jaydar Posted February 6, 2014 Posted February 6, 2014 The internet and forums like this. I dont have time to go to club meetings. The forums are my clubs. Joe.
mikemodeler Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 The internet has opened up a lot more of this hobby for me. From meeting forum members in person, learning about upcoming shows in neighboring states, swapping kits and buying from online vendors to resin bodies and parts, most all of which I would have never known about were it not for the internet and the model car forums. I think the industry has benefited as well. Can you imagine if resin casters relied on going to shows or a small ad in the back of the magazine to sell their product? Remember how we had to wait to read in a magazine what the manufacturers where planning to release next year? The annual "I'd like to see a kit of____" polls the magazines would have us vote for? The hobby is doing well in my eyes and I have plenty to build if another kit never gets released, but I do look forward to some of the announced new and re-issue kits that are coming!
Tom Geiger Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 (edited) I got here a little late but I have to agree with a bunch of the thoughts above. Scale Auto Enthusiast was there at the right time to pull a lot of us back into this hobby. I had been out of the hobby for years, but still would look at the kits in stores, and occasionally buy one. So I had a small stash of kits doing nuthin'! I was on a trip to Boston in 1988 and saw SAE in a magazine store. I stayed up all night reading it and immediately subscribed. In the back of that issue there was a classified ad (remember those free ads when you subscribed) for the Tri-State Scale Model Car Club... and the rest is history! And of course the Internet and computers in general! I believe I did some of the earliest decals and computer graphics on model cars. Back around 1991 I created decals and graphics on Auto-Trol Series 5000 CAD software running on Apollo mini computers. I printed it on an HP pen plotter using refillable ink pens! Very advanced for the day! And I'd just about venture that this hobby would have died long ago without the Internet. We meet daily on message boards and know people from around the world who we haven't met in person but consider friends. It allows people in different places, many of them without enough folks to have a local club, participate. Then we meet at shows around the country as often as we can. And back in the old days if you were missing a kit part, you could search for years to find it. Today, just mention it on a message board and you are likely to instantly find it. Man these are the good ole days! Edited February 7, 2014 by Tom Geiger
clovis Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 If it wasn't for the internet, many of us would be still getting all of our building tips from a guy standing behind the counter at a hobby shop. I learned more in the first hour on this forum than I did after years of building and listening to a guy at a hobby shop.
Tom Geiger Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 If it wasn't for the internet, many of us would be still getting all of our building tips from a guy standing behind the counter at a hobby shop. I learned more in the first hour on this forum than I did after years of building and listening to a guy at a hobby shop. Advise from hobby shop guys has no doubt hurt this hobby! I was at the local Hobby Town USA the other day looking for this magazine and some paint. The two kids behind the counter are strictly RC goons and treat everyone else poorly. There as a lady holding the Foose 1/12 scale Camaro kit, which has to be a $50 or better sale for that shop. She asked for help and the dork looked like he couldn't be bothered. He shoved a spray can of regular Testors black paint and one of those Testors multi color paint sets at her. I sorely wanted to bust in and help, but I could tell that wouldn't have been welcome so I got my magazine and left.
clovis Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 You are right, Tom. Over the years, there have been good and bad. Years ago, when I was a teenager, there was a guy at a LHS that was actually pretty good. In that case at HTUSA, you should have stepped in and asked her if she needed help. It's not that HTUSA deserved the business, but it would have helped the hobby overall. If she was a first timer, successful build on that kit is the gateway to more builds in the future. When are you going to open that shop, Tom?? The hobby needs guys like you!
Tom Geiger Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 When are you going to open that shop, Tom?? Right when I got serious enough to be talking to shopping center landlords, an old boss of mine called and offered me a consulting gig that pays well. After being out of work for more than a year, I seriously needed to get back to work and replenish my cash flow. The hobby shop would have caused me to cash in retirement funds and put all my eggs in that one risky basket. I think the new job will let my wife sleep better.
clovis Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 Right when I got serious enough to be talking to shopping center landlords, an old boss of mine called and offered me a consulting gig that pays well. After being out of work for more than a year, I seriously needed to get back to work and replenish my cash flow. The hobby shop would have caused me to cash in retirement funds and put all my eggs in that one risky basket. I think the new job will let my wife sleep better. I was disappointed to hear that, but I totally understand. Any chance you could do a shop on a super small scale, maybe out of your garage, or a super cheap rented place, and maybe open 1-3 days a week?
Danno Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 I have to agree with almost everybody . . . the internet! For ALL the same reasons already enumerated.
pharoah Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 I have to agree. Retirement has given me more time to work on models, research for details. window shop and purchase through the Internet, and stay in regular contact with fellow modelers. Same here. And the fact it's below zero outside..
CJ1971 Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 Internet. 100% As Harry already said... Nothing else comes remotely close.
dieseldawg142 Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 (edited) ....... Edited May 11, 2018 by dieseldawg142
2002p51 Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 The internet. It has revolutionized the hobby and the way we participate in it. Nothing else even comes close. Ditto.
ZTony8 Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 It's been steady evolution on several fronts.The modeling magazines became better established.The cottage industry for detail parts came along.Manufacturing techniques evolved for the model companies.The internet helped in the larger availability of the kits and parts and forums like this made obtaining information for our hobby much easier.And I'll throw in the availability of models from foreign companies.I think this made our domestic model companies take note of the quality differences and raise their own quality levels.
Greg Cullinan Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 There is something brown on your nose. Haha,noticed that did you! Figured it was worth a shot,See if gregg sends me a shirt...
greymack Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 I too agree with everyone else that computer and internet have played a huge part in keeping this community / hobby alive. Now with more tech items on the market and aftermarket parts its keeping most of us adults longer in the hobby and also spending more money too. Which could be a good or bad thing.My two cents
om617 Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 For me,internet,forums and aftermarket parts. Actually it was me stumbling upon this forum that made me want to go at it again.
Tom Geiger Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 And I'll throw in the availability of models from foreign companies.I think this made our domestic model companies take note of the quality differences and raise their own quality levels. Interesting point. I remember when I got my first Tamiya kit (Ford Sierra) and I was floored when I opened it and everything was in little compartments and all the items were in individual bags to protect them. I wrote a piece for my club newsletter about this asking when and if the domestic manufacturers would be following along. It would be interesting to pull it out for a read. The US manufacturers did what they did, and quality got worse when they moved production to Mexico, but everything improved when they moved production to China. Manufacturing was better, less flash and problems, no doubt because the Chinese had newer equipment than the ancient presses the American companies were using. There was a bit more quality control and things like chrome trees were done better. Most kits today have everything in separate bags. I was especially impressed with my new AMT Jeep Rubicon, they even molded a plastic bag that has the axles, springs and other parts in separate compartments within the bag. I've also received kits with convertible windshields carefully protected with a cardboard tent, hand taped in place. While kit prices didn't go down, quality went up. And the move to China may have resulted in kit prices stabilizing or at least not rising as fast as they could. No telling what kits would cost today if they were still made domestically.
Greg Cullinan Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 For me,internet,forums and aftermarket parts. Actually it was me stumbling upon this forum that made me want to go at it again. Me too. Saw models at micheals and when I went home googled models and found McM
farmer1 Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 The internet. It has revolutionized the hobby and the way we participate in it. Nothing else even comes close. I still had most of my stash of kits from when I was a teenager and would occasionally get one out and work on it but when I got the internet in the early 90's and found all those kits I wished I had when I was young were for sale on ebay, I started picking up some of them which led to all the aftermarket stuff , MCM and the forums. The internet is completely responsible for my returning to and staying with the hobby.
randx0 Posted February 7, 2014 Posted February 7, 2014 Online forums are a great boon for the hobby . Some other items that have helped a lot in no particular order , Bare metal foil , Photo Etch , Plastic friendly Lacquer based paints , Liquid glue , Dremel's stylus , alclad.
Eshaver Posted February 8, 2014 Posted February 8, 2014 Wow , thinking back to 1960 when I got into this uh lets see: Sheet styrene Structural plastic stock cynoaccrinate glue a catalyzed plastic filler photoetch parts epoxy resin parts /bodies
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