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Modeling in General
General discussions about modeling topics.
How many must-have kits do you actually buy ?
johhar
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Alabama, United States
Member Since: September 22, 2008
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Posted: Sunday, August 21, 2016 - 08:28 PM UTC
New kits are released, new subjects and tweaks of old standards. In thread after thread I read enthusiastic declarations of "gotta get me one of those". I'm just wondering, given that most of us have limited budgets and time, how many of those we actually buy. 100%? 50% 10%
Tojo72
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North Carolina, United States
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Posted: Sunday, August 21, 2016 - 09:00 PM UTC
I don't say "I got to have it"for a lot of stuff,but when I do,I usualy get it,90% of the time,thus my stash is fairly manageable,30-40 kits right now.
MLD
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Posted: Monday, August 22, 2016 - 05:11 AM UTC
The question is not really how many 'must have' kits get bought, it should be how many get FINISHED.

That answer is far smaller than the number of 'must haves' I buy.

I have scaled way back on purchases and am more patient for better, non-new-release, full MSRP prices.

I waited and managed to get a new Trumpeter 1/72 Su-24 (warts and all) AND Begemot decals, AND pitot, AND static dischargers, AND shipped for less than new release price.
Where is it?
Sitting on the shelf.
When will it get built?
who knows....

This is one dead-sexy a/c in my eyes and I was thrilled to hear that the ancient DML kits were not the only game in town.
varanusk
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ARMORAMA
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Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain / Espaņa
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Posted: Monday, August 22, 2016 - 02:27 PM UTC
100%

There are so few kits I must have that I can go for all of them. One per year or so.
russamotto
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Utah, United States
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Posted: Tuesday, August 23, 2016 - 04:27 AM UTC
I only have a dozen kits in my stash, all were must haves when I got them. My focus is on finishing them. I will still grab something if I really, really want it, but I hold off on a purchase until I have thought about it for a few weeks. Sometimes the need fades. I'm also waiting for my wants to appear-M8 HMC as an example.
SSGToms
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Connecticut, United States
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Posted: Tuesday, August 23, 2016 - 08:21 AM UTC
If I want it, I get it. I have about 400 kits in my stash. However, with all the new kits coming out so fast, I now have to be selective in what I buy. I can't afford them all!
ivanhoe6
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Posted: Tuesday, August 23, 2016 - 11:25 PM UTC
I probably buy a kit once a month. Not that they ever get built before the next month rolls around. During that time the "gotta have it" moment fades and I am off to another "kit lust" of the month.
It's awesome that we have all of these new companies and such new subjects too. Remember the "dark days"? Tamiya released nothing, Dragon was good for something German every couple of weeks (man, do I have the STUGs and PzIII & IV's in the stash) but other than that nobody was releasing anything fresh. Maybe that's it. The "gotta have it" syndrome is a hangover from the dark days of nothing new & different.
Now that I'm retired and don't have a lot of disposable income anymore I wait for kit reviews (mostly)and base my purchases on them.
Next "gotta get it" kit is one of Takom's KTs with the interior.
Builders & collectors we are living in a Golden Era right now. Enjoy it !!!!

Tom
andromeda673
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Posted: Wednesday, August 24, 2016 - 12:20 AM UTC
it depends on what the subject is, and if I have the time to get it done, sometimes my eyes will lead me to believe that I can tackle a large must have quickly, only to be distracted by another must have. I have gotten very selective about what I buy, and I'm starting to be very real on what I actually will finish.

I have about 20 in the stash, and to me, that's money just sitting there, although alot of those were bought right either on sale and or second hand.

I wait for others to be in the new release club only to have them offer it up second hand, then I will swoop in.
Kevlar06
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Posted: Wednesday, August 24, 2016 - 12:27 AM UTC
Jonathan,
My name is Russ and I'm a "plasticholic"......I've been building and "collecting" models since 1959. I have a lifetime of modelling experience, both good and bad. I was "hooked" at an early age when models were cheap and used to buy a lot of kits and just "slap 'em together" for my "fix". As I grew older, I started buying newer and increasingly expensive kits, putting them on the shelves with good intentions, but never getting around to building them. This turned into a "plastiholic collecting obsession", and I was buying only the "latest and greatest kits". Then two things happened: 1) the "new" kits started to become astronomically expensive, even kits that might be laced with really crappy sprues; 2) I started facing the reality I was not getting younger, and it took more and more plastic to satisfy my "habit". With about 2500 unbuilt kits in the garage, storage space, hidden in cupboards, in the trunk of the car, at friends houses, etc....more than half of them "the latest state of the art newest release" in the years 1968, 1977, 1991, 2005, etc. etc. etc.-- get the picture?. I realized I had succumbed to the "demon rum" of of "new".
I promised myself I'd consult helpful modelers and join beneficial forums like Kitmaker Network, and work out my problems. I began to dispose of the once "new" stuff that was now old stuff. I sold some, impressing my wife with my "unselfish willingness to sacrifice". I took a lot of it to my LHS and shows, sometimes trading it to other desperate dealers and plasticholics for tools, supplies, or quality kits in my interest area (sometimes newer or more expensive or both) I would actually build before I died. In trading or selling, I'd trade 10-15 kits for one really good kit, (again impressing my wife And shaming her into thinning out her "teddy bear" and "commemorative plate" collections). Now my "stash" is a little under 200 very nice kits I'm actually building. Are they all new? Well, I'm working on a 1962 issue of the Revell Mercury/Atlas launch pad that I've had since 1962 and having a blast. I'm also working on Tamiya's "almost new" 1/32 Mosquito. My therapy seems to be working and I've learned not to buy it because it's new, but only because it's of real interest to me, (does it have an interesting story? Do I love the look of it? or am I somehow "connected" to it?) My support group keeps telling me just because it's "new" -- it won't be for long. Another piece of plasticholic anonymous advice-- don't buy it because everybody thinks it's the "latest and greatest". Only buy and build it because it fits in your interest area (or in your home- otherwise it will fit nicely in "File 13"!) My group of fellow plastiholics insisted I write these two maxims down on a card and keep them in my wallet with my credit cards and money, and to never go on the Internet or LHS alone. Good luck with your dilemma and obsession!
VR, Russ
johhar
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Alabama, United States
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Posted: Wednesday, August 24, 2016 - 01:08 AM UTC
I do not keep a stash - the most kits I've ever had at one time was 6, and that's because I went to a show with good money. In fact, I'm sometimes with nothing to build or work on. But I think it's a better way. I generally have 1-2, depending on what I order. But I feel the pain of having a ludicrous number of something - far more than anyone needs. It's just not model kits.
Jmarles
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British Columbia, Canada
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Posted: Thursday, August 25, 2016 - 10:53 PM UTC
Probably why many of us have such large stashes is because yesterday's "must have kit" is today's mouldering stash member. The only kit I have bought recently is the Roden 1/35th Omnibus because I've been waiting for one forever. Other than that I just buy what's cheap - I picked up the IBG C60 Petrol Truck for $25. I usually wait until new releases come down in price and go on sale. of course I will have to live to 359 to build my stash lol!
vettejack
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Posted: Friday, August 26, 2016 - 05:36 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Probably why many of us have such large stashes is because yesterday's "must have kit" is today's mouldering stash member. The only kit I have bought recently is the Roden 1/35th Omnibus because I've been waiting for one forever. Other than that I just buy what's cheap - I picked up the IBG C60 Petrol Truck for $25. I usually wait until new releases come down in price and go on sale. of course I will have to live to 359 to build my stash lol!



Geech, you must be my twin brother... I buy what strikes my fancy at the moment. And even giving about 200 to charity in the last 6 months (tax write off) I still have about 160 in the stash. I'm 62, and at 5 builds a year, if I'm lucky, I still have building to do that will carry me into the next century!
Jmarles
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British Columbia, Canada
Member Since: November 02, 2008
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Posted: Saturday, August 27, 2016 - 12:46 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Probably why many of us have such large stashes is because yesterday's "must have kit" is today's mouldering stash member. The only kit I have bought recently is the Roden 1/35th Omnibus because I've been waiting for one forever. Other than that I just buy what's cheap - I picked up the IBG C60 Petrol Truck for $25. I usually wait until new releases come down in price and go on sale. of course I will have to live to 359 to build my stash lol!



Geech, you must be my twin brother... I buy what strikes my fancy at the moment. And even giving about 200 to charity in the last 6 months (tax write off) I still have about 160 in the stash. I'm 62, and at 5 builds a year, if I'm lucky, I still have building to do that will carry me into the next century!



LOL. I'll probably do the same thing. According to my Scalemates stash manager I have almost 800 items.
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