Please Don’t Touch!

I am not sure, but maybe its bacause a model is 3 dimensional, people feel the need to pick it up so they can look at it properly. At most of the shows i go go, every display has do not touch signs.

No one in my house touches my builds, but i guess if you live with someone who models you are used to it. All of my models are on bases, so if some one did feel the urge to inspect one, hopefully they would pick up the base and not the model.

Well, ya can’t see the underside as it sits on the display board on its landing gear... 

Seriously though, I never like visitors touching my displayed builds either. Simply tell guests that the builds are fragile and will break easily if handled. I don’t see my work as art, but it is quite fragile and usually many hours of effort before it gets to my display shelves.

I've not had that problem with humans but cats are another issue.

wpwar11

I don’t know where you guys stand on modeling being art but I never had the desire to touch works of art at an art gallery.

Any curator or security guard will tell you there are plenty of people who do!

It's human nature to want to handle a pretty thing. The problem is, sometimes even other modelers forget how delicate and damage-prone our little 'masterpieces' can be. I know that while building, I will occasionally forget the odd pitot or aerial mast (that I myself recently wrangled into place with much pain and effort) and 'snap.' It invariably seems that when anyone else reaches for one of my creations...they seem instinctively to home in on the most vulnerable (or impossible to restore) bits...then just grin like idiots, and say "Sorry. But you can just glue that back on, right?"

I always think of Picard and Data in Star Trek "First Contat" when they look at the "Phoenix".  And Troi ask them why do they need to touch it.

No one touches my models either

I wonder if it's because people think models are toys and we instinctively tend to want to handle toys. It's the same with scale model trains.

I've had the same experience many times. I try to keep my models behind glass, but I'm out of display case. The trains are another story. Out in plain sight and are fair game if I forget to explain they are to look at only, please.

If I see a guest taking an interest in a particular model, I tend to quickly grab it show it to them. I never really thought about it before now, but maybe it's a conditioned response defensive thingie of some sort.

I don't think anyone means any harm. Normal, sane folks have no concept of how much time and effort goes into our models, I think.

Edit: Ha! Guess I cross-posted with Tojo. Looks like we have the same idea.

When I volunteered at the Museum at Dinosaur Ridge we had of tons of people who wanted to touch everything.  We had a real dinosaur footpint that they can handle and several bone and skull casts that they  could touch.  I guess touching makes it real.  Especially DINOSAURS and children.  Hey, I Ioved it too.

Tojo- Golf clubs and display cases.  This could have a very bad ending.

I've seen people at shows reach out to touch the models and their kids do the same. Evedintly they don't know how to read so neither do their kids. Then you hear a voice come over the speakers "does anyone have a pair of tweezers and some CA"? I've had that happen to me several times at different shows. Now I go with a small tool box with almost everything I need. There's always something I forgot.

Jim 

Stay Safe.

wpwar11

Tojo- Golf clubs and display cases.  This could have a very bad ending.

 

They should be okay by the completed builds,but too close to the bench, I can see that being an issue 

It's scenery, not touchery. Hands off! 

Do these same people touch the models at fashion shows too? 

T e d

Ted4321

It's scenery, not touchery. Hands off! 

Do these same people touch the models at fashion shows too? 

T e d

 

I think the ones who go tho shows are thoroughly trained, they are usually avid modelers or are with avid modelers.I never seen anyone try to touch at a show.I guess it has happened,but the ones who come to your house are the ignorant,unknowing,think its a toy, ones who dont think or respect.

Just keep an old 12 inch ruler handy when you have visitors....they reach, you smack the back of the hand....

Yeah, I don't know why people feel the need. I am a docent at the Carmel Mission and the catafalque of Serra; well his head is bald. Tourists keep it polished.

Back when I was working on a display of aircraft for the 18th T.F.W. I came into my office one morning and found a nnote from the wion operations officer on my desk asking me to report to his office.

I went in showing some nervousness and thinking that this coiuldn't be about the call I had received from the Captain of the Enterprise.  That was over a week ago.  The Colonel came out looking a little strange and started to explain that they had just received a JASDF F-86 for the wing collection.  They were trying ot figure out what size national insignia thye needed to have made for it when it occured that we had some T-39s on base that used basically the same wing.

Unfortunately by that time he had accidently broken the landing gear off one of the models sitting on top of the file cabinets.  The other models damaged were done by some of the other pilots in the office.

It can happen anywhere, to anybody.  That's why not only do we put signs on the table, at our contests, we have people walking around talking to people and watching the displayed kits.

Tell them to keep their social distance from your models.

GH, did you have Sister Francis tooooooo? Between the 12" ruler and that pointer she really did a number on us. That's why we start getting arthrirus and other pains in the hands as we get older.

Jim 

Stay Safe.

PS - If she got really PO'd, she'd use the mahogany clicker.

Lol....no, went to public schools, but Mom was real handy with one.  And the old woodshed was right out the back door.

In the mid 1980's I belonged to a radio ocontrol model boat club.  We were part of a model show at a shopping mall in February.  One of the wise old men in the club was talking with me and he offered this insight:  "It doen;t matter what kind of show it is: model boat, car, plane or train; classic car or boat show in the summer; quilt show; etc.  There are two groups of people that jave to touch everything.  Both deserve a warning.  Little kids don't know any better.  Old men should know better, and deserve a punch in the nose after the warning."

WHen I go to various shows with my r/c boats, I put business card warnings near my boats.  The cards read: "PLEASE, DON'T TOUCH THE MODELS.  They have been treated with ________."  The blank is filled in with one of the following: DiHydrogen Monoxide: Oxidane; Hydrogen Oxide; Hydrogen Hydroxide;or Hydroxic Acid.  

Toxic antifouling compound ...keep the barnacles at bay!

Hi There:

     Well, being the Muesum President, I went through many anxious years as the Vice President of Modeling and Displays and Docent before that. Now there are thing we want the visitors to touch. Then there are many things that are definitely, Look but Don't Touch!

      I think the best way I've seen to deal with this is our local LEGO groups. I belong to Texas Brick RailRoad in Austin. ( Don't make the meetings like I should though) and Tex-Lug San Antonio. ( Texas LEGO-USERS Group). We have signs that go on the displays. As You are all aware LEGO has MINIFIGS( Both the regular and the Newer(Dolls). There signs all the place. Please Don't Touch-It Scares the Mini-Figs!

       Where the kids are concerned, at least the ones that try, it works ! We don't have too many finger incursions into displays. Now the trains at Shows and the Museum, LOOK OUT -It's the GrabbyFinger Monster! It happens everywhere I guess. I agree with some of the other posters though. We have an inate curiousity to fully examine parts we cannot see just looking. SO-we have to touch.

      One year as a judge at an I.P.M.S. show I got very upset with a Judge picking up a model to examine it. He had on NO GLOVES, and he didn't ask the owners permission! Now I asked all those I could talk to before judging, that if necessary, as long as I wore gloves,  could I handle their work. All but one or two said sure. The few that didn't explained why they didn't want the model handled. Good enough for me.

      Other judges gave those models lesser points than I did. I personally feel that any model, is like the " MONA LISA"(La GIACONDA)-Ya don't just reach out and touch it. Why? Well, for one it's way older than your Grandma's House and second It would destroy the painting over time. Look-Don't Touch ! Is a good thing to follow. Just ask Sister Christina and her ruler !R.I.P. Sister-I still love you though!( Taught me well, she did)

Yes, annoying that people just can't resist. I have no problem putting a "please don't touch sign" on my model shelf.

Mine are in closed cabinets and that's where they stay.

Yea...I get this alot especially with my Grandkids.  This is how i fixed the problem. 

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/fabrikoer-glass-door-cabinet-black-blue-blue-00363171/?gclid=CjwKCAjw9vn4BRBaEiwAh0muDGnmb4jYVlHITY9j9ud9vwFIXx6tSwaJFa1FoSm2KTXBfDo7pbL-XhoCxjsQAvD_BwE