I was sitting around building my stryker and i needed so pictures of the headlights so i jump online and within two minutes i had 100 pictures to choose from and this got me thinking what was it like back in the 80's and before that to build military stuff with out so much intel from the net and books and other builders with first hand knowledge?

I am very intrested in finding out about some modeling history from the older builders.

OOB is my background.
Then maybe cleaning up some details like grab handles and drilling out gun muzzles.
All source information was from box art and included information or the few printed materials I had.

I put my first tanks together back in the 60's. I don't remember the name of the company that put them out but we built them the way they looked on the box. I built my first Tamiya kits in the early 70's and it was the same, out of the box and looking like the box art. Black & white photo's don't give much info on colors. I remember finding books on German tanks in the late 70's with color plates. I didn't know about museum's that might have armor I could look at. The internet has provided so much info it's hard to build a model tank today. Your afraid to show your kit because it might not have the right coloring, numbering, ect, ect.
I find the information available very interesting. I believe more info is out there waiting to be found in archives. I find it hard to believe that some manufacturers can make as many mistakes as they do with the info available. The hobby has grown in many ways, hopefully it will grow more, and for the best.
Joe

I still do it the way I did back in the 70's and 80's. Book's and the Library, book stores, and lots of reading. Now I just have the internet to help me out. I can't get everything, from the net like I can a book. There is no comparition. The internet is great, but it will never beat out a good old fashioned hand held book! Read, read read!!!!! Hand held referance material can't be beat. Sure you can print off of the internet, but that is just part of a book. Why not buy the actual book. You then have it in your collection, and can always return to it. web site sometimes disappear. If you have the book. It wont. Unless of course you loose it. I trust print more than the net. Stick with the old. Progress is great! (Look at the detail in new kits!) But it isn't always for the best. Just my opinion. You must decide what you like, and works best for you.

Cheers,

Ray

When I was first building and wanted inspiration or research I would head to the library and hit the history section. Time Life books had a nice series that had good photos.