Learn How You Can Make A Change In The Hobby!

I laughed at what you said Chris. lol

Thanks for the warm welcome! :)

Yes, a few of those are needed at this point. :)

I hope this thread doesn't get locked, as the purpose of it is to try to get fellow model builders aware that someone is trying to actually help the hobby. Just by not complaining about the state of the hobby and what it once was, or the glory days. But to try to make an actual change and make a living at it too. Why is that so wrong?

Obviously Walmart thinks there is some potential in the product, or they wouldn't have included it into the competition out of the thousands of entries that they received. I just got the confirmation that my product was accepted into the competition yesterday. On December 21st, 2011 is when I entered it, not thinking I would have a chance at all...

I would love to see your product in Walmart. This would open up a huge base of potential  new modellers whick would be very good of the hobby.

Thank you Tim!

That's exactly what I'm thinking! :)

Let me share with you what I am doing to make a change in our hobby (along with my local club).  I am working with the boy scouts.  so far we have done 6 make and takes for them (outside IPMS events).  That is over 120+ kids (5-12 age groups) thorough out the state.  Our local club has seen an increase in membership in young kids.  We even had a mother of 3 bring her kids over with a stash of kits and supplies to donate.

 I am sorry but  videos for sale is not  something that will make any measurable  impact.  Face to face, hands on instruction (for FREE) is the way to go.  introduce people to the hobby.

Store shelves are filled with what is on demand.  As long as this hobby is kept away from younger generations those shelves will continue to shrink.  Faced it folks we are only getting older and we are dropping like flies without any replacements.

my two cents.

iraqiwildman

I would love to see your product in Walmart. This would open up a huge base of potential  new modellers whick would be very good of the hobby.

 

Out of curiosity, where would walmart place these videos in their stores.  Next to all the kits?  Oh that's right... they don't sell any.

VideoWorkbench

Wow, I'm really flabbergasted over this...

Really?

I don't think your intent is nefarious or anything - although solicitations of any kind are not allowed on FSM forums. Every so often I host giveaways on my blog for no reason other than that I enjoy doing so. I'd love to promote them here, but alas...

Anyway...I don't think it's your intent that has rubbed people wrong, but your approach. Social engagement is a big part of what I do for a living, and that includes forum outreach strategies, so please take this as some constructive criticism.

1 - Forums are communities. Some more tight knit than others, but still. As with any community, you can get a lot further by being a part of it BEFORE asking things of it. Give before you get, in other words.

2 - "Make a Change in the Hobby" is a pretty big statement. Be prepared to articulate how, and why. Because it WILL be questioned. And if you can't back it up, don't say it. 

3 - If you need our help, just ask for it. Don't put it out there as this amazing opportunity for us to save the hobby, as if, lucky us. Better to go back to #1, become part of the community, and just ask for the help.

4 - Don't do this:

Yep, and this is why I don't go to forums...

I thought of actually thinking outside of the box and going to a well known forum for a magazine that I spent a good penny advertising in.

I thought I would try, but so far, I get negative comments instead of positive ones, that's pretty much what I expected....

I really don't have the time to waste to make a bunch of posts on forums. I have a family, a full-time job and a small business that take up all of my time.

All that I was trying to do here was reach out and extend a hand to a hobby that pretty much gets ignored now.

I don't need to make a bunch of posts to verify who I am, my product does that on it's own.

You're not getting negative comments, you're getting 1) snark and 2) legitimate questions. The way to address them? Not with condescension. You know what? A lot of us have families, full-time jobs and all kinds of side interests to boot, and we still manage to post here. Why? Because we value it. Diminishing that isn't going to get you anywhere and will probably cause people disposed to give you a fair hearing to be turned off and either snark away or just move on.

All OPINIONS have been noted.

Thank you everyone for your help and input in regards to this matter. :)

The DVD special Interest section would be the location where the DVDs would be sold..

And I can feel and relate any way that I see fit, IMO.

They are after all my feelings and it is my product.

I can't make everyone happy with how I respond.

I have posted links to websites that show that my products are legitimate. I also have over 1,400 positive feedback on my eBay account showing that I deliver a good product that customers enjoy and come back to.

The numbers and comments from past customers speak volumes. Not me making a case for myself or my product here on a forum.

Sorry, like it or not, you get what you get with me..... :)

....and you know what? I made it  this far in life with little help from other people, why should I expect it to change now?

VideoWorkbench

....and you know what? I made it  this far in life with little help from other people, why should I expect it to change now?

It should change now because you are asking for our help.

You know, I've read through this whole thread and I want to be on your side and I want to support you, but you dismissiveness with contrary opinions makes it tough...

bbrowniii

VideoWorkbench:

....and you know what? I made it  this far in life with little help from other people, why should I expect it to change now?

 

It should change now because you are asking for our help.

You know, I've read through this whole thread and I want to be on your side and I want to support you, but you dismissiveness with contrary opinions makes it tough...

Exactly my thoughts. I think you're doing more harm than good. The way you talking to people here is pushing them in the wrong direction.

I'm just surprised that a thread of this type is allowed to stay up.  Its obvious that he's in here to sell his product and soliciting us to buy his product and support his venture w/  "votes"...

I'm all for a guy making a buck and being involved in the hobby but many others have come in here trying to sell a modeling-product or good and the threads were deleted or locked...

bbrowniii

 

VideoWorkbench:

 

....and you know what? I made it  this far in life with little help from other people, why should I expect it to change now?

 

 

It should change now because you are asking for our help.

You know, I've read through this whole thread and I want to be on your side and I want to support you, but you dismissiveness with contrary opinions makes it tough...

And it's tough for me to try to work with people, that to me, are negative from the beginning...

Or because I'm not established on a forum...

Here's a good example of how I feel here at this moment:

My wife and I are heading a fundraiser to raise money for the local food pantry (she's the executive director of the local Chamber of Commerce). As people in the area always complain about how no one helps out anymore. So, after a month of charity boxes being out, the total take was $76.00 for the food pantry.

What? Really? I know a little help is better then no help at all. But only $76.00 after one month. And to top it off, some of the boxes were empty.

People complain that other people don't help enough, but those same people don't bother to help either.

I'm a put up or shut up type of guy...

I do what I say, as other people really don't practice that. IMO it's always easy to find the negative in something and complain about it instead of finding and being part of a solution.

I thought that by trying to get the DVDs into Walmart, that it might spark some positive interest to get the hobby back into the mainstream public conscience so that hobby could be more visible, as-well-as the Video Workbench brand....

I have 2 step children that are asking me to build model kits with them because of what I do. They are 7 and 10, that's why I want the DVDs in Walmart, to spark that interest.

I want to be part of a solution, not complain or not do anything about it... :)

Not to make fun or insult Wal-Mart but have you been to one recently? Thier DVD/CD section leaves something to be desired. There's really no "Special Interest" section and the DVD's are usually all scattered around.

I know that I am going to get flamed for this

but, it is the truth

the hobby is not dying

and the scales that people from other groups claim are dying,,,,,,,are also not dying

in your scale,,,,,go to a large vendor,,,,,,,type just the scale in their search box,,,,,using their version of "only items in stock",,,ask yourself what could possibly be on alllll those pages generated by your search

yup, those are items not yet sold out at that vendor in YOUR scale

now, do the same for 1/72, the scale that "everyone knows" is dying because our old eyeballs are falling out and rolling into 1/32 kit boxes for safety's sake

yup, pick a large enough vendor,,,,,,,and dozens of pages of products, again

now, back to your own scale,,,,,,,,how many things have sold out when you heard of them, and you didn't get one right away,,,,,,,,and now they are all gone?

that means that either "the hobby is dead" (so no one bought those items) or the "hobby is alive" (and all those items sold to SOMEONE)

pick a paint line,,,,,you have 10 minutes to decide, and you have to look at all the lines in production,,,,,,,,,,that can't be done, you can't even click on all the paint chip sales sheets for the current paint lines in 10 minutes, let alone compare them and choose that fast (an hour won't do it, either)

so,,,,items are being produced faster than a normal hobbyist can find out about them, decide to get them, and buy them before they sell out, if that hobbyist is operating from the perspective of using a budget to work the hobby into (the filthy rich are doing other hobbies, I think)

and tips?,,,,,,,really?,,,,unseen?,,,,,,,so, that might include using baking soda as an accelerator for super glue? (and the mess that makes 2 years later),,,,,or the ever popular chestnut that some clearcoats don't yellow over time? (wanna bet?),,,,,I can name a hundred construction fads that have come and gone,,,,,that are just fine for building and popping a photo, and then throwing the model in the trash,,,,,,but, don't work if you want to build an actual display of aircraft over a span of time

all this screaming over "the hobby is dying" ,,,,,,and it is always from someone that has been in the hobby a whole wopping 10 or 20 years,,,,,,,and some of us have been in it for almost 50, seen it change a dozen large ways, and don't see it being dead, just evolved

Flame away,,,,,,,,I won't even don the suit this time, I'll just stand here and take it

Rex, the Accidental CAG

VideoWorkbench

I really don't have the time to waste to make a bunch of posts on forums. I have a family, a full-time job and a small business that take up all of my time.

Manstein's revenge

I'm just surprised that a thread of this type is allowed to stay up.  Its obvious that he's in here to sell his product and soliciting us to buy his product and support his venture w/  "votes"...

I'm all for a guy making a buck and being involved in the hobby but many others have come in here trying to sell a modeling-product or good and the threads were deleted or locked...

Really??

1.) Where have I in this thread asked for anyone to buy my products? Please show me where.

And

2.) Why are you so hung up on getting this thread locked? What harm is it causing you or anyone else?

If you don't like it, please, by all means report it. If you haven't already and if it will make you feel better.

Manstein's revenge

 

VideoWorkbench:

 

I really don't have the time to waste to make a bunch of posts on forums. I have a family, a full-time job and a small business that take up all of my time.

 

You must have taken a vacation day...

 

Actually, I did. :)

Plus, I get everything on my smart phone. :)

....and as-a-matter-of-fact, I'm quite enjoying this now. :)

Medicman71

Not to make fun or insult Wal-Mart but have you been to one recently? Thier DVD/CD section leaves something to be desired. There's really no "Special Interest" section and the DVD's are usually all scattered around.

I shop Walmart all of the time...

The two Super Walmarts that I shop at are very clean and both the DVD and CD sections are very well kept.

They both have a special interest section for documentary and instructional DVDs. :)

VideoWorkbench

Plus, I get everything on my smart phone. :)

 

WOW.....now I'm really impressed!!!

I don't get it. The OP just asked for a simple vote and was very clear about advertising here before. Don't make me laugh, I've seen fellows being bombarded here with either 10 or 1,000 posts by the usual suspects. I am as polite as I can in my posts, but because I don't condone unnecessary attitudes, I'm not welcome within the circle; thing is, I don't care but just because I don't care, doesn't mean I'm blind.

I don't get the inquisition, leave that to the forum moderators and make a friendship instead. Some attitudes don't change even at the verge of being banned. Then some buddy opens a thread ''lets save X member from being banned'' but the truth of the matter is that he should be the one trying to save for himself, not someone else. Just sayin' cuz there is a darn report abuse button instead of starting a charade. Nice way to entice non members to sign up.

Guys,

This thread is now locked. Let's all go back to the workbench and build something.

Aaron