When I was in a modeling club, several years back, we had a neat Christmas exchange one year. Everybody has a "Problem Child" somewhere in their collection. A kit that they started, but will never finish, A kit they bought, but never found the decals to do the version they wanted to build, A pair of kits for a kitbash the turned out to be over their heads... We still held our regular gift exchange, but we also added a "Problem Child" exchange, where we gave each other the projects, conversion, and restorations thet we knew we would never finish ourselves. Everybody thought it was a great idea, and a great way to unload their abandoned projects.

The real kicker was at the January meeting, when we announced that the subject for the April meeting build was the kits from the exchange. Three months to finish, restore, or build something else from a proejct that had been sitting in another modeler's closet for years! The turnout was the best we have had for a build, and the results were pretty impressive. I had to finish a conversion of a JU-52 to a Ju-52 1M, single engined floatplane. The guy even threw in a photopack from Bob Banka with the kit and parts. Other people used the raw materials to start other projects with, or for kitbashes never intended by the giver.

I just thought I would toss this idea out, as it was a lot of fun, and since the names were drawn at random, most people had to build a kit that was a bit out of their normal realm. Our car guy, who did only pro streeters, ended up with a 1/700 ship, and a stack of photo etched railings to do. Our sailing ship guy found that he also liked rigging WWI biplanes. All in all, we learned some new skills, and had fun looking for our old junk on the table at the april meeting.

Dave

This is a great idea.I have a Hobby Craft 1/32 Mig 15,with eduard photo-etch,that has sat for 2 years because it is a pig.I mean this model is the reason for much cursing and shouting. It is really close to being finished but,re-scribing panels and misalignment of parts has made the model unattractive.I just lost interest and now it sits begging to be finished.It needs adoption,a good home,a place where it can be finished.Does anyone else have that red-headed step child sitting in thier closet?