You just work around it, man. Let the meds work, then do what you can. No points off for trying.

Hi Mark
No; you are never too old.

I was in my late 40's when I started again.

I might not relish the chance to go bungee jumping at closer to 60 and I would never ever consider 'Ferret in the trousers dancing' but with you just over 40, picking up a scalpel, glue and bits of plastic? ...what's stopping you?

Enjoy your modelling.
:-H

Cheers
Peter

Too old to start? Frankly, we're all too old to be doing this stupid hobby ...

I did the usual - drifted away, came back after 15 years when I was ... er ... 39, I think it was, the memory's not what it was. All the while I kept buying the odd kit but couldn't muster the interest to build them, which led to a lot of dross entering the stash. That's now gone and been replaced by one or two good kits, which are friends with the better ones from long ago, dozens and dozens more that I've bought in the last three or four years (thank you eBay!), and also with a lot of spiders.

And I'm glad I took that time off, because if I'd made the better kits back when I bought them, they'd have been a lot worse than I can manage now, having learned so much from magazines and the interweb. I'd have wasted them. Now I'm part-way into rescribing a Monogram F-106, something that will vastly improve it (if I can manage just one straight line) and something that I wouldn't have had a clue about back then.

The only trouble is, eyes-bigger-than-stomach syndrome means I now have a stash that will one day form a museum exhibit in its own right. The later you leave restarting, the worse it gets, so I'd say, dive straight back in while you have a suitable launch window.

Hi Mark,

I started (not restarted) the hobby at age 40. I finished this the last year


So, frankly, it's never to late to start

Cheers
Claude

I also re-started 1+ years ago, after close to a 30 yr hiatus! Im 44 now...

start with Tamiya stuff... aircraft, armor, or ships! Cheap, easy fit, some of them you may even remember Add a bit on each build till you "find yourself". I also built/building some of the same kits I (ahem) pyrotechnically retired 30 years ago..some of the old Revell/Monogram/Heller kits are dirt cheap and NOT an easy fit.. so you learn some constructions basics like putty/seams/sanding. And you dont feel bad if you mangle them!

Slowly gather the essential tools, start working on your stash and have fun! Cheers

Hi, WE are not old, we are CLASSICs .....I got back into the hobby last year, I'm now 53. Its FUN & Relaxs Me, and yes I still build out of the box . Go for it !!!! milvehfan

Thanks Guys

A lot of this has already been said, just wanted to second most of the opinions.

You're never too old to revisit your youth! I got back into it in my late 30's and I'm delighted I did. The great think is I can now afford a lot more than I could as a teen-ager, but still not as much as I'd like.

Initially I did most things OOB, then slowly started adding AM & PE bits, but still don't really go totally mad to the extent that you replace most of the base kit. The main things are: enjoy each build and try and make each one better than the last.

Good Luck,
Sean

Hello Mark-- I started again at 57years old. Layed off for usual reasons, service,wife and kids. Retired and now 67 and I am having the time of my life so much has changed and for the better. Just go and do it.

Mike

Never too old! I am almost 68 and I learn something new in modeling every day! Welcome back to a great hobby.Cheers.John.

I started back again in 2003 at 44, so there ya go.

Don't feel bad. I've had the off/on thing going for sometime now. Started at 8 yrs. old doing planes in 1/48.
Things happen in life that either take us by surpise or just happen. If people don't have hobbies like this, everyone would be insane and the world would be worse off than what it already is.
Talent is the gift the man upstairs gave everyone, and how you use it is your call.
That's my story, and I'm sticking too it.

Welcome back.

I am now 40 and have been building kits on and off since I can remember. Recently it has been about five years since I have built anything. I am looking forward to hitting a local hobby store this weekend.

Maybe we should have a new guy/back again after a break campaign.

It's nice to know I'm not alone... or over the hill (maybe just a little!)

I re-started scale modeling about three years ago when I was 53.

Nice to know there are a few other..um, older mature gentleman taking up the hobby again (my 28 year old son would have said old farts - but what does he know)

I stopped when I was 15. That's a 38 year break.

We've changed, but so has the hobby - better kits, better paints (well good old Humbrol was pretty good back in 1967 too), and better glues.

You will definitely find that the quality of the kits have improved. And the resources available on the internet is staggering, almost overwhelming.



Good luck, and happy modeling, or as Scoot Kruize would say from his column on 'Internet Modeler' :

" “Build what YOU want, the way YOU want to, and above all have fun!"

http://www.internetmodeler.com/

Hi Mark.

I'm 49 years old and I did't build anything for more than 25 years. About 3 years ago I started build again, and a new world opends for me. you can do much more and the kits are much better than the old ones.
I started with a Tiger I late from Dragon.

My avdvise to you are, Start build again.

Mark........one bit of advice, stay away from Revell's 1/72 B-52.......it will make you leave the hobby all over again......

Then again, I was only like 12 when I attempted it.

Welcome back......ps, the real reason I got back was that this site provided all of the tips and support that one really needs to become a good (maybe great) builder. It made modeling fun again by being able to soak in all the techniques that the other guy with the great looking build used. My models used to come out looking like they had just come out of the shop, spotless. Never really had a sense of realism until I learned weathering and pigmentation here.....

Cheers, Mike

Hi Mark...As you can tell by the responses there are a LOT of people who have quit and come back to the hobby. I quit when I went into the army and started again when I got out. I quit again when I moved back to Germany and then started and quit several times with years in between. Now I've been at it again seriously for for about 10 years. You are never too old....the styrene always stays in your blood.
Like you, I have a job and family and little time so I build mostly out of the box...but with todays kits, if you are just building for fun, there is really no need to do a lot of aftermarket parts.

You said you want to do the best job possible on your kits so read the online reviews available here and on other sites and choose the most accurate kits. With several companies releasing kits of the same subject it's not hard to find a model that meets your needs.

One thing that has changed dramatically since you've been away from the hobby is the price of kits. I know in England th price of a kit is a much more than in the States (for whatever reason). That might also affect your decision to buy AM parts.

I do buy aftermarket stuff...I just got Friul sprockets, Modelkasten tracks,Tank Workshop wheels and an Eduard photo-etch set for my ancient Tamiya SdKfz 7. The aftermarket stuff probably cost me three times what I paid for the kit originally but I really wanted to build a fairly accurate kit. On the other hand I bought the Trumpeter early SdKfz 7 and paid the same price as I did for the Tamiya kit and all of the AM stuff together...it's a much more accurate kit but still has room for improvement.
It's all about budget, available time and the expectations you have for yourself.

I build mostly out of the box and for fun...but in the end I want fairly accurate model to display.

Good Luck and welcome back to the hobby.....if I were you I would set aside at least a SMALL portion of your paycheck for rent, food, utilitities and other non-modelling related activities. Thank goodness my wife works!

It's like an addiction....with the number of new kits released every week I need to find a second job and another set of hands to buy and build all of the kits I want.


Jeff