Go on buying... though…

[dude2000]

Next January I will turn 40 YO and I have in my store 400 kits (1:12, 1:24, 1:20, and 1:43) along with almost double the number of upgrade kits/PE, Decals...etc. I didn't have time in the past to build them nor I expect until to be around until I retire.... I feel frustrated when I look to all these kits setting in the dark store waiting while my wishful thinking about building them all turn into reality which is not going to happen.

So I made following decisions:

1. Stop buying.... no more kits unless it is something outstanding in subject and quality. No more repeated subject from different manufacturer, no more road cars (buy a die-cast), no more kits which has no enginesdetails.
2. All low value kits that worth nothing today in the secondary market because either collectors/modelers won't be interested in the subject or there so many of them floating on eBay started finding their ways to my 2 sons how destroy them while they learn basic skills in matching parts to together.
3. Some of the same category of kits in point 2 will be donated to children and young modelers who can't afford to buy because they are in poverty.
4. Big kits will be sold off to buyers who prove to me they are modelers and will build them into something beyond what is offered OOB.... I decided to take a loss on these ones. Same thing will happen to the 1:43 kits apart that I will sell them at cost without making losses or profit.
5. Few kits which are either out of production or the manufacturer closed down will remain in my collection for future builds by me or commissioned to some one have the time to do for me.
6. Many of the expensive kits which still in production will remain in my collection as a long term investment and will be sold off on the right time. MFH kits form the biggest number of kits.

The enjoyment for me was in collecting projects (kit+PE+Upgrade+transformation Kits+Decals)... but the reality of life I don't have the time or when I have such free time it is dedicated to activities with my two sons... but they are growing up and I am getting older so some time this free time will become empty as they go on with their own choices in life which perhaps will give time to build one of these expensive rare few kits I am keeping in the jewelery safe.... provided I have the mental and physical health.

[ModelerSite]

Originally Posted by dude2000

Next January I will turn 40 YO and I have in my store 400 kits (1:12, 1:24, 1:20, and 1:43) along with almost double the number of upgrade kits/PE, Decals...etc. I didn't have time in the past to build them nor I expect until to be around until I retire.... I feel frustrated when I look to all these kits setting in the dark store waiting while my wishful thinking about building them all turn into reality which is not going to happen.

So I made following decisions:

1. Stop buying.... no more kits unless it is something outstanding in subject and quality. No more repeated subject from different manufacturer, no more road cars (buy a die-cast), no more kits which has no enginesdetails.
2. All low value kits that worth nothing today in the secondary market because either collectors/modelers won't be interested in the subject or there so many of them floating on eBay started finding their ways to my 2 sons how destroy them while they learn basic skills in matching parts to together.
3. Some of the same category of kits in point 2 will be donated to children and young modelers who can't afford to buy because they are in poverty.
4. Big kits will be sold off to buyers who prove to me they are modelers and will build them into something beyond what is offered OOB.... I decided to take a loss on these ones. Same thing will happen to the 1:43 kits apart that I will sell them at cost without making losses or profit.
5. Few kits which are either out of production or the manufacturer closed down will remain in my collection for future builds by me or commissioned to some one have the time to do for me.
6. Many of the expensive kits which still in production will remain in my collection as a long term investment and will be sold off on the right time. MFH kits form the biggest number of kits.

The enjoyment for me was in collecting projects (kit+PE+Upgrade+transformation Kits+Decals)... but the reality of life I don't have the time or when I have such free time it is dedicated to activities with my two sons... but they are growing up and I am getting older so some time this free time will become empty as they go on with their own choices in life which perhaps will give time to build one of these expensive rare few kits I am keeping in the jewelery safe.... provided I have the mental and physical health.

That's the point I was focusing in!!!!, to take decisions. I'm 54 YO so it wasn’t difficult to me to understand why some odd answers to my post, I'm sure most of them come from newcomers to the hobby. I felt some reflection was done without to finish the reading.
I realized that I built 1000+ models along my life and will not be able to build other 1000 in the next 20 years ( if I'm lucky) so I had to take decisions about what to do with my collection. My post aims you meditate about that, as I received during the last years many emails from readers and contributors about this matter. This post from dude2000 looks interesting, you take decisions about your hobby, and realized that is to have fun, so no matter finally what you do with the kits, and share with us the freedom to buy already built models ( diecast), what is more or less I say in the post when pointed you could give the kits to others to be built.
Many thanks to all you for the rich answers.

[rallymaster]

If you don't care I'd like to ad a few words of my own experience and thoughts about that question, as I've just taken a big decision 2/3 days ago...


I consider myself as a "big collector", having around 900 models to build, either kits or TK upon basis (+ or - good models ) or even decals alone waiting for a basis.

I started buying models around 10 years ago aiming to build a 1/43 rally cars collection when in the same time I was starting building 1/24 kits for the pleasure of modeling.
then I bought many things, many good ones, many worse ones !

I started many many projects, models, kits, scratch etc etc but almost never finish something because next one was already calling me...
the more I start the more I want them detailed, accurate, realistic etc. And the more I can't finish something... So I start something else...

Today I'm sitting between two seats ! on a side many things to build, on the other side many things I seem not be able to finish, by lacking willing, energy, or even parts or documents...

What is the future of such a collection ? Is it what I thought to when willing to collect rallycars ? surely not.

Today I'm sure I won't be able (and it's probably impossible to) build a rally cars collection as important as I wanted to, as I dreamt I could have...

But what is the important thing ? a big collection ? so what ?
or pleasure to build something, to achieve something ?!

considering building an complete (as far as it could be) collection would take much more money, time and energy I really can give to a hobby, not my job, or should be a job (?!?), what would be and what is the most reasonable decision to take ?

I do want to have some of the rallycars I love, but I don't want them in a box...
I want them built !
and more than this, no pleasure to have them if I don't have built them...

If I made this choice, I would have chosen to collect diecast !
maybe should I have done that choice ?
humm...

But what I like the most is modelling. So I have to get out of the idea of collecting, moreover collection something "complete" or representative of rally cars history.
I have to choose what pleases me the most, which models I want the most, which projects I'd like the most to be proud to lead to an end...

I have TO MAKE CHOICES !

I can't go on wasting money, time and energy to collect boxes !
If what I like the most is building, so it's time to forget the idea of purely collect something.

Let's choose the most interesting, challenging projects according to the cars I like the most and just sell back all the rest !


That's precisely the decision I recently took.
I'm listing most of my models to sell them, aiming to come back to pleasure to build, start and finish something I really enjoyed building and I would be proud to dispaly or show, not caring if I have the white one of the year before or the driver of the year after...

let's talk about modelling, about projects, about pleasure, not about how many boxes to build, how many models still to find (and buy!) to bring decals a life etc etc.

Today I decided I won't care if I have or not a model, even one I like, what is the most important is that what I (already) have gives me pleasure and fun, and gives a result, a finished model !
from today when I'll buy something it shouldn't be anymore to get it but to use it !
I will never complete a collection, there's no end to such one ! (except mine )

so I should confess today I'm more happy to make the lists of my models for sale than sad...
it's something like giving a new start to my hobby. Even a new sens.

I only dream to one thing I haven't been feelling for a long long time and I only wonder if I'll feel it once again, the excitation to look at the next model I could buy and build after having completed all what I got before...
(Ok for that I should sell everything, but a kind of such excitation will satisfy me enough )
maybe opening a new box or starting a new projets will be this excitation, because now there will be a sens, taking model and projects one by one.

more than the question of what to do with a big collection (built or not by the way), I think it's important to think about the sens of how we practice this hobby and the way we buy, collect, build or not models.
that was the question for me.

Maybe it took me too much time to realize it, but today I'm not interested anymore in having more and more models, I want to have, lead and finish modelling projects.
because fun comes from what I do, not what I think I should do or have to do (or shouldn't have to )



that's what I think about the question. I couldn't say everyone should have the same wondering but having had it may help me to feel better with my hobby and getting back pleasure and fun.


thanks for reading
(hoping my english was understandable enough )

[ModelerSite]

Originally Posted by rallymaster

If you don't care I'd like to ad a few words of my own experience and thoughts about that question, as I've just taken a big decision 2/3 days ago...

(hoping my english was understandable enough )

That's the point Phil, you have to do what you feel it makes you happy, finally as I told in the beggining modelling is to have fun and be happy, no matter the way you can get that felling.