From a wifes point a view

[Nick Notarangelo]

for anyone who has a wife or someone who complains about our hobby print out this link and have them read it

http://starshipmodeler.com/perspective.htm

[High octane]

Nick, that's a good one but my wife likes the idea of my model car hobby and has also told me to buy a 1:1 car which I did also. She is not a car person, but she is happy that I enjoy mine in any scale.

[Guest Johnny]

My wife has always been there to look over my builds!

When she says that really looks GREAT!!! I know it is time to rip it, strip it and start all over again!

[impcon]

The love of my life, my bride and best friend - my wife - may well have been the lady who wrote that letter. She isn't but her views miror those of the writer. Tina has always tolerated my hobbies - real 1:1 cars and trucks and model collecting - and she worked at my side in my shop when we were painting cars here at home. Too many men have wives who give them no space and I see it in so many homes where the wife dislikes or even despises the husband's hobby ( what ever it may be )- it's no wonder that so many guys drink. I have to say that a lot of wives should read that letter and take some pointers from it.

[Joe Handley]

She wrote that very well, and it can apply to many modeling hobbies as well. I'll have to forward that to some other forums I go on!

[george 53]

When I met Theresa in High School, and she came over to see ME, (She was a freind of my sisters) The first time she saw my models she thought they were nice. Then we started dateing and got serious, she'd go with me to K-Mart and just quietly watched as I would buy 10 or 20 bucks worth of models. By the time we married, and I left for the service, she KNEW how much my models meant to me. She made SURE that my mom DIDN'T throw ANYTHING out! She even sent me those little 1/72 MPC model airplanes "With REAL Battle Damage" to build while I was in country. Now, all these years later, she's my BEST critic. If she say's she likes a paint job, then I know it's ok(She gave up an ART scholarship to marry me, so I trust her opinions implicetly) She ALWAYS goes to the Toy Shows with me,and is my conscience when it comes to spending too much on a kit.(Don't you ALREADY have a few of those?) But she understands my feelings for my "Toy Cars" and i appericiate her patience with me about them. I guess, if you've been with someone long enough(38 years) they begin to take on your personality, and you, theirs. She NEVER has said ANYTHING to me about my hobby, and I kinda like to think she secretly loves 'em as much as I do!

[charlie8575]

Too many men have wives who give them no space and I see it in so many homes where the wife dislikes or even despises the husband's hobby ( what ever it may be )- it's no wonder that so many guys drink.

Or why so many of us with serious hobbies just stay single....or is it the hobby involvement that keeps us single? Well, whatever....

My ex thought it was "cute," but she never really understood it. She knew if I wasn't at a Masons or Odd Fellows thing, I was at home, building usually (or posting something on one of my boards.)

Charlie Larkin

[charlie8575]

When I met Theresa in High School, and she came over to see ME, (She was a freind of my sisters) The first time she saw my models she thought they were nice. Then we started dateing and got serious, she'd go with me to K-Mart and just quietly watched as I would buy 10 or 20 bucks worth of models. By the time we married, and I left for the service, she KNEW how much my models meant to me. She made SURE that my mom DIDN'T throw ANYTHING out! She even sent me those little 1/72 MPC model airplanes "With REAL Battle Damage" to build while I was in country. Now, all these years later, she's my BEST critic. If she say's she likes a paint job, then I know it's ok(She gave up an ART scholarship to marry me, so I trust her opinions implicetly) She ALWAYS goes to the Toy Shows with me,and is my conscience when it comes to spending too much on a kit.(Don't you ALREADY have a few of those?) But she understands my feelings for my "Toy Cars" and i appericiate her patience with me about them. I guess, if you've been with someone long enough(38 years) they begin to take on your personality, and you, theirs. She NEVER has said ANYTHING to me about my hobby, and I kinda like to think she secretly loves 'em as much as I do!

I must say, George, in virtually every respect, she sounds like a dream come true! The experiences of myself and my friends is that very few of the women of my generation (I'm 35,) are tolerant or accepting of their mates' hobbies or interests, and it's very discouraging- yet, we "have" to be tolerant of their shopping, whining, screaming, and other women's lib-gone-bad drama. Fortunately, there are exceptions (Michele here on this board comes immediately to mind, not only as an exception but as someone who plays along, which is almost unheard of,) but they're very rare. The Ex, as stated before, was indifferent, which I suppose beats hostility.

Um....does she have any like-minded younger cousins or nieces??

Charlie Larkin

Edited August 29, 2010 by charlie8575

[Guest Johnny]

The love of my life, my bride and best friend - my wife - may well have been the lady who wrote that letter. She isn't but her views miror those of the writer. Tina has always tolerated my hobbies - real 1:1 cars and trucks and model collecting - and she worked at my side in my shop when we were painting cars here at home. Too many men have wives who give them no space and I see it in so many homes where the wife dislikes or even despises the husband's hobby ( what ever it may be )- it's no wonder that so many guys drink. I have to say that a lot of wives should read that letter and take some pointers from it.

Reality? (not the joke from my first post)

My wife has always supported everything I do! Even when I signed to a second tour on the 366th day morning I was supposed to fly out for home! I managed a call home and she said she already knew!

She has been under the hood, under the car and anywhere else she could help when I had a 1:1 project going the last when she helped me do a 4 speed conversion on my ElCamino in a single day! (only with her help)

She has inspired a lot of my model builds over the years and is the one that has bought most of them for me! She has this uncanny way of knowing what I want!!!

[Harry P.]

My wife (ex-wife, actually) never complained about my model building.

But she complained about everything else!!!

[charlie8575]

My wife (ex-wife, actually) never complained about my model building.

But she complained about everything else!!!

Except for the actual marriage part, I see we had similar problems...

Charlie Larkin

[crazyjim]

My wife, Marcia, thinks it's stupid for a 62 year old man to "play" with model cars. She can't wait to get home from work to play farmville, check her cafe and her casino on facebook. That's okay though.

[Railfreak78]

My wife has always been great about my hobby. I used to go out to adult themed clubs and bars all the time when I was in my early to mid 20's and she only complained about the cost. Then my appetite for Hot Wheels kicked back in and once again it was costly and I was never home. Always driving from store to store wasting gas to find what I want. Now she is happy cause I normally get my kits cheap and I'm home building them. She knows I'm safe and doing what I want. She only wishes I did have the money for the 1:1 projects I have but then again she might be fibbing since that means I'll be out 4x4'ing or riding my motorcycle

[george 53]

Thanks,Charlie, to ME ,she is. But I been buildin for so long, that ALL the wimmin I've been lucky enough to know ALWAYS SEEMED to understand my fixation with these little cars! My Sisters, when they had kids, used to put them on ME! "Go play with your Uncle Georgie" they'd say. And NOW I have a nephew AND a neice who build, and they're BOTH in their 30's! One builds ANYTHING plastic, and the other is into Sci-Fi stuff. Great kids and they ALWAYS talk about models with me when we're hangin out with the family. So I GUESS the chain still goes on!

[DRG]

My wife, of 37 years, has never complained about my hobby.

She thinks it is great and at least I'm home with her. She goes to the different shows I manage to attend and is as amazed as I am at the caliber of the builds.

[David G.]

I'm a very lucky man. My wife is an artist, so she understands the creative obsession. The need build or make something. She sees the "art" in modelbuilding.

She's never used the "C" word... "cute" when commenting on any of my projects. I understand that for many women, the C-word can express a very high level of appeal, but many men feel that it is demeaning- puppies and babies are cute, not monster trucks!

When I go to swap meets, model shows or contests, I don't get any grief from her. She knows that she's welcome to come along, and has even been to a couple events with me, but it's just not her thing. She knows that I'll want to spend hours and hours just wandering around looking at the same things over and over again. She's a patient person, but as I said, it's just not her thing.

I'm a very lucky man.

[Agent G]

Wife #1 left during an all expense paid cruise to SE Asia. We had been married about 3 months. She never expressed an opinion one way or the other. I didn't see her again for another 20 years. Probably a good thing.

Wife #2 decided after 23 years, she didn't like me and my hobby. Newly completed builds mysteriously became damaged if not destroyed. I bought a cheap kit, made a big show of building it, then waited. Within a week it was toast, parts everywhere. Hmmmmm, took kids, ran.

Wife #3 admired the workmanship but couldn't tolerate the "mess". Gorgeous young woman, crazy as a loon.

Wife #4 says she'd rather have me at the kitchen breakfast bar building a model, than in a bar hitting on one. Supports my hobby, and has indicated her desire to build something also. Hmmmmm, I'm keeping this one.

Wives come and go, the models are forever.

G

[sobpinstriping]

My soon to be wife kinda disliked my model building at first, but now she is ok with it. Sometimes she doesnt understand how can spend $30 or $40 on a model that I wanted since i was a kid but she is starting to get it. I bought her a creature from the black lagoon model that she showed a slight intrest in, she finished it and it looks better than a lot of the stuff i do. She also painted the tiki hut from my ed roth surfite model and that turned out awsome too. I think she would rather have me working on a model rather than playing video games or just playing on the internet

cheers

mat

[GHoneycutt]

My wife has always been there to look over my builds!

When she says that really looks GREAT!!! I know it is time to rip it, strip it and start all over again!

Amen on that.......

[1955chevy]

I'm also a very lucky man. My wife is also an artist, so she understands the creative obsession. The need build or make something. We see the "art" in modelbuilding.

She has what I call "attention to detail". She helped alot with my 1968 Texaco Service Station. Example - the calendar in the office see made it in MS Word, printed,

cutout and then curled the edges of the calendar to make it look real.

She has a hard time with buying a model and then not building it. I say the model has to be in stock just in case.

She does not like when I do not finish a model. I build models to relax, for me each day is different.

She supports me 110%.

[Matt LeBlanc]

My 1st wife was ok with it even built a few.2nd supports it big time goes to shows with me,helps at our show every year.Doesn't care what i spend within reason.She has her hobbies to.She doesn't care to build any.That's ok with me.Like others have said she knows where i am at night.

[Greg Cullinan]

I honestly believe my wife wants me to be happy whether its this hobby or other interests. I feel the same for her and my kids.

If we can make it happen and makes us happy we do it. Life is too short to complain.

[Chuck Most]

I once told a girlfriend "Would you rather I spend my money and time on model cars, or on crack and strippers?" When I put it like that, suddenly my hobby didn't seem so bad to her! Then again, she's not my girlfriend NOW, so I'll see if it works on the next one, too.

[Dragline]

Women can be strange creatures indeed. A lot of you guys are lucky and I know you don't forget that.

Many years ago [read: 80's] my girlfriend Carmen bought me models. She said i was home with her and I enjoyed it so why not. Smart girl.

My wife was tolerant of it for the most part. She didn't have hobbies but didn't mind my comic collecting or model building either. Funny things is she hated the bands I was in. She met me when I was in a band but wanted me to give them up after we were married. Weird that. I realized my mistake and we are no longer together. Then she marries the guitarist from one of my old bands later on. That gal made no sense. But she was VERY easy on the eyes.

My current gal lkes my models and does cross stitch and sews so she's always at Michaels or some other place like that. We hang out many a night and she does her thing and I do mine. We are only a room apart and since I'm always getting up for this or that I see her every few minutes. We also like Metal so i put the tunes on a lot and we groove on the latest CD.

Luck has nothing to do with it I suppose. Holding out for someone that's right for you is all that's required.

Bob

[kingiguana]

MY friend tells his wife I could be here, or at a bar all night. You'd have to pick up the phone book, look under bars, and start with the letter "A" and call every one until You find me. Your choice !