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

[charlie8575]

Actually, my ex just kinda used to laugh at it. She thought it was "cute." Oy....

She also had trouble understanding the concepts of realism and having it look right, her very avant-garde artist streak coming out (her abstract and quasi-abstract drawings and paintings are breathtakingly good.) That conversation came up while I was building an HO scale boxcar to at least display on the shelf until a layout can be built. She didn't seem to quite get why it had to look real, hence the pre-decorated body, etc.

Back to helping the hobby....make it public.

When I used to substitute-teach, a lot of the time, there was really very little for me to do other than babysit, make out bathroom passes, or perhaps answer an occasional question, so I'd read to prevent excessive boredom from setting in (yes, many assignments got that bad.) Sometimes, I had more serious magazines like Businessweekor a book of some kind, but just as often, I'd have a modeling mag or two stuck in my briefcase. A lot of the kids were actually interested in how things got done. Many were in awe, especially of the model railroads.

Go to youth groups, like Boy Scouts, De Molay or Columbian Squires. Maybe between model builders and some other people passionate about their pursuits, you can put together a recreation and leisure exposition for youth in your area. I'm working on putting together a program for career planning for De Molay and Rainbow in Massachusetts, and have been considering approaching MassCar with helping me do something along the lines of what I described above.

By promoting interest, you'll help the manufacturers. Even if they make stuff that kids are more into (tuner rice rockets, for example,) it might help bring in enough money to help tool up more adult-oriented models, too, such as another '72 Cutlass. Subjects like that, incidentally, have a lot of appeal to the youth market, too, as a lot of the boys I know just simply do not like new cars. That's a win-win if ever I saw it.

Other things: perhaps sitting down and actually making a real typed or hand-written letter thanking them for releasing something with suggestions for other releases off of that tooling. Old-fashioned? Very. Effective? It never hurt anyone to show or receive a little courtesy, and many times, those small gestures can go a long way by showing a simple appreciation.

By the same token, if something gets kitted that's very poorly done or has a lot of little ticks, the real, hardcopy letter might still be effective. Instead of moaning about it, take the time to write. The mold-makers and engineers are, after all, only human. Encourage them to do better and perhaps take the time to explain where the failings, as perceived by you, are. If, however, you can't be courteous or respectful, I'd beg you for all our sakes to put your pen down.

There are many ways to help our hobby. These are but a few suggestions.

Charlie Larkin