Nostalgia in modeling

I'm 62 and probably have 20 or 30 unbuilt kits. There used to be some pressure every time I'd open the cabinet and see them all staring at me accusingly, but I've come to realize that simply owning them is its own reward in many ways. Some are kits I couldn't afford when I was a kid, and others are from my favorite SF movie, 2001, that didn't even exist back then. All of them make me happy, and isn't that the whole point? Maybe they'll get built and maybe they won't, but in the meantime, every time I look at my stash, I glow a little inside. And that's good enough for me.

Don - Comet kits were so enjoyable and affordable, many years back I loved building the 54 inch Taylorcraft, built several and kept finding ways to improve the strength by using matched, contest level balsa. By keeping it light they flew beautifully, had to use de-thermalizers after one sailed away. I still build them, plans are available, as are laser balsa kits. Great fun.

Patrick

I was so disappointed when Comet went out of business just before the turn of the century.  I could pick up the exact same kits I built as a kid when I was an adult- even an older adult.  And Comet kits were always affordable.  I guess it is surprising they lasted as long as they did.  I know they were a well established brand even when I got into modeling in mid to late forties.  And I loved those Monogram kits, like the Speedi-bilt line, that were combination balsa and plastic.  They did not fly worth a darn, so I built them as static scale only.

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Temujin

Personally, I couldn't imagine opening a kit & only dry-fitting. I'd lie awake staring at the ceiling if all I did was dry fit and not actually do the build.

it is only my nostalgia kit collection that i will not build anymore, the re-issued ones and the new releases i will build :)

my kid bought me this kit from one of those sci fi shows its an old aurora kit it still reminds me of that warner bros singing frog cartoon

Surely, you are kidding, right? There's no right or wrong.

nkm1416@info.com.ph

When I started in 1969 I bought model kits with the intention of building them.

I was about 15 years old then and I'm now 61. The collection has grown to about 360 models, about 250 in the stash.

Lately I'm buying kits not to build them but to remind me of the ones I did before or the ones I was not able to buy at that time. Just opening the boxes and dry fitting the parts brings back a lot enjoyable memories.

Are the modelers of the 60s really like this or is it just me?

 

Multiple builders, one and all, are mad men, I say!

Only 218 votes. Don't think that will be enough to make it happen. I remember opening the box and looking at this kit in Woolsworth. I'd never seen a kit in so many colors. It wasn't shrink wrapped. That wasn't uncommon back in those days. A store employee saw me "pawing" through the box and ask me not to do that as parts could be lost. Scared the crap outta me. I just knew somehow my parents were gonna found out. Didn't go back for over a week. Kept my eye out for that employee but never saw her again.

I don't but they look wonderful.

Anyone remember these guys? I started out on the road to figure painting doing these and decided to re-collect a set and do them for old times sake.

My first "build" was the ancient, infamous "yellow" Aurora Zero.  My grandma sat on it.

Now " G "

 Your early builds can't be any worse than some of mine . T.B.

tankerbuilder

" G "

    You mean the old kits don't you ? I see some now and , yes , they make me laugh too .Like who'd want to build that ?

 

Don Stauffer

If you are from my era and started with wood kits, if you want nostalgia, check out Penn Valley Hobbies. I don't have the URL handy, just google them.  They specialize in balsa kits, and have contemporary kits, including a couple of firms that reproduce some of the old brand name kits, like Megow.

 

Anybody remember AMT's "Vantasy" kit from the 1970s? I built it then, but instead of building it out of the box, I made it my own vehicle. One thing I remember was that my sixth-grade classroom had blue carpet put in, not shag carpet but real short carpet, and I took a little bit home for the model and put it in.

Of course the real carpet was WAY overscale for a model, even when shortened with scissors, but back then, that didn't even dawn on me! I also painted the model Testors dark red.

I have a kit of Vantasy again; maybe I'll do another build the same, only with in-scale carpet and a better paint job.

Sprue-ce Goose

 

 

tankerbuilder

Hey Mitsdude !

   Did you know that the REVELL WESTINGHOUSE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT is and has been the HOLY Grail model for many engineers in the power producing job market ?     T.B.

 

 

 

Did anyone here vote for a re-issue of the kit?

http://ideas.revell.de/ideas/item/787/

Here's your chance !

 

Got my vote in!

Many years ago, I saw the Revell Nuclear Power Plant at a model kit show and decided I just had to have it as a "go-with" for my collection of old telephone pole insulators. 

Then I saw the price...500 dollars! (This was over a decade ago; I wonder what the darn thing goes for now!) I didn't buy it...

nkm1416@info.com.ph

Lately I'm buying kits not to build them but to remind me of the ones I did before or the ones I was not able to buy at that time. Just opening the boxes and dry fitting the parts brings back a lot enjoyable memories.

Are the modelers of the 60s really like this or is it just me?

 

Silver

its ok ,collect an build all you want. I flew F-105's in Viet Nam and now i am building and collecting until i "Eject".

 

If you are from my era and started with wood kits, if you want nostalgia, check out Penn Valley Hobbies. I don't have the URL handy, just google them.  They specialize in balsa kits, and have contemporary kits, including a couple of firms that reproduce some of the old brand name kits, like Megow.

" G "

    You mean the old kits don't you ? I see some now and , yes , they make me laugh too .Like who'd want to build that ?

Can't say I ever have or will. Most o those kits were inferior by today's standards. Some I wouldn't mind for the box-art though.

an even better view of the kit layout :

http://www.boxartden.com/gallery/var/resizes/Boxart-Collection/REVELL/UNCLASSIFIED%20and%20MISCELLANEOUS/Revell%20Atomic%20Power%20Plant%20%2761%20Box.jpg?m=1362191710

.

At The Box Art Den

http://www.boxartden.com/gallery/index.php/

tankerbuilder

Hey Mitsdude !

   Did you know that the REVELL WESTINGHOUSE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT is and has been the HOLY Grail model for many engineers in the power producing job market ?     T.B.

No wonder I rarely see it for sale and when I do its $$$$! :(

You know what , Baron !

   I do the same thing and to my dismay some are still confusing .Especially the old Heller Kits !  T.B.

Hey Mitsdude !

   Did you know that the REVELL WESTINGHOUSE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT is and has been the HOLY Grail model for many engineers in the power producing job market ?     T.B.

Hahaha thanks mitsdude! I see you build a wide variety of subjects.

nkm1416,

I'm a year older than you but started model building earlier, as in 1959ish. I actually started getting out of models in 1969. What with girls, college, working , a car, gas, etc. Not much money/time/interest left for models and comics.

I never totally got out of models always buying/building a kit every few years. About 12 years ago I started stocking up on kits knowing that my career was much closer to ending than beginning. One of the first kits I sought out was the "MPC Gangbusters 1928 Lincoln Model Kit ". I first received this kit in the early 60's. The "Untouchables" TV show was still fresh on my mind. This kit was way beyond my abilities as it had delicate moving parts that required skills I didn't have. However, it was a really cool kit! It had two figures, guns, grenades, bottles of booze, crates, bullet riddled parts! I never did finish it. I tried brush painting it a canary yellow, the kit was molded in black. Guess how that turned out. To this day I remember the excitement of that kit.

I also remember all the car kits that came with extra parts to build 3 different ways. The Monogram WW2 planes. The nuclear sub kits. (I believe some of these were the same model with a different name). The Hawk space kits, Renwal military kits. I would love to buy the originals again but cannot justify the price for something I wouldn't want to build. Also just something my family would want to get rid of when I'm no longer here.

My "Holy Grail" kit is the "Revell Westinghouse Nuclear Power Plant". Saw it in Woolsworth. Looked at it everytime I went in until one day a sales clerk told me not to be opening the boxes as parts might get lost. Scared the crap outta me. BTW, many kits in those days were not wrapped in cellophane.

Short answer to your question. Its NOT just you.