The Little World

I saw this line in an advertisement for commemorative coins. The only thing I could think was:

Oh, Dear God, don’t!

Don’t ever complete your collection of anything. If there is a finite number of things that make it up – even if these are only thoughts or other vague dreams – do not get the last one. It will kill the whole affair – desire, pride, interest – everything. Leave the last box unticked.

If you are a scale model builder you are a little safer than a person who collects Mona Lisas. You are in less danger of getting the last one, and at the way prices for big kits are going, you will never have enough money anyway. The major makers are always pushing out a new kit or a re-decorated old one. If you have any ambition, you can just keep adding to the shelf.

If you are a 1:32 airplane builder or a maker of 1:100 ships you can also devote a good deal of the your hobby time to making those shelves and trying to fit them in the house. You will end up being the best combination of carpenter and Tetris player in the suburb.

I have an imaginary air museum made up of 1:72 aircraft that are not imaginary at all. They all had a prototype at some stage of the game – I checked. As I have different shelves and divisions I can always add another model to the stash or the display. Completion holds no terrors.

Note: Your partner must agree with you in this or the whole thing becomes a different form of nightmare. If necessary, agree with them about something that is equally specialised. You can trade permissions to purchase and birthdays are never a problem.