Hobby Progress

I just wanted to update people on my hobby progress.  Quite a long time ago I featured the painting of a train building I was working on.  It is finally finished and I thought you would like to take a look at it.

This was the only the second train building I have made, so it is not perfect, but I am happy with the results, and I will continue to make them, hopefully improving every time.  I haven't added any roof details, but I purchased the kit, so perhaps sometime later today.

I am not sure this will go on my layout, because I am hoping to build better one--perhaps adding some window details or signs. 

The model featured is Design Preservation Model, Haye's Hardware.  It was painted with Polly Scale paints, and the roof is done with Woodland Scenics coal.

Lindberg's 1949 Tudor Coupe 1/32 scale

 

Usually shopping at Dollarama means looking for scratch building supplies or looking for some container that I need to organize my hobby stuff.  Today I came across a model kit for sale.  The price was a reasonable three bucks.  Hard to complain about that.  Of course, I once got a 1/24 Scale Ford Fairlane for $2 from Walmart, but since they don't have models anymore, that was probably an unannounced clearance sale.

I really don't need any more models.  I've got a shelf  full of unbuilt kits, and dozens of other hobbies to pursue--not to mention umpteen household chores that have been the victim of procrastination.  I guess curiosity got the better of me, and by writing this, hopefully it won't get the better of you.  You will be armed with knowledge before scouring the Dollarama.

 

So, what came in the box?  Watch the YouTube video if you want to see the unboxing.  It will give you a good idea of what is inside.  Basically, this is a bare bones kit if I have ever seen one. No chrome, no rubber tires, the body comes in three pieces (and those other pieces are the sides, not the hood and truck lid) no engine and no decals of any kind.  The wheels are all plastic and need to be glued together.

Is this a good kit?  Well, for three dollars, I wasn't expecting a Tamiya masterpiece.  I am pretty satisfied with the contents of the box.  The mould lines look good, and I don't see any sink holes or injection marks....so I really shouldn't complain.  With some good painting, and putty to fill up the gaps, this will turn into an acceptable model.  I will post pictures when I can.  I've got some bare metal foil to make the bumpers and grill, and I certainly have enough paint.  Mostly, I am probably worried more about what colour to paint it.  Red looks good, but I have never painted a red model that I have been satsified with.

The Dollarama in my neighbourhood had 3 different models:  two convertibles and this one.  If anyone finds different ones, please post here.  If anyone has completed one, feel free to send some pictures.

Too Much vs Not Enough

 

 

If I didn't include the vast amount of "things Japanese" that I am interested in, I would have to say that building things (plastic models, nanoblocks, etc) is my hobby.  I built cars, motorcycles, trucks, military vehicles, planes, ships and even buildings.  I think model kits and the like are just fantastic.

I am wondering, though, what exactly is "enough".  I have watched some great TV programs (plamo tsukuro--a Japanese model program that you should be able to find on YouTube if they don't delete it, which is truly fantastic) and been to some shows to see the expert work of some people.  In the show I mentioned they labour for a long time over small details.  They spend vast sums of money on detail parts.  It is truly incredible.  As stated before, I have never completed a model I was truly satisfied with.  I have had one or two really good paint jobs, one or two good ideas, maybe even one or two of my decals has actually gone in the right place..... but never anything approaching expert level.

Is it because I am not enough of a perfectionist?  As already demonstrated, I get bored easily, and quickly change to other hobbies and interests.  I don't really want to do the same thing for too long a period of time.  I have had a couple of models on my workbench, and I am thinking that I would rather just chuck them out, than complete them (though that won't happen, they may have to go back in the box for a while).

One of my friends is a perfectionist.  He will spend a lot of time on one model.  He has been working on one warhammer figure for a long time now. (I won't tell you how long, because in all fairness, I have no idea)  Needless to say, when he gets done, it will be fantastic--show worthy.  When I get done, I am not sure if it is even personal showcase worthy.  Sometimes, I just chalk them up to a "personal experiment."  Which is probably a euphemism for mistake.

Spending a lot of time and money on a hobby isn't really bad.  When you figure the dollar value versus the time you spent, there are certainly other interests that cost more.  An hour or two at the pub costs more than a model and paint.  Which one takes more time....well for me, the model will last months.

The question remains.  How far should you take it, and what are you willing to settle for?

What's Next?

As a hobbyist with too many hobbies, I am most often juggling several at one time. Nothing wrong with that as it keeps me from getting bored.  I realize that I have not posted an update on my hobbies lately--mostly because I am not particularly satisfied with the results, partly because I am preoccupied with Christmas (and memories of Christmas' past) and partly because having so many hobbies, work, obligations and a rather long commute, I haven't completed that much.

lots of kits to build

I have managed to actually finish some things, and that means I have to look ahead.  That's the topic of this blog: What lies ahead?  I am sure most hobbyists confront this question.  Mostly, they are confined within one hobby, but I am sure they ask it.  Train layout builders ponder if they should expand their layouts, or redo some part of it.  Video gamers wonder which game they want to beat next.  Puzzle makers consider which kit has the least amount of sky.  Music makers are looking for the next beat.  All of us are wondering what's next.

What makes this question so difficult for me is that it has so many meanings.  Which kit should I build next?  Which Nanoblock kit should I buy and build next?  Which train building needs to get done next?  Which set of freight cars should I buy?  What layout project should I tackle next?  Which blog should I update next?  Should I start a new blog?  Which books should I get from the library?  Should I start a new hobby like remote control helicopters?  Should I get a pool table for my house? (The Hustler was on TV this weekend.... just so you understand how my mind works)  Should I get my motorcycle or pilot's licence?  Should I join the gym?  Wouldn't it be cool to make my own beer?  Baking seems like a good way to feed myself.



lots of model railroad buildings to make

Yes, not only do I wonder what is next in the hobby queue based on what I am doing (I finished one kit, what's the next one?) but also on what new hobby I would like to take up.  Is this wise?  I can't really say that it is, but that is just how things go.  That's what makes the question, what's next? so difficult.



The other wrinkle in all this is preparation.  I might want to do something, but that doesn't mean I am ready to do it.  I might pick a model kit, or building kit and find I don't have the paint or that my glue has dried into a rock solid mass that will never dislodge itself from the bottle.  There is nothing more of momentum killer than having to go out and get something.



and a nanoblock project awaiting

Sometimes a trip to the hobby store is good for getting oneself going again, but for someone like me, it just opens up too many avenues of exploration.  Going to the hobby store for glue might mean the beginning of an entirely new hobby.



So, what's next?



Too Much, Too Many?

How much is too much?  How many is too many?  Either every hobbyist must answer these questions, or spend a lot of time avoiding answering these questions.  If they don't ask themselves, then surely someone in their family, or circle of friends, or amongst their co-workers will ask this question.  At first, it will be polite, but that will change.... Given time.

Hobbyists (the part that becomes the collector) start out small.  A few model kits here, a stumble across a sale means a few more, a deal at a yard sale, a trip to a convention.... I used model kits as an example, but it might just as well have been trains, die cast cars, Lego kits, DVD series, tools, doilies, stamps, hockey cards..... really, I should have just left a blank and asked you to fill it in.

You know the kind of hobbyist I mean.  This person has way more stuff than they can ever tackle, and has no desire to part with any of it... at any price.  They've got some great stuff, some usual stuff, and hidden away, though not less valuable to them, some very mediocre stuff that they wouldn't show their hobby friends.

In my case, it isn't quite that bad.  I don't have too much of any one thing.  I've got more than I need (don't we all), but I won't be featured on any hoarding television show.  However, I probably have too many hobbies, and therefore too much hobby stuff as opposed to too much of one thing.
I am pretty good at setting limits, but I am often swept away by new interests.  Something new is more interesting than something I have seen before.  Something different is better than something I already know about.  Of course, this is also limited by cost, but that will be the subject of another blog (the title will also be "How much is too much?" but with different implications)

Recent additions to the collection

So how much/many is too much/many?  It's a tough question.  As for model kits, more than you can build in your lifetime would seem to be a good place to start....but that doesn't take into account new things that come onto the market.  The same could be said for trains.  More than you can run in a weekend seems like a good number.  Lego.... when you can build your own house out of Lego, you should probably stop.  Comic books.... when the boxes can't be stored in the guest room, that should be it.  Tools....if you haven't even taken them out of the package in a few years, the message should be clear.  The list could go on, and I really want to hear from you people and how much you think is too much for the hobbyist in your life.

Hobbies on Television

Why aren't there any hobby reality shows?  When you get right down to it, hobbies seem to be poorly represented on TV.  It seems to me that there is an opportunity for some kind of program on television.  Why isn't there one?

The way I see it we certainly could have shows about making models.  There is such a diversity of models out there that every week could be quite different and reach quite a diverse audience.  One week on airplanes,  (both military and commercial) one week on cars, one week on military models, one week on science fiction, one week on trucks, ....you get the idea.  They could build dioramas, showcase different techniques and materials--and just like those annoying "flea market type shows" educate us with some history.  In Japan, they have a show like this.  It is called Plamotsukuro.  It is amazing to watch.

I would love a show about the hobby of trains.  At least, in this area, there are some programs devoted to real trains, but there isn't enough about model trains.  I don't think it would be difficult to come up with some good programs about building, collecting, and running model railroads.

Of course, there are so many other hobbies out there.  Rather than have a show of people buying stuff hoping to sell it for more, why can't we see the passion of people who aren't in it for the money.  Those shows are on the history channel, purporting to be real, and dishing out relevant historical information.  I think a show about hobbies could do that just as well.

I would think a show about different hobbies could easily find a sponsor.  With Christmas approaching, wouldn't there be a demand for hobbies and toys?  Wouldn't people like to see things that would occupy them on those dark winter nights?

If you're visiting a television channel or network website, don't hesitate to let them know that a program about hobbies would be appreciated.  I certainly will be doing that, as soon as I finish typing this.

A Day Out

the stuff I bought today....though I wasn't going to buy anything.

Isn't it amazing that when you go to a hobby shop, and have no intention of buying anything, you always come home with stuff.  I wish I could lie and say the stuff just followed me home, but that just wouldn't be true.

Today I went to three different hobby shops.  Although I primarily went to look at train stuff, I managed to look at paint, car models, plane models, slot cars, magazines, science fiction models, tools, and lots of equipment.  All in all it was a good day.

If you need a day out, a trip to your local hobby shop would be a great idea.  You could go an just talk to people and share ideas on your hobby.  You don't have to buy anything.  Really.  You don't have to buy anything.  Of course, that is what I told myself before I left for the shops today.

Decals.....My Nemesis

I am not going to boast about my modeling skills--mostly because I can't.  I am stuck in the intermediate phase and seemed destined to stay there forever.  On one of my current projects--Jacques Villeneuve's Formula One car I had been making good progress until I met my nemesis.

My nemesis at car modeling that is.... my sink nemesis is this guy named Martin, and my bus seat nemesis doesn't have a name, but he has sharp elbows that seem to stick me whenever he is texting someone.... whish is ALL THE TIME!  I seem to be digressing.

My nemesis in car modeling must be decals.  I have lots of good equipment. I have a good set of knives.  I have a steel ruler.  I have a really cool self healing cutting mat (not entirely sure what that is, but it sounds cool).  I've even got a full range of tweezers and some setting solution for the decals.  What I don't have is patience for getting them on strait, judgement to know when to remove them from the water, and delicate fingers to stop them from ripping, folding or disintegrating.

I have, in the past, managed to get the decals on license plates, dashboards, air cleaner covers and manifolds.  As for this car, I have ruined a few, and now feel dejected.  I am not sure I want to finish this model, even though it started out with such good progress.

I wish I could blame the decals.  They seem very thin and fragile.  Maybe they are defective.  If I could comfort myself with that lie, I could probably tell myself the dozens of others that politicians and pseudo academics try to foist on me on a weekly basis.  Sadly, I cannot do that.  It is probably less about principles than practical honesty.

I had such high hopes for this car, but sadly, it may go back in the box to rest for a while.  A long while, if I can't shake this funk and feeling of frustration.

I used to hate painting car bodies, but the airbrush has made that somewhat easier.  Of course, choosing the right colours and thinning the paint appropriately has also helped that, but I would rather thank the airbrush.  It is just simpler that way.

I used to hate taping walls and baseboards for painting, but the new tape (frog tape I think it is called--they must be competing with duct/duck tape.) has made that easier.

wiring up train tracks and lights used to be a pain, but that has been solved.

So basically, why can't they make better decals for car models.

 

On a side note, as an ESL teacher, I am amused by the word decal.  Do you pronounce it /dee-kal/ or /deckle/ ?

these turned out relatively good

Dusting Incidents

As a modeller, car collector, stuff collector, train collector, and general hobbyist, I struggle with a way to display my stuff.  Sometimes it is because I have too much stuff to display.  Sometimes it because I can't find the best way to showcase what I have.  Of course, sometimes it is because, besides myself, nobody really wants to see my stuff.

You might wonder why I need a display case anyway.  You have to realize that the biggest enemy of the hobbyist is dust.  Actually dust is the second biggest enemy.  In reality the biggest is the person doing the dusting.  Thousands of models, toys and collectibles are damaged and destroyed each year in dusting related incidents.  The only way to avoid it is to keep the stuff away from the dusting brush.  The best way to do that is to safely encase it is some display container. 

the dream

Certainly I would love a beautiful, French provincial oak display case that was more furniture than anything.  Sadly, the financial requirements for that go way beyond what I can afford.  Second best would probably be something from IKEA.  Though not as financially draining, it does require using an hex key.  Usually, I have to settle for something plastic.  It is functional, but classy it is not.

the reality

There are quite a few things I would like to put in display cases.  I would love to display my trains.  When I am not using them, it would be fantastic to put the in a nicely made display case on the wall.  Even when I wasn't running them, I could admire them.



I certainly would love to display my car and military models.  At present I have them in plastic display cases that are stored up high in the hobby room.  They really can't be seen, they are just kept from getting dusty.  Of course, I am not sure any of them are really worth displaying.  However, someday, I will build some that will be good enough to show people.

a cool idea



 would make me cry during lockou

I would love to put my Toronto Maple Leaf stuff in display cases.  I've got cards, jerseys (yes, that is plural), pucks. coffee mugs, glasses, bobble heads, key chains, and coasters.  Of course, if there is no hockey this year, such a display my bring me to tears.

I am pretty sure that my Japanese mini car collection would look good displayed.  It would look better if I could work in some of the boxes too.  I will have to research that one a bit more.

I am sure all of you out there are facing the same dilemma.  All I can say is good luck, and hope you can protect your stuff from the reckless dusting brush.

Stress, thy name is anticipation

Hobby stress--yes, you heard me, hobby stress (and yes, I know hobbies are supposed to alleviate stress) comes from many places.  If you don't believe me, through several of these blogs (because explaining more than one kind of hobby stress would be..... stressful) I will educate you.

For today, stress, thy name is anticipation.  For a hobbyist anytime you are waiting on something, whether to be released to the market, or to appear at your hobby shop, or to arrive at your home because you ordered it online, it feels like Christmas to a five year old.  Maybe that is why some of us hobbyists have been accused of never having grown up.

I took the plunge about one month ago and ordered a train kit.  Having been frustrated with my lack of progress on the train front I decided to basically start again, albeit with greater restraint.  Most people who like trains envision a grand plan that takes up a lot of space in the home, perhaps more than one room.  This is wonderful, and though costly, certainly will occupy a large amount of time (and money).  Unfortunately, this kind of ambitious planning can be a drawback if you lack the skill or determination to realize this dream.  Looking at myself, I have to admit both of these are true,  I was getting nowhere with my train layout, so it is back to square one.  So, to compliment my skill level, I bought a complete kit, layout, buildings, the whole thing in a box--actually three boxes, three kits.  Actually, ordered would be a better word.

That was a month ago.  I received two of the kits (buildings and track) but have yet to receive the layout part.  That's right, the part that starts the whole thing off is missing.  I have contacted the seller, and apparently a replacement for my lost products is on the way.

Since my contact with the seller, I have waited patiently, or at least as patiently as a man child like myself can wait.  I don't wake up every morning hoping my package mysteriously, wondrously appeared under my tree (it's still only the end of August), but I have eagerly come home from work hoping to find the box or at the very least a note from the post office.

That was a month ago.

Can you understand the torture a hobbyist goes through now.  What can I do?

Okay, actually, like many hobbyists, I have a whack load of projects I could do.  There are models to build, house walls to paint, grass to cut, yo-yo tricks to practice, Dexter to watch, YouTube to watch and many others,  The problem is these are things I  could do, but not necessarily things I want to do.

So, here I sit, hoping against hope that the courier will arrive tomorrow with my much wanted box.  Only then will the waiting be over.

An August Progress Report

I seem to have found myself with a little bit of spare time, so I thought a progress report was in order.

I went to the dollar store (I think this one was called Dollar Tree)  I had never been there before, but I was, pardon the cliché, in the neighbourhood.  I wonder if that applies to big box stores.  I guess what you can say is that I was in the general vicinity after shopping for some airbrush bottles at an art store.

In this new dollar store I was only really thinking about getting something to drink.  Somehow I managed to spend $7, so I guess their master plan worked.  I came out with 2 more jigsaw puzzles.  I don't really regret it because you can't really complain about paying $1.25 for a puzzle..... and yes, even though it is a dollar store, there are things that cost more than $1.

I decided to take the systematic approach first.

Step 1)  Get all the edges

Step 2 Separate into 3 piles: Sky, Buildings, and transition from building to sky

Step 3) attach all the pieces that transition from building to sky.

Step 4) fill in the building part

Step 5) scream because now I am left with only sky

I almost decided to quit the puzzle and move onto something else.  I mean, I had the picture done, all that was left was the sky.  That huge, multi-piece blue sky.  My friend who needs a hobby urged me to carry on, so today I finished it.

I also had some time to apply my first airbrush coat to one of the buildings for my train layout.  Never having worked with that paint before I have to say that I made it too thin.  The result wasn't bad though, and the slight variation should look okay on the building.  This is Design Preservation Models Hayes' Hardware (N scale).   It isn't the most complex building, but it has served as a good introduction to this type of modeling.

 

I will apply the next, slightly thicker coat, tomorrow.

Now you know where things with me stand.

Making Tools and Sweating Buckets

Being a hobbyist, more specifically a train hobbyist, has made me use more raw skills than any other hobby.  It involves all the skills of building plastic models--the prepping, the painting, the assembling, the disassembling, the repainting,  It involves a fair bit of math-- measuring angles, radii etc as well as re-measuring those same angles and radii.  It involves a bit of electronics--soldering, wiring, re-soldering, rewiring.  And it involves a bit of carpentry--constructing platforms to build the train on, backdrop holders, rebuilding those same things, quite possibly several times.

An example of the thick sprue channel

I am no carpentry whiz--as I mentioned before, that is my brother's department.  Nonetheless, I try not to bother him with things I should be able to handle.  I build my last train table myself and managed to do a fine job (though, I wish I hadn't taken the advice to build the thing on a hollow door--plywood would have been better and it would have been much easier to wire.)  Some friends even commented that I did a decent job (that is why you have friends by the way)  I managed all of this without a serious collection of power tools.  Hand saw, mitre box, and workbench can take you far.

Besides giving myself a virtual pat on the back and feeling smug about my self reliance, it does bring me to today's blog idea--making tools, or at least making do.

The cleaned up model I am working on--sanding still required

Today I started work on a DPM (Design Preservation Models) Hayes Hardware kit.  Having spent a lot of years building car models from the US, Japan, parts of Asia and Europe, I can say that car modellers have it way easier,  You clean up a bit of flash, fill some gaps and you're ready. With these kits I had to cut off a lot of extra material, (I have never seen such big sprue channels) and you aren't really provided with a nice tab system for keeping things together,  What really irked me was that I was told I had to "level the draft corners".  The building doesn't even come squared.  The edges are bevelled!  Why would they do it that way?  Granted I found no injection marks, but still!  I would like to see what a Japanese company like Tamiya could do on buildings. (I have a Japanese model of a convenience store but it came pre-built, so I can't really compare.)

The recommended rotating the model around a piece of sandpaper tacked to a piece of wood.  Sounds good, but wouldn't it be better to have the sandpaper glued to the wood?  Whether it is better or not, I do not know.  However, that is what I did.  I got a piece of wood, cut it to size with my trusty handsaw, and glued two pieces of sandpaper to it.  Now, I have what they asked for, built to my specifications.

The sanding tool I made

The negatives; it took me some time (finding the piece of wood, getting it down from its high storage area involved moving and setting up my not so light ladder, marking the cuts, cutting it, cleaning up, gluing and waiting for the glue to dry) and when the sandpaper is used up, I will have to make another one.

The positives; I feel very manly.  (in which case I feel entitled to a beer)  I feel self reliant.

All in all, I am confident that I can go to the next stage in the building process.

If anyone would like to comment on the outdated tools they use, or the tools that they have made, that would be wonderful.

Living Large

Today was a day of hobbies.  I went to the Japanese store to practice a little Nihongo and eat some Tonkatsu.  I followed that up with a financially draining visit to the train store, a complicated search for and tour of a  plastic model shop, and a quick visit to the store that sells the Nanoblocks.
Some would call it self indulgence, others would call it what I call it, a classic start to my vacation.  Living life to the fullest includes doing your hobbies.

A Need for Speed

Okay, I admit it.  I love car racing.  There I said it.  I have come clean.  I know what you're going to say.  I have heard it all before.  I know all the jokes about going around in circles.  Say whatever you want, it won't affect me.  I know what I like, and I am comfortable with that.  I told you people at the beginning that I loved cars, so really, this shouldn't come as a shock to you.

one of my "to do list" models

Generally speaking I prefer either touring cars or open wheel racing.  So, yes that means I sometimes have to get up very early on a Sunday and watch the races from Europe.  It also means I must scour the internet looking for races that are rarely broadcast on TV channels I get.  A cable channel devoted entirely to fast cars sounds wonderful, but why did they have to put it in the top tier TV package.  How I long for the day when I can choose the 15 channels that I watch and pay about $1 for each of them.  Quake in fear cable companies, that day is coming

What spurred this blog topic was my local paper.  Every week they have a car section and the reporters get to drive a whole bunch of cars that I never will. This week one of the reporters went to a racing school that is located a reasonable distance from my house.  In between fits of jealousy and rage, the fire, the desire, the urge (perhaps it would be too cliché to say the drive) for this hobby was reignited (maybe if I had an editor he or she would want me to use puns like, it got my engine started.... perhaps it's good for all of us that I do not have an editor)

I love the look of these cars

I guess there is a speed demon lurking in most of us.  I love car chases in movies, and I love the roar of the engines.  I have fantasized about racing Porsche 911 down an empty highway, foot to the floor.  These thoughts haven't surfaced for a while (I guess that is what life on a commuter bus does for you) but this newspaper article did it.

So, I did what anyone who had an internet connection would do,  I googled it.  Then of course reality set in.  They have long and short courses.  They have a cool track, great facilities and Van Diemen Formula cars, and a cool program.  The pictures are fantastic and the lust for speed is boiling in my blood.  Everything is perfect, except that to go to this racing academy I would have to give up eating for the next two years.  I grant that it would be worth it, but somehow...... after two years without sustenance, my body would be too emaciated, and I probably wouldn't have the ability to turn the wheels.

vintage and cool

Reality is cruel.  It gives passions, dangles them in front of you, and then watches as you vainly jump for them--it is like playing monkey in the middle with two taller older brothers.

I could write a letter to the editor, hoping to wipe that smug smile off the reporters face, but what good would that do.  It isn't his or her fault exactly (I was too angry to check if it was a man or woman), but my frustration level makes me want to lash out.  I probably won't feel better until I get my own dose of speed.

Just in case somebody wants to know.  Currently, my favourite kind of racing is The British Touring Cars, followed by Endurance Racing (most notably the 24 Hours of LeMan) and then the Australian V8 SuperCars.

Project Update July

I haven't updated my hobby progress in a while.  This is probably due to a lack of progress.  I have done a few things, but I wouldn't call this a particularly productive summer for a hobbyist.  Of course, in Canada, the best indoor hobby time is winter.  When it is cold outside, unless your playing hockey or skiing (two very fine pursuits) then being outside either means that tough walk to the bus stop, the pull your kids up hill so they can slide down in 1/10th the time, or the dreaded driveway shovel.  Being cold outside provides the perfect opportunity to work on models, puzzles, the train, or something along those lines.

Lately here the weather has been rather warm and the flower garden has been demanding a lot of my attention.

Fear not, I have done some things.  First and foremost, I have committed myself to this blog.  The second thing is that I picked up (well, in fact I had Amazon send me) some new train books.  I have read quite of bit from each one and I am happy with the purchase.  The third thing I have done is get the bike tuned up so I can ride around and enjoy this weather.

Sadly, my tennis partner is relocating and I am afraid my game will fall off to nothing.

Truth be told, I have neglected my models, my trains (well, I got some books, and I have made a decision about my layout--but I will save that for another blog) and my Japanese study.  I have put off the Lego purchase.  I have spent time reading, but I have not quite gotten used to loading books on the e reader.

I finished my book of Codeword Puzzles (all 150 of them) and started my book of logic puzzles.

I am not worried, and I am not short of topics for this blog, so even if this officially becomes a lazy summer, I will still have a progress report for you in August.

Deals and Disappointments

There is nothing better than a great deal when you're involved in a hobby.  I have twice been fortunate to have some spare money and the knowledge that a hobby store was going out of business.  I was able to make some buys that I normally would have been financially out of reach (No! Not the highly desired Pocher kit).  It was sad for the hobby shops (only one has since re-opened) but great for me.

The flipside of the coin is the bad deal.  Nothing makes a hobbyist cringe more than seeing a lower price for something that you wanted and either happily or reluctantly shelled out your hard earned cash for.  You might have thought you got a pretty good deal, but then, suddenly you know you didn't.  It can make you scream.

I am not talking about time sensitive things.  Certainly, if you wait some things inevitably come down in price.  If you are collecting a TV series,  (some people still do that) if you wait until the next year, you can certainly save a lot of money.  Of course, that isn't always true.  Some things in the hobby world go up in price, sometimes quite rapidly.  I knew a guy who waited to purchase his first edition copy of Watchmen--well, we all know what happened there don't we.

Having the patience to wait something out is not easy.  Desire and spending money are by nature on a collision course.  If you see it, and you want it, no appeal to your economic well being could persuade you to wait.  If that were true model builders wouldn't have more kits than they can build in the next two lifetimes.  Car collectors wouldn't have multiple sets of multiple companies of one season of cards.  Lego people wouldn't have enough blocks to build a full size replica of the CN Tower.  Toy soldier people wouldn't have enough to stage the civil war two times over.  When it gets right down to it. waiting makes sense, but it doesn't make the kind of sense the heart listens to.

In the old days, this kind of thing probably happened less.  Stores had a more limited selection and the number of stores a person could frequent was probably less.  There weren't the huge number of on-line retailers for the obsessive compulsive price checkers (guilty).

I should note that my argument falls apart a little because I saw a vintage issue of Model Railroader that had more than ten train shops in Toronto.  So, if you lived in a big city there were probably more stores to visit--I guess less time in front of the computer could mean more time at the hobby desk.

Back to price tag shock...... I feel for anyone who gets burned by this, but it happens to all of us.  We get some great deals, but we have to pay sometimes.  Everything balances out in the end.  Good luck, I hope you get a great deal.

Lost Marbles

Did people used to play marbles?  Really?  I don't want to doubt a whole generation, or generations for that matter, but did they actually do that?  I tried it as a kid (I think I still have the marble someplace) but wouldn't have really called it a success.

A quick search on the internet does indeed show lots of beautiful marbles.  I could see how the different patterns would appeal to someone.  They would have appealed to me, but my cheap bag of marbles came from some discount store and they all looked the same.  The pictures make them seem marvellous, but that wasn't really my experience.

Another quick search of the internet brings up incredible pictures of kids playing marbles, diagrams of kids playing marbles and more than one oil on canvass painting of kids playing marbles.  Granted most of the clothes look like something out of Gangs of New York, or Once Upon a Time in America--but that is probably because nostalgia for those eras is stronger than nostalgia for the 1970's--and we should all take comfort in that.

I also came across a whole pile of websites devoted to the rules of marbles.  So, I must conclude, albeit with a touch of incredulousness, that people did in fact play marbles.  I will even go so far as to say that a small number of people probably still play marbles today (It wouldn't surprise me if there isn't a Japanese association for this, but I am not going to search for it.)

So what happened?  Did it just die away?  Did it put up a fight?

I guess things change.  That means that someday kids won't play with hockey cards.  Who's kidding who, kids don't play with hockey cards anymore.  They put them in perfect acid free binders, organized and stacked neatly on shelves in hermetically sealed rooms.  Though I never did put them against my spokes I did bash the heck out of them on walls, floors, and any other hard surface.  Since I never had Gretzky's rookie card, I am not losing any sleep over it.

What other things are destined to die?  The 8-track and the cassette are dead.  The Drive-In is almost gone.  DVD rental is almost gone.  CD's are clinging by a last thread.  I suppose one day, even the iPod will disappear.  I hope we will always have plastic model car kits--though maybe the material will change.  I hope we will always have model trains.  I hope we always have RC cars.

As for now, I just lament what is gone.

Progress Report

I started this blog with the idea that it would contain a whole bunch of things.  I had this mission statement

I plan to write about the different hobbies I have take up, the ones I have researched, and my future hobby dreams--and believe me, I have lots of those.  I will also mix in amusing stories of my hobby foibles, as well as thoughts on the state of hobby pursuits in the twenty-first century.  On top of all that, I may find time to review tools, hobby kits, and anything else.  In essence, I am promising a mixed bag of tricks. 

I think I have covered the foibles and the amusing stories, but I really haven't updated you on my hobby progress. That is where this blog comes in.

Amongst my many hobbies, building plastic models ranks pretty high.  I build cars, military vehicles, Japanese castles, and science fiction subjects.  One of my ambitions is to build a car themed diorama.  It was this in mind that I started the Fujimi Tools kit.

 

I really liked the subject of this kit because it was a little different. I am attracted to more unusual pieces.  I have seen some nice finished examples of this on the internet.  My pieces are coming along, but, as you can see, they need a little finishing.

 I should point out (because I have learnt that there are some very smart people inhabiting the internet) that the engine is not from the Fujimi kit.  I am also working on a Ford Fairlane--but the engine is all that I have managed to finish.

I also recently finished the Schwimmwagen.  (okay, I haven't added the crew, but I probably won't)

That is where things stand, today.  As far as models go.  You'll find out the progress, or lack of progress, in future blogs.

Hobby Forums and Message Boards

Despite debating the pros and cons (I called it The Gift Versus the Curse) of the internet on hobbies, I probably fall more on the pro side.  Especially where message boards, or forums are concerned.

For those not in the know, the aforementioned forums or boards are places where (in this case) hobbyists can go and exchange information.  They are as simple, if not simpler than, email.  Not only can you post questions and get answers, but you can read other people's questions and answers as well.  In addition to the answers, you might also get photos which better illustrate the point the person was trying to make.

I belong to several boards.  I belong to nscale.net for my train hobbies.  I also belong to scale auto enthusiast forum for my car models.  For a time I belonged to a forum for remote control cars, but sadly they went out of business.  In addition, I have checked out other forums for my various hobbies.  If I didn't join, it is more likely that I got what I needed without having to post my own question.

My experience has been very positive.  Many people have helped me, patiently answered my questions, given solid advice, and sent many helpful pictures.  I haven't come across any insulting behaviour or obnoxious people.  Okay, in truth, once a guy lowballed me on a price for something I was selling, but not in an rude way--business is, after all, business, and like most of us, he was just looking for a deal.  When I suggested he was lowballing me, he wrote back and candidly admitted that was the case and made me a better offer.

I guess that my positive experience is due to both the majority of good and helpful people who make up the hobby and the wisdom of the moderators who keep the haters and the trolls at bay.  I estimate it is an 80/20 split, with 80 percent on the side of good people making up the hobby.

If you have never joined a message board, or forum and are into a hobby there is probably a forum out there for you.  I suggest joining, and increasing your circle of like minded hobbyists.  If it isn't for you, you can always "unjoin" or just never go there again and ignore them like I do when a salesman comes to the door.

Anyone with a good story of joining a forum, or associated wisdom, is invited to comment.