The Little World

And some kits are for no-body at all.

The choice you make of a kit to build is affected by many factors; type, era, maker, price, availability, and box art. The last-named may seem like a stranger to the list, but it frequently is the most powerful impetus to buy.

Unfortunately it can also be the most powerful turn-off. I can recall recoiling from what may have been perfectly good model airplanes because the drawings on the outside were crude, or overdone, or dull. The structure of the box also sometimes flagged me off…overly flimsy packaging is bad…but then so is a suspiciously sturdy crate. One wonders whether it will be full of kit parts or a block of wood, a pocket knife, and the best wishes of the manufacturer.

I have a certain level of skill, which I recognise. I should be happy to think that it increases with every new kit, at least in some tiny way. However I am realistic about the overall ability to build the most complex and demanding items. I simply would not enjoy either the work or the rewards. Ultimate detail hidden is useless.

How to predict your level of satisfaction? Look at the products of a manufacturer that you’ve already built. Were they successes? Did you have a good time? Did you feel you got value for money? Or did it all feel like you were on a difficult hiding to nothing?

One thing you can always do is step completely aside from your normal pattern of building or collecting and try a new genre. You may have no experience in it, which is a good thing for refreshing the palate. If you succeed in a good model you’ve got a new string to your bow – if it isn’t perfect at least you will have learned something.

But as an addendum: Are some kits too simple for you? Too unrewarding? A waste of time?

Not if you play the game. The game is to find some variant of the model – some colour scheme or cargo carried or diorama in which it would fit. And then put aside all the feelings of inadequacy and just go for it. If it is a simple build, it is a clean canvas upon which to make art. If it is a cheap canvas, so much the better.