The Little World

I wonder at that when I see exhibitions of scale modelling or other Little World pursuits.

I know it is fun for the exhibitors as they vie to outdo each other and to buy things that they need for their next project. There is a deadly rivalry in some camps and shows are the battlefield upon which it is fought.

But what does a spectator get from someone else’s train layout, doll house, or scale kit? I also wondered that at car shows, where I wandered in the sun and rain looking at other people’s projects – with no real prospect of ever starting or completing one myself. Eventually it palled.

Could that be the case for our hobby? I hope not. The price of a kit and a few tools ( at last count I have 78 Kg of them plus a further 193 Kg of paint…) should be within the grasp of even a kid. If he or she can get his Dad to attend the sho, there is a better chance of more kits…

Kids also need a better chance at toy stores – the big chain ones are woefully deficient in scale model kits. either the wholesalers do not press them enough to expand the trade, or their buyers are being bought.