Why do you have a stash LARGER than you can build?

[rustywelder]

I am simply amazed. I do not have a stash, as I have been away from modeling for over 40 years. Back then I was allowed to purchase a model kit (and supplies) from my paper route earnings provided that 1) it cost no more than 5% of my earnings for the month (that was considerable back than) and 2) I had completed building my previous purchase. Now that I have started up again, I still follow the one rule -- no purchases until I am finished with the current kit. (I have already broken that rule -- I have two kits in the wings. Don't tell my mom). But you folks have told me a cautionary tale. I am now frightened of what may happen to me, because I do tend to get immersed in the things I get interested in....

God help me. I have already started the construction of my man cave. :blush:/>/>

Just wait until you have your first OMG I really want to build a fairey fruitbat, but...... only one small Czech company made a very short run of kits that were reasonably priced when new and now cost as much as a small car on evilbay and only pop up every 6 months or so moment. Then you will become just like the rest of us. Obsessive plastic hoarding trolls.

Rusty

[nerdling]

Obsessive plastic hoarding trolls

It's not hoarding. It's being prepared for the zombie Apocalypse

[rustywelder]

It's not hoarding. It's being prepared for the zombie Apocalypse

[parche]

Hope, simply hope... hope that I will have enough free time to actually build all of them when life slows down some. And I am just a history buff who like to research stuff.

Cheers,

Dave

[Karl Sander]

Hope, simply hope... hope that I will have enough free time to actually build all of them when life slows down some.

Quoted for truth.

[wadeocu]

Because it's nice to have options!

[IrishGreek]

Almost all of the above...

I love the history of it all. Tanks, ships, planes and to some extent the cars too.

I love a deal. When I see something that I am interested in and it's a 'good' price I'll get it (assuming I have the money).

I like options. Nice to go 'browse' my own hobby shop.

I am somewhat compulsive. I know it, don't mind that much.

Plastic makes me happy...

Unless the darned carpet/floor/tile/black hole monster hits!

[wh1skea]

While, at the moment, I don't have a stash larger than I can build (about 20 kits), I vow to have such a stash someday. Currently, I'm allowed the space under my desk where I build to store my stash, by order of the wife. All the kits that are currently in my stash, though, were bought from the buy/sell board here on ARC.

[RKic]

Becasue.I.Have.No.Self.Control.

[Shawn M]

stash isn't too large..

[scapilot]

Mine has grown considerably over the past few weeks. I have once again found myself responsibly caught up on all my bills, and a tax return check in hand. I even managed to get a healthy amount into my savings this year, so I really didn't know what else to do with my funny money but to do some shopping. So that's what I did. I am actually happy to announce though, that the "wish list" that I started last Feb. is finally all in my inventory, and that's to include the kits that have dropped in the time frame since they came out. My tally for the past three weeks goes something like this.

Revell:

UH-1

AH-1F

P-47N

F/A-18E

P-61

AH-64D

Citation 500

F-14B

F-14D (new release)

Hasegawa:

F/A-18C "Chippy Ho"

Blue Angel (1:72)

Academy:

Hughes 500D

F-4B

Tamiya:

P-51D 9'th AF

A-1J

Kinetic:

Hawk 100 (1:32)

Minicraft:

Piper Cherokee 140

USAF Cessna 150

and the infamous 1:48 Testors SR-71.

So that's 18 models acquired in a very little time frame, but in my defense, I've built 24 kits since this exact same time last year, and have essentially cut my build times in half from this time back then, so it's quite possible that I'll be able to push out a few more kits. I enjoy building, and I enjoy finishing kits, so this isn't really that unreasonable in my eyes. Logically, I could knock all of this out in about nine to 11 months if I kept my schedule up. I must admit though that red flags started going off when I realized that I was purchasing a fighter in 1:72 scale.

lol.

I have some much larger planes in that scale in my stash, but this was certainly an all time new low for me. I guess what puzzled me the most was that there's not more options for Blue Angel kits in 1:48, unless you're wanting to settle for the Revell offering which I haven't heard much good about, or turn around and pay $75 for the Hasegawa kit (I think I'll wait). For as popular as those demonstration teams are, I'm surprised that there's not more of that action in 48'th scale currently. Must admit though, while cruising through some of my websites for 1:72 scale stuff, I did find a lot of really cool subjects that I wish they'd package up in 1:48 scale. I'll try this one and see how it comes out before I make any other hard set decisions. I'm certainly not going to buy anything else until I see how I fare with it.

[buffalowings]

n+1

[Ken Cartwright]

Because if a kit is in my possession, I can build it whenever I do have time, and don't have to worry about it going out of production like many kits I have missed out on in the past.

For me, it's the combination of this plus the simple fact that it takes a lot less time to buy a kit than to build one.

[Quailane]

A lot of my favorite aircraft are ones that maybe get made in kit form once in a limited run kit and then are gone forever. So if I find one, I snag it. Sometimes I have waited a couple of years for a particular kit to come up on Ebay. And some kits are so special, I feel like I will never be good enough to do them justice, but sometimes I like opening the box and taking a look. And hey, if I ever want to sell it, I can get what I paid, at least.

[Ruud]

Part of the enjoyment of this hobby for me is the collecting of reference material, decals, and kits. Not that i collect kits for the fun of it, but i do like "changing up" the stash and getting to look at a new-to-me kit every now and then. I also keep kits on hand to donate to our show's raffle and to our clubs auction. Thus finding a good deal on something that interests me is not a problem. If i still really like it after a while, i can keep it. Else it goes to the donate pile. That doesn't make it a bad kit, just not one is am interested enough in to build (and as a slow builder, i tend to be picky on what i start).

[Bigasshammm]

My stash is morphing itself. I once probably had 50-60 aircraft kits and now I only have maybe 15 and most of those are B-17s and a few choice subjects I want to do. Otherwise I've essentially sold off all my aircraft to pave way for my race car kits which I have over 80 of. I'm out of storage room for them so I need to come up with something new.

[Ken Cartwright]

I just encountered another driver for this - sales. If there's a kit I'm interested in, and it goes on a significant sale, it's tough to avoid buying it while it's cheaper, even if I don't know when I'll be able to build it.

[nerdling]

I just encountered another driver for this - sales. If there's a kit I'm interested in, and it goes on a significant sale, it's tough to avoid buying it while it's cheaper, even if I don't know when I'll be able to build it.

I will second that also. When you can find a kit for dirt cheap it really is hard to pass it up.

[Hans]

I have to say, my reasons are a little bit of what everyone here have said... for the many years I wasn't able to build a decent-sized kit (those life-keeps-getting-in-the-way kind of stuff) I managed to pile up my stash, with almost all kits having multiples of at least 2 (my OV-10s however have increased to almost 40+ (excluding the already piling up 1/48 scale) ) but do I regret it? so far, it's a no...

I came from a place where, when I was a kid, I can only drool over the kits I saw, but couldn't afford it... now that I have a job, there's some sort of "I have to redeem myself" kind of feeling... maybe that's why most of my collection are of old kits that I got dirt cheap from LHSs to swap meets or from someone who just wanted to get rid of his box-o-goodies...

oh well, despite the enormity of my stash, I do intend on finishing all of them, either by myself, or with a buddy or a family member (heck even when I get married, I'll make sure I introduce my wife to the hobby so that we can share the fun, or when we have kids of our own)

at least I don't need to worry when the hobby becomes unaffordable financially for my way of life... and when all of them are done, but couldn't fit in my shelves, I'll happily donate them to a museum, or maybe give some to friends as gifts...

I don't like building for a fee... I'd rather build for someone for free... that's why I love this hobby, I have the means to make myself, and anyone around me, happy

P.S. when kits have become so expensive in the future, I can always resort to card models

Edited November 3, 2014 by Hans

[VF-19]

The short answer is: I see a kit I want on sale, so I get it.

I don't worry about the little detail of when I am going to build it.

[Grant in West Oz]

A healthy stash is an indicator of an obsessed mind. My stash is a physical expression of my desire for a long and productive retirement. I doubt it's possible for one person, let alone me completing the larger proportion of kits. However as grandchildren express interest in such things, I know an appropriate kit resides therein that will make their modelling experience a good one.

Codgers who poo-poo new kits and stating they can do a great job with "the ancient XYZ kit, but I don't have one" gets one on the condition they enter it in a club or state model comp. if they fail, I never have to put up with their opinion again.

The 1/32 Wingnuts and Tamiya kits are the new baseline for excellence as are the Möbius 1/25 Chryslers and Hudsons. Who doesn't need indulgences like the AZ 1/72 Spitfires or Eduards 1/48 Spitfires?

My stash makes me and others happy.

G

Edited November 4, 2014 by Grant in West Oz

[bashace]

Since I only plan to start all my kits and not finish them, one lifetime is all I need to complete the job!

V/r

Ron

[Kurt H.]

I suffer from the "better get it now, because it may be impossible to get later" mentality. I got tired of having to hunt down a kit I wanted to build which was out of production.

However, This is quite valid for decal sheets, since Decal makers can come and go, and even it the decal maker stays around, a lot of sheets are a single run only. however for me, this leads to me making sure I have one or more of the kit to go with that cool new decal sheet.

The other trap I have found my self falling into is becoming inspired to try a new subject matter, say big rigs, Formula1 cars, or Ships, and instead of getting one to try, I start hunting down kits, and by the time I have several, I lost the fire for that subject matter. So, I have some large ship kits, some F1 cars, and big Rigs that have been sitting around for years I do not know if I will ever find the spark to build again.

It is just easier to buy than build. I build so slowly that who ever ends up handling my estate will have a lot of work to do.

Edited November 5, 2014 by Kurt H.

[GEH737]

I'm an optimist...

I believe that someday - I'll be able to transfer my brain into a robot...

Hey - it could happen.

[Don]

Mine just seemed to come out of nowhere. I started buying one kit...completing it...then going and getting another. I repeated this process many many times until I bought a kit when the one I was building was only half done. The wheels came off the cart soon after and before I really realized it I had amassed a crazy large stash. It wasn't my intention. It just sort of happened. I haven't bought a new kit in years as my current collection will never get completed...and nothing new has screamed loud enough at me to buy it. I am content with what I have.

Happy modeling!