The Little World

I was in the airplane kit aisle of my local – Hobbytech – one Sunday, and I encountered a charming scene. A young man – under 20, I should say – was introducing a friend to model kits and helping him to get some to start building. The sort of thing that encourages us all.

I kept quiet and listened to the first young man explaining how to do it. Most of what he said was good sense – start out small, but start with a good quality simple kit. Get the paints that you need and good brushes. Get a good knife and some sanding tools. Pick a cement that you can cope with.

But then he started judging the makers of the kits – dismissing some of them as too hard – which they are not…and some of them as too easy – again implanting  the wrong idea in the novice’s mind. As I said, I kept quiet and just ground my teeth, but I reflected that there were some prejudices in with the pearls of wisdom…and it may be some time before the newbie learns to recognise the difference.

a. All simple kits are suitable for newcomers. Whether they are Airfix or Revell paint-and-brush-and-model sets or the $ 15 Hobby Boss fighter planes…the starter builder has a good chance of getting an encouraging experience and a fun little model. If the new person has the slightest interest in the subject at all…and they will have to decide where their interests lie…they will benefit from that simple kit.

b. There are no little Little Kid models. The simplest Revell Fokker Eindekker kit will show you that. The 1/144 kits will show you that. There is as much modelling skill and decision-making in the small stuff as there is in the $ 500 1:32 super-kit. Do not dismiss small things as childish.

c. One hard fact of life is that the ancillary cost of the kit-building hobby is as great as the box price. And I’m not even talking about the resin and photoetch circus – just buying paint, cement,tools, and brushes is a financial hurdle. Make sure the new chum knows this before they select a kit.

d. Let ’em buy the kit on the basis of spectacularly coloured box art. We did in the 50’s. The end result might be just as lurid, but if it makes them buy their next kit, all is well.

e. If the kid has never seen an aircraft with a propeller, he may not want a Spitfire. It might be a modern jet.

f. If the kid has hot rod tendencies, just stand back, put paper down on the floor, and let him loose with the can of purple paint. Scoop up the cat before the painting starts. Expect to find evidence for weeks…

g. Gundam? Monsters? Robots? Anime? Well it cannot be worse than Aurora’s Famous Monsters in the 50’s. Or dear old Ed Roth.

h. You’ll know you have succeeded if the kid pesters you to distraction for a month. Resign yourself to losing a few cans of spray paint. And your best brush. it will be worth it.