made.

4. I WILL NEVER STOP BUYING NEW KITS TO ADD TO MY COLLECTION UNTIL I DIE!!! By the way, I do not give kits away, I only trade or possibly sell them!!

Ditto

except for #4

Sometimes I do give kits away to see them built and bring joy to someone that doesn't have one.

I am also supporting the Hobbie and the economy , one kit at a time.

sometimes two at a time

And because I can.

[Guest old man]

YOU KNOW IT REALLY DON'T MATTER HOW MANY KIT'S YOU HAVE. YOU BUILD TO HAVE FUN & ENJOY THE HOBBY. I HAVE OVER 175 KIT'S & I BUILD SUM & SUM ARE FOR PARTS & OR JUST TO HAVE SUM FOR WHATEVER YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU NEED A PART. IT IS GOOD TO KNOW YOU HAVE THAT PART FOR KIT BASHING

JUST MY 2 CENT'S WORTH

[Aaronw]

The main reason is I got tired of seeing a kit on the shelf for months, then when I wanted to build it, one couldn't be found anywhere. If I could be sure of finding the kits I want at a fair price I would have a much smaller stash of kits.

As far as never getting them built, that assumes I won't live forever.

[RodneyBad]

The main reason is I got tired of seeing a kit on the shelf for months, then when I wanted to build it, one couldn't be found anywhere. If I could be sure of finding the kits I want at a fair price I would have a much smaller stash of kits.

As far as never getting them built, that assumes I won't live forever.

Yup, the first reason why it all started.

I may not live forever but in this life time it makes me Happy.

Next life time it could be a whole nother hobbie

or alternate universe

[JT]

I collect for a lot of the reasons already stated, but the main reason is I'm a bit of a hoarder!

Yes I admit it, I'm addicted! I know the first step to a cure is admitting there is a problem! Did I say I have a problem???

I don't have no stinkin' problem, I have a HOBBY!

I stopped building kits when I went to college, but from the time I got married and moved out of my parents, I hauled about 80 built and un-built kits with me from when I was a kid. For 20 years they moved around with me. I new I would get back to them someday! That happened a little over 10 years ago, and I came back with a vengeance! Having your wife consently tell you that you didn't need to spend time and money on any kind of hobby helped the vengeance part!

Imagine the kits that I hadn't seen in 20 years or so! (Evil laugh) I started buying kits of cars I liked and went nuts from there. Then I started doing a web page for a certain model car collection buyer who sells them online, and we worked out a deal to pay me in kits. Lets figue I get anywhere from 2-10 kits a month from him and I've been doing the page since 1999! Add that to all that I have picked up elsewhere over the years and you come up around 1700 unbuilts, builts and resin shells/kits!!!

I did reduce that amount about 100 this past weekend at the Heartland Nationals! Did anyone from here get to the Show?

The one thing I have said from the begining is, that one day I or my kids will be able to sell them and get a majority of that back, or keep them and have a lot of fun building, or a combination there of. I figure if I ever get to retire, I can keep funding my hobby. My girlfiend gives me hard time once in a while, until I remind her that over the last 11 years I have spent less on models, than she has on wine, and with the exception of a couple of cases in the basement, she doen't have anything to 'show' for it.

I will admit I am more of a collecter as of late, just don't seem to find time to get down and play. Probably because I have to many other projects going on!

[buskid]

A question to all of you guys that have literally hundreds (if not more) unbuilt kits in your stash:

Why?

You couldn't possibly build them all in your lifetime, yet you keep buying more and more. Why? Just curious as to what sort of answers I'll get...

I'm a caring and sympathetic person and when I see a poor, helpless model that needs a home, I do my best to accomodate it and give it a nice place to stay. I have over 500 unbuilt models who are sitting in a comfortable garage, in boxes, and my room and when I see them, they give me lots of joy because they are all content and happy to be here!

[highway]

Ditto

except for #4

Sometimes I do give kits away to see them built and bring joy to someone that doesn't have one.

I am also supporting the Hobbie and the economy , one kit at a time.

sometimes two at a time

And because I can.

Well, yeah, I guess I let my rant get the best of me there! I've guilty of doing the same thing, especially to get younger builders or friends started in the hobby. I've also made some parts donations here and there to help other builders finish a project, I kinda sounded a little heartless there! I edited that post and removed the heartless part.

Edited June 16, 2010 by highway

[LOBBS]

Harry, I've had to explain this (unsuccessfully) to the significant other a few times, so I can provide you with several answers that cover my too-big-to-build collection.

1) First is the simple fact that most of us buy more kits with the intention to build than we ever will. I'm guilty. Tamiya/Revell/AMT issue and reissue more kits each year that interest me than I can probably build within a given year, and that's not counting anything I already have. That's only a small part of it, though.

2) I've bought a few collections to get specific kits, and been left with a bunch of kits (80s-90s issue Revell/Monogram/AMT mostly) that aren't really worth putting on eBay. I could drag them to a show and get a vendor table, but I've been too lazy.

3) "Parts kit" hoarding. Some kits have some parts that you like. As a for-instance, I have a bunch of B-body AMT kits (GTX, Roadrunner) because one day they'll donate parts to restore/upgrade old annual kits. I've bought more than a few Japanese kits on the cheap just for wheels/tires because sometimes they're less expensive than buying a wheel/tire set. No reason not to keep the rest. Never know when you may need a stray part.

4) "Good deal" kits. If I see something that seems a little too cheap, especially vintage, I'll pick it up just to hold it. Eventually somebody will want it, and I can sell or trade it.

5) Trade-bait kits. Sometimes certain kits get reissued that people want as soon as they dry up. Police car, pickup truck, and other light-commercial kits seem to fall into that category often.

6) Resin: Grab it now or never.

7) The last 2 categories are my obsessive-compulsive side coming out...first, there are some kits I just like, especially vintage ones, so I may buy more than one. One will be to build, but the other is a backup because it's nice to know I have another ready to go even if I build the first one. I often do this when I get a "too good" annual kit...I'll often seek out a rebuilder instead, to "save" a kit that's survived 40 years without someone building it, and I end up with 2 of the same kit.

8) An addition to that, there are are certain kits (Airfix/MPC 2000GT roadster, Airfix/MPC Aston DB6, and Airfix James Bond Aston DB5, and AMT/MPC '69-72 Mustang Annuals to name a few) that I will keep buying at a certain price point no matter how many I have. I have 6-12 of each of those kits. Even though most of the kits in that list bring a good buck on Ebay, occasionally they go for well under $20. If they do? I'm throwing in a bid every time.

I have to admit in the past I was guilty of pretty much everything Mark's posted here. Recently though through life changes, a move to a new place, soul searching, you name it I've actually gone the opposite direction and done a massive purge of the majority of my collection. I've narrowed down my current to-do list to about 6-12 projects and the accompanying wares from my kitbashing stash to complete those. I've never had a stash numbering in the hundreds like some here but I've had enough to make my wife uncomfortable.

Most of the kits that I've sold recently have been to guys from work and/or their kids in an effort to get them interested in the hobby. This weekend a couple of them that I convinced to go to the Heartland Nats are coming over to dig through the 30-40 kits worth of parts that I've got in totes. If I can catch them while they're amped up from the show and introduce them to the joys of kitbashing I think I'll get them hooked. I've also got a few kits set back for my oldest boys to get their feet wet with now that they're coming of age and interested.

As far as future acquistions go, at some point I came to the realization that time was a more valuable commodity than money. I'm at a place where I can, within reason, invest the financial means necessary into a project. However, I've really got to love the subject to be willing to part with the time that it would incur to bring that project to frutition.

That being said, if Revell would finally get around to tooling up a new '67 Camaro or '67-72 Chevy pickup I'd be beating down the doors to the nearest hobby shop.

[camaroman]

...

That being said, if Revell would finally get around to tooling up a new '67 Camaro or '67-72 Chevy pickup I'd be beating down the doors to the nearest hobby shop.

I second that emotion on both counts!!!

[Kaleb]

Some of the guys on here put our 3 hobby lobbys, michaels, HTU, and rail and sprue hobbies...combined to shame lol....ive got five or so kits, I can still help buy more to support.

[Cornpatch]

He who dies with the most toys--------WINS

:lol: :lol:

Jeff

[modelhut]

Truthfully, for many years I didn't like most models that were available. Two years ago, I had a little bit of money, and I was depressed, working 5 hours away from home, only home on the weekends, so I found Ebay.

I then started buying the base model, and 1 or two others that I could pirate parts from to make the first model the way that I wanted it. As an example, a pro-street Ford Galaxie, didn't exist. I bought the Galaxie, and then found a pro-street model that I could kit-bash with it. Second example, 94 Dodge monster truck, didn't exist, so I bought the snap-tite Dodge, and a USA-1 monster truck kit, and combined

I have many more examples, but when a person's interests/tastes are broad, you have to improvise, ie. pro-street anything, pro-touring anything, monster trucks, mostly old-school trucks, lifted off-road pickups and on and on, you end-up with a lot of kits and mucho extra parts in boxes.

The next problem that I have is this, after a 15 year absence from modeling, and now that I have the makings for every possible model idea in my possession, I am starting, but not finishing anything. I have 25 to 30 works-in-progress. If I was to make a diorama with a shop, it would need to be on a 4x8 sheet of plywood......... I haven't even included the number of car/truck enthusiast magazines that I get every month, each filled with more ideas for my sick mind.....

[Luc Janssens]

Build all the ones we've already bought! I figured it out last night, the reason the model companies are experienceing lower sales is that their stiffist competition is the models they've already sold.

You're partly right, cuz how often do you see older un-build kits on ebay, that go for much less then the newly re-released item.

[RatRod]

This is a good subject, and I have to agree with Mark Taylor's list. That pretty much fits the bill. I'll be 52 next month, and have been an avid modeler since my Dad bought me my first kit when I was 7. Growing up, I ended up with an over abundance of kits (30, or so) that didn't get built, mainly because I was always busy doing other kid stuff too. I quit building models around '68-69, but never stopped buying them. I would travel around, and always hit stores, and hobby shops wherever I went, heck, on my first honeymoon I brought home a trunk full of kits!!! I got back into building in the early '80's, I told my wife that I was going to go get my collection because we had a large extra room in the house we had just moved in to, boy was she awestruck when it took all day, and 8-9 pickup loads to get it... From that point, I already had more kits than I would ever build. That was a fairly dead time in models, but it got better, and kits could still be found in retail stores, and hobby shops, along with (at the time) great prices. I've always bought more kits than I would ever build, and up until recent times you could still get quite a few models for $100. At present, my collection is in the thousands, ridiculous? maybe. Nowadays I only get a few rather than many, but I still support the industry, and the LHS. Downfalls to this.....I can never find a certain kit when I need it, thus I go to eBay, or a wanted section on a forum to get it, WOW, pretty pathetic huh? I have four kids, none of which are really interested in this hobby, so what will happen to this grand collection of unbuilt treasures, and the several thousand diecast toys I have amassed over the years? My kids will sell it as fast as they can, and squander the money even faster....

There's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Now, as far as the question that was asked, buy more kits!!! Write to the model company's and suggest kits you'd like to see, or see reissued. The model makers are strongly set on reissues right now, and that's just fine by me!!!

Edited June 17, 2010 by RatRod

[sjordan2]

This thread has taken an interesting turn that's kind of cool, finding out about everyone's stash and related neuroses.

However, does anyone have any suggestions based on the original topic – namely, how to help kit companies grow their business?

[sjordan2]

i mentioned a few early in the thread that apparently went unnoticed

Dave

Apparently so, and your suggestions were good ones.

[Tijuanataxi]

Well..... I am one of those guys with a fairly big stash of unbuilt model car kits. At last count about 450, and that is only 1:24 and 1:25 scale.

I am indeed working on getting them built, but I still buy kits. I just got 3 today from USA, and I have a trader on its way too.

I am in fact beginning to sell out. Just a few. Hey, they are like my babies, ha ha....

Even though I sell some, I also buy some, so all in all, the number of kits is about the same all the time....

Why do I have so many? Well.... Times are changing, and so are we as humans. A couple of years ago I built Mopars. Not so now... Now I build mostly show rods, and with all the new show rod reissues coming out these days - well, there is a big part of explaining the big number of models.... Gotta have ém, gotta have the new and the reissued kits...

Some pics of part of my stash....

[buskid]

This thread has taken an interesting turn that's kind of cool, finding out about everyone's stash and related neuroses.

However, does anyone have any suggestions based on the original topic – namely, how to help kit companies grow their business?

I think the model companies should look at what's selling on E-bay and fetching the most bids and money. For example,

I would love to have all the Tom Daniel's kits ( S'cool Bus, Bad Medicine, L'il Coffin, or even large trucks like the Peterbilt Can Do wrecker or the Bill Sign's Peterbilt.) These are kits I would purchase in a heartbeat. I feel that re-issues are a hidden source of income for the model companies. Thanks to re-issues, I now have the Rommel's Rod and many other vehicles that were discontinued years ago.

[Jeff Johnston]

I have about 45 unbuilt which is the perfect amount for me. I have as many as will fit on the shelf where I store them. I build one I buy one...sometimes two ;-) Though I do like the preparedness of the model Armageddon thing hmm... maybe I need some more lol

[charlie8575]

I buy models of cars I like and will get around to building them eventually.

I continue to buy models of cars I like (or ones that I can use as a base for something I want) because it's important to keep the manufacturers encouraged to re/issue tools and sometimes to get parts I want.

I have duplicates of some. Some for basis for resin conversions I want to do sometime. Some because I can't decide how to finish it (i.e., color scheme,) so I'll buy two and do the two versions that appeal to me. Some I buy for parts scavenging, and perhaps to practice on, such as a spare body for practicing painting.

Will I build them all realistically? I don't know; I honestly don't know. But I hope to.

What's most important is you're happy.

Oh...and perhaps this is just me as a single guy speaking, but if your wife/girlfriend/constant source of vexation gives you grief, remind her that you could be gambling, drinking, doing drugs or chasing other skirts with all that money instead.

Charlie Larkin

Edited June 22, 2010 by charlie8575

[Jeff Johnston]

if your wife/girlfriend/constant source of vexation gives you grief, remind her that you could be gambling, drinking, doing drugs or chasing other skirts with all that money instead.

Spoken like a single guy LOL

Dunno about the rest of the married guys, but that would not fly in my house. or in most IMHO ;-)