The Unofficial Airfix Modellers' Forum

I have 117 unstarted 1/72nd scale models stored in my basement. If I were to complete one model every two months, it would take me nearly 20 years to build them all. That's not an impossible feat, if the world would stand still and nothing else in life interrupted me. It is possible I could live into my mid eighties.

I'm putting my insanity into perspective here, after my better half referred to me as a 'hoarder'. I suppose she was expecting the pile to go down a little bit; now she knows I'm still sneaking in the odd purchase. It's not unexpected, that I'm the one who picks up the mail.
I've asked my dearly beloved to concentrate on her many flowers, her needle-work, and her music, and not to question my peaceful little hobby. The truth is, I don,t have an answer as to why I have so many models. Perhaps I am an insane hoarder.

I truly hope she doesn't open the closets in my workshop, and find the collections in all other scales. I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do with them all.

Had to laugh. Sorry but so many of us are in the same boat!

I know I have far, far more than I can ever build and I have sold a lot already and slowed buying to a real trickle (despite temptation especially from Airfix the last few years). I was stressed for a couple of years that I should reduce further and what should I sell, etc. but then I decided (and the thought still holds although admittedly it wavers occasionally) - what harm is it to anyone that I have more than I will build; why worry about what happens to the stash after I am gone (though I have told family about various kit dealers and IPMS); and, as well as occasionally building one, it gives me pleasure to have the stash and to sometimes just open a box and fondle the plastic then put it away again.

So now I will occasionally try to sell off the obvious excesses (do I really need 8 Buccaneers?) but I am not going to fret over the size of the stash and the impossibility of building them all.

David

..

I have way more models than will get built before I get dead. Cest la vie. With luck Greg jnr will take up the hobby. If not Sarah or he can ebay the lot. I will no longer be in a position to care. All of us who have such large stashes of unbuilt models are fully aware, -whether consciously or not - that we will never build them all. We are nearly all guilty of the 'kid in a sweetshop' syndrome. We probably started modelling by scraping together pocket money/paper round money etc to buy the latest Airfix etc. Now we are older and have more disposable income. I know people who will think nothing of dropping £100+ on a single kit (not me. I'm too tight fisted for that) I also couldn't justify it to myself.
Only last week I was in the loft and I looked around and said to myself "what's the point? " But does there HAVE to be a point? We do this because we WANT to do this. We have stashes of kits because we WANT to have them. The size of a stash of models iscertainly not about 'bragging rights' nor in most cases is it a hoarding affliction. We buy them because we INTEND to build them and that is what matters, to me at least. Just my thoughts on this. I am sure you all have your own opinions that will differ from mine to a greater or lesser extent but thst is what this is to me.

All the best.

Greg

Have you tried 'Trojan horsing'?.... putting 2 kits into the one box so that your stash appears smaller than it is.
....it also has the bonus of being like a surprise present when you find a kit you'd forgotten about!

Gregers wrote:I have way more models than will get build before I get dead. Cest la vie. With luck Greg jnr will take up the hobby. If not Sarah or he can ebay the lot. I will no longer be in a position to care. All of us who have such large stashes of unbuilt models are fully aware, -whether consciously or not - that we willnever build them all. We are nearly all guilty of the 'kid in a sweetshop' syndrome. We probably started modelling by scraping together pocket money/paper round money etc to buy the latest Airfix etc. Now we are older and have more disposable income. I know people who will think nothing of dropping £100+ on a single kit (not me. I'm too tight fisted for that) I also couldn't justify it to myself.
Only last week I was in the loft and I looked around and said to myself "what's the point? " But does there HAVE to be a point? We do this because we WANT to do this. We have stashes of kits because we WANT to have them. The size of a stash of models iscertainly not about 'bragging rights' nor in most cases is it a hoarding affliction. We buy them because we INTEND to build them and that is what matters, to me at least. Just my thoughts on this. I am sure you all have ypur own opinions that will differ from mine to a greater or lesser extent but thst is whay this is to me.

All the best.

Greg

The most I have spent on a kit is £90,having said that over the last 2 years I have spent £8000 plus on plastic!

The modellers conundrum.

My reply - so what.

At the moment I have 13 kits in my little stash,the most I have ever had.

arni wrote: The most I have spent on a kit is £90,having said that over the last 2 years I have spent £8000 plus on plastic!

A chap would spend a lot more on drugs...or golf. Both equally pernicious.

My stash was never very large, but due to injury has been drastically reduced through actually having been built.
We buy them because we want to build them.

59North wrote:I have 117 unstarted 1/72nd scale models stored in my basement. If I were to complete one model every two months, it would take me nearly 20 years to build them all. That's not an impossible feat, if the world would stand still and nothing else in life interrupted me. It is possible I could live into my mid eighties.

I'm putting my insanity into perspective here, after my better half referred to me as a 'hoarder'. I suppose she was expecting the pile to go down a little bit; now she knows I'm still sneaking in the odd purchase. It's not unexpected, that I'm the one who picks up the mail.
I've asked my dearly beloved to concentrate on her many flowers, her needle-work, and her music, and not to question my peaceful little hobby. The truth is, I don,t have an answer as to why I have so many models. Perhaps I am an insane hoarder.

I truly hope she doesn't open the closets in my workshop, and find the collections in all other scales. I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do with them all.

A beautifully written piece, memorable not only for the sentiment but the well-chosen wording and the punch line - thank you.

I can only agree with our esteemed green colleague. What a thoughtful, well-written post that kicks off a fine discussion!

I have three friends with kit stashes so large they had to resort to off-site storage, in multiple locations even.

They look at me like I'm nuts when I tell them I'm quite happy with my smaller collection of 100 or so kits. While I wouldn't feel right criticizing anyone's choices, I only want what I can build. I've seen too many "widow's sales" and don't want to leave a problem behind for someone else to have to deal with.

Nearing my senior years, model kits are like money in that ideally, one has just enough to last them to the end.

Still, to each their own. The hobby has many different facets and the point is to enjoy it.

The Great Auk

My stash is hovering around the 350 mark, although the contents are changing as I sell off the ones that either no longer appeal or that have been superseded by newer toolings. I guess that it is unlikely that I will complete them all especially if I continue to buy (albeit at a greatly reduced rate nowadays.... no really, stop laughing, I have slowed down hugely honest! ) but life is too short to be serious all the time
Who knows, if my kids sell them carefully and most importantly individually and not as a job lot, they may turn out to have been a good investment by then after all!
I do recognise that there is a form of addiction at work here though, but as Spaceowl comments there are far worse things in life to be addicted to.......

I agree, this has been eloquently put. In recent years my own stash has held steady at around 50 or so unbuilt kits comprising a mix of aircraft and military vehicles in all of the popular scales. I consider that number to be far too many and truth be told I am a little annoyed at myself for allowing that to happen (but not too much ). It is relatively easy to end up with a large stash and some go to extremes but I would never dream of criticising a modeller for doing so. Modelling is many things to many different modellers and we could go round and round in circles debating the pros and cons of owning a stash of 750+ kits - but the essential thing to remember is that the hobby is supposed to be about enjoyment and if that to you is 1000 unbuilt kits filling your loft and cupboards and 2 completions per year, then who I am to argue?