DUMBEST THING OVERHEARD @ WF

[Heavy Metal Spike]

I like Marc's post too - made me smile - had this vision of him on a chat show lecturing the other guests

.

[resin addict]

Oh, fer cryin' out loud, can we give "the hobby is dying" caterwauling a rest for five minutes...

What he said

[Stormheart]

FilmMkr wrote:

Wanna keep the hobby from "dying"? Quit grousing and DO something about it. Back away from the computer, break out one of those forty gazillion kits in the closet, find a kid, and show them how to build a model.

There's the answer in a nutshell!!!

[Heavy Metal Spike]

"Man arrested for kidnapping child off street & making him build Godzilla kit - News at 11" . . .

.

[shakey dave 187]

Oh, fer cryin' out loud, can we give "the hobby is dying" caterwauling a rest for five minutes?

I've been building models since the mid-1960s, and when AMT started phasing out their 3-in-1 kits, veteran car modelers were moaning about the end of the Golden Age of car models. The hobby has been dying for half a century now.

It's been more than fifty years, and I've never seen so many options in subject matter, materials, resin parts, photoetch, turned aluminum, paints, tools, online outlets, availability, and more model shows that you can shake a stick at. The quality of GKs these days is off the charts. Molding and casting materials are advancing, cleanup is a breeze, and kits virtually fall together. And have you ever seen so many new GKs released in such a short time as the three months leading up to Wonderfest?

Answer this truthfully - How many of you guys started building garage kits as a teenager? Come on now, hands up. Probably none of you, that's how many. Why? Because they're expensive and challenging and require mastery of skills and techniques that are generally learned from a period of trial and error building styrene models or learning from a parent.

How many fathers and mothers these days take the time to spend with their children and teach them these skills? Make-and-takes are fine, but how would you feel if your daddy made time to show you how to clean a part, pin a leg to a body, clean a brush, and assemble a kit? Would you look forward to that in the evenings or on a weekend? Wouldn't you associate fond memories with that activity? Isn't that likely to become a lifelong passion?

And aren't we really teaching life lessons while building a kit with our children? Patience, perserverence, dedication, learning from mistakes, craftsmanship, and the sense of accomplishment from completing a task?

And why in the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks are "young people" defined as teenagers?

In the last few years I've seen Troy McDevitt go from sculpting cake toppers to one of the most in-demand sculptors in the business. Shakey Dave is one of the most prolific and talented builders and painters in this hobby. Sean Burford is coming on strong with Tank Girl and Aurora and all sorts of gorgeous sculpts. Jason Fauber is young, passionate, and on the come. I saw more twenty- and -thirty-somethings at this show than I've seen in years.

Shall I continue?

I had a blast at Wonderfest, yet when I come into the WF section of the forum, I see thread after thread of griping and moaning - not allowing pornographic models into NRA, the judging and "my model didn't win, no fair", "I don't understand why the organizers don't post pictures of the winners", the crowds are down, yada-yada.

Wanna keep the hobby from "dying"? Quit grousing and DO something about it. Back away from the computer, break out one of those forty gazillion kits in the closet, find a kid, and show them how to build a model.

Alot of times when the old" this hobby is dying" thread pops up. It kinda seems people forget what helps the hobby,,,BUILDING AND PAINTING. So yeah quit griping get off the computer build and paint something. I can list more members on this forum who's work I've never ever seen than those that I have.
Also I agree with Marc's point of ,why do we refer to the young ones as teenagers, the list Marc made only touches of few of us in the younger crowd, and I'm sure he was also shooting form the hip there too. I could add Chris Wooten, the Kreature Kid,and Ed Bradley etc,etc.
It almost seems some folks want it to die, it's dramatic or deep down they don't like the idea of it going beyond them....I dunno
It's not the 90's anymore, we're all growing up or older,,whatever get over it.
Be happy with what you have now,enjoy it, build and paint as much as you can while you can and bring it all out to wonderfest so we can share in what we do.
Cuz guess what, we can argue all day about the expiration date of this hobby. But your hands, eyes and ability to do what we do, that has an expiration date. Worry about that one!!!

[FilmMkr]

Here's some more:

Ron Sherwood spent the entire weekend with his daughter at Wonderfest, and she took home a Gold.

A young girl named Maya won a Gold with a gorgeous piece. She learned how to paint from her mom, who, by the way, spent the weekend with her at the show.

I walked into Gordo and Jeff's paint class - the full-scale 1:1 Blackheart class sponsored by George Stephenson - and saw FOUR young people under the age of fourteen painting Mummy and Wolfman busts!

I know there are are photos of all of these young modelers in action.

[tay666]

Here is my daughter putting together one of her purchases in the room


Just as she has always done

2002

2006

2007


She loves the hobby, and enjoys working on kits when she has time.
She might not be an award winner, but she has fun, and she buys kits (thankfully, with her own money now)
And she turns her friends on to it.

There are a lot of creative kids out there. We just don't hear about them.
They don't do message boards. They do snap-chat, and instagram, and twitter.
And there are lots of others that may not do models now, but when they get older, and settle down, will probably gravitate towards them as creative outlets.

The hobby isn't dying anytime soon.

[Rusty Nail]

Well I've been doing this modeling stuff since the early 90's. I started out with military figure thing and about 2007 discovered the garage kit scene. I had been exposed to it back in the middle 90's but was too deep in the military thing then...I guess being in the military had something to do with it. Anyway there was talk among that circle even back then. What I have noticed over past few years is that most people get back into modeling in their late twenties to middle thirties some older. We've done our party crazy days now most are married with kids and rediscovered our passion for models again. I've seen people come and go over the years and they are always replaced by new ones. Most of the people I have met in the hobby have been around my age and have formed some close relations with them. As long as there are people seeking a passion for the hobby no matter what age it will always be here and thank God for that.

[boondocksaint]

I'm looking foward to getting this guy involved in the hobby

[beaveren]

Already working on color theory I see.

B

[shakey dave 187]

I'm looking foward to getting this guy involved in the hobby

Wrong Booney, I'm afraid by the time he's atleast 8 or 10, the hobby will be dead. Which means for some reason when that happens we'll all throw all our kits out or burn em, cuz it'll be dead. Poor kid will grow up in a wasteland of arms and legs that don't match up. Motor gangs bound in leather will form, scouring a wasted frontier in search of model kits, and half bottles of super glue. We'll gather,huddled in caves by low lit fires and tell story's of what was before the resin died. Jacks will have faded blurred memories at best to pass down to his ferrel son that will wield a bladed boomerang and kinda ruin a really awesome movie.....

[boondocksaint]

Like this Dave?

[shakey dave 187]

Like this Dave?

Pretty much boon...pretty much

[Heavy Metal Spike]

Wrong Booney, I'm afraid by the time he's atleast 8 or 10, the hobby will be dead. Which means for some reason when that happens we'll all throw all our kits out or burn em, cuz it'll be dead. Poor kid will grow up in a wasteland of arms and legs that don't match up. Motor gangs bound in leather will form, scouring a wasted frontier in search of model kits, and half bottles of super glue. We'll gather,huddled in caves by low lit fires and tell story's of what was before the resin died. Jacks will have faded blurred memories at best to pass down to his ferrel son that will wield a bladed boomerang and kinda ruin a really awesome movie.....

.

[raydrz]

told ya it was the dumbest thing!...and aside from being incredible talents, y'all got some intelligence going on

[raydrz]

Here's some more:

Ron Sherwood spent the entire weekend with his daughter at Wonderfest, and she took home a Gold.

A young girl named Maya won a Gold with a gorgeous piece. She learned how to paint from her mom, who, by the way, spent the weekend with her at the show.

I walked into Gordo and Jeff's paint class - the full-scale 1:1 Blackheart class sponsored by George Stephenson - and saw FOUR young people under the age of fourteen painting Mummy and Wolfman busts!

I know there are are photos of all of these young modelers in action.

actually her daddy's the model master...WF & G-fest, matt's got more gold than fort knox...matt and mom been coming to the fests for over a decade and kaijumodeler is the premiere godzilla model dealer in the US...

[jayco35]

Man if the hobby is dying no one told me. I had a great time with alot of zombies during wonderfest.
I heard 2 of blackhearts students from class not only finished their busts but entered them in the contest and took home bronzes thats 2 in a one day painting class.
Joe Dunaways step son reese entered and won at the age of 6, 2 years ago you should have seen his face. He still comes to and enjoys the show.
Hell we all watched Britney grow up over the years at wonderfest.
All I can say is for the few who do become a part of the hobby they are usually lifers. Long live the few... the dedicated... the gk addicts.

[ningoth4]

I have been hearing of the death of our hobby for over 20 years now. and I have been modeling for over 40 years. It is still hear. Things have changed, and many are correct that it has become tougher to get some of the younger crowd involved, but things seem to still be plugging along. The quality of kits has come up so much it is unbelievable. And the variety of models has also gone crazy good. The garage kit industry has helped this a lot. I have noticed a bit of a drop at many shows in the number of entries but I am not sure iot is due to less builders as much as it could be due a bit more to kit prices being so high (partly because of quality increases) but also because I think that builders are getting better and not able to complete as many models in a year as they once might have. But the quality of many contests has also become a great motivating factor for many model builders to BUILD. I know when I get home from a great show that is immediately what I want to do! Just some thoughts. Long live our hobby!

Kevin

[RossAWaddell]

Here is my daughter putting together one of her purchases in the room


Just as she has always done

2002

2006

2007


She loves the hobby, and enjoys working on kits when she has time.
She might not be an award winner, but she has fun, and she buys kits (thankfully, with her own money now)
And she turns her friends on to it.

There are a lot of creative kids out there. We just don't hear about them.
They don't do message boards. They do snap-chat, and instagram, and twitter.
And there are lots of others that may not do models now, but when they get older, and settle down, will probably gravitate towards them as creative outlets.

The hobby isn't dying anytime soon.

Great photos, Trev (I always start a kit I just bought at the show, too). And well said. Missed seeing you and Britny this year.

[tay666]

Missed seeing you and Britny this year.

We missed you too.
One of the first things we were asking when we got there.
"Where's the Embassy?"

We were sad when we heard you guys couldn't make it.

Just means we'll have to have twice as much fun next year.