Why Do We Build Models???

[Romell R]

It was the summer of 1972 I was 5 years old, my mother had just picked me up from my Mammerdie's house (grand mother) where I would spend the day while she was away at work. I remember it like it was yesturday I was sitting in my room watching Johnny Socko and His Flying Robot when mom walked into the room and announced she had a suprize for me, boy was i excited when I saw mom pull out a box with a car pictured on it (Because man i loved cars). She told me to open it up, and when I did there to my suprize was not a car but a bunch of stuff.

"What is this Mom?" i verbalized.

"Well Mino (my moms pet name for me) this is a model kit your uncles used to build them when they were kids and I thought you might want to give it a try."

"But I don't know how." i answered.

So mom proceeded to show me how to follow the instructions from step 1 to completion , and I did finish it, I dont remember what the kit was i do know it was a snap together kit. And I can tell you i was hooked. I had to have another one. The next one i do remember, it was the "CopOut" funny car kit , but this time I needed glue so for a whole 3 bucks and a orange tub of testers I was off to build my second model ever. Its hard to believe that day was almost 38 years ago

Needless to say I have been hooked ever since and have had a ball throughout my model building career . The people you get to meet are a rare breed. genuine tradesmen who love what they are doing and who love to help others love what they are doing. And no two models are ever alike and each build is a work of art to the builder and those who are privileged to view them. Yes our hobby is a rare art form indeed so lets share what we know and pass on what we have to future generations.

Why do I build models? Because I Love it! Why do you build? Romell

Edited July 16, 2011 by Aftashox

[Mr. Moparman]

Romell, your craftsman-ship is why I build!

[whale392]

Because it is far cheaper and space-friendly than building all the cars I would own in 1:1 scale!

[Steve Keck]

In my opinion some builders build solely for the attention they can garner from entering contests or the attention they can draw upon themselves by posting (and bumping their topic back into play at every opportunity, be it a "thank you" or "update").

Me. I enjoy the problem solving aspect.

[Romell R]

In my opinion some builders build solely for the attention they can garner from entering contests or the attention they can draw upon themselves by posting (and bumping their topic back into play at every opportunity, be it a "thank you" or "update")

dang I think I fall in that category oh well.....and Steve your avatar scares me.

Edited July 16, 2011 by Aftashox

[crazyjim]

I don't have a reason - I just like to build - and been building them since 1958.

Edited July 16, 2011 by crazyjim

[Harry P.]

I don't have a reason - I just like to build...

That is your reason!

[Erik Smith]

I enjoy the design and planning process and trying to get what I envision put into plastic. I get a mental picture of a project with pleasing (hopefully) aesthetics and hope that I can build it and that my ideas translate well when completed.

I also enjoy having the ability to build in many styles and try different things - something not technically or economically feasible for me in 1:1 format.

[GTMust]

My story is similar to yours Rommel (Mino?). It was around 1953, I was ten years old or so, and the local Woolworth store in my home town in England started selling an "assemble it yourself" plastic model of a Ferguson Tractor. I'd never heard of such a thing before and, with a little persuasion, my mother forked over some of the hard earned grocery money and bought it for me. I think my parents wanted to get me away from my obsession with that new fangled TV box!

Anyhow, I built it and was hooked. Next trip to Woolworths netted me a 1/72 scale Spitfire, then a Me109 and so on until they started bringing out CARS in 1/32 scale. Soon with the help of a few chores around the neighborhood, I was getting every kit that followed.

That was almost 60 years ago and I'm still hooked.

[disabled modeler]

I have built since I was about 7 years old my dad got me into them been hooked ever since. Now that I have way too much time to pass its relaxing and kind of an escape for me one might say? I build mine to make me happy and pass the time,relax.

[Romell R]

Great Stories!

[SuperStockAndy]

I started when I was like...7? 8?

I got the AMT '71 Charger, my dad painted it for me. It was orange. Talk about glue bombs!

A year later, I got the Revell C6 Corvette. That sat around for a while and my dad kept saying, "We'll build it someday". I realized that wasn't going to happen So I took out my Testors paint marker, and painted the ENTIRE body!! :lol: Needless to say, it was yet another glue bomb.

One of our friends got me a Revell '32 Ford Coupe. I ALMOST pulled the paint marker out for the body, but I decided to wait it out for spray paint. It turned out okay.

Then I got the Revell Yenko Camaro. I'd say this is the one that really got me into building.

I could go on all day about all the models I've built, but I don't want to bore you

[1320wayne]

For me it was simple. I grew up in a household that a lot of life revolved around cars. We were either building and racing cars on the strip or working on some budget deal that dad had picked up that needed work to make it something just a bit better. I think, throughout my childhood/younger years my dad went through somewhere around 200 or so cars. He was never satisfied with what he had and was always buying something new to play with, fix, have fun with and then sell it for a profit, albeit slight most times. So my interest in cars came from my dad.

And, as a child, I fondly remember sitting on the living room floor (with my back to the T.V.) watching every step that my dad took with his latest model while he worked off an old T.V. tray. I asked plenty of questions about everything he was doing. That's where my interest in building models came from. Why do I still do it? Because I'm never satisfied with the last model that I just finished. I'm always wanting to see where I can stretch my abilities on the next one. Even at 40+ years old it still builds a sense of pride in what abilities I do have. It's my way to retain those younger days, step away from the day to day real world every once in a while and simply enjoy something simple, although I always seem to complicate the simple. The bottom line is I have fun.

And I'm partially one of those guys that Steve made mention of. I like to show off what I do. Not for the sake of ego but because I like model building and I like to see other people show off their skills as well. I learn from them and just maybe someone might learn something from me.

[Eshaver]

Rommel, you ask why I build models ? Well, for starters back in 1961, I could visualize a real car out of a plastic kit . Today, it's much diferent . Look , here in Richmond Virginia , people here care only about "Certain histories " . O K , I'm related to Jeferson Davis , President of the Confederate Stares . Now to some , well most , thats a bigg deal . Hey, it happened . Still, it's not my bag , cars are , will be .

Now my real hobby is Old Service stations . I grew up working in them . I went and took a college management course sponsored by Shell to own one too. Hey, it was only six weeks . Service stations to me are a glimpse of "Real America " . Guys comming home from W W II went into becomming dealers as the war effort ended . Guys who wanted to be mechanics worked as grease jockeys and tire changers at them . Men who dreamed of becomming the next Fireball Roberts pieced together Amature racers between customers wanting directions into the next metropolitan city. I myself learned how to use body lead as the Shell station I worked at did some body work on totaled wrecks at least until Shell represenatives Kiboshed the whole deal . I learned how to drive a wrecker there too.

You look around Richmond Va.. today . Hey, we're restoring parks , rebuilding some ole shack George Washington MAY have slept in ......... but restore a service station ..... Herasy !!!!!!!!!! hey, Ive already been told I'm from a distant planet by a couple of television reporters for doing these as models . Do I care , certainly not . Will anyone care twenty years down the road ???????????

Ed Shaver

[Foxer]

I got my modeling start with a 3 ship kit I received for Christmas when I was about eight around 1954. There was a freighter, an ocean liner and a tugboat as I remember. There were no models in the house at the time ... no one build them (well, my grandfather built wooden sailing ships from scratch). I built the ocean liner with my Dad as he painted and put the tanker together. I was amazed how well he could paint and mine was a far cry from his build. I really liked it and build many planes and armor kits but never purchased the Revell kits with their multi-piece bodies ... maybe I never saw one. I was always a car lover and could name every car on the road at 8. When AMT released their first 3in1 kits in 1958, I WAS HOOKED! I spent hours just looking over the body from different angles and ogling all the engine and interior parts! (... I still do that to this day! ) I just loved having models of actual cars I saw on the road and in all the custom cars mags. It only took a couple builds before I started customizing and chopping up every kit. To this day a can't do a build without changing or adding detail ... and It still keeps me from finishing a lot. But, I realize now, what I love is the building and finishing really doesn't matter ... though I would like to complete at least some.

[Chillyb1]

Johnny Socko and His Flying Robot

Wow, now that brings back some memories I didn't realize were still in my brain.

No modeling story, however.

[Chuck Most]

Because it is far cheaper and space-friendly than building all the cars I would own in 1:1 scale!

What he said!

I'd need twelve abandoned airport hangars and more money than an Army of Bill Gates clones to own what I have in model form in 1:1!

[Romell R]

These are all great stories , And Ed I like your service stations, thx fellas for sharing.

[Darin Bastedo]

I build models because i love the shapes of the real things. when I was a young kid, as far back as I can remember I used to draw. I used to love being able to recreate the shape of things whether it be an airplane, ship, car or structure. When I got older and discovered models I loved the fact that I could hold it in my hand and study every nuance of the shape. I love the textures and the reflections, the sleek lines and the aggressivenes of some forms. For me it is being able to recreate in scale the things that inspire me.

[Harry P.]

I like how the glue smells...

[SuperStockAndy]

I like how the glue smells...

If that's the case I'm surprised you were able to post that! :lol:

[Romell R]

I like how the glue smells...

And all this time I thought you had been dropped on your head as a child , now we learn where the brain damage really came from.

[SuperStockAndy]

And all this time I thought you had been dropped on your head as a child , now we learn where the brain damage really came from.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Keef]

Rommel, you ask why I build models ? Well, for starters back in 1961, I could visualize a real car out of a plastic kit . Today, it's much diferent . Look , here in Richmond Virginia , people here care only about "Certain histories " . O K , I'm related to Jeferson Davis , President of the Confederate Stares . Now to some , well most , thats a bigg deal . Hey, it happened . Still, it's not my bag , cars are , will be .

can someone please step in and translate for me?

[Harry P.]

And all this time I thought you had been dropped on your head as a child , now we learn where the brain damage really came from.

Never dropped on my head... but I did fall off my bike a couple of times!