Average age of everyone and modeling's life lessons?

I've long thought that men shouldn't get married before they're 25, maybe even 30. I got married at 25, and boy did my wife ever have to work hard to train me right!

50. Married to #1 for almost 30 years. We each have our own hobby room and support each others interests. 3 kids. Oldest did some modelling until he discovered computers and now, at 26, makes a good living programming them.  Youngest is 11 and likes to do her snap-togethers and display them in Dad's case. I couldn't be prouder.

Building since I was about 8 or 9. Never really took a break, even through college, marriage and parenthood.  Used to build just to fill the display case but take a little more time now to enjoy my work.

I will be 40 in a few months(May). I have been modeling almost steady since I was 7 or so.My Grandfather got me into trains(we had an HO layout in the cellar)plus he built Planes. I always took after him since he watched me mostly during the day (when my Dad a single Dad was working) My Dad never really got into models but I have kept at it through High School (no College couldn't afford so I did trade school) My Godson who will be 9 in Sept, loves Star Wars like I do so I bought him some Snap tites for Christmas helped him with them as his Dad who is one of my best friends has trouble tying his own shoes much less handling an X-acto lol.. I showed him how to weather them to make them look more like the movies he loves it,sure he plays x-box but he still calls me once a week to ask me when he can come over and help.. I have no kids so I guess I'll try and pass this hobby onto him..

John

Thanks again everyone for the replys! A quick tally before the weekend rush.

fermis                                                34

TarnShip                                           53

padakr                                               44

Mariutza                                            12 *post some WIP's of your T-62 (work in progress)

FastasEF                                            23

arnie                                                   50   +11  year old (proud papa)

jtrace 214                                         40    +9  year old godson

total of group # 2                         = 276 divided by 9 modelers 

Avearge of group #2                   = 30.67 we can round that improper fraction up to 31!

Average of both groups                 832 + 276  = 1108 years divided by 30 modelers 

Average of both groups             = 36.93 or 37

Age 44 here... a few more months till I hit 45. Anyways, started modeling a little before I turned 5 with a dinosaur kit- my true passion at the time- although the model bug bit hard very quickly with all us boys on that street. Built models through most of school although I slowed up majorly at the end of high school , I never truly stopped. Enlisted in the Army out of school and my modeling  took a new tack- modern 1/35 armor- for two reasons one professional, one practical. 1)I was assigned as a TOW gunner..needed to learn modern tank ID. 2)the PX was very well stocked with all the latest Tamiya and Italeri modern armor kits. When I got off active duty I still had a small stash of 1/48 kits from before I had enlisted (still have not built all of them). after getting a good job this has expanded. I have been married over 21 years and have four kids. All have built a few kits but none are hooked like dad, although my youngest has built more than the others. Lessons learned- perseverance, patience, and attention to detail.

30 here.  Built as a kid, but not in the serious way I build now.  Back then it was tube glue and unpainted cockpits....as long as it was together I was happy.  Now I obsess with the "art" form of this hobby.

Life lesson?  Tamiya paints and an airbrush beat, hands down, the paint brushes and acrylic cermaic paints I swiped from my mothers collection as a kid.  You think Tamiya sucks to hand paint!?  Those paints she used were the consistency of latex house paint!

Brian

    Age -  69  Building since 6. Both uncles started me building and I just never stopped. You name it and I've probably built it. Wife #1 OK with it for 25 years. Wife #2 OK with it about 80% for the last 21 years(Have too many already in stash and new ones cost too much). Good thing I brought a good sized stash with me. One of my stepsons(45) has built models most of his life. He's pretty much like me in that he builds whatever strikes his fancy. Right now it's R/C planes and rockets. His son isn't interested.

    Lessons learned - Patience, patience, and more patience. Also, you're never finished learning.

Jim

'bump' Well the feed back has been slow the last day so I thought of getting this thread back on the main page. So far group #3 replied:

stikpusher                      44

Hew Hampshire            30

fox                                    69 dude! + 45 year old step son

Total:                               188 divided by 4 modelers

                                      = 47 years old average for group #3

Will wait for more replies before averaging into the first two groups. Thanks again for your comments and feedback!

Jason

im 23.  I have been building... lets see, probably about...5-6 years I would assume.  My family is supportive of my hobby, thankfully.  I started, as you all know, with gundam kits, still doem, but have moved on from there to armor, figures, and sculpting.

biggest lesson I have learned is that you learn more from failed and unfinished projects (because you hit impassable roadblocks) teaches you so much more then finishing a kit.

33 here. 

Same story as alot here.   ...Stopped the hobby for a while and got back into it here recently.

Lessons learned:

1:  Sometimes walking away (from a frustrating incident) for a while makes things not look so bad when you come back.

2: Even though you strive to make the kit you're working on the BEST EVERRR.  Sometimes it doesn't come out that way.  Sometimes learning what works for you is best in the learning process. 

jtrace214

I will be 40 in a few months(May).

 

John

 

40 in May as well...

I hope I don't break a hip...

54 here I came back to modeling 2 years ago after a 36 year layoff. I do enjoy it much more now than I did as a kid.

Age 52 here and happily married. Modeled a lot in my teens, took a break until I hit about 30 when the bug bit me again. Been at it ever since.

If it's taught me anything, it's taught me patience.

Thanks again for the replys!

Total as of monday febuary 15, 2010

Group #1 -  832 combined years divided by 21 modelers=39.62 average age

Group #2 - 276 ''                   ''        ''              by  9  modelers=30.67 average age

Group #3 - 188 "                   "        "              by  4  modelers=47.00 average age

Group #4=

Smeagol the vile                       23

sk3tch                                         33

Hsteve                                         40 (predicted average)

vetteman42                                54

ruddratt                                       52

Total age                                 =202 combined years

Divided by # of modelers       5  = 40.40 average age

average of all 4 groups = total % 4

Overall average = 157.69 % 4

                               = 39.42! wow miliarejunkie you hit the # first thing! 5 short of my prediction.

Some of the replys are excellent with inspireing life lessons! Lets hear some more while adding to group #5

* for accuracy the average age of each group is carried to the second decimal place*

SuppressionFire

 = 39.42! wow miliarejunkie you hit the # first thing! 5 short of my prediction.

Just a knack, wish I could find a profitable use for it though!

SuppressionFire

Thanks again for the replys!

Total as of monday febuary 15, 2010

Some of the replys are excellent with inspireing life lessons! Lets hear some more while adding to group #5

* for accuracy the average age of each group is carried to the second decimal place*

**For further accuracy, pay no attention to the date...

# 1 Life-lesson: Common Sense-- Isn't...

#2: Life's Tough- It's tougher if you're stupid...

#3: She's gonna try to change you after you marry her, then when she does, she'll cry, "YOU'RE NOT THE MAN I FELL IN LOVE WITH!!"

#4: The most important one of all-- A pop-fly over the third baseman's head is the Short-stop's play...

Hey there,

36 years old. Married. No kids. 2 wonderful cats.

Building since middle school. Transitioned to scratchbuilding/kitbashing exclusively in college.

What I've learned? That the world is just full of potential building materials if you keep your eyes open.

Total as of monday febuary 15, 2010

**For further accuracy, pay no attention to the date...

Ha ha ha can't slip up aroung the Hammer! Nailed that one

Ok monday Febuary 8

Doh!

SuppressionFire:  My life's lesson: build 'em while you're eyes are still good enough to see 'em or switch to 1:18th scale or larger.

Manstein's Revenge: You "made me smile" but I must disagree. Wear Russian style sox when you invade the steppes.  ref: film Le Chagrin et la Pitié (Sorrow and the Pity) 1969  & book "The Forgotten Soldier".

SuppressionFire: Regarding your age survey: I neglected to mention the F-104 and I were "born" in the same year.

35, here and the best lesson - the difference between you and the "pro" builder is that the pro builder decided to try the technique you sit around saying "boy I wish I could do something like that".  Stop wishing and start doing.  Thre is no magic in this hobby; it's styrene and glue - if any other modeler can figure out how to make it work, so can you.

-Fred

36 here...same story...built as a kid an got back into it later in life then got really going when i decided to quit drinking..  Wife #2 is supportive even if she does look at me funny when i am on the computer and asks "What are you buying now?"...We will be moving back east later this year and buying a house complete with basement that will be dude land...Cant wait to build a whole new work room the way i want it...

For some reason i started but large lots of kits and selling them on ebay...it has been a fun money maker and has filled my stash really cheap...if anybody wants my seller ID PM me...

Life lessons?...it has been repeated over and over... patience....

Gigatron

35, here and the best lesson - the difference between you and the "pro" builder is that the pro builder decided to try the technique you sit around saying "boy I wish I could do something like that".  Stop wishing and start doing.  Thre is no magic in this hobby; it's styrene and glue - if any other modeler can figure out how to make it work, so can you.

-Fred

 

Ahmen Fred

I have found just diving in and going for it works very well. As my Dad used to say " God hates a coward"

I turned 48 in December. Mine is the same old story: started modeling in 1972, when I was 10. By 1979, I had gotten out of modeling thanks to other interests (in particular, collecting old insulators). In 1994, I found a RC fishing boat model at a garage sale that I was originally going to mail to a friend in Hawaii, but I ended up building it instead, and I'm still at it. I don't complete very many models (I've been working on my latest project for more than seven years), but I'm still at it.

Modeling life lesson: You can never have too much storage space at your workbench!

25, 45 days short of 26

Begged for a 1/72 Monogram Snaptite of one of the F/A-18 Prototypes at Walmart (I think) when I was 7, my grandmother nudged Mom along, recieved strict orders not to open it until we got home, ignored orders, built it in the back seat of the '91 Ford Tempo Mom still owns.  Mom helped tighten up the joints at the kitchen table when we got home.  Picked up a paint set the next week.  Added a B-26, Space Shuttle, and SR-71 along the way.  Last time I truly finished anything was a police cruiser that I hated.  Not a car person but I think I'll have to make an exception or two. Built up an impressive collection of unbuilt and partially started kits over the years.  Mom takes me to at least two shows a year and the college roommate figured out quickly when I got ticked off to confiscate the text book and sit me down in front of the desk with whatever I was messing with at the moment (I'm pretty sure she just didn't like stuff flying against the wall and bouncing out the door).

I like video games.  I take my temper out on Nazis, outlaws, barbarians, et c., instead of smashing whatever ticked me off.  Screw up model. Kill cyber enemies. Repeat until calm.  Fix model. Continue build.

They didn't teach me patience but they helped get me to channel the temper.

Group #1 -  832 combined years divided by 21 modelers=39.62 average age

Group #2 - 276 ''                   ''        ''              by  9  modelers=30.67 average age

Group #3 - 188 "                   "        "              by  4  modelers=47.00 average age

Group #4 - 202 "                   "        "              by  5  modelers=40.40 average age

Group #5

Kolschey                     36

Gigatron                      35

St plane nut                36

Jim Barton                  48

cassibill                       25

Total age                   =180 combined years

Divided by # of modelers       5  = 36 average age

average of all 5  groups              =  1678 total age % 44 modelers

Overall average = 38.14 years old!

The average has dropped, Hmm maybe the older fella's are to busy building for a reply.

Just turned 48. Like most, it seems, I built into my late teens, chased girls for 15 years and am now back to modelling and have never enjoyed it more. Regarding wives, live-in lovers etc. Wife No. 1 reluctantly put up with it, but didn't really understand what the attraction was (that was sort of my feeling toward her, too). No. 2 thought it was stupid and secretly thought I was being "a big kid, playing with toy soldiers." No. 3 thinks it's fantastic that I do it and takes a great interest in it. It blows her mind that you can turn a box of plastic bits into a work of art. She is enthralled by the tiny details, how I build them, and inspects closely, especially paint jobs, which also fascinate her. I have a job which could fairly be described as 'high stress' and she loves the way modelling mellows me out. She's the keeper! 

Life lessons: Don't rush. Do a lot of research on the subject, plus research any new techniques you may wish to attempt. Do test-fit everything and then test fit it again! I scuba dive, and my favorite diving saying is "Plan your dive, and dive your plan." I think the same goes for modelling. "Plan your model, and model your plan." You can never plan enough. Life works like that sometimes, too.

Cheers guys.

Need to help drop the average.  26 n turning 27 in less than 30 days.  Started building at 8 with a 1/72 matchbox avro lancaster.  Lesson in modeling?  If you think it's dry, it's NOT dry.  Lesson in life?  Don't go with engineering if you plan to have time left for modeling after work, social life, and girlfriend.  She wants to try a kit so I got two 1/24 Tamiya new beetle lined up for her with a can of electric pink spray paint.  We have yet to get around to that.

Really enjoying the replys. It seems a few common threads keep us happy as modelers. A quick conclusion would be:

#1 Find a spouse thats supportive and interisted in your hobby. Not saying one that isn't leeds to break-ups or divorce yet a few replys suggested it was a factor.

#2 The average age is late 30's to early 40's. Quite a few in their 20's while no teenagers replied. We all built as kids and took our teen years away from the hobby for various reasons, girls and cars being the main two.

#3 Patience is something we all developed stronger at the hobby table or bench. Problem solveing and a constant evolution of aquired skills rounds up the top lessons.

Thanks for your comments and replys. Looking for 100 to really get a accurate average. 

Jason 

I must be in the minority as I never stopped building at any time until I was in my 40's... I was at the rough point in my career then with deployments happening more often and the normal PCS moves, then my second war started and well... Finally retirement... I got into flight sims during that time as well, and was doing a lot of "painting & weathering" on computer-generated aircraft.  Actually got to "fly" my models then...

Even then I managed to still buy a few kits and picked up an occasional model magazine, so I wasn't completely out of the net...  Never had a wife or girlfriend tell me to give up a hobby, even wife #2 put up with my "model railroad phase"... THAT was a wierd time.. My layout went from the front foyer to the kitchen via the livingroom (I had several "lift-out" sections) on benchwork that was mounted to the walls...  Even a section that ran right across the top of the TV... She used to kinda harp on me when a 15-car frieght-drag went across it one way and a 25-car coal-drag went the other while she was watching "China Beach", though...