All good things seem to change......

[Tim Nolan]

Well, I just rolled back in from Ft. Lauderdale after a grueling weekend of continuing education for my Opticians licensing. Geez I'd rather take a beatin' than sit all those hours in those things!! It was a lousy drive down Friday night, took almost 5 hrs. in rain and wind gusting up to 60mph!!! It's still blowing like hell here. Made it home tonight in just over 3.5 hrs. The one thing I was really looking forward to was a stop by the MegaHobbies store, which we did 2 years ago when I was down there. Boy, did I get disappointed!! The model "dept", which was not only huge and very complete then, and offered tons of cottage industry parts of all kinds, has been reduced to 3 short isles, and all the aftermarket parts are no more!! I was shocked. I met Doug Shay last time, and he was not only nice, but enthusiastic and super helpful. This time, I get some nasty old fart who seemed to be annoyed that I was even there, much less bothering him with models. He informed me they got rid of all that "crap" about a year ago when I asked about detail stuff. The place was much more disorganized and very messy. I did pick up a couple Tiger Sharks, the re-ish Silhouette (always loved this "modern" boxart), and the 65' Continental kits. Also picked up a nice Peanuts item for the Christmas train layout, with the characters sledding down a hill and all, (it's animated). It was a big let-down after being so anxious all weekend to got there...I can't help but feel our hobby is in serious threat of extinction at some point in the next 20 years, when all of us have grown too old and arthritic to build any more....The place was loaded with high-dollar trains and RC items of all kinds, and was doing a booming business in that area. (I'm not sh***in', it looked like Walmart having a sale...) I honestly see the mail-order and ebay being our only resource at some point too. It's really a shame....Sorry I missed some e-mails from you guys!!

[Ellis Kendrick]

Hey, Tim:
I have no doubt that car modeling will continue. As long as there are old farts like us with money to burn, SOMEBODY will oblige us and supply kits and supplies to take our money away from us. WHERE we'll buy them though, that's another story. Between Walmart and the internet, the old mom and pop hobby stores are dying off. You can't blame them for redirecting their businesses to sell what the hot items are. If they didn't do that they'd wind up in bankruptcy court. I try to buy local, but I still don't buy enough to keep a local store in business. My wife says I spend too much on my modeling passion anyway but I can't keep my local shops in business!
Thank God for the internet and eBay. In my years of modeling, I have NEVER had the availability of kits and supplies like I can buy now over the computer. I've found things I never even knew exisited or I thought had long disappeared. It's like having the world's biggest hobby store sitting right on my desktop! I also hate to see the local stores go but, as you say, everything changes.

[scurvy]

Tim,

I agree with you - I don't think we'll have more than two major plastic model manufacturers in twenty years unless there is a big change in mold-making technology. I think that modelbuilding will go upscale at that point. Get used to buying old kits from collector warehouses or buying resin, white metal and machined aluminum parts. The good news is that rapid prototyping technology is getting better and cheaper all the time. Although current 3D "printers" start at over $2,000.00 and produce only semi-smooth surfaces, in a few years I think we'll see home units for a quarter of that which produce smooth, hi-resolution forms in 3D. The future of modelbuilding may then include downloading a "kit" and printing the parts at home. With all the other pastimes competing for the attention of our children, and our culture's whole focus on instant gratification over crafting something with one's own hands, I think any future hobbyists will be focusing on animate, remotely controlled/programmed miniatures, and not static models.

[RatRod]

Man, you katz are trippin'..... lol!!! Well said, but to futuristic for me. I believe our hobby is still holding it's own, but with mostly us old farts, it's kinda hard to get these youngsters interested these days with building models, to many other toys out there. I do keep trying though.

[chief]

I agrre with all of you , the GOD OLE DAYS ARE GOING FAST!! It will be nothing but mail order really soon and then are kids will just sell off our collection and run to some island full of pretty women to drink up the money(LOL) I hope that the show in Atlanta this coming weekend has some goodies to offer........Chief

[vwcamperman]

ratrod said:

Man, you katz are trippin'..... lol!!! Well said, but to futuristic for me. I believe our hobby is still holding it's own, but with mostly us old farts, it's kinda hard to get these youngsters interested these days with building models, to many other toys out there. I do keep trying though.

Hey, i'd class myself as a youngster ;D

[rickg]

That sounds Mighty Tempting Chief !!!....If I Thought I Could Trade " This Plastic Stuff".... for a Cozy Little ... Love Nest Island , Full Of Babes Who Drink Up Money....I think I would have to consider it ...................Seriously !!!!! ....( I 'd have to inform those in charge of our Map...To re-position my pin , that'd be a Drag !!!)

[hizootdklown]

size=3]Tim you're absolutely right ! This hobby is dying & fast, it simply takes toooo much time & effort to do it correctly. Young people don't want to devote their energies to it.

I too got a wake up call this weekend, when I went to the once mighty Pegasus Hobby, a place with a whole wall donated to aftermarket, cottage & scratch building supplies. Now a half empty wall of near useless bits & pieces. I was also told that Detail Master is reducing their catalog dramatically & that Model Car Garage will have only "limited" supplies of machined aluminum now that Cody Grayland is not with them...

These aftermarket supplies help me more than words can say, what a shame..![/size][/b]

[TheMadModeler]

Hey Chief.. Sorry but I haven't looked for the skull &bones yet.
Hey. If by chance, I'm talkin' a long shot here. you come accross my Grail kit I'm lookin' for a Aoshima Video Game Carry kit.
I'd gladly return a favor..
BiLL..

chief said:

I agrre with all of you , the GOD OLE DAYS ARE GOING FAST!! It will be nothing but mail order really soon and then are kids will just sell off our collection and run to some island full of pretty women to drink up the money(LOL) I hope that the show in Atlanta this coming weekend has some goodies to offer........Chief

[chief]

Bill, Haven't seen one of those before, but let me know if ya find dem bones.........................Chief