great conversations and new best friends via mcm

[MsDano85gt]

Just wanted to throw out there before my phone dies....

Reptileguy(nick rizzo)

And. Bartster (bart deatherage)

Are 2 of the coolest cats I know

And are now best friends of mine even tho I have never met the fellows a couple of fantastic traders and now lifelong styrene addict friends! Just thought I'd toss out there how great they both are and I highly recommend getting to know them if you don't Already I am constantly talking to the both of them regularlyu and swapping parts often (my wife always haggles me) "oh you must be talking to that bart,or nick guy again". What I can't help it I've got a highly addicting hobby and 2 new great friends. Good folk and I just wanted to comendate them and say"thanks fellas" until next time happy modeling -Danny

[Guest]

Yep, I've met a number of cool people, not in person, mind you, but in cyberspace on the forum.

[Jantrix]

I have met several folks from the forum face to face at local shows. Some good people and excellent modelers. I won't name them because they might not want folks to know, they know me.

Edited January 5, 2013 by Jantrix

[Jeff Johnston]

I have a few friends that I only know from email or model car charts. I also have had the pleasure to meet and make friends with folks too. I sure would like to meet my cyber friends too. It's nice when you can meet people in person too.

[slusher]

l have made good friends thru the forum, excellent people....

[Tom Geiger]

I consider the social aspect of the hobby most important. I've often said that if it was just about little plastic cars, I would have lost interest a long time ago. I know a ton of people via email and board posts from a number of boards. I recently stepped up my presence on this board because I saw there were a lot of good guys here that I didn't know. I also have met a good number of modelers from across the country, from attending many of the East Coast shows and the GSL in Salt Lake. Wanting to meet guys from the boards was what motivated me to go to Toledo and GSL. I do know folks from this board too, for instance I know Jeff Johnston in person!

[brad4321]

Great website. And just like anywhere in the world, lots of wonderful people with a few rude and grumpy ones mixed in.

[JunkPile]

Great website. And just like anywhere in the world, lots of wonderful people with a few rude and grumpy ones mixed in.

I plead guilty on all charges.

[Austin T]

I have made some great friends on here to and hope to make more.I have even met a few member at some of the shows I go to.I think that if there was no internet the hobby would not be as strong as it is today.

[Erik Smith]

These boards are nice. As a social group, modelers are pretty small (in numbers) and diverse - so we wouldn't probably meet "in the real world". Model building is generally a solitary endeavor, too, so taking a break and looking in on boards breaks that up - especially if you can't get out of the house for one reason or another.

[Tom Geiger]

I think that if there was no internet the hobby would not be as strong as it is today.

I agree. It's funny how things work out. Originally we saw the Internet as a threat to model building. It worked out just the opposite. It put hobbyists all over the world in contact on a daily basis. It brought those who live in remote areas that don't have access to clubs into the fold. It puts research and rare parts within our reach within minutes. Most important is that as we get older and the herd diminishes in numbers, we have a way to communicate, no matter where we are. And we will gather together at big shows like NNL Toledo / East / West and GSL.

[MsDano85gt]

I am in south mississippi there are no shows that I am aware of, its rumor there's one that takes place in louisiana someplace and perhaps on the other side of me too in mobile alabama? I don't know where to go to find out about shows

[Harry P.]

Originally we saw the Internet as a threat to model building.

We did?

[mikemodeler]

To add to Tom's comments, think of the shows we hear about that might be a couple of hours away that we consider going to but may have never heard of if it weren't for the forums? I have met several members here and the ability to trade kits and parts has opened up a whole new world for me.

[Erik Smith]

We did?

I didn't. When I left the hobby in the 90s the Internet was just starting to morph. Images took about 10 minutes to download. There were not many (any, that I knew of) model sites. I didn't really consider it to have any effect on the hobby.

Flash forward...2008. What a difference. I don't know how active or involved I would have stayed were it not for the web. I belong to a local club, but we only meet once a month, so...

Edit: my daughter (15) and I were just talking this morning. How did we ever do anything without the Internet? Yes, I know we did, but...life is so different...

Edited January 5, 2013 by Erik Smith

[Lunajammer]

The Hobby Heaven message board was the first online modeling community that I personally recall. The hobby itself was in a nose dive. Frankly, I credit internet communities, links and resources for reinvigorating the hobby.

[Harry P.]

Frankly, I credit internet communities, links and resources for reinvigorating the hobby.

Exactly! The internet wasn't a threat to model building. If anything, it's a terrific boost to the hobby.

[martinfan5]

Exactly! The internet wasn't a threat to model building. If anything, it's a terrific boost to the hobby.

With out it, I dont think we would have as many aftermarket people around, its much cheaper to have a website then it is to pay to advertise in any of model mags.

Edited January 6, 2013 by martinfan5

[Harry P.]

its much cheaper to have a website then it is to pay to advertise in any of model mags.

Tell me about it...

[Tom Geiger]

How did we ever do anything without the Internet?

or the other modern conveniences that we take for granted today.

+ The ATM, direct deposit and online banking - Remember having to get up on Saturday morning to get to the bank to cash your paycheck or you'd have no money for the entire weekend?

+ Microwave ovens - Remember Jiffy Pop and having to heat up left overs on the stove?

+ Cell phones - Remember sitting home waiting for a phone call? Or if you missed your buddies leaving on Friday evening you'd never find them?

+ VCRs / DVRs - Remember having to be home a specific time to see your favorite show?

+ GPS - Even my wife can find places now!

+ E-Tickets for concerts, movies and plane rides - You used to have to drive places to pick up tickets, now you can just print 'em out!

I'm sure there's a ton more. And a bunch of new stuff coming in the future!

[Ace-Garageguy]

I would tend to think that any "threat" to modeling via the internet would be in the form of such a wide availability of online entertainment that takes zero effort. Modeling is actually kinda work sometimes, ya know? While there may be more modelers now than before the net (and various other forms of tech-based pass-times), the percentage of the population involved in modeling is surely lower.

[Jeff Johnston]

The Hobby Heaven message board was the first online modeling community that I personally recall. The hobby itself was in a nose dive. Frankly, I credit internet communities, links and resources for reinvigorating the hobby.

Hobby Heaven opened up the modeling world to me like nothing else cold have back in thee late 90s. When I got back into it I didn't even know what Bare Metal Foil was. Hobby Heaven was the jump start I needed to stay with the hobby. The info AND the people. Now I belong to this forum as well as another small group.

[Deathgoblin]

This forum has allowed me to find a scale auto club in my area. I was really glad to find out about this.

[Tom Geiger]

Hobby Heaven opened up the modeling world to me like nothing else cold have back in thee late 90s.

The first online forum I was involved with was the AOL Hobby Forum and the weekly Auto Modelers Chat we had every week. Second for me was the Model Car List on Yahoo Groups. Then I found the Hobby Heaven board which I've participated in a long time.

For me, Scale Auto Enthusiast is what got me back into the hobby. I had a few false starts back in my 20s but I never got through finishing anything because I made the same mistakes I did as a kid and had no friends involved in the hobby with me. I still have the '68 Barracuda (The Avenger release) and Johan Oldies '60 Desoto that I ruined. I found Scale Auto on the shelf of a book store in Boston around 24 years ago. I was amazed that there was once again a model magazine! I stayed up all night reading that issue, then I ran back to the store in the morning and got the two back issues they also had on the shelf. There was a classified ad for the Tri-State Scale Model Car Club. I responded and the rest is history!

[greymack]

Hey guys well my take on this is the forum is a great community with lots of great members and awesome builders.I think in general members that interact with each other produce higher quality models in which case keeps the hobby interesting and alive.So meeting new people is always a great thing.