If there’s no fun... 

Another year is over, maybe a very good time to make your own evaluations, mine in this occasion, is about my feelings regarding my hobby, with the hope of sharing this thought with you readers, so that you can reflect on the topic I chose to speak about.

When one builds scale models during a lot of time, it’s inevitable to run into different stages, some more creative than others and naturally, the goal we are pursuing may change.

Twenty years ago, when I tried without much success to build super-detailed models, there was little aftermarket supplies for scale cars, however it was my aim, and I enjoyed doing that. After ten years, I could build those models, with just a few extra parts, a lot from my spare box and everything I had to hand on my work desk.

During the last years, I’ve only found satisfaction in some tasks related to the model building process, but the offer of extra parts has increased exponentially and you can spend at least 10 times the cost of a kit on extra parts such as PE, resin parts, decals…..etc

I hope you understand what I mean. Building a model is not a must, it’s a project you face and you have to spend the effort necessary to reach a goal like working or studying, for instance. Fortunately, the construction of a model, is a task that should be accomplished WITHOUT EFFORT, simply to have fun and leave behind the daily life problems, remembering how we used to play in our childhood days. And, in my opinion, the main goal of building a scale model is FUN.

Well, if I’m building a model and don’t want to use the last PE or the best carbon fiber decal, or parts from the best detail set, or use the ultimate paint offered…or just copy others’ detailing work simply because it doesn’t make me feel happy and I don’t have fun doing it……Should I do these tasks even if it does not mean fun for me JUST to get a better model? My definitive answer is NO

Let me rescue again the straight from the box model, brush to apply paint and a great deal of old tips and techniques which were forgotten in pursuit of technology that offers everything done. It’s usual to see superdetailed models whose authors have not yet learned to paint correctly or don’t know about the basic modeling techniques. It’s all about gluing a lot of aftermarket, no matter if you have fun or not in doing that.

I wonder if one of the reasons why the youth have stopped building scale models, is that they don’t have fun with so much technology around and complications…..it seems that everything less than perfect will not work, and youth want to have fun without having to worry about.

Now, let’s go back in imagination to one of the most magical moments of our childhood and youth when we used to build models? I leave you this topic for reflection.

Happy Holidays to everybody and I hope 2010 brings you all the very best!!