Category: Collecting
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” Complete Your Collection “

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…
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You Can Be Sensible But No Good Will Come Of It

Not if you build scale models, it won’t. Sensible buys only the best kits at the cheapest prices and only ever builds one example of any prototype. Indeed sensible people do not build scale models at all – reserving their time for money making and hiding their sins. For the rest of us…drifting down the…
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Ess Bend Engineering – Part One – We’re Not Made Of Money, Eh?

Go easy on the toilet paper, willya? The cheapest repair shop in Alberta is located round the Ess Bend. Wayne and Gordie specialise in fixing things that other people won’t touch and if you’re smart, you won’t touch the stuff afterwards, either. They are the favourite shop for the less prestigious museums and collections as…
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The Old Siren Calls Again…

And it’s not an air-raid siren, either… My love of photographing scale models has returned, after a brief hiatus. I shall be using several new sets to capture views of a new model project. They will be shared on this weblog and sent wherever it is repeated. I shall push them onto appropriate Facebook pages.…
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How Do You Know When To Get A Divorce?

Not a divorce from your spouse. Heaven Forbid. You married, and you have no right to demand happiness now. If you are a scale modeller you have other resources… No, I mean when do you decide that a kit in the stash is never, ever going to get built, and decide to sell it or…
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Bomber In A Box

No, it’s not a horrible new addition to home delivery of food and parcels. This bomber is in a box for a good reason. When you start a collection of scale models, you really need to start with the biggest darn one you’re ever going to build and work back from that. Then, when you…
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The Big Local Scale Model Exhibition – Part Seven – Tanks For The Memories

At one time I would have regarded armour models and military vehicles with only minor interest – I am an aviation modeller. Yet, the need for prop vehicles for my airfields, and then civilian vehicles, has meant an increased recognition of the little machines. And recently a dollar purchase of a Polish armoured car in…
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The Big Local Scale Model Exhibition – Part Five – The Quest For Novelty

One of the charms for me when I attend the doll-house ladies’ exhibition, or that of the model railway enthusiasts – is the novelty of the models and exhibits. I preserve this freshness by attending only one of these per year – one year it will be the doll-houses and next the trains. Every time…
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The Big Local Scale Model Exhibition – Part Two – More Visitors

Well, that was better. Sunday, the hall was full of visitors, and we even had more to the build-a-kit section. This meant the people nearest the table needed to help with the youngsters – under the supervision of their parents. Sprue cutters were lent out; sandpaper sticks as well. Most of the really young ones…
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Alphabet Modelling

Or, how to classify your hobby. Nathan Robinson, the schoolteacher on the Flory forum, mentioned an idea several episodes ago that is interesting and valid. He was counselling Flory forum members not to become discouraged in their modelling when they encounter problems that are going to affect the outcome of the build. He said that…
