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I've always enjoyed this hobby, especially with cars and military planes, but was never that great at painting them. Gluing them was a piece of cake but a good paint job is a totally different story.
Well I've seen a few ebay stores that will sell you a fully built and professionally painted model. I've always wanted a nicely built F-14 Tomcat and I think this is my chance. However for $200 (kit and labor) do you guys find this reasonable?
I would never buy an already built plastic model. That defeats the point of model making!
If you invest in a good airbrush, painting is almost too easy BTW. For 200 bucks you could probably buy a good kit and an airbrush set, then get started on making a whole fleet of aircraft.
Airbrush is really the key. Back when the first Star Wars came out, I was able to take an off-the-shelf kit of the Millenium Falcon and turn it into a model that was good enough it could have been used in the movie. I used a brush and Testors when I was growing up and made a lot of crappy stuff. Switching to airbrush was like going from crayons to a full set of water colors.
Now that I'm approaching "real" retirement (not that I'll ever give up working entirely, 'cause I'm really good at -- and enjoy -- what I do), I've gradually been collecting 1/24 and 1/25 scale car models. I'm very particular in what I get, and plan to construct them over time.
I already have completed quite-accurate models of some cars that I owned and drove in my younger years, and plan to continue this trend until complete. I also plan to create a series of cars that I would like to have owned/driven, but simply couldn't.
It is a real pleasure to, slowly and meticulously, modify and construct plastic scale model cars. It is also a pleasure to display them in also-carefully-constructed dioramas and other settings.
The movie American Graffiti asked the question, "Where Were You in '62?" I was a sophomore in high school, counting the days until I turned 16 and could get my driver's license. And once I did...
Nighteyes - If you haven't already seen them, you have GOT to check the photos of this guy's work. Flickr: Michael Paul Smith's Photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/24796741@N05/ - broken link)
Nighteyes - If you haven't already seen them, you have GOT to check the photos of this guy's work. Flickr: Michael Paul Smith's Photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/24796741@N05/ - broken link)
Harry,
I have, and you're correct -- this guy's work is AWESOME!
Do they even still sell models which need to be glued together, or do they snap together to keep modeler's from sniffing the glue?
Yes, there are a large number of kits that require glue. The snap-together models are for younger folk, and those whose skills aren't well-developed.
Recognize, too, that models from back in the 60's, 70's and etc are still available, because either (a) folks bought them and never got around to them, or (b) they were somehow overlooked or misplaced in warehouses and stockrooms.
An interesting aside: Last year, my favorite hobby shop had a number of model car kits for sale that they purchased from an estate. Two of them were "double-kits", meaning that they contained all the parts to assemble two vehicles. (The previous owner had purchased two identical kits, and combined them in one box. Go figure.)
They were quite reasonably priced, so I snatched up both of them. Now I have the opportunity to build two 1958 Chevys and two 1978 TransAms. One of the Chevys I will paint and build like the one in American Graffiti, and one of the TransAms will become the one in Smokey And The Bandit.
Some models are definitely worth 200 dollars or more when built, there is a lot of work adding details to these models and a lot of the aftermarket parts can be quite expensive but do make a model more unique. I have been building for a long time and believe me, it's a lot more than just putting glue and paint by today's standard. We go as far as wetsanding and polishing paint, adding scale carpeting, details like distributor wires and plumbing to the engines, etc. etc.
Here are a few pictures of my models, I have sold several to collectors and friends and believe me, everytime I sell one I regret it specially because I never build to sell....
Yes, there are a large number of kits that require glue. The snap-together models are for younger folk, and those whose skills aren't well-developed.
Recognize, too, that models from back in the 60's, 70's and etc are still available, because either (a) folks bought them and never got around to them, or (b) they were somehow overlooked or misplaced in warehouses and stockrooms.
An interesting aside: Last year, my favorite hobby shop had a number of model car kits for sale that they purchased from an estate. Two of them were "double-kits", meaning that they contained all the parts to assemble two vehicles. (The previous owner had purchased two identical kits, and combined them in one box. Go figure.)
They were quite reasonably priced, so I snatched up both of them. Now I have the opportunity to build two 1958 Chevys and two 1978 TransAms. One of the Chevys I will paint and build like the one in American Graffiti, and one of the TransAms will become the one in Smokey And The Bandit.
Ok, thanks. I may have to try it again, now that I'm retired. As a kid, I had a box full of military aircraft and ships which I assembled and played with all the time. (I had an F-86 which I threw into the air with a firecracker up its exhaust. It was struck by an anti-aircraft missile! LOL)
Of course, I wouldn't do that now.....unless I thought the grandkids would get a kick out of it.
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