Millennials and Modeling

In my local area, the Millenials who build and paint miniature subjects are no longer found in the local hobby shop, but they can be found in decent numbers in our local comic book store.

The owner stocks a lot of the popular tabletop war games, such as the Warhammer lines and the perennial Dungeons and Dragons franchise, which have abandoned the old white metal miniatures for plastic and resin. To supplement the figured and vehicles, he also stocks several lines of paints and supplies, including materials from Mig, AK, and Vallejo. Tools, glues, accelerators, sheet and formed styrene - he stocks a bit of everything.

Sci-fi, movie related, video game, or comic inspired model kits are sometimes on the shelves, but they tend to disappear quickly. Traditional subjects, such as tanks and armored vehicles produced by Italeri fill a wall devoted to "Bolt Action", which scales out to the ballpark of 1/56. Next to it are the 1/35 World of Tanks reboxes in 1/35, while Vietnam era and modern armor and aircraft hang in another display devoted to 1/100 scale. Resin accessories and PE sets are also available for that little extra touch of detail to your tabletop troops.

But, if it's model cars you're after, the owner will politely point out that Hobby Lobby is located across the street. But, he will be quick to invite you to events where you can play the games, learn to paint, sit in on an airbrush workshop, or build terrain layouts.

Sure, his target business demographic seems to consist of a lot of latte swilling cellphone slingers in man buns and skinny jeans, but he has a devoted customer base because he appeals to the Millennial generation. He has built a little community for them to get together to share their hobbies, which is essentially the same as ours, but with non-traditional subjects and scales.

  Well put 5150. Good to hear a small business is adapting to the customer base.

Zeon, that's a good point that I hadn't thought of, and Bluenote, I'm sure your correct about them being far removed from WW2. I build some WW1 stuff on occasion, but I don't have a lot of interest in it.

If I was young today my interests would be games and the subjects associated with them. They have not really gone through war to be interested in war material. The war we are in now is so far removed from the main stream that we hardly think about it until something happens.

Please no offence to the men and women serving now, they are putting their lives on the line every day.

Back in the 40's - 70's there were constant nightly reminders of our involvement overseas, now barley anything.

The outlet they choose is mostly fantasy (World or Tanks, World of Warships, World of Planes Etc. aside. Even those are somewhat fantasy) so it goes to figure that gundam, Sci-Fi Etc. strike their fancy.

I like to think they are looking forward and not back. Life imitates art, right?

SchattenSpartan

I do love this hobby however and I honestly don't really care how old my fellow modellers are as long as there are others out there I can share it with.

If that doesn't go down as the refreshing comment of the week, I don't know what will.

Bravo, my friend.

Guess I would be in the Baby boomer group.  My father fought in World War 2 as an infantryman. Go figure that I build world war 2 planes.. As a kid I built some planes but mostly star trek and star wars.  Then life hit and 30 plus years later I decided to see what I could do actually painting a model.....besides using house paint and a large brush. I don't see much of the "your a nerd" attitude but I have noticed that most people that I see in the model shops are 30's on up.  I'm trying to get my grandson involved but he's a little too young yet but he has expressed interest in planes. 

This thread has come around multiple times over the years. The majority of comments in this thread and the past are the reasons I only go to the local model meetings every once in awhile. Online is different because you can't see a person and put an age to that person. That's why I've stuck around on the forums since I joined when I was 15 years old, these forums are generally friendly. But this is the honest truth, modelers are *in my experience* one of the least friendliest group of hobbyists out there. They're great at welcoming the younger age group, i.e. 13 and below, which is great! But howabout the college/recently graduated crowd? 

You wonder why an age group doesn't enjoy your hobby and in the same post disparage and insult them in the same post. All the other hobbies I've had experience with do not act that way. Hunters (another group that is worried about passing on their hobby/sport) are some of the nicest and welcoming folks regardless of age group that I've ever met, even the rough around the edges folks. When a millenial actually chooses to venture to the great outdoors, instead of bashing their age group they welcome them in and show why it's they love doing it and it's a great hobby. Maybe you should do the same. As for me, I'll still go to the meetings once in awhile. I build for my own reasons, probably the same reasons as the majority of you on here. It's certainly not because of the welcoming crowd at the model meetings/LHS/contests though.

My 19 year old nephew got me back into model building! Seems like a lot of hobbies are more populated by older people. I'm guessing more disposable income, control over work space, time, appreciation for history..

ygmodeler4

 I build for my own reasons, probably the same reasons as the majority of you on here. It's certainly not because of the welcoming crowd at the model meetings/LHS/contests though.

 

This is a bit off topic, but all I've seen are negatives about the clubs. are there any notable positives?

Thanks,

JJFlyer

JJFlyer

 

 

ygmodeler4

 I build for my own reasons, probably the same reasons as the majority of you on here. It's certainly not because of the welcoming crowd at the model meetings/LHS/contests though.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a bit off topic, but all I've seen are negatives about the clubs. are there any notable positives?

Thanks,

JJFlyer

 

I belong to a model club in the Cincinnati area, and all the members have been extremely positive. I have brought in finished kits and have recieved very good feedback. Although, I think my biggest problem with being in my club is not being able to go to many of the meetings.

JJFlyer

 

 

ygmodeler4

 I build for my own reasons, probably the same reasons as the majority of you on here. It's certainly not because of the welcoming crowd at the model meetings/LHS/contests though.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a bit off topic, but all I've seen are negatives about the clubs. are there any notable positives?

Thanks,

JJFlyer

 

Sure there are plenty of positives: Seeing other models in person is a big one. The programs are good sometimes. Good deals can be had as well.

ygmodeler4

 

 

JJFlyer

 

 

ygmodeler4

 I build for my own reasons, probably the same reasons as the majority of you on here. It's certainly not because of the welcoming crowd at the model meetings/LHS/contests though.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a bit off topic, but all I've seen are negatives about the clubs. are there any notable positives?

Thanks,

JJFlyer

 

 

 

 

Sure there are plenty of positives: Seeing other models in person is a big one. The programs are good sometimes. Good deals can be had as well.

 

John

JJFlyer

 

ygmodeler4

 I build for my own reasons, probably the same reasons as the majority of you on here. It's certainly not because of the welcoming crowd at the model meetings/LHS/contests though.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a bit off topic, but all I've seen are negatives about the clubs. are there any notable positives?

Thanks,

JJFlyer

 

JJFlyer

 

 

ygmodeler4

 I build for my own reasons, probably the same reasons as the majority of you on here. It's certainly not because of the welcoming crowd at the model meetings/LHS/contests though.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a bit off topic, but all I've seen are negatives about the clubs. are there any notable positives?

Thanks,

JJFlyer

 

Yes. I belong to the local IPMS & AMPS chapters in this area. The talent and skills of these guys is tremendous. And the vast majority of them are great guys who are more than happy to share their knowledge and techniques to help anybody and everybody to improve. Much better to see and ask these guys in person than to watch a video or the back and forth of these boards. Yes there are the grumpy old guys and cliques out there, but thankfully that has not been my experience.

JJFlyer

 

ygmodeler4

 I build for my own reasons, probably the same reasons as the majority of you on here. It's certainly not because of the welcoming crowd at the model meetings/LHS/contests though.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a bit off topic, but all I've seen are negatives about the clubs. are there any notable positives?

Thanks,

JJFlyer

 

Along with being a member of this forum, joining a club was the best move i have made in this hobby. While its nice to talk to people here, as we all know its a solitary hobby. Its nice to be able to actually meet other model builders in the flesh, see their work, here about new products and pick up ideas.

Of course, as with any group of people, it is made up of people of different sorts. Somtimes you get on with them, sometimes you don't. Thats life. I don't think model builders are any different to any other group of people.

I haven’t seen many young people at the hobby shops I frequent, or the couple of shows I’ve been to, but all my millennial friends at work are always interested in what I’m building and want to see photos of everything.  But for younger people, the spare time needed must be an issue. I work in the bike industry and we all ride and race our bikes a lot, which leaves very little time for other hobbies.  Not to mention these kids have a very active social life! I’m 57 and don’t ride as much as my friends, and my girlfriend and I are semi antisocial, which gives me ample time to indulge.  

I never would have had time when I was younger, or the space, or the disposable income. Housing is incredibly expensive where I live. Actually everything is expensive. But now that I’m older I have a little more time and money.

As a side note, and I know this is merely anecdotal, but all the millennials I work with are smart, diligent, and conscientious. Okay maybe not all but most.  

I agree with Sketchy on his characterization of the millennials at the bottom of the post.  Most of the one I know are very impressive!

On reflection, its not really surpriseing that we don't see many millennials in the hobby. They are now in that age bracket that i am sure many here went through where model building had been put ashide for family, work and all the other things that come in your 20's and 30's. I think its fair to say that most members here went through that as well and came back into the hobby in their 40's. Of course there are always those who don't take that break, we have a couple of here now modelling in their 20's and i was in the same position in that i never really stopped.

So if any of the millenials did build models when they were younger, they are the ones we can hope will come back into the hobby over the next 10 to 20 years. As far as the hobby goes, the real concern would be the lack of those who came after the millennials. Our model club has no junior members and at shows you see very few children coming along.

Yo! I'm what's considered a 'late-stage' millenial. When people think of millenials, they think of those kids just gettting through-or already having left- university. Anyway, I am among the youngest possible millenials- the cutoff is usually late 2001, and I was born early 2001. Anyhow, I build models, paint figures (kinda), and work with and design RC airplanes. The hobby is certainly weak with people in my age group- However, I think it's actually growing. Many younger modellers you won't see at the LHS- instead, they buy online. They learn from things like Youtube, and socialize there as well. I don't know that you need the support of millenials- whatever generation comes after that, those are the people who are getting hooked. Just look at the comment sections of large Youtuber's such as QuickKits- they are LOADED with 10+ year olds who have been captured by the hobby, and quickly grow with the help of forums and the ease of the interconnected world. 

Anyway, I've no idea where I was going with that, or if that answered the 'prompt'. I'm technically a millenial, I know a couple others who are, and I've gotten one or two interested- a good way, I've found, is to start with something like Bandai's Gundam stuff! Things that build well, look impressive, and don't require advanced tools or experience to look 'cool'. From there, the rest of the hobby trickles in as they shop around and some other kind of kit catches their eye. 

What I think is in trouble are car models. Millenials are less interested in cars than just about any other generation since cars hit the market. I think this is shown in the remarkably low number's with driver's liscenses, along with the "plateau" in the car industry- car's are basically the same, with only the slightest cosmetic differences. It's not like the vehicle heyday in the 80's and 90's, with a new, badass looking car coming out seemingly every week. 

Plus, you've got to take into account the difference in location. In the US, younger modelers are definentely in the minority. However, look to places like Europe, where many of the manufacturers are. The model market is much better there. Or especially Japan, where the hobby has been on an incline pretty much since the late 70's. 

I don't think that the hobby will be lost by any means. 

One final thing, I think that as millenials age, they might pick it up. How many of you left the hobby around high school or college, only to get back into it 10 or 20 years later?

Also, I was reading through some of the other posts, and I wanted to talk about clubs really quickly. I have been in a modelling club since I was eight or nine years old. I brough in my first model, and kept going back every month that I could for almost a decade. They were alway's nothing but encouraging, giving me tips, teaching me things, etc. No matter how terrible my elementary school models were, they always said that it looked good and then gave me a tip on how to make the next one better. Now that I'm at least competant, and my work has started to come to par with some of the other members, I'm now engaged with questions about MY techniques. 

Beyond being my only serious real-world social "thing", the club involvment helped keep me in the hobby and continue to get better. It is sad that so many others had such negative experience. I suppose that you can't control the people involved, and in the end, the members set the mood. I understand that some might not want younger people around, but I think that the club can be a very positive experience. 

I've also heard a lot of the 'club complaints' say that the club in question was an IPMS chapter. This club isn't- it is just a group of guys who got the LHS owner to agree to let them meet in his back room twice a month to show our models and to chat. Again, I don't know where I was going with that, but I wanted to share my experience with clubs as one of the youngest club-involved people that I know. 

-TheWaggishAmerican

Another Aoshima kit:

The Kits in these boxes are the same Sprues as in the normal kit box. Additional game-related items are included however.

  Nino

I think we are in one of the greatest car eras.  700+ hp, track ready cars from dodge, Ford and Chevrolet,  gtr, new Corvette, Tesla, cool little cars like the Subaru wrx and brz, scion frs, toyota 86, ford focus rs. 

Lots of subject matter and pleanty of young folks moding and tuning.

This is completely unrelated to modelling, but I so badly want the developers to release an English version of Kantai Collection (Kancolle). It's a japanese exclusive right now- the only way for the very large collection of interested english speakers to play the game involves the use of VPN's, and scouring wikis as you try to simply memorize what buttons do what. Also, if the Fleet Girls concept interests anyone, there is an anime based on the game- 12 episodes and a movie long. 

J.J.

 Hi; you are right about this But .I have to add .I belong to a Model Rail Club/Museum .It can get demanding sometimes . I have had thoughts of backing off because of the time commitments !. Probably won't though .

Given how few young people are building models, it’s ironic that the people I’ve learned the most from i.e. YouTube modelers, are mostly young. 

keavdog

I think we are in one of the greatest car eras.  700+ hp, track ready cars from dodge, Ford and Chevrolet,  gtr, new Corvette, Tesla, cool little cars like the Subaru wrx and brz, scion frs, toyota 86, ford focus rs. 

Lots of subject matter and pleanty of young folks moding and tuning.

 

Someone is buying all the Gundam and StarWars kits, I doubt it is the senior citizens that dominate modeling forums. One of the model sites I frequent did a poll recently and 75%+ of the respondents were over 50. 

I think there is more than just age involved. My dad has built models my whole life, he got me started young and we continue to inspire each other with new (or old) techniques.

My brother never showed any interest in models, and neither did my Uncle (my dad's brother).

My best friend from elementary school built models and still does. His brother and sister never have, and I don't think his dad did either.

My oldest has shown very limited interest, but my younger son seems quite enthralled in watching me at work (he is 4), I think I've got a modeler in training there.

ItWasForetold

My girlfriend supports it, because she knows I’m just sitting in the garage and not out at the bar.

I honestly think the larger reason why it's dying off... it's not cool... plain and simple. Everyone I know already KNOWS that I'm a nerd, so it's not that big of a deal to me. But when I run across someone knew, or have a party and people see a model they always go "ohhh, that's so cute, you're like a real nerd".

I had a young guy on my crew a few years back. He was 19 or 20, had the nerve to be born the year I started in fire... darn whippersnapers making us "experienced" guys feel old.

Anyway I was talking with him one day and mentioned something about a model I was working on, and he got excited, started talking about the models he used to build, how much he enjoyed it. I don't remember exactly how he said it but it was clear that he didn't stop because he didn't like it anymore, but because people told him it was time to grow up and put away the toys.

Maybe like many of us who stopped for a period of time when he is in his 30s and more confident in his "adultness" he will pick it up again.

For what it is worth, I'm early Gen X and the older generations said we were lazy, self centered and worthless too.  In fact most of what you said about yourself would apply to me and my friends when we were in our late 20s.

ygmodeler4

This thread has come around multiple times over the years. The majority of comments in this thread and the past are the reasons I only go to the local model meetings every once in awhile. Online is different because you can't see a person and put an age to that person. That's why I've stuck around on the forums since I joined when I was 15 years old, these forums are generally friendly. But this is the honest truth, modelers are *in my experience* one of the least friendliest group of hobbyists out there. They're great at welcoming the younger age group, i.e. 13 and below, which is great! But howabout the college/recently graduated crowd? 

You wonder why an age group doesn't enjoy your hobby and in the same post disparage and insult them in the same post. All the other hobbies I've had experience with do not act that way. Hunters (another group that is worried about passing on their hobby/sport) are some of the nicest and welcoming folks regardless of age group that I've ever met, even the rough around the edges folks. When a millenial actually chooses to venture to the great outdoors, instead of bashing their age group they welcome them in and show why it's they love doing it and it's a great hobby. Maybe you should do the same. As for me, I'll still go to the meetings once in awhile. I build for my own reasons, probably the same reasons as the majority of you on here. It's certainly not because of the welcoming crowd at the model meetings/LHS/contests though.

I've seen this all too many times. Constant bashing of todays youth, and then when some young modelers do have an interest, the subjects they are interested are the "wrong" things and get little attention, or worse negative attention. What positive attention they get is often sideways complements "that looks pretty good for a whatever it is, now the '57 Chevy, that was a real car".

My oldest was born in 2000 so falls into the very tail end of millenials. As a result the comments made about the younger generation hits me as well.

Yes, he fits a lot of the stereotypes, he is into computers, he wants to do things his way, he wants to know why, he likes his phone.

He will also work hard if he can do it his way and he knows why he is doing it. He just wants to know there is a good reason for the effort.

I hire a lot of these kids ( and my own fit the cohort).  I find them to run the gamut of kids I hired 15 years ago.  Most are extremely good problem solvers, which video games actually develop.  And there are a couple of social network addicts which I have to call out. 

As a software engineering manager, a lot of these kids are home run hitters.  

Just like everything else in life.  Being a veteran and part of the VFW I hear that all the time, how do we get younger members?  And the sad truth is your not going to right now.  I'm 37, born in 1980 and depending on who you talk to I am either at the tail end of the Gen Xers or the beginning of the Millennials.  Of course most of us born between 78-84 kinda tend to think of ourselves as neither because while we have characteristics of both, we don't quite fit the mold completely.  

  But anyway, the fact is most of your Millennials are just really starting to settle down in life.  And unlike the generations before, the Millennials seem to be waiting later to have kids.  So where before people would be 40 and their kids would be about out the door, now your seeing alot of people waiting until their mid to late 30s to have kids.  

  For me, I am just now getting back into this hobby (and realizing I have a long way to go to be even remotely decent at it) after taking a nearly 20 year break from it.  But that is because life has gotten in the way.  But I will say that after sitting on a computer at work all day, and after the kids have gone to bed, it is really relaxing to just sit down in my chair, pull my little hobby table over, have a cup of coffee and start working on a model.  And while my work is still subpar to just about anyone, I am learning new things and getting better at it.  So it works for me.  

  And I think as the millennials start getting up there in age, there will be some who will start to realize that the technology is nice but is too demanding of our time and will want a break from it and will have the time and space to take it back up.

  I just joined a local IPMS club here and while I have only been to one meeting so far (was their annual auction too which was nice) the people I have met so far are pretty nice and seem to range from mid 20s on up.  

I am one of the few "youngins" to actually get into modeling, and enjoy it. I started when I was 15, and have been working at it for 2 years now(I am 17, for those of you who cannot do math). I am kind of the "outlier", in that instead of someone introducing me to modeling, I brought myself in, and have built roughly 35-40 aircraft (including the B-36 that is my profile pic). In response to the bit on bringing in more people to the modeling community, I have helped one of my freinds built a Tamiya 1/35 walker bulldog kit.