How Do We Get More Junior Modelers Involved?

I (i'm 15) play some tank and plane sims, and in a couple of weeks I'll find myself looking for a model of the vehicles/planes I used. I find wargames are a great stimulant for modeling for me.

The way I got pulled on to the forum was I picked up a FSM mag at a store for fun and voila... two weeks later I've posted around 20 times in a day on the website

This forum has now officially transitioned into the realm of Chaos. But , hey, at least Britney Spears hasn't been mentioned...

QUOTE: Originally posted by demono69 This forum has now officially transitioned into the realm of Chaos. But , hey, at least Britney Spears hasn't been mentioned...

Has anyone else noticed that her initials are B.S.?

Ray

Sorry I didn't see this topic earlier. I missed some meaty point & counterpoint. I think (for anyone who cares) that modeling is intrinsic. You do it because you gain something by MAKING something. You see the results of YOUR efforts. It's tough to get somebody involved in that because they are just looking at a car or a plane that somebody else made.

Ahem! Assuming anyone wants to get back on track, let me turn the basic question around and ask "How did YOU get started in the hobby?". That's where you'll find your answers. In my case I was given a SNJ "Texan" (Monogram, I think) for my eighth birthday. And it didn't exactly hurt that I came in second in a small contest with my second attempt (an utterly box-stock Beechcraft that set me back a whole $0.50 in 1955 money). There you have my formula for attacting the young: Low cost and lots of encouragement. ciao.

Si quid novisti rectius istis,
Candidus imperti; si non, his utere mecum
[If you have come to know any precept more
correct than these, share it with me, brilliant one;
if not, use these with me] (Horace, Epistle I.6.67)

My dad got me started by building a kit at the kitchen table when I was 7. I wanted one, too, so the next Saturday night we were both at the ktichen table. That was a tradition that went on for 14 years until Dad got Parkinsons' and couldn't build any more. He had planted the seed, however, and he spent a lot of time afterwords at my bench just watching me enjoy the hobby that he couldn't , offereing advice and constructive criticism when asked. I did the same when my cousins wanted to build car kits and the Aurora monsters. My son now sits at my workbench Saturday evenings after we've both enjoyed a Star Wars XBox game or a fight to the finish on Halo. His friends are starting to hang out more on Saturdays. That's how it's done: mentoring, treating every question with dignity and giving a useful, respectful response. When someone realizes that they are being taken seriously, they'll stick around and get more involved. Just my thoughts. - Ed

My father got me interested in the hobby, as well. My 3 year old daughter is starting to show an interest as well, but she can't play with exacto knives just yet. I've also talked exhaustively to a friend of mine that owns his own hobby shop, but he addamantly refuses to stock models, as he says that there is no interest in the hobby. He won't even let me do a demo in his shop, for the same reason. Great fun, this town. Maybe I'll move to Seattle...

I don't really recall exactly how I got started in the hobby. I do remember my Dad having a few models on display that he had built when I was young although he wasn't real serious about it. I know I built a few models myself, as well, but I don't actually recall the building process. I just know cause I still have a couple of the empty boxes kicking around at home. I suppose that did have an impact on my sub-conscious though and somehow influenced me to get back into the hobby again.

Ray

In the 30 odd years i have been modeling i to have noticed a decline in young builders starting in the hobby , the lack of hobby shops, the lack of kit selection,
supplies and soforth and so on . I saw this happening not only locally but also
nationwide from circa 1984 to 2000 but hear recently I had up lifting suprise
happen to me the 1st suprise was at a walmart store of all places while i was
browsing their somewhat limited selection of kits and supplies a couple of kids
noticed me and started to ask me questions about our hobby and some of the
kits on the shelves , the supplies at hand and soforth , it brought forth a smile
from me as i answered their questions and passed on a little of my knowlage
on types of kits to start out with and the supplies that would need to build the kits they selected I gave them basic information they would need to get started
building and let them know thats it's not only how perscise that they build it
but mostly having fun in the process . I also let them know that all the fancy
precision would come in time with trial and error in future kits most of all I let
them know that as long as they tried their best followed the instuctions and
took their time building the model that even if it did'nt turn out perfect like on the box that it still was alright !!! because they could proud of themselves because
they started with nothing and they bulit something they could be proud of no
matter what it looked like , because at least they didn't give up !! that they would
get better over time with doing other kits that they would learn from their
mistakes and it was only natural and the biggest things they would learn and
would develop would be a keen eye for detail and patiacence It made me
very happy inside because of their intreist ..............
the 2nd suprise which was the biggest of all , was that all three of my children
two girls and my youngest which is my son have all expressed a great intrest in
the hobby and wanting to build their first kits I must have done something right
or it's in the genes hmmmm .. thats a thought !!!! okay getting back to the subject
at hand I really have a lot of hope for them because there is a lot more cooler
stuff now than when I started such as air brushes , supplies aftermarket parts
and soforth and so on it really suffices to say that it's a great time to be alive in
the hobby !!!!!!!!!!!
I think that if we take our time and show all of our young people how much fun we
are having it will rub off on them and the'll take up the torch for us and carry it and
all they can do is improve on it and make it better !!!!!!!

but thats just what i think of it

hillbilly70631 thank you all