The best model of my life...

[ModelerSite]

It's quite possible that those who have been building models for years, know very well what I'm going to talk about. For newcomers, perhaps, it will be something curious and many of them will find out that they have been thinking about this, lately.

In 1982, I had the chance to build my first Pocher, an Alfa Romeo 2300, that was a greatly expensive kit and required a great effort on my fresh family's part. Time passed and things changed......My son....today, an Information Systems Engineer, and Modeler Site's Webmaster, was by that time 3 years old.....and I had abundant hair :-)

It was the first time, since I had started building models, that I felt I could construct what I call "the best model of my life". This meant to me, several things: the perfect model, the most complex, the most real....close to live itself.

When I opened the box, and after having a look at the parts, my feeling was well defined, I would build the most detailed and accurate model I've ever constructed.....Everybody can imagine the end of this story, it was one more in my collection, in fact by that time, I decided to sell it in order to be able to buy another, and thus, during sometime, I could build several POCHERs successfully. The funny thing was that I used to sell them at an incredible knockdown price!!!!, but......everything was worth building the next one.
Then, I realized that models are valuable for their own sake, for the satisfaction they give the builder, specially in building.

Obviously, the following years, there were several "the best model of my life", including a 1/8 Jaguar XKE from Monogram, 1/8 WWI aircrafts from Hasegawa, a 1/6 Cherokee R/C from Graupner, a 1/72 Flower Class from Matchbox, several 1/16 tanks.....etc. From 1992 on, the 1/8 Citroen 11 "Ligero" (unfortunately I only have one photo), the Pocher Ferrari F-40....and a great many kits more.

Each of them was considered during some time "the best model of my life" by me, however, once every model was finished, a slight disillusion cropped out, as I realized that.... that model had not been "the best model of my life".

Now I actually believe that, this is not the way it turned out to be, I really enjoy building superdetailed or out of the box models, and I concentrate myself on the pleasure of building besides of adding another model to my collection rather than looking for a definitive model, which…. would allow me to taste delicious forever.

By no means, I pretend through these lines neither "teaching" nor giving advices to you, modelers, about your way of thinking or feeling, this is not my intention at all. Nobody can steer the hobby in any direction. What I only aim is to share my experience and to let everybody know, how I found out that "the best model of my life" is, and will only be, an illusion in modelling, I mean that the real pleasure is beyond doubt, the moment we keep that illusion alive, and it's not the final result: successes, contests, medals, articles.... or any other kind of recognition or reward, they're only seasonings of the main food.......building models.

[klutz_100]

Originally Posted by ModelerSite

...Each of them was considered during some time "the best model of my life" by me, however, once every model was finished, a slight disillusion cropped out, as I realized that.... that model had not been "the best model of my life".

Been there, seen that, got the T-shirt...

[voyageur]

Originally Posted by klutz_100

Been there, seen that, got the T-shirt...

Me too... but every time I tell myself that there is always room for improvement

[73superduty]

I've always told myself that the best model of my life is the one I haven't yet built.
I feel each build after the last is better than the previous. It's worked out quite well and I enjoy my hobby. Thanks for your insight.

Chris

[gionc]

Respectfully I don't agree: I know what's the best model of my life

I called it by surname Nino, it born as a 1/12 gio but now at 7 YO and may be in 3-4 years he would overcome me. Obviously he's my son

BTW: I found interesting Mario's post mostly in a point: when he share " Then, I realized that models are valuable for their own sake, for the satisfaction they give the builder, specially in building", I build from the age of 6-7, and I was used, after all those effort, detail, pain, ok you know what I meant, to squeeze alchol over my built aicraft, give fire and.. and to try them in ... in action out of the window , really I'm not jocking .

Now the thing isn't so different: I just forgot my builds under the glass :d

Oh well I guess is almost unuseful remember you all that I finish nothing

[drunken monkey]

for me, the result is secondary to the process.

sure, the end result is a target but only so that there is a focus and reference for the process.
think about it, what is it really that you get satisfaction from; the final model or the building of the model?

[jano11]

Originally Posted by drunken monkey

think about it, what is it really that you get satisfaction from; the final model or the building of the model?

I fully agree! I could buy many models even some that do not exist in kit form, but that doesn't mean anything compared to building it myself.

[tigeraid]

I'd like to SAY the result is more important than the build for me, considering I sell them to people, but even in my case, the build is more special to me. If the results were that important, I would feel a whole lot worse about sending the finished models away to their satisfied customers. I've only felt a twinge of regret a couple of times, but I always have the pictures to remind me of my work.

More importantly, I always say "that build was awesome, I'll have to do it again sometime for MYSELF, to put it in my display case."

Whether I ever actually get around to doing that is another thing entirely mind you.

[willimo]

Originally Posted by drunken monkey

for me, the result is secondary to the process.

sure, the end result is a target but only so that there is a focus and reference for the process.
think about it, what is it really that you get satisfaction from; the final model or the building of the model?

This, for me, solely depends on the model.

I find, and it seems obvious as I put this down, that when the result is important (ie: the red Integra I just finished), the model is finished quickly and my mind is solely on the result. I don't think, though, that the model is quick because the result is important and must come sooner than later; but instead that model is quick because I'm so focused on the outcome that the details completely disappear from mind.

However, when the build is the main event, then I pay little attention to the ultimate goal. This detail, that I'm working on right now, is the sole focus of my attention right now, so that getting this radiator exactly the right size, with exactly the right welds, exactly the right color and finished to the exact tolerances I desire is far, far more important than the rest of the car that it'll sit inside, almost entirely obscured from view.

For me, the best model of my life is definitely not the one I last finished, or the next one I will pull down of my shelf and start, but the one I am involved in right now. Will it be the best detailed model I've ever made? Perhaps. Will it be the best at capturing the spirit of a 1:1 or automotive subculture? Perhaps that, instead. Could it be best of both? Sure, I guess. But will it be the best at capturing my interest, at dissolving a long day at work or just plain bringing me joy? Yes, without a doubt, even if the final product couldn't be counted as the best of anything else.