123 in 2023

My stash is too big, so I'm going to reduce it by 123 models in 2023!

Okay, I have to be honest with myself and admit that that's an overly ambitious goal, but it sounds catchy and it captures the spirit of this downsizing effort, so I'm sticking with it.

Here's the thing -- having a large stash (in my experience) presents three very real problems.

First, I'll never build them all. I have 25 to 30 years of good eyesight and hand/eye coordination left to build models, so at my current rate of 5 models per year, that's just 150 models. Even if I double my build rate, that's only 300 models. Suffice to say, I have many more unbuilt models than that, not to mention new kits that we'll see see in the coming years. There's a psychological effect when I realize I can't build everything; it's depressing to look at, for example, that Hasegawa F-111E or the Trumpeter T-64AV and realize I may never build them. 

Second, my stash consists of many models that I find less interesting than others, so there's a risk of my wasting time building models that don't bring me joy. This has happened. Time is precious. Shouldn't I focus on the most enticing subjects and dispose of the others?

Finally, I really don't want to leave hundreds of models to my heirs when I go to the Great Hobby Shop in the Sky. I've seen a lot of modelers talk about the disposition of their stashes with, "I'll be dead, so I don't care what happens to my models." That crass attitude ignores the burden that your family or friends will endure to pack, organize, and sell your models. 

Just over two months into my downsizing, I can say that selecting models for sale is difficult. Like you, I can point to every model in my stash and tell you how I intend to paint it, the markings I'll use, and the weathering I envision. I bought each model for a reason (at the time), so I'm making tough choices.

Ultimately, I think 60-70 models seems more realistic than 123, but I expect to continue the task through 2024 and beyond. The models that remain on the shelves will be those I'm most passionate about. They are likely to be 1/72 aircraft from the 1960-2000 time period, roughly 25 1/48 modern aircraft from the same period, and 1/35 Soviet, Russian, and Israeli armor. Everything else is a candidate for culling.

I feel good about this. There's very little risk, in fact. As a fellow blogger pointed out a few years ago, if you sell something and then want to build it in the future, odds are you'll be able to buy it again. And, I would add, buying it with a strong, compelling desire to actually build it and not put it back on a shelf.

Reflections on the year of Covid

I have to admit, when my employer told me on March 4 that I would be working from home indefinitely, I was very happy. You see, my commute is a lengthy one, about 90 minutes door-to-door, longer in the evening when traffic in the greater New York tri-state region gets heavy. Working from home, instead of returning at 7:30 pm, I’d already be here when I “leave” work at 5. Good times!

The first few months were good. I’d typically be done with dinner and other minor chores by 7, and then I’d spend a couple of hours in the workshop. I made good progress on a number of kits. Then I hit…not a wall, but more of a series of rumble strips. Things got busy at work and, despite working from home, I was dog tired by 7 or 8 and didn’t have the energy to focus on the tedium of model building. I still spent time at the workbench, but more often on weekends than weeknights.

As I sit here in late December, my output in 2020 was very good. 

Dragon 1/35 T-34/85
Italeri 1/35 L6 Carro
Trumpeter 1/35 BTR-80
Tamiya 1/35 Schwimmwagen
Monogram 1/72 A-1E
Platz 1/72 T-33A
Trumpeter 1/48 P-40B

My typical output is roughly four models a year, so it’s been a good year. Except….

No one has seen these models.

Without having had contests to attend, finishing models feels incomplete. I’m not talking about the competition per se; as I said in a post a long time ago, “The main reason for entering your models is to share your work with other modelers.” I could share photos of my models online, but that’s not the same as seeing models in person and having conversations about them with like-minded enthusiasts. When a friend mentioned this to me a few weeks ago, I saw his point and made the analogy of writing a book without anyone ever reading it. To be sure, there is value — potentially great value depending on why you build models — in the process, but for me the endeavor in its entirety feels incomplete.

With the Covid vaccinations now underway, I’m looking forward to 2021 and the resumption of shows and contests. I miss seeing models. I miss exploring the vendor rooms. I miss my friends.

What’s it been like you for? Better? Worse? The same?

Inspiration: Joe Caputo

I’ve known many excellent modelers in my 35 years in the hobby and seen the work of hundreds online and in print, but there are a handful that have truly inspired me, whose techniques, craftsmanship, or approach to the hobby shaped the modeler I am today. This is the next in a series of articles to acknowledge their contributions to my participation in this wonderful hobby.

It’s been a long time since I last shared a story about the modelers who’ve inspired me, and I’m sad to say that this one is being share posthumously. 

The older gentleman enjoying the company of this bodacious, WW2 re-enactor is Joe Caputo. He passed away two weeks ago. You probably don’t know him. He didn't write magazine articles, wasn’t a best of show contest winner, and didn’t create a cool line of aftermarket products. He was a simple model builder like most of us. But meeting him 35 years ago set the tone for my enjoyment of our hobby since.

I was about 15 when I met Joe. I was beginning to learn more about scale modeling and discovered IPMS through a magazine ad. Soon after I learned there was an IPMS club about 30 miles from where I lived. My mother kindly drove me to a monthly meetings, held in a bowling alley. It was intimidating but exciting to meet a bunch of guys who shared my interests, and Joe couldn’t have been more welcoming. And as I’d see in the years after, to other newcomers as well.

Joe had been in the hobby for 20 years when I met him. I drew on his experience to learn how to build models the right way (buying good brushes, filling seams, using an airbrush), and he was always encouraging. He always shared a positive word to club members. When I brought a younger, less-experienced friend to a meeting with a poorly built A-10, Joe told him how smart it was that he’d attached the model to a base so he didn’t have to handle it. That was Joe!

I remember Joe inviting me to his home where I saw how he’d converted his entire garage to accommodate his hobby. The back part of the garage was walled off for his workbench and unbuilt stash; the better portion of the remaining space was lined with DIY shelving that displayed — I’m guessing — at least 300 built models, aircraft, cars, armor, and everything in between. Joe built practically anything and always found the fun in the hobby. In fact, "It’s All About the Fun" is the motto of the club he founded and I joined, IPMS Ocala (Florida). 

Joe rarely competed in contests, but his super-detailed build of the Testors 1/48 OV-10A Bronco won third place in its category at the 1984 IPMS National Convention in Atlanta. He was thrilled! He was a huge Bronco enthusiast, and subsequent builds of other Bronco kits and variants were equally impressive. You can see photos of Joe’s OV-10 Bronco on iModeler. 

I’ll miss Joe. We didn’t talk as frequently as I would’ve liked, but when we did he made me laugh with his quick wit and sarcastic sense of humor, and I always came away from those conversations with a renewed excitement about scale modeling. As I reflect on my friendship with him, I hope we can all find ways to encourage each other and especially newcomers. Our hobby truly is a wonderful place to make new friends.

Joe's obituary is available on the website of Downing Funeral Home.

Where does the time go?

As I left work last Wednesday I was filled with enthusiasm. A four-day weekend was directly in front of me with the promise of copious free time to spend in the workshop. True, there was Thanksgiving, but unlike prior years, this year I was cooking only for my fiancée. I anticipated making great progress on my Thunderbirds F-16, applying a final coat of white paint, painting the exhaust and the black areas around the cockpit, and laying down a coat of Future for the decals. I also planned to start a new piece of armor so that I could continue trying all these newfangled weathering media and refine the techniques used to apply them. How exciting!

Alas, it was not meant to be.

Here I am, the day after this promising weekend, and I think I spent not more than five or six hours at the workbench. I didn’t touch the F-16, so it’s at least three or four days behind schedule. I did pull an old Tamiya Stug III from the stash and begin assembling it, and truth be told, made decent progress due in large part to my not detailing the model. But all those road wheels sucked at least 60-90 minutes of my time to clean up.

This feeling of frustration, this inability to make the time to build, is not unique to holiday weekends. It happens all too often. I could argue that it shouldn't be a big deal, that I should spend time at the bench only when I’m truly motivated, but when I look at my stash of unbuilt models the reality hits me that I’m unlikely to build them all, and that leaves me feeling dejected.

As I get older I’m exploring ways to re-frame my enjoyment of the hobby. Last year I offered five ideas to increase your modeling output and suggested that you paint cockpits black. But even with changes like that, I suspect we’re all left with the harsh reality that there’s simply not enough time to do everything we want. I think my challenge — and maybe yours, too — is to find satisfaction in whatever it is we are able to build and finish. There’s happiness in building five models as much as there is in building 10, or 50, or 100.

I just have to convince myself of that.

P.S. I have to admit that the weekend wasn’t a complete waste. I spent quality time with my fiancée, cooked four great meals (such as the butternut squash and kale risotto pictured below), enjoyed a number of good wines, watched a good horror movie and a few episodes of Shameless, and spent time with family. And those are good things.

Bachelor build

Our hobby tends to be a solitary one, each of us building models alone in our workshops. We come together only for club meetings or contests. When I lived in Ohio my friends and I would occasionally get together to build models, sharing ideas and techniques, or to simply make modeling a social experience. I don’t have any modeler-friends near my today, so it’s great to see other modelers coming together from time to time.

This article by Craig Gregory originally appeared in the August 2016 issue of The Navigator, the monthly newsletter of IPMS/USA Alamo Squadron. My thanks to its editor, Len Pilhofer, for allowing me to share it with you.

On Saturday, July 9th and Sunday, July 10th I hosted a bachelor build weekend at my house; as my wife was visiting the East Coast with her relatives from China. There were three of us on Saturday; one started a new tank project, another a new aircraft build, while I continued working on an aircraft and a starship projects. I also BBQ hamburgers, while others brought the associated sides.

I joined Alamo Squadron for two reasons: to learn and improve my plastic modeling skills, the other to meet people. I had built a few models after college, but I had no mentors. I did not know about seam repair or how to mask canopies; my work did not meet my expectations. I still continued to grow my stash waiting for that day I would build models again. In 2013, we moved to San Antonio, I decided that this might be the time to start anew with plastic modeling. I was also new to San Antonio and wanted to meet other like-minded people (well like plastic modeling at least.)

I am of the opinion that meeting once a month for a club meeting is not enough. I am always looking for other ways to learn more about our hobby and meet others. Hosting the bachelor build weekend accomplished both goals. There is no better way to learn than to see it happen; and then to do it yourself. And no better activity that to share with others.

What did I learn? I learned that a tank has a hell of a lot more parts that a typical aircraft kit.

How to buy models with pennies

What do you do with the loose change in your pocket at the end of the day? You probably put it into a jar where it accumulates month after month after month. Did you know there’s an extremely easy way to use that loose change to buy models, that is, without dumping five pounds of coins onto the counter of your LHS?

Enter the Coinstar Exchange Kiosk. Located in grocery stores across the United States, they provide an easy way for you to convert your loose change into viable currency. They let you convert the value of your coins to cash but will assess a hefty 10 percent fee. The better option is to convert to Amazon credit, which does not incur the fee. Simply dump in your change into the machine and out comes a small receipt with a code you can use with your next Amazon purchase. Other retailers and restaurants are available, but I trust you'd rather have a new model than take your family to dinner.

Some of you already know the value of Amazon as a source for plastic models. For those of you who don’t, you’d be surprised at what you can find there, often at prices competitive to those you see at your favorite online retailer. (And at least one prominent online retailer has a presence on Amazon.) For example, you can buy the Academy 1/48 F-4B for $49 with free shipping, the Airfix 1/48 Defiant for $34.99, or the new Takom AMX-13s for around $43.

It’s not unusual for me to amass $25 in change every month, which can easily be applied toward a new kit. Unfortunately you can use only one credit code per purchase, so if you want to buy that new 1/350 aircraft carrier you’re gonna have to save your pennies for a long time.

You can find a Coinstar location near you on their web site. Happy hunting!

I want it now!

Have you ever been on a road trip with children who incessantly ask, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? How much farther?" Although we can acknowledge their enthusiasm about getting to the destination, the endless chatter becomes annoying after awhile, right? Children are impatient. They don't have the maturity to appreciate the value of waiting for something they want.

Judging from some of the discussions within the scale modeling community it appears that many modelers haven't developed any further than the are-we-there-yet stage of emotional growth.

Some time ago I posted a list of five questions we need to stop asking, yet I continue to see a lot of conversations asking when this new kit or that new set of decals will be released. Mind you, I'm not so pompous to believe that people are taking my rants to heart and making major life changes, but a blogger can dream.

Here are a few examples I found on discussions groups over the last couple of years, copied almost verbatim, bad grammar and spelling included.

"Just went and checked on the ARC site for the T-45 decals from Caracal! According to his post he was doing something crazy and releasing these in June [2013] along with the F-15s? I have a feeling we won't see these!"

"Any news on this [1/32 OV-10 Bronco] yet? thought it was meant to be released in September but not heard a peep?"

"Has anyone heard any news on the release date of Airfix's forthcoming C-47A/D Dokota/Skytrain kit? The Big H and others have it listed as due in April - well there's not an awful lot of April left now, I was expecting to have heard something by now so I'm wondering where it's got to."

"Still no news about the [Special Hobby] Mirage F 1? I heard soemthing that it will be available in September." And then three weeks later someone else asked, "Any news? in october?" on the same thread.

"The release date [of the Tiger Model Nagmachon] has been changed at least 3 times on Hobby Easy's website a few days at a time. Now it has been moved from 12-31 to 1-4…. Where the heck is my Nagmachon?"

"I'm really interested in this kit [T-72B3] from Meng that's "coming soon". I'm new to Meng and have no idea what their idea of soon would be, or if they release on a schedule or just willy-nilly. Would anyone happen to know?"

"Any update on the SLUF Guide? When can we expect this jem to be out for sale?" (Posted just six weeks after the publisher said he was finishing the book's layout.)

"Does anyone know why these [Sword F3D Skyknight and F9F-8T] are to be released? I have been looking at Hannants daily waiting to order them!"

Even dismissing the tone of some of these comments -- some of these guys appear to take it as a personal insult that new kits aren't delivered when promised -- I honestly don't understand the impatience. I'm as excited as the next guy about many of the models in the pipeline, but don't we have plenty of models to build while we await the next kit that will finally bring joy and happiness to our lives? Do we have to constantly barrage the forums seeking these updates? Even if, for example, Meng told us that their T-72M3 will be released on June 5, what difference does it make?

Let's give the manufacturers time to work their magic. If you've ever worked for a small business, hired a contractor, or been involved in project management, you know that things usually go wrong. Estimates are inaccurate. Last minute changes are made. Timelines slip. It's a fact of life. My advice today is the same as it was a few years ago: Build the kits you have, and one day you’ll find that the model or decal sheet you've been waiting for is available from Sprue Brothers, Hannants, or your LHS. I speak from experience; I've been quite happy during the 30-year wait for my L-17 Navion.

Is your stash complete?

We modelers like to brag about the size of our stashes. We toss out those big numbers and laugh at the newbies among us who think that their collection of 40 kits is a lot. There’s even a Facebook group where I can show you mine and you can show me yours. But is there a point when you can officially declare that you have everything you want?

I think I can say that I do.

I’ve maintained a wish list in Dropbox for many years, which I’ve continually updated with the kits, aftermarket, decals, and books that I’m looking for. Dropbox has an app for the iPhone, so I can pull up that list when I visit hobby shops, browse the vendor rooms at IPMS contests, or search listings on eBay. Slowly, very slowly, I’ve removed items as I found them. When I looked at the list yesterday I realized there wasn’t anything left that is inherently hard to find left. I’m…done?

Not quite. There will always be models and related products that I want to buy. What’s left in my wish list are the items, some kits but mostly aftermarket, that I think I need for future projects. For example, I bought Valom’s new 1/72 RF-101C, but I have not yet picked up the F-101A and C variants. I have only one of Valom’s four Navions. I’m patiently waiting for the Hobby Boss SS-23 Spider to drop significant below the $95-111 price point that I see. And there are many Aires exhausts, Armory missiles and bombs, and Eduard sets for kits I already have. But in terms of “rare” models, I have everything I want.

It’s taken a long time to get to this point. I wanted an Airfix/MPC C-130 for a long time but was intent on finding one sealed (too many parts that could otherwise go missing); I finally found one at a hobby shop a couple of years ago. When I realized Sword’s P-80A had become difficult to find and that I didn’t have one (oh, the horror!) I saved a search on eBay and eventually won one. When I was more intensely engaged with figures years ago I longed for Kirin’s 120mm Highlander and happened to find one at an IPMS contest. I didn’t spend a fortune to acquire any of these. I tempered my eagerness with patience.

The internet and particularly eBay have leveled the playing field. Very few models are truly “rare” these days, despite the overuse of the word in eBay listings and the occasional IPMS vendor who proclaims everything on his table as such. Every time I was outbid on models that I sought over the years, I reminded myself that eventually — maybe not today, maybe not this year, but eventually — another one will show up.

I share my experience because I want those of you who are seeking your holy grail (and who doesn’t have one…or five) that this day will come for you, too. In the meantime, build and enjoy what you have, and remember, as I remind myself every day, that your happiness is not contingent upon acquiring or building any one particular model.

Why we build what we build

Why do you build what you build? It’s easy to answer, “Because I like German fighters from the Second World War,” or whatever it is that drives your interests, but dig deeper and ask yourself that question again.

A friend and I recently had a conversation about what kits in our respective stashes we’d be willing to sell if, for some reason, we absolutely had to. Or, put another way, which kits would you most definitely keep if you had to downsize?

My strongest interest is Cold War military aviation, if only because those are the aircraft I saw growing up in the 80s. I build older and newer subject matter as well, but mostly for a change of pace. A guy can paint only so much European One schemes before getting bored! For me that in-person experience with those aircraft is what created an affinity for building scale models of them. If I haven’t seen an aircraft in-the-flesh, it probably won’t be a favorite subject when I make a purchase or think about my next project. I wrote about the Ryan Navion last month, but there are other examples.

As I look back over 30-40 years of interest in aviation, I understand now why certain models in my stash will never be the victim of a downsizing.

I saw my first F-16 in 1982 at an open house at MacDill AFB. The 56th Tactical Training Wing was transitioning from the F-4 Phantom to this new airplane, so it holds a special place in my mind. That one of my high school friends became an F-16 pilot 10 years later only reinforces my interest in the jet.

An F-16 of the 56th TTW.

Several years later I spent a week at a Tyndall AFB Civil Air Patrol summer encampment. The organizers paired each cadet for an afternoon with active duty personnel who were performing the jobs we were interested in. They didn’t have pilots available, so I spent the afternoon with an F-106 crew chief with the now-inactive Air Defense Weapons Center. That aircraft isn’t the most interesting modeling subject, but it’s one that I intend to build sooner than later. (I started the Monogram kit that summer, but some construction mistakes on my part doomed the project.)

I’ve always liked the B-25. One was stored at a nearby airport for a number of years, and I had the chance to fly in one when I was 13 or 14. I have two Hasegawa kits in the stash, and I’ve been tempted on more than one occasion to buy the 1/32 HK Models kit. Some day….

That's me, just before my flight!

I love the UH-1. Going back to my high school days again, I flew in a UH-1P several times thanks to orientation flights offered by the 56th TTW. If there’s one “ultimate” model I’d like to build in my lifetime, it’s a super-detailed 1/32 UH-1P.

That's me, the skinny kid in the flight suit behind the crew chief.

Fast-forward a few years and you’ll find me a young buck serving a four-year enlistment in the Air Force…flying a desk. The unit I was assigned to supported, among others, the F-15E System Program Office, the organization responsible for the overall procurement and management of the F-15E. It’s no surprise then, that the Strike Eagle is special to me, too. That and a high school friend was a crew chief on the C model with the 33rd TFW around the same time.

Hasegawa 1/72 F-15E in my stash.

These connections to aircraft, armor, ships, and vehicles — no matter how tenuous — are what give passion to the models we build. When I see modelers posting to the forums telling us they’re burnt out or don’t know what to build, my response is always the same: Build what excites you the most. Look back what inspired you from the beginning and pick up where you left off.

Wine and models

In my 2015 year-end review, I briefly mentioned my interest in wine. I started teaching myself about it about 20 years ago when I was on a date and mistakenly ordered a glass of white wine that I thought was red. I’ve entertained that interest off and on over the years and got back into it when my fiancée and I realized we shared the same interest in all things grapes. A vacation to Napa in November kicked it off in earnest.

As you might imagine there are a huge number of blogs and discussion groups related to wine, and I’ve been reading them in between my daily checks of Hyperscale, ARC, and Missing Links. I was pleasantly surprised to find at least one similarity between wine and scale modeling, that oenophiles collect more wine than they can drink just as we buy more models than we can build!

This thread on the Wine Berserkers forum highlighted other, similar problems that we face as scale modelers. Here are a few lessons these wine enthusiasts learned last year that we might scale modelers should consider as well. Replace wine with model and drink with build, and you'll see that they might as well be talking about us.

• I still allow others' opinions to influence too much of my purchases.

• If you order a bunch of wine, you are going to outgrow your storage.

• If you order a bunch of wine, you need to start drinking more.

• I get more enjoyment from sharing wine with curious and grateful friends with limited wine knowledge than with fellow cognoscenti who fuss over and dissect every nuance of the wine.

• Drink your good wine. You may go to the doctor and find out you have a problem you never knew you had. The wine in your collection won't matter if you're dead.

• It's okay to pass on wine sales, even if they are great sales. There will be more.

And my favorite….

• Wine seems to attract people with very strongly held opinions. When some dip starts talking about wine and doesn't have a sense of humor about it, he's someone to avoid.

It’s a small world. Drink wine and build models!

It's just a hobby

Doog has just published yet another insightful view into our hobby, dismissing the “It’s just a hobby” mentality that infects many of the conversations we see online, and I suspect in person, too.

He’s right. When we talk about the accuracy of the latest Trumpeter kit, obsess over the tire tread pattern on a P-47D, or discuss judging at IPMS contests, it’s too easy to dismiss efforts to improve our models or the hobby by saying, “It’s just a hobby.” It is a hobby, but it’s very important to many of us. It’s our passion and it consumes our thoughts, much like wine consumes the thoughts of an oenophile or music consumes the thoughts of a pianist.

We should remember that the conversations we have online largely mirror those we have face-to-face. Some are constructive, and some are inane. The other day I remarked to a friend that a new release is “cool.” Not exactly evidence of a deep thinker, right, but I said it? Would I express that pithy comment online? Of course not. The difference between an online conversation and one that occurs in the real world is that online conversation allows us to consider and compose our thoughts before expressing them. Ideally the comments we post online are constructive and free of microaggressions.

I understand how some people can become annoyed at the minutia we discuss. It's comical at times. Recently someone asked about the correct color of a 1950s era tarmac. That’s a bit much in my opinion, and I was tempted to tell him not to obsess and just paint it a suitable gray color. But it’s important to him, so I simply moved on to the next topic.

Let’s embrace our hobby. Let’s embrace the passion others have for it. Let’s learn when to contribute and when to put the laptop down and build a model instead. In them meantime, remember that as your thinking about whether the access panels are correct for that Kitty Hawk 1/48 MiG-25PD you’re building, someone is carefully planning next year’s crop of hay for the state fair.

Award-winning hay at the 2015 New Jersey State Fair. Beautiful, ain't it?

Microaggression and the scale modeler

Have you heard the term microaggression? I hadn’t either until a few weeks ago until I ran across this article on Vox.

The term goes back to 1970 when a Harvard professor used it to describe the insults that white people made toward African Americans. A psychologist later expanded use of the term to include insults toward other marginalized groups and defined microaggressions as "brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to certain individuals because of their group membership.”

For example, a white person might say to a wealthy African American, “You’re a credit to your race.” Or when you learn that the Asian high schooler who lives next to you won a math competition, you might respond with, “I’m not surprised." These comments aren't intended to be insulting, but to the group they're directed at, they are.

I write about this here because we see microaggressions in the scale modeling community as well. They’re the subtle jibes at other modelers and companies that often result in a discussion quickly going downhill. Here are a few that I noticed over the last few months:

"There is a correct way of doing things, then there is the Kitty Hawk way.”

“Prepare for the criticisms of this kit and your commentary from the usual suspects."

Anyone who refers to eBay as Evilbay.

And from your’s truly, my periodic contribution to the scourge of microaggression, “Very nice painting and weathering. It’s nice to see armor that’s not over-weathered for a change.”

These comments are not overtly aggressive, but they’re expressed with a tone that can trigger a more aggressive response from someone else. And that response can subsequently prompt another, and so on until a discussion thread is locked, deleted, or its participants banned. It’s all very silly given the context of what we modelers talk about, but it’s a reality in our community.

I can’t tell you not to be a jerk. Haters gonna hate, as they say, but for those of you who are reasonable, level-headed members of this community, I can only suggest that you look carefully at how you express your opinions, and when confronted with a microaggression (or an all-out aggressive remark) from someone else, that you choose the high road by simply not responding. Don't feed the trolls, as they also say.

If you're interested a deeper look into microaggressions and how to deal with them (particularly if you're a moderator on any of the forums), be sure to read this article.

Missing the post-Nats high

So here we are a month after the IPMS Nats and I have yet to spend a single minute working on a model. This is common; you attend a club meeting or contest and return home on a modeling high only to find yourself without time for the workbench. When I was in high school my local IPMS chapter met on Monday nights, and I typically worked after school on Tuesday, Wednesday, and/or Thursday, so even then I didn't get time with models until the following weekend. Yesterday I told a friend that in a perfect world I would schedule a week’s vacation for the Nats and an additional week immediately after. Imagine how great it would be to return home on Sunday, spend the evening with a glass of beer, and then wake up Monday morning and head straight to the workshop. That would be a little slice of heaven!

The closest I’ve come to a model over the last month was a walk past the Peking in New York City last weekend. You can read more about it here, but the ship was one of the last steel-hulled sailing vessels built. I confess to not knowing much about ships, but I always have a sense of awe when I see one up close. The Peking was supposed to be returned to Germany for restoration, but the deal collapsed, and it’s future is currently uncertain.

I hope to spend time at the workbench in a week or so. Until then, at least I have the interwebs to keep up with what all of you are doing.

The generosity of two men

I have very fond memories of my early years in our hobby. I had the pleasure of meeting several modelers who became mentors to me, not just because they passed on good advice and modeling techniques, but also — and perhaps more importantly — because they were generous. I’m grateful for having had the opportunity to know them.

One of those modelers who comes to mind is Alan Royer. I met him when I joined IPMS Ocala way back in the 1980s. He was an incredibly talented truck modeler, doing conversions and scratchbuilt trailers that were as perfectly built as they were unfamiliar to the teenager I was at the time. He invited me to his home to see his workshop and models, and I was impressed by all of the modeling supplies he had. In addition to his talent, I remember his generosity. Before I left he gave me some Evergreen sheet plastic so that I could begin to learn how to construct and assemble my own parts. It was a small gesture, but it inspired me when I was most impressionable.

Fast-forward 35 years.

Earlier this summer the hobby lost a good man, Walt Champlin, who was a member of IPMS Columbus Eddie Rickenbacker. I didn’t know him very well, making his acquaintance only through mutual friends who are members of the club, but I did have the pleasure of spending an evening at his home several years ago when I was in town for the club’s annual contest, Blizzard (which is one of the best local/regional contests I’ve attended).

I will remember Walt for his generosity as well. He had been a modeler for a long time. His man cave was awesome, with a collection of kits and aftermarket that overlapped my interests. When I finished studying Wolfpack’s A-7 resin folding wings, Walt offered them to me. “You don’t owe me anything. Just build them,” he said, remarking that he didn’t want me to simply put them in my stash and forget about them. His passing is a reminder to me that they’re still in my stash. I need to commit to using them on an A-7 build before the year is out.

I write about these two men in part because I’m a sentimental old fool, but also as a reminder in an age of internet anonymity and animosity to be kind, to encourage new modelers. It doesn’t have to be something with monetary value like sheet plastic or an aftermarket accessory, just something that will inspire them in the future.

P.S. I lost track of Alan Royer shortly after I graduated from high school. If anyone knows his whereabouts, I'd love to hear from you.

Five kits I did not buy at the Nats

Several years I wrote about attending my first IPMS National Convention in 1984. I returned home that year with nearly 30 kits. In fairness, many were incredibly cheap and the enthusiasm of my youth made them irresistible.

Thirty years later I pretty much have everything I want, so in an effort to save money for things like aftermarket accessories and books, I'm making a strong effort these days to limit my acquisitions. That said, I'm still susceptible to impulse purchases and enticing new releases, so I knew it would be difficult last week to attend the Nats and be tempted by so many models. I'm proud to say I bought only one. Here are the five kits I decided not to buy.

I generally build 1/72 aircraft, but I've been intrigued by the detail I could incorporate into a 1/32 jet. I saw this Academy 1/32 F-16CJ for only $75 but decided not to buy it. I already have a Trumpeter F-105D, a Tamiya F-15C, and the new Kitty Hawk OV-10D. I really don't need another large scale kit taking up even more space.

This Academy B-24 was priced right, but I already have on in the stash, albeit a different version. What is the likelihood of my building two B-24s anytime soon? Slim, at best.

I really like the look of this Spitfire with the contra-rotating prop. I'd like to build one in 1/72 scale, but I already have its 1/48 Airfix counterpart with lots of cool aftermarket for it. Do I need to build two? Probably not.

There were several Academy F-4s in the contest, and I heard positive feedback about them from friends who judged the respective category, and as a huge fan of the F-4 Eduard's release was incredibly tempting. I picked one up and carried it around their display area for a while, but then I remembered the new Zuki Moira kit that's in the works. I decided to wait and see how the Z-M kit will ultimately compare.

I like the look of the Vincent/Vildebeest, so having this Azur kit in my hands tested my willpower. But then I recalled my struggle with rigging and decided there are better ways for me to spend my time.

So what did I buy? Here's a snapshot of my haul from the weekend.

My model-buying days are far from over, but for now I'll think twice before buying a new kit.

The challenge of pricing pre-owned models

They say that money is the root of all evil, and I'd add: insanity.

There's a vibrant market within the hobby for selling and buying pre-owned models, on eBay, on the discussion forums, at contests, and now on Facebook. I'm sure most of you have bought models from other modelers, but it's not always easy, is it?

I'm often dumbfounded by the prices that some modelers think they can command for their models. Here are a few examples.

• At Mosquitocon earlier this year a vendor was selling an Academy 1/72 A-37 Dragonfly for $28. It can be found from Sprue Brothers and eBay for less than $12.
• Last week an eBay seller was offering a Monogram 1/48 F-4J Phantom II for a Buy It Now of $35. Damn thing was, the bags were opened, but he assured us the kit "seems to be complete." Um...yeah, right. It can be found new and unopened from other sellers for $20-25.
• A modeler recently tried to sell a Revell 1/48 F-86D on one of the popular forums for $45 when it can easily be found for around $20.

If you're pricing your models without regard to the marketplace or the condition of the models, you're probably wasting your time. Assuming you want to sell your kits and not sit on them indefinitely, here are my suggestions as someone who buys and sells.

Price significantly less than retail

If your model is still in production, look at its price at Squadron and Sprue Brothers and do a quick search for it on eBay. Find the lowest price and then price your kit at least 20 percent less.

Why? Generally speaking, consumers prefer to do business with established businesses where they're confident they'll be supported if there's a problem with an order. You may be a saint, but we don't know that.

Also, keep today's high postage costs in mind. If a buyer has to pay an additional $6-12 for your model, which increases his overall acquisition costs for the model, he's going to look for a bargain.

Discount kits with open parts

If your model has been opened -- if the inner bags have been opened -- discount another 10-20 percent.

Why? You can assure me that all the parts are there, but I assume a degree of risk that you may have overlooked a missing part and won't realize it until I sit down to build the model five years from now.

Discount kits that are "outdated"

This may be a bit controversial, but I'll say it. If you're selling a model for which a better one exists, price it as low as you can possibly go. For example, the Trumpeter 1/35 BMP-1 is much better than the nearly 25 year-old Dragon kit, so if you're selling the latter I'd price it around $10.

Why? Generally speaking, older kits are less desirable than new ones. A friend who works in a hobby store sees people come in to sell their late father’s collection thinking that old Revell, Monogram, and Lindberg kits are worth a fortune because they're old, but they're are disappointed when the store owner offers just pennies on the dollar. If you think something is valuable, check it out on Old Plastic Model Kits. They know the market and will likely pay only 50-60 percent of what they will ultimately price the models.

Significantly discount kits that are missing parts

If your model is missing parts, you need to discount it significantly.

Do I need to explain why? I'll have to spend my time trying to replace the missing part(s). Given the size and helpfulness of the modeling community, that might be easy. But it might be a challenge, too. I won't know until I put out the request.

Significantly discount kits that are started

If you started your model, if any work has been done on it at all, you need to discount it big time.

Why? Unless you're John Vojtech, I have no idea how good a modeler you are. Your work might be excellent, but I won't know that until after I've paid for your model and have it in my hands. I take on a great deal of risk buying what you started.

Price it as if you are the buyer

As you think about the price for a given model, ask yourself what you'd be willing to pay in order to re-acquire it next week. If we're willing to pay retail for a kit, we'd already have it. You have to entice someone to spend his hard-earned money on something he really don't need.

In defense of the sellers reading this (and I include myself here), I understand that many of you are not in a hurry to part with the kits you offer for sale and you're willing to sit on your stash until someone comes around and finds your prices acceptable. That's perfectly acceptable, which I suppose is why I see the same kits listed over and over again on the forums week after week. But we all need to realize that selling pre-owned kits usually requires us to sell at a loss relative to our initial investment. That's what I'm doing myself. I prefer to have $10 in my pocket rather than have that Dragon BMP-1 taking up space that will be better allocated to the upcoming Tiger Model AMX-10.

What do you think? What motivates (or demotivates) you from buying from other modelers?

5 ways to reduce your modeling expenses

I've long believed that our hobby represents a great value compared to other hobbies and pastimes, but I know many of you are modeling on a budget. It can be difficult to buy new kits when their prices typically exceed $50, so if you can save a few dollars elsewhere in the hobby you can use the savings to splurge on the models you want. That got me to thinking about ways you can cut your modeling expenses. Here are five ideas.

1. Don't buy books

I’ve had a long love affair with books. My mother bought me the World Book Encyclopedia when I was 8, and through my early years I participated in the summer reader program at local library. I like seeing books on a shelf, and — truth be told — I’m suspicious of friends and family who don’t have books in their homes. That said, the internet has slowly been making books obsolete, at least for the scale modeler. When it comes to books published specifically for us, much of the information you need can be found on the internet. You can find forums and personal blogs that explain basic and advanced modeling techniques, and you can click a link or two to find detailed walkarounds thanks to web sites such as Prime Portal, Britmodeller, and Burchard Domke’s site.

2. Don't compile a huge stash

I've been in the hobby for more than 30 years and have accumulated more kits than I can build in my lifetime; and then there's the hundreds of kits that are sure to be released between now and the point that will inevitably come when I can build no more. I don't regret the stash I have, but if I had to do it all over again, I'd have a stash of no more than 25-50 models.

If you want to cut your expenses, the first place to look is where the big money goes...kits. If you really want to reduce your expenses, be very selective about what you buy. Worried about that new kit going out of production some day? It might, but practically any kit can be acquired via the internet or eBay if you have to have one, five, or 20 years from now. Jon over at The Combat Workshop is taking this idea to the extreme; he intends to buy no new models this year! As insane as that sounds, it makes a lot of sense. I'm not sure I'm bold enough to attempt that myself, but I think there's a lot to be said for new kit abstinence.

Likewise, don't let yourself fall victim to the trap of "it's a bargain so I might as well buy it." At least 50 percent of the models in my stash were acquired with that mindset. That's a dangerous path.

3. Make your own washes

There's a huge assortment of out-of-the-bottle washes and filters on the market these days, but most of the effects can be accomplished with washes made with artist oils. Oils can be pricey, but one tube will last a lifetime. Experimenting and practice will see results on par with any aftermarket product.

4. Use pastels

In addition to washes and filters, the market has also been inundated with pigments. Again, many of the same effects can be accomplished with pastels, particularly if you're not intent on executing the extreme weathered look for armor and aircraft that seems to be trendy these days.

5. Don't buy resin wheels

I appreciate detail and accuracy, but after having used resin replacement wheels on several models, I've come to the conclusion they don't significantly improve a model. Unless you're building WW2 fighters — whose main landing gear are often prominently "out front" — landing gear is typically hidden in the shadows far under the airframe. That the tires are black only further obscures the detail you paid for.

So there you go. Five ideas you can use today. They're not for everybody, but if you're watching your money, every dollar counts.

How have you reduced your expenses? Post a comment here or on Scale Model Soup's Facebook page.

The elusive relaxing build

This month's topic from the Sprue Cutters Union is, "What subject relaxes you the most?"

Funny you should ask. After a few hours in the workshop I often find myself grumbling that I need to find a relaxing hobby.

While I say that in jest, it does have an element of truth to it. Our hobby, this supposedly relaxing hobby, is full of small, stressful moments where one task, one part, one brushstroke can be the difference between success or disaster. It's that moment when you remove the masking from your canopy hoping the paint didn't seep beneath it. That moment you attach that length of link-by-link track to your tank and hope that it fits perfectly as it did yesterday. That moment when you carefully attach a the railing to a 1/700 scale destroyer and hope you don't get super glue everywhere. I'd bet that each of us experiences a heart rate that rivals that of any marathon runner as he approaches the finish line. Well, almost.

I gotta be honest with you and my fellow Union members. I can't think of a single model that offers me a truly "stress-free" experience. Every one of them comes with its share of challenges and stress. That said, I generally enjoy 95 percent of the modeling, painting, and weathering process; the remaining 5 percent I struggle to overcome and master, even after 30 years in the hobby and dozens of builds under my belt. I'm not there yet, though I hope to be some day.

In the meantime, when I want to enjoy something that's truly stress-free, I cook up a pot of risotto. I've mastered that and enjoy preparing it for friends. Maybe I should take some to the Nats in July for my readers!

1:1 scale risotto and shrimp; asparagus with pancetta and mushrooms.

Catch up with other members' responses to this month's topic here.

Don't ask me what you should build next

I occasionally see guys post to the forums asking what model they should build next, sometimes accompanied with a poll listing four or five models. Just the other day my best friend (let's call him...David) asked for that guidance on Facebook!

I'm always amused by these posts. Who am I to say what someone else should build? I wouldn't ask David that question much less a few hundred strangers. The choice seems quite personal to me, as difficult as it can be, particularly when you have dozens or hundreds of models in your stash.

My response to this question is always the same -- build what excites you the most right now. And I usually remind folks that most of us have too many half-built models on the shelf, which for me represents something of a failure. A failure of commitment. A failure to follow-through. A failure to maintain enthusiasm.

A couple of weeks ago someone on Hyperscale asked for advice on getting motivated to start a large project. I wanted to respond honestly but was afraid I'd come off as a jerk, which we know is all too easy on the internet; I wanted to say that if you have to "summon the motivation" to build a model, especially one that's going to require a great deal of effort, you're probably biting off more than you can chew. Or maybe it's not the right project for right now. It seems to me that this fellow should be kicking off a new model with great excitement. He should be telling friends, "I can't wait to get started on this!" with a big smile on his face.

I speak from experience. I could point to numerous models in my stash that are just too big an investment for me at this time, in terms of the time I can invest or the skill I have to apply. Like that Trumpeter 1/32 F-105D. Or my Monogram 1/72 B-1B. And it's the reason I decided not to buy the new Wingnut Wings Felixstowe; I admit, it's just too much model for me.

Making these choices isn't easy and I need to remind myself on a regular basis to select the most engaging model. After periodic, brief absences from the workbench I have a tendency to get back into the swing of things by selecting a model from the stash to "warm up" rather than one that truly excites me. And more often than not those models don't live up to my expectations. If a model doesn't have my complete commitment and enthusiasm, if my heart isn't in it, it's probably going to suck.

The advice I'm offering is simple. Build only those models that truly excite you. Anything else is a waste of your time.

The magazine that started it all

The year was 1981. John Hinckley shot President Ronald Reagan, MTV was launched, and the Space Shuttle flew for the first time.

It’s also the year I learned that there was a lot more to scale modeling than just haphazardly gluing parts together and relying on the colors that the plastic was molded in.

This is the magazine that started it all for me.

It’s the June 1981 issue of the now-defunct Scale Modeler. Maybe the old-timers among my readers remember the magazine. It wasn’t very good in hindsight — if we have had the Internet back then most modelers would’ve poo-poohed it as many of you do FineScale Modeler today (unwarranted, in my opinion) — but it was all we had in the United States back then, and we were happy.

My tiny, Florida hometown didn’t have much, so I always looked forward to going into nearby Crystal River to pursue the extensive magazine collection of the only bookstore within 50 miles. That’s where I found this issue of Scale Modeler and quickly realized that I had no idea guys were taking the hobby to the depth that I found within those 74 pages!

Ken Belisle, in an article about his F-14 diorama, used paint from a company I'd never heard of, Floquil (where can I get this stuff, I wondered), and added brake lines to the landing gear and used a tube for the pitot tube! Wow!

In his build of the Matchbox 1/72 PB4Y Privateer Bill Grant used putty and sand paper to hide seams. (People do that?) And what is this Micro Gloss and Micro Flat he mentioned?

But it was Jed Bates’ Otaki 1/48 P-40E Kittyhawk that really make an impression on me. It was beautiful, as well executed, painted, and weathered as any model I’ve seen in the last few years. No Alclad, pigments, or canopy masks, just basic supplies and above average skill. I read the article several times over and studied the color photos to fully appreciate his work. It should be no surprise that I bought the Otaki kit as soon as I found one. That is, after I located good hobby shops and attended my first IPMS convention years later. As you an see, the model is still in my stash!

The models featured in one issue of one magazine sparked a passion in me that’s still present today. It’s been fun for me to look back at the issue (a replacement, sourced via eBay) and see the little things that inspired me, and it’s a reminder that the models I see today, whether online or at contests, continue to fuel this passion and inspire me to continue. Twenty years ago I thought I’d be a better modeler than I am today; I'm not significantly better, but I still love this hobby and can’t imagine spending my spare time engaged in anything else.

What sparked your interest in the hobby? What keeps you going today?

ADDENDUM

I feel compelled to point out that Ken Belisle is still active in the hobby today. Here are a couple of his 1/72 builds from the IPMS National Convention a few years ago. He's one of the best 1/72 scale modelers in the world.