Why do you collect what you do?

[modeling maniac]

I collect what I am interested in or what is in the period of time I am doing. But do some people buy models because they like the schemes or just for the sake of having one and/or for something to do or even for experimental purposes...

[Ratch]

As a kid I built what my parents and family bought for me. When I started earning pocket money I bought kits that I was inspired by the box art. For a time I built a model railway and built kits and painted figures to go with that. Then I joined the railway and decided to rebuild my layout. I ripped it up and bought some kits to tide me over. I discovered the Airfix Club and the world of on-line modelling. My interest in family history led me to start a project modelling aircraft that flew from Northamptonshire airfields. Other projects were taken up too. I have built all the Airfix 1/12 figures, all the Wildlife series, all the 54mm figures, many of the 1/600 ships, and many Napoleonic (Waterloo) figures.

[Heather Kavanagh]

What began as an interest in the Battle of Britain led to reading about how events had led to the battle and beyond. What then began as an idea to build an example of each Luftwaffe and RAF aircraft that took part in the battle mushroomed to involve the entire year and all the countries involved.

It really has become an obsession, but an educational one.

[SD45elect2000]

I read stories and build what I read about. Often entire squadrons. 

 

Randall

[paul71]

I'm more interested in military aircraft preferably WWII but i have got some of the older jets some built some in my stash and I've got a few WWII support vehicles waiting to be made , but looking at the new tanks im getting a bit of interest in them now.

[leslie entwhistle]

As a kid i built anything  airfix ,ships planes helecopters tanks and cars ,i just loved building them but as i got older i lent more towards cars 

[leslie entwhistle]

i now collect re issued airfix cars to build at a later date

[Sailorman]

I started building the historical sailing ships when about 10 years old and moved on the 1:72 aircraft.  Very often the choice depended on the front page story that appeared that week in the VICTOR comic.  I also built some tanks but my interest was mostly 1:600 ships.  I have all the ships that Airfix released -except for the Southern Cross .....but that one isn't 1:600 so it doesn't really count 😊.  Over the years I've tended to go for liners rather than warships.  Since there is such a limited range I've gone into scratchbuilding.  My liner fleet now numbers 28.  8 are from kits the other 20 scratchbuilds.  I'm halfway through building the Airfix warships.  Still a few more to go.

[Peter Terry1707820234]

I started young 1955 and modelled ever since and continued in my time in the forces as well done all the British  and American aircraft but over the years i have branched out into many other subjects in kit modelling all been great fun and enjoyment and to me that's what its al about.

[john redman]

3 hours ago, Sailorman said:

I started building the historical sailing ships when about 10 years old and moved on the 1:72 aircraft.  Very often the choice depended on the front page story that appeared that week in the VICTOR comic.  I also built some tanks but my interest was mostly 1:600 ships.  I have all the ships that Airfix released -except for the Southern Cross .....but that one isn't 1:600 so it doesn't really count 😊.  Over the years I've tended to go for liners rather than warships.  Since there is such a limited range I've gone into scratchbuilding.  My liner fleet now numbers 28.  8 are from kits the other 20 scratchbuilds.  I'm halfway through building the Airfix warships.  Still a few more to go.

Have you ever thought of doing some of the what-if German aircraft carriers that were to be converted from liners? 

[Sailorman]

Not really ..... though I will build some of the German pre WWII liners

[Nerazzurri]

I build for the process, rather than interests in genres.

 

Working crazy shifts on the railway, sometimes I don't have the energy to sit at the bench (even if that sounds crazy). But I try to spend at least a little time there each day - if I move my build forward even a little on a regular basis I'm happy. 

 

The whole thing - time at the bench, zoning out on everything else, being a little creative, seeing my collection grow - all has a good effect on my mental health too.

 

That being said, there is a few niches that appeal to me more than others, and I cycle them so I never really suffer from loss of mojo.

 

Gavin.

[SD45elect2000]

4 minutes ago, Gavin-1212362 said:

I build for the process, rather than interests in genres.

 

Working crazy shifts on the railway, sometimes I don't have the energy to sit at the bench (even if that sounds crazy). But I try to spend at least a little time there each day - if I move my build forward even a little on a regular basis I'm happy. 

 

The whole thing - time at the bench, zoning out on everything else, being a little creative, seeing my collection grow - all has a good effect on my mental health too.

 

That being said, there is a few niches that appeal to me more than others, and I cycle them so I never really suffer from loss of mojo.

 

Gavin.

I work for a US railroad too. Not a lot of time sometimes. I found that lately I can paint figures in the little time I have.

Randy

[Nerazzurri]

4 minutes ago, SD45elect2000 said:

I work for a US railroad too. Not a lot of time sometimes. I found that lately I can paint figures in the little time I have.

Figure painting requires a lot of talent, I think, Randy. Credit to you.

Gavin.

Ps......oh, that explains the username 😁

[DoubleD]

I too was wondering about the SD45 😀

[J-346856]

Does it refer to a US Locomotive type?

The EMD SD45. 

Classic looking US Diesel electric loco, similar to the one from the film 'Unstoppable' with Denzel Washington and Chris Pine.

Edited June 20 by J-346856

[Dominic Thomas]

This could be a fascinating thread on its own - the story behind usernames. 
No one would ever guess my real name might be Mylo 🤣😆

Edited June 20 by Dominic Thomas

[SD45elect2000]

I’ve spent a lot of time with the EMD SD45 on the Wisconsin Central, we had 105 of them. Later I worked with EMD and the EWS railway to spec out new EMD locomotives to run in the UK, as far as I know most are still running. Same paint colors. 
Now with a little over 40 years of service I’m looking forward to some rest with kit building and whatnot. But today I’m going to work on a EMD GP-35 rewire.

Randall

[A J Rimmer]

I guess it's pretty common but I mainly build WWII aircraft and Cold War era Jets - mostly because those of the types that interest me the most. Certainly I like 80's era stuff because that's what I grew up with as an aviation and military mad kid, and the same goes with WWII - all of those Commando comics and great films really have an influence.

I also like to build collections based on themes - although I'm not sure why. In the past I've built up a collection of Migs flown by the Albanian Air Force and currently I'm interested in 80's era US jets and US jets flown by the Iranian Imperial Air Force. I'm also trying to build up a range of WWII Fighters, just so I can display the differences in types, developments etc. I call (to myself) my Axis and Allies' build. 

[Valhalla]

From a collection point of few, for some reason about 15 years ago, I began to collect the Airfix Kits in box style 8 (the one with the built model sitting on engineering drawings)
I think at the time Ebay was still a worthwhile marketplace and I could pick these up for a couple of quid. One seller even offered me his whole collection of this era for about £50.

So currently there are 120 plus different kits, Aircraft, Ships & Tanks, from this era all still sealed in cellophane stashed away. No idea what I'll do with them. Perhaps collect the ones I'm still missing 🙂The ones that weren't sealed were built or will get built.

I wish I carried on documenting the kits I've bought as there are so many stashed away from all eras. I found two BAe Nimrods the other day that I'd forgotten all about so they're on the to do list as soon as I have some of the backlog out the way

Just can't resist a bargain

Ian

 

[Dominic Thomas]

My interest centres on aircraft in 1/72 scale and the RAF & Fleet Air Arm. 
I used to build monoplanes from WWII to the present, because my attempts at rigging with stretched sprue were poor. Then I tried elastic thread a year or so ago and the WWI and interwar periods are one of my main interests now. 
Of course the odd 1/48 aircraft gets built but a lack of space for completed models restricts the number at this scale. 
I also build themes within the main such as aircraft flown by a specific squadron to show the evolution of squadron markings. 
Apart from a range of biplanes, I’m currently building a range of WWII (RAF) night fighters as well as aircraft of 17 Sqn RAF. 

[null_null981707818191]

I mainly build WW2 aircraft (all in 1/72 scale) with an occasional dip into 1/76 AFVs (with accompanying figures for dioramas), although I'm currently building a very old Airfix 0-4-0 tank engine and refrigerated meat van (nostalgia-fix!). The core of my main thread however (WW2 aircraft) is the range of aircraft flown from RAF Warmwell between 1939 and 1945 - plenty of scope for different aircraft, different squadron markings, and of course the arrival of the USAF. 

[A J Rimmer]

39 minutes ago, null_null981707818191 said:

I mainly build WW2 aircraft (all in 1/72 scale) with an occasional dip into 1/76 AFVs (with accompanying figures for dioramas), although I'm currently building a very old Airfix 0-4-0 tank engine and refrigerated meat van (nostalgia-fix!). The core of my main thread however (WW2 aircraft) is the range of aircraft flown from RAF Warmwell between 1939 and 1945 - plenty of scope for different aircraft, different squadron markings, and of course the arrival of the USAF. 

Cool, Why RAF Warmwell - do you have a connection to the place? 

[Topcat_Ern]

I think it depends on what you are exposed to, for me anyway.  As a kid, Vulcans and Concorde would regularly fly over the house on their way to St Athans or Rhoose respectively.  There was a steam loco graveyard at Barry Island which we would regularly visit so kits of these engineering masterpieces will always be appealing to me.  Warships docking at Cardiff Docks before that all became leisure and flats.  My father was an army driver so collecting all the vehicles he drove in the RAOC. my uncle as Cold War ground crew for V Force.  And when I was a pup, taken to Bovington just fascinated me so hence AFV's.  Then of course is something that acts as a reminder or memento of an event.  Example, for the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, we spent a day in a convoy of seven Trabants touring the 'East Berlin' sites, so had to make a little montage (our Trabby was blue).  

So what I'm trying to say is some kits are built for the enjoyment and for the sake of it but the collected ones have a personal connection, like my father's cousin who was killed in a Sea Gladiator in 1943.  The Fleet Arm Museum were brilliant in that they provided aircraft and squadron ID and circumstances of the crash.

Now that I'm in the Victor Meldrew category, I do think we were lucky being exposed to marvellous engineering feats as a kid rather than the drivel of today.

Andy

 

[A J Rimmer]

9 minutes ago, Topcat_Ern said:

Now that I'm in the Victor Meldrew category, I do think we were lucky being exposed to marvellous engineering feats as a kid rather than the drivel of today.

Andy

 

Oh I agree - old school engineering every time - I hate digital! (he says, whilst posting on his digital PC, on the digital internet - the irony's not lost on me)