Is the hobby dying or is now best years ever?

[DarkKnight]

Is this one of the best times ever to be in the hobby? we have some  accurate kits that can be built, decals photo etch 3D parts, or is the hobby dying, young people are socialist morons staring at their phones all day crying with blue hair.  New kit releases  seem to be slowing a bit or could be my imagination, what do others think ?

Edited September 24, 2021 by DarkKnight

[John Tapsell]

More kits, from more manufacturers (with new ones appearing all the time), covering a broader range of subjects, in a wider selection of scales and of higher quality than we've ever had before.

 

That wouldn't be happening if the producers thought the hobby was in an unhealthy place.

[airmechaja]

The Model Geeks Podcast covered this extensively a few weeks ago. Bottom line is it isn't dying. It's morphing a little. There is great kits being released in all genres. I'd say it's a great time to be in the hobby.

 

[11bee]

7 hours ago, DarkKnight said:

, young people are socialist morons staring at their phones all day crying with blue hair.   

Why do I think you are probably 70+?    And no, the hobby is not dying.  

[ChernayaAkula]

+1 to what 11bee said.

 

Oh no, the hobby is dying, the sky is falling, waaaah! It desperately needs newcomers! How do we get newcomers? Let's come across as crusty old men raving about "kids these days!" Yeah! That'll do it. Young folks love being talked down to. Genius!

 

[DarkKnight]

^^ look at Germany, fewer model train stores and hobby stores, kids these days are idiotic, ask them to change a tire, then tell me you disagree

[juanchopancho]

You ok sparky? Need a cookie?

[GW8345]

So, are we going to talk about the future of the hobby or are we going to get triggered/butt hurt because someone expressed an opinion someone doesn't agree with?

 

Just wanted to know on whether or not to follow this thread, TIA.

[Thadeus]

What I can tell, the hobby is getting more expensive kitwise. What is cool, You get some very nice details for the price. I love the sidewall details added to the cockpit tub, even if it's lacking, as there often was just a hole where cockpit tub met the sides of the fuselage. Even on "good" kits. But I'm still dragged down by what old kits (yes, mostly 20 year kits) I can get for the price. Say ZM or Tamiya F-4's vs the Hasegawa F-4 in like 1:3 ratio.

What is awesome, there are some new companies that release decently detailed and quite accurate subjects. We, as modelers have sometime more to say about the kits, their production, accuracy. They are getting more and more scrutinised with abundance of reference material. Hell, there is even posibility to 3d scan the 1:1 subject. That's just awesome. And in this world someone designed the spine on the Revell 1/32 Super Hornet which afaik did not get a huge thread regarding the accuracy, as some other model did.

So for me, we are evolving, but it pretty much stays the same. What is bothersome, and I hope I'm wrong, is we are evolving mostly along with folks who take attention to detail very seriously. This is still an ok time to be a kid with a kit and a hairy stick and a tin of paint. But I hope the future will still attract kids to modelling, since these kids could be the potential new customers which are needed for people who hope to still be able to purchase new kits 20-30 years from now (hey, look, Tamiya released the 1/48 F-35J Sayonara boxing, awesome! And they are to release the 1/48 F-16D next). It's just they are not interested in models too much.

[ChernayaAkula]

4 hours ago, DarkKnight said:

^^ look at Germany, fewer model train stores and hobby stores, kids these days are idiotic, ask them to change a tire, then tell me you disagree

 

I disagree.

Have you considered that people like you are the reason young people don't want to get into the hobby? They get enough of the "kids these days"-attitude just about everywhere else. Why would they want to get seconds?

Don't want the hobby to die out? Then maybe try being just a tiny little bit more welcoming.

[ChernayaAkula]

2 hours ago, GW8345 said:

So, are we going to talk about the future of the hobby or are we going to get triggered/butt hurt because someone expressed an opinion someone doesn't agree with?

 

You aren't adding anything to the discussion. Instead your whining about other people's perceived butthurt. Which makes it look like your butt was hurt by having to read an opinion you don't agree with. 

[Janissary]

4 hours ago, DarkKnight said:

^^ look at Germany, fewer model train stores and hobby stores, kids these days are idiotic, ask them to change a tire, then tell me you disagree

 

This line of thinking is so flawed I'm surprised when it comes from people with life experience. So you did everything your grandparents used to do? Why can't you see that what you're saying about the kids today, your parents and grandparents were saying the same about you. Taking yourself as the point of reference and measuring everything else relative to that is like saying the sun revolves around the earth. Just odd....

[DarkKnight]

35 minutes ago, ChernayaAkula said:

 

I disagree.

Have you considered that people like you are the reason young people don't want to get into the hobby? They get enough of the "kids these days"-attitude just about everywhere else. Why would they want to get seconds?

Don't want the hobby to die out? Then maybe try being just a tiny little bit more welcoming.

 

 

actually Im very welcoming, I go to shows, I patronize vendors, I encourage anyone I can...but I shouldn't have to pander to stupid people and realistically, what kind of younger people do you see at a show, occasionally some sullen green hair is being dragged along. Theres nobody there complaining that nobody is encouraging them

Edited September 24, 2021 by DarkKnight

[DarkKnight]

12 minutes ago, Janissary said:

 

This line of thinking is so flawed I'm surprised when it comes from people with life experience. So you did everything your grandparents used to do? Why can't you see that what you're saying about the kids today, your parents and grandparents were saying the same about you. Taking yourself as the point of reference and measuring everything else relative to that is like saying the sun revolves around the earth. Just odd....

doubt my grandparents say that about me, highly doubt any of the people who dont know if theyre a boy or girl could build a model airplane without feeling guilty triggered or offended

[ChernayaAkula]

17 minutes ago, DarkKnight said:

actually Im very welcoming,<...>

 

Do you even remember what you write?

 

4 hours ago, DarkKnight said:

<...> kids these days are idiotic <...>

 

18 hours ago, DarkKnight said:

<...> young people are socialist morons staring at their phones all day crying with blue hair. <...>

 

20 minutes ago, DarkKnight said:

<...> highly doubt any of the people who dont know if theyre a boy or girl could build a model airplane without feeling guilty triggered or offended

 

[DarkKnight]

^^ no Im so old I cant recall, why so bitter, you have a kid who you let act like this?

[joeltc]

I think you'll find that a lot of people who build models such as my self started as kids then became as you like to call young people. That stage of life where being with friends and discovering other interests like cars and girls happens. It just happens that today that comes hand in hand with technology, social media etc (Which in case you haven't noticed a lot of adults even into their 50s and 60s partake in also). Then after that stage only to take it up again once settled right into adulthood. At this point with more money and thus being able to afford all these fancy new kits that are regularly being released. 

[Janissary]

10 minutes ago, DarkKnight said:

^^ no Im so old I cant recall, why so bitter, you have a kid who you let act like this?

If you mean act like you, perhaps you'd be happy to know that I use examples likes these to teach my kids how not to be. 

 

Getting back to your original question. Yes, the hobby is dying unfortunately. Agree with your astute observation that brick and mortar shops are shutting down. Kitty Hawk just went belly up. Testors paints got bought up and is discontinued. Kids are trading pokeman cards rather than baseball cards. If I were you, I'd hang it up and move onto something else. 

[GW8345]

2 hours ago, ChernayaAkula said:

 

You aren't adding anything to the discussion. Instead your whining about other people's perceived butthurt. Which makes it look like your butt was hurt by having to read an opinion you don't agree with. 

What have you added to the discussion on the state of the hobby, so far I've only seen you attack someone because you don't agree with their opinion on today's youth, how welcoming is that?

 

You tell someone to be more welcoming, maybe you should lead by example.

[GW8345]

As to if the hobby is dying or not, my opinion is that the bobby is not dying.

 

Kids today are not going to build models when they can play video games. The demographics of the hobby has changes since most of use were kids. Back then kids build models, now it's the older generation that does. When the kids of today grow up and get into their 30's they will pickup model building because they will have outgrown video games. Just because kids today are not building does mean the hobby is dying, it just means the demographics are changing.

 

If the hobby was dying then manufactures and aftermarket folks won't be releasing new stuff, online hobby stores would be dying off, kits on Ebay would be going for dirt cheap because there is no demand for them. Instead, look at the prices of kits today, look at how many new (or re-releases) are coming out, look at the new model company's starting up (example - clear prop). The hobby is not dying, it's just changing, just like society.

[utley]

55 minutes ago, GW8345 said:

What have you added to the discussion on the state of the hobby, so far I've only seen you attack someone because you don't agree with their opinion on today's youth, how welcoming is that?

 

You tell someone to be more welcoming, maybe you should lead by example.

i agree. will admit this conversation isnt even necessary but it does shed light on a few things.

Edited September 25, 2021 by utley

[ST0RM]

@ChernayaAkula
 

Wow, enjoy being a dick much?
He's expressing his point of view and asking a logical question. The truth is that growth of the hobby is not happening at the pace it used to. Kit prices and electronic games have taken up the place a model kit used to. 

Nostalgia is keeping us older people involved. We knew what growing up was like without all the tech devices. It became a habit. 

Try reading what you post before hitting submit. Unless you truly enjoy showing off your closed mind. 

[DarkKnight]

7 hours ago, Janissary said:

If you mean act like you, perhaps you'd be happy to know that I use examples likes these to teach my kids how not to be. 

 

ooh, burn, I feel so terrible, being a normal male who likes to build models is such a bad role model for your children, maybe I should start demanding people remove hakenkreuz, hinomarus and confederate flags from models

[DarkKnight]

back to the topic at hand,  now we have wonderful kits, photo etch 3d instrument panel decals, printed parts, its an amazing time, but I see young people as disinterested or even offended by history.  As model builders many of us love the history of what we build and we are fascinated with the machines involved.  I see young people lacking in this inquisitiveness or having teachers actively discourage it.  I remember building a crappy Revell mig-25 and hanging it  from my ceiling, references were some blurry pics from an aviation magazine, now I can buy a Yefim Gordon book,  buy a semi accurate kit, have aftermarket corrections to correct it and with forums have experts from Russia point out what is inaccurate-truly amazing times, I hope they continue, I think some anime kids build gundam and many are great modelers, the battle tech and fantasy board gamers are awesome figure modelers, the hobby changes and some drift away, I only hope more get into it and less people sit at home acting like fools

Edited September 25, 2021 by DarkKnight

[ExchefAndy]

Well, that degenerated into a nasty little display! I was under the impression that you were all grown adults. There is enough hate and anger out there without all of this! 👆

In the words of my mother, Grow up

Andy