Quoted Text
OK, I think I have a personal issue...I buy a new airbrush and it arrives all shiny and new and I just cant bring myself to use it because I do not want to dirty up the brush and ruin it's newness....My issue is so severe that I actually bought a second 113C, just so I could keep one all clean and new....I find that I do this with certain model kits also. I seem to need a spare to remain on the shelf.
I'd say this is not an issue, especially if you do this only occasionally. However, if it carries over to other aspects of your life-- and you by two of everything just to keep one "nice", then you probably need to see somebody about it. If it's just something you occasionally do in modeling, don't worry about it-- it is a hobby after all. I sometimes buy two of something if I think I won't be able to get another one later, which happens frequently in the "modeling world".
When I worked in a LHS we had two customers who were definitely "disturbed". The first was an 86 year old guy who modeled only 1/72 scale aircraft. He'd buy two or three of everything in 1/72 scale, and had been doing so for years. One day his son came into the shop and asked us to discourage him from buying multiples of kits as his father had a 12' x 12' spare bedroom filled floor to ceiling with unbuilt kits, but only had about 60 finished models. He even gave us a list of kits his Dad had, so we could discourage him from buying a kit he already had. He didn't mind his Dad getting "kit therapy" once in a while, but his Dad had turned from "collecting" to just hoarding. The second story is more disturbing. We had a guy come into the shop at least once a month and spend nearly $200 on duplicates of car kits, but never any paints, cements or tools. I finally asked him why he didn't buy modeling supplies. He said he occasionally built a kit, but he preferred to just open the box and look at the sprues for a while, but since most kits couldn't be made into "the perfect model" he'd throw the opened kit away after "studying it". The second kit he wouldn't open because he wanted it to be "pristine" in "mint" condition so he could eventually resell it on eBay. He told me he often did this not just with models but also with clothing, everyday items, and tools, occasionally even food items! He said his "crazy" wife (his words) had left him, but she was the one who needed help, since he was going to make a fortune on all the stuff he'd kept in "pristine condition" over the years! I think all of us have a touch of "modeling insanity" occasionally, but its not "crazy" unless it becomes habitual and overlaps into other aspects of your life.
VR, Russ
Director of Member Services
