For Me, it was a little different. I got into models because my mother built models as a kid. When I was six, she gave me some of her models she still had to play with. Of course, I broke them, and asked her to fix them. She encouraged me to fix them myself. I was hooked. Being a hyperactive kid when I was young drove my mother crazy, so when she saw how intrigued I was with models, she would buy me one anytime I asked for it (for the first couple of years) just so she could enjoy the peace and quiet while I was building. I mostly built aircraft, but occasionally ships as well because I liked the way they looked. Then, a kid moved in down the street from me, and he had a built up collection twice my size. That's when my mother encouraged me to work for my model-money. My friend Emmanuel and I used to build kits side by side at his house, and we would often go to the library togethe to research many of the kits we built. He taught me painting and rigging (on ships). We used to war-game our collections on weekends too, using modifications of rules and hit tables from the old D&D game that had come out at that time. That was one way we determined what models we would buy next: we had our own little Arms Race going on! :-) Then a kid named Jason moved in a year later, and he had Armor and soldiers. He joined us in our War games and kepot winning because he had an Army. That's when I started building Armor and buying troops because his Army would continuously overrun us in our War games! This continued until high school, when Jason and Emmanuel both moved away. Nobody I met at my high school was into models like that, so I just kept quietly building on...
My mother started me on 1/72 scale Aircraft, so I always stayed with it since I like consistency in my collection. Jason had 1/72 scale armor and troops, so I built that too to maintain my consistency with my planes (and to kick his butt!). Ships I started with in 1/600 scale, but I'll generally build anything in the 1/500 to 1/700 scale since there is no consistency in ships. I still have nearly al my models from my childhood; over the years I think I've lost about 11 to irreperable damage. I've replaced nine of them. My total collection of built models now numbers 242 Planes in 1/72 scale, 287 ships various scales, and 382 armor pieces in 1/72 and 1/76 scales. Plus I have a scattering of buildings for the layout I want to do someday, as well as about three cars I've built. I also have built kits for pay for others: three trucks in 1/18 and 1/24 scale. I still have five more projects working on my bench, and three repairs/refurbs happening. All this with two jobs, and three activities at church that I'm very active with! Yes, I do sleep, 8 hours a night. :-)
Now I continue building because A) I'm addicted to the time alone at my workbench creating something that is the work of my hands. B) I love to show my kits at my local Hobby Meeting and win awards, and C) the kid in me is still vainly hoping that I'll be able to pit my collection against someone else's someday! :-)
I apologize for this long-winded explanation, but I felt it was unique enough to post here. Now, I gotta go pick up October's FSM issue; I heard that my letter to the editor got published!