Hi,PFJN;
Yeah, I guess so. It's a habit I picked up when I was a kid being bounced between Dad and Mom in different states then Foster Homes. Money for a 98cent kit wasn't available much. Other kids like me had the same idea. Scour alleyways for returnable bottles!
If you got enough, Hit the Hobby Store. If not watch the trash and old fountains. As I said in an old post about one time with Dad I found an old fountain, Scummy water and Lotsa Junk in it at a strange type of Service Station!
Turns out, the owner did that for folks to sit while they had a flat fixed or their oil changed. He wanted to clean it out and get it working again. I saw something like an Aircraft Carrier deck.
I asked him If I could help. he said " Sure", I wound up with a shopping bag full of Revell Ship parts and Lindberg too! When I got home I had enough, with judicious application of Revell tube glue to fix the B.B. holes with Office Typing paper. Paint them all Testors Lt Grey. Viola' I had the start of my fleet.
Dad gest home from a trip and goes ballistic. He thought I used the " House" money he left for model ships! Dad was a listener though. When I explained it to him. He checked with the Station Owner. Then had me hop in his new car and took me to the Biggest Hobby Shop in Miami Beach and gave me twenty Bucks! Said I earned it by showing good sense.
And Yet, with all that, I have NEVER Built REVELL'S model of the Missouri. Go Figure! Through the following years I got Revell's " Victory at Sea " sets . Never noticed the Missouri was missing. All my uncles had one in the cabinet in the Living Room.
Hey, all the boxes had the right number of kits! That's all I cared. I figured that's the way the Box Top pictures were. I didn't know the ships in the picture were Supposed to be in there!
So now, anyway I do this to remind myself to be creative and also don't waste valuable plastic. Plus it keeps my skills sharp! I recommend this at least once for everyone." What If's" can take you anywhere!