The Purple Unicorn of Hobbies and Special Interests

tankboy51

Now, Geology and especially Dinosaurs fascinate us.  We have lots of that here in Colorado.

We have dinosaurs here in Colorado?  Where?  I want to see one!  Hehehe...just kidding...I know what you meant.  That reminds me of the other "hobby" (actually more of a passion) I had until just last year for reptiles...specifically, green iguanas.  I became known as "The Iguana King" among some of the volunteers I worked with at a local animal shelter because of my strange connection I had with those animals.  One of them said to me "Look at the way they all respond to you!  Its like you're their king!"...and so started the nickname.  Had two of them myself...one of which I raised from a baby.  He passed away a couple of years ago at the ripe old age of 26, just a week short of his 27th birthday.  My other one was a sweet female iguana who became paralyzed from the middle of her back down due to a fall from a perch.  That was 13 years ago that her injury occurred, and she lived happily until almost a year ago.  She was 21 years old.  Great animals...very intelligent.  Might take in another one if there are any that need a home.

keavdog

To seperate sport from game I've always used the metric "Can you drink beer while playing?"  This puts golf firmly into the game category with darts and pool.  When I dabbled in golf years ago I was a big fan of the drink cart ladies.  ;)

 

Laughing. Now there are two good reasons for me take up the sport. Beer, and drink cart ladies.

My father in law was full German, in the Hitler youth, his mother burned his uniform and buried his pistol before the allied forces came in.  He did not talk about it.

When I first read your response I said "Geneology" not Geology. That got me thinking about when I began tracing my family history just to find that I am German, Norwegean, Sweedish, English, and French ( I stopped after five generations). My mother was born in Essen, Germany, in 1930 and survived the Hitler thugs and Allied bombings of WW2. She has some real eye opening stories from her perspective of the war.  Anyway, sorry about drifting down a rabbit hole. 

Sci-fi, Star Trek, and Dinosaurs.......now that is a different mix indeed 

Most my good friends are fellow modelers.  That came because Denver not my home town.  I moved from Iowa 46 years ago.  I grew up building kits over 60 years ago. My brother who was Dentist, still builds tank and aircraft models.  Heck he drove here from Spokane to visit few months ago, and we spent all the time building kits and painting them.  I joined a couple of IPMS clubs over 40 years ago,  I still have club meetings at my home.  My daughter loves my models, and my wife is very much into them.  We are very into history and Sci-fi, espcialy Star Trek.  My best freind who got me into models, way back when I was 7th grade, does not model any more,  but wishes he had interests now that he is retired.

I never liked sports, cars, drinking or anything like that.  Now, Geology and especially Dinosaurs fascinate us.  We have lots of that here in Colorado.

To seperate sport from game I've always used the metric "Can you drink beer while playing?"  This puts golf firmly into the game category with darts and pool.  When I dabbled in golf years ago I was a big fan of the drink cart ladies.  ;)

I really appreciate everyone sharing thier thoughts on this subject. I totally understand every response. I created this string because of the perceived clueless and self centered nature of others while demeaning anyone elses hobby interests if it does not match thier own. It is funny, regardless of intellect, how most people only care about thier hobby and nobody elses. I have no problem appreciating and supporting other friends interests even if it is not mine. It just seems that in todays world everything is all about self with the whats in it for me attitude.

Also I made it sound as though my wife only puts up with it but to the contrary, she supports my modeling too. On numerous occasions she has bought models or research books, etc. as gifts. She also appreciates my completed builds and provides positive feedback and constructive input. Up until a few years ago she even built scale models too as well as painted beautiful images on canvas. She gave me the entire basement of our ranch home to dedicate to my hobbies of modeling , shooting, and music. She is still very talented with painting, cross stitch, and crafts.

My first post was the negative reinforcement I see or hear towards the hobby. It would not be a fair accessment not to reflect on the positive aspects received from buildling models. 

I have shared and donated several builds to veterans, local museums, and built displays for local hobby shops back in the day. During those moments the look in the veterans eyes along with his thanks is enough to fill my coffers full. The stories the vets share as well as the support received from the museum's curator reinforce my love of this hobby that I can indeed use it to contribute to something bigger than me. 

On a personal level, I agree with the most of you that maintaining and even improving hand to eye coordination is a bonus. Even the historical education and relaxing "therapy I garner from modeling cannot be gained anywhere else. 

My other hobbies of shooting (trap. skeet, bench, steel target, etc.), motorcycling, and music (playing drums) also bring me a release from the mundain or stresses of daily life but they do not provide the same enjoyment I get from scale modeling.

While I would never consider myself a modeling snob, I do know where this hobby interest places me, and I'm OK with that. After all, it puts us all together in our clubs, contests, and on-line forums. The internet has given us "modelers" a rare gift. Here we can share, discuss, critique, learn, appreciate, and most importantly befriend fellow modellers.

Buy the way, I have a full set of left handed golf clubs if anyones interested(?)

Ben 

Tanker-Builder

Yup! EagleCash!

    That Fantasy Football is also a base for a detrimental Hobby-Gambling!

 

Yup.  Never understood gambling as a hobby either, along with watching professional sports.  Talk about something that gets you strange looks...I get asked all the time "Who do you think is gonna win the game this weekend?"  My answer is usually "Don't know...don't care.", and you'd think I had just told somebody that the sky is purple.  LOL

Rob:

   I still enjoy building that odd Lindberg Motorised kit. It takes me back to a kinder,more patient time.

Our body shop paint supplier used to do a golf tournament every year.  Boss decided we were going.  I never had a club in hand, so he borrowed a set from his neighbor and we went to the local 9 hole course with dual tees.  First time out, shot 55 for 9 holes, par 36).  

Never have come close since on that course.  Haven't picked up a club since about 2007.

ArmorNut:

    Hey, did you know we,(Modelers) have a greater interest in History than the average person. To be able to have a piece of history we buillt in front of us is satisfying. I personally know more baout Ships, Guns, Armor and Planes as a result of Modeling. So those folks that miss out. Well, To hades With their Blank days. I'll build models till I stop breathing, So There!!

HI Hutch 6390!

         I used to play Golf! That was before My second Wife passed. I didn't consider it a Hobby, Though. It was and is considered a sport. She (Ten Years my senior) Played at least 18 holes a week. Why? It was Good exercise for the body and it was great that we BOTH shared interest in an Outside activity.

       She did figures and like the first Wifey, had an interest in Ceramic Fictional Dragons to paint! She's the one that taught me figurine painting and building. I don't do it often, But it is a Pleasurable break from the other models.      

    Hey Ben, I agree with the folks who posted before me.

    My 2cents on how people react to me being a model builder/collector......SCREW YOU!! Ican't afford a 1:1scale Lambo, M1, F-16, my hobby allows me to own a fleet of battleships. Golf is boring, I have never swung a club. To fat and old to play sports. I also think to myself about the incredible amount of knowledge at my fingertips those other folks have no idea is there.

     Above all I have met some of the most honest, un assuming, and humble people through this hobby, some I even have the privlige to call freinds. Thanks for letting me ramble abit. Do you and be cool with that. Your in good company IMHO

Yup! EagleCash!

    That Fantasy Football is also a base for a detrimental Hobby-Gambling!

Ah So!-RealG San!

   This surprises me what with all the best Models coming out of your Home Country. The Countrymen in your part ofJapan enjoy Manga don't they, That's a hobby? Isn't it? Many Americans see that as just a form of Comics! So there you go.

Most of the people I work with don't understand why I'm into model bulding, but that's OK.  I don't understand why they're into things like fantasy football.

I guess I'm very fortunate, my entire family (including in-laws) are supportive and appreciative of the hobby. Neither my son (36) or daughter (31) model, but they like hearing about what I'm doing and contribute - at a recent flea market trip my daughter found a stack of unfinished award/decopage placques of all sizes and shapes, all perfect diarama bases for my 1/72 builds. I hadn't seen them, but they showed up in the car on the way home. We also do WWII Re-enacting and I find the aircraft crews particularly interested in modeling.

I'm another one that simply can't see the point of Golf, which used to drive my folks nuts. I used to get ribbed by the folks at work who would give me a hard time about not coming out to play a round with them, until I invited them all to come to one of my karate classes...

Hi Ben:

      Yeah, I have found except for short stints starting and drifting away from  model clubs, that's it's an oft mis-understood hobby. Folks don't have a problem with " Birders" ( Bird-Watching) Forging, Woodworking etc. They see these things as educational or instructive. 

       What we do? Nah! to them it's a waste of time or nonsense. Yet they ,many of them anyway, will spend hours playing Video Games and such like Dungeons and Dragons or Age of Sigmar at gaming Clubs! So much so that the games have even drifted over to LEGO, MEGA-BLOX etc. or watching weird movies on their Phones.

        No one gives a wit. We build in quietude and solitude. But we Create what in our vision what we see, would like to see, or have seen. I for instance build all kinds of ships from Pristine Freighters and Tankers and Passenger liners. Out of more than one media. The idea? To build it Like New and forty or fifty years lateer-Which for ships is a stretch. Then there's the nautical " What-Ifs".

       I also build models of Esoteric " What-If" Aircraft or those that might've Been. Then there's my Cars and Trucks (Mostly Pick-Ups)  that reflects my taste in certain company's vehicles. Call it a miniature trip down Memory lane. Can't afford to do it 1;1

       Firstly I would need a vehicle that runs or tries to. Then the shop to work in. Budegetary constraints interfere with that. So Models it is. Besides The models can be( even while W.I.P ) stored in their boxes in the Garage or Closet! I do understand other hobbies, and even have dallied in them. Still prefer building models of everything I can visualize. From the local SuperMarket to a 67 VW!

       During the years (24) that I built proffessionally for Lawyers to use and Film Studios to use that was different. Really? Well, Yeah, I was Making Money! The stuff I built for Hotels and Convention Centers, to display as an accent piece of a permenant 3-d display weren't toys! Really? Could've fooled most of my friends who had a hard time believing a person could be paid for building Models of anything!

       They also never had been in an Architect's Studio or an Engineering Firm's Office Where models were built for both Customers and Banks to visualize the project. ( they do most of that on Computers now) (It's called Computer Modeling) I would Rather be able to hold and touch it, rather than visualizing it on a screen! Funny though, Those modelers don't get derided or laughed at. Why? They are doing it on Computers, not some toy sitting on the table( That's the way most folks think of it).

People have all kinds of hobbies that I consider goofy, but my opinion should have no bearing on their enjoyment.  I really don't care if they approve of my building "plastic toys".

Scale modeling is just one activity I enjoy.   I doubt that anyone would consider it a defining element of my life.  

I'm very lucky - my Mrs is very supportive & takes an interest in my models, to the point of watching build videos etc. with me.  She built a couple of kits herself, years ago, and even has one on the Shelf of Doom!  Other people tend towards the "polite interest" end of the scale, and that's fine by me - I'm not interested in things they may like, such as football (soccer), rugby, golf, etc.  Each to their own

When I get that kind of response, I point out that our Art Museam has a beautiful model sailing ship on display.  I tell them I do the same kind of stuff.

I guess I may be something of the odd man out here. My wife supports my hobby activities, but does tease me about it, as do my kids. I don't have much extended family that I associate with, so there is no grief there. As far as friends and neighbors go, when they come over and see my work area or display room, they all tend to appreciate the craftsmanship put into my builds, and say as much. I sure don't get any ridicule about the hobby from those whose opinions that I care about. At least not beyond any good natured ribbing. And I'm fine with that.

Many people still think of model kits as toys you assemble. And way back when, they were right. Tanks had operating features and often ended up in sand boxes. Planes had operating landing gear and some dropped ordnance. They were toys.

As a child, I could fully assemble an Aurora tank model kit or Monogram car kit in an hour.

Many current movies, Star Wars jumps to mind, still release model kits that are toys. My local Target had quite a selection of Gundam action figure model kits. Even had Bandai sprue clippers there for the budding model builder.

So while "serious" model builders are more the mainstream norm, there are still folks out there that think of models as toys. And model companies and retailers cater to these model builders as well.

I have a wife and two daughters. I mentioned to the youngest (and sauciest) when she was ten that I was in the same boat as another man at work, in that the rest of the family really wasn't interested in what I was doing. She told me that that wasn't true: she was very interested, as how could she properly make fun of it if she didn't know what it was all about?

Interestingly, since the pandemic she's taken up painting using acrylics and watercolours she's "borrowed" from my hobby table.

Nobody in my family over here and in Japan builds models.  I guess I'm the black sheep.  Or purple unicorn.

My aunt in Japan told me only little kids build model kits, and that I should grow up and smoke cigarettes, drink beer, and play golf.  A friend in Japan once tried to teach me golf, but after a frustrating morning, he looked at me and said "Neeru-San, this golf, not base-u-boru; no 3 strikes."  Needless to say I stink at golf, and I like it even less.

So, unlike other people with baby or vacation pictures or stupid tik-tok videos of their kids badly singing hip-hop songs, I generally do not share any model stuff with anyone except my model buddies.  And I'm OK with that.  And apparently so is the world.

My wife has been a seamstress for over 45 years so she is my go-to for matching paint on a build. She comes up to the loft and checks on my current builds and sometimes critiques them. She's a keeper.

My grandsons, on the other hand, will not build anything. When they come over, they will ask about what I'm building now and what's the story behind it. They will sit and watch me work but won't try to do anything. One's 18 and the other is 21. I'll keep trying though I've been trying for years to no avail.

Jim 

Stay Safe.

DRUMS01

My older brother is a retired industrial engineer. He has restored over 10 classic cars, 15 antique tractors, and 35 classic motorcycles. Then he looks at what I do an tells me he does not understand how I can work on this little toy things. The funny thing is when he was younger he was the one more than anybody who got me interested in model building.

My friend restores antique tractors and steam engines.  He is actually one of the people most interested in my modeling.  Helps that every couple years I make him one for a Christmas present if I can find a suitable subject.  (And he even has them displayed as well in his home)

Next up will be a Model T because he plans on building one within the next year or two.

My lady kind of understands, and puts up with my addiction.  No kids or other family, and not many friends. One used to build vehicle kits 20 years ago, but not able to anymore due to Parkinson's.

Any negatives, I just let slide right on over.

My son and daughter have a mild interest - but I'm converting my son-in-law.  He's been  building a kit here and there and I sent him my old airbrush .  Baby is on the way in September so we'll see what happens.

I do like the forums - fun to see what folks are working on and all the great tips and online friendships.