What's Wrong with Scale Modelling? Where did it all go wrong?

[@NewbType07]

As a younger member of the hobby (21), i'd like to add my own two cents. The real beauty of scale modelling is in the freedom, You can take any kit and build out of the box without much thought and have a great time, but you ALSO can go all out with the detailing and rivet counting. Some people, including myself, love to learn about the history, the looks, the variants, how a subject evolved over time, and then want to create a very accurate replica of it. In the same way that many people just like to build a simple kit and relax. Anything is fine, it's a hobby, you need to find out what YOU enjoy, and that can include spending money on aftermarket and end up with a really detailed model, or just enjoy the process of putting in a lot of work into a model, but ultimately it's your choice. I think the hobby is generally in a much better place than it was back in the day, because you can do anything: old kits, new kits, highly detailed kits, aftermarket, complex weathering, scratch building, large kits, small kits, cheap kits, expensive kits... Anything! There's problems too of course, there are money hungry companies trying to sell you useless stuff, kits are generally too expensive i feel (but so is everything else, that's an economy problem) and there's always going to be an annoying asshole that's either going to try and get all the attention and praise for himself or that's going to try and tell you how you should enjoy the hobby. But you can ignore those things (aside from the prices but oh well, everything in life is becoming expensive). You can find enjoyment in every facet of the hobby, and i for one think that having the option of aftermaket or complex expensive kits is better than not having it, many people like that sort of thing, as i've said. So yeah, find what you enjoy and/or find relaxing, that's the beauty of it! If anyone has read though all this, thank you for hearing my thoughts, i hope too hear your as well!

[@declan1278]

You said it kid enjoy it

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Now there is an old head on young shoulders. Well said.

[@rossdavis397]

great presentation Harry. You nailed it fair and square. As old farts we start losing our eyesight and our hands start to shake but our expectations of perfection are still there. I spend more time on the floor looking for small parts than I do modelling. .you tube doesn't help!!The quality of some of the featured models is amazing -well out of my current ability now.

[@thanassisveggos627]

At least you can get down on the floor and look for the little buggers. I get down and I need a crane to get me back up😂

[@melvynkersley-nc8fx]

I’d be rich if I had a “tender” for every time my wife looked in and said”what are you looking for now?” as I scrabble about for the thing I’d just dropped again!😂

[@melvynkersley-nc8fx]

*tenner”!!

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

I am on first name terms with my carpet monster.. we spend so much time together I think she could claim a de facto relationship

[@czarneckims]

Spot on - should be required viewing for every single model builder on KZbin. Harry you absolutely nailed it.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Please yes… if everyone on KZbin watched my videos I would not have to have a job on the side to support my channel :)

[@jonbell3020]

Doesn’t matter how you get there, If you like the result you’ve won 👍

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Perfectly summed up

[@rwhunt99]

My biggest pet peeve is; after spending a huge amount of money on a kit, then you have to go out and spend yet even more money to get decent parts to replace what you should have gotten for that huge price in the first place. I think when you get good at your hobby, you feel like trying to go the extra mile to make this expensive model look even better or to out do other hobbyists, or even to simply build your skills even better.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

This why I scratch build the extra detail myself more and more… why pay someone else to do the hobby for you? You will be missing out on all the fun.

[@davidryall-flanders6353]

I've changed hobbies without realising it. I thought I was a modeller but what I really do is collect nearly every new kit that comes out, including all that lovely aftermarket and then I sit back and watch an endless procession of KZbinrs build said kit. As once said by someone smarter than me," I have more kits than heartbeats left."

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Yep Stable… Stash Beyond Life Expectancy

[@jprules2578]

It was a hobby. But even as a kid I wanted mine to look like the ones in the hobby shop and no matter how a tried(and followed the directions) I couldn't make mine look better.(I had no mentors, my dad was not a builder). Then I asked the gentleman at the store why these models looked so good. He spoke to me about gloss finishes and THEN decaling, and THEN another clear coat and semi and matt finishes. Mind blown. Then came washes, chalk powder dusted on. And that was all AFTER FINALLY attempting air brushing with a single stage airbrush. Point I'm making is if we NEVER were self critical and curious at wanting to get better....then what point would the hobby be? I'm not a rivet counter by any stretch, but if a kit isn't made well, and a certain aftermarket piece will fix it, I'll take it. Many times I will make do with what is presented in the kit if it isn't terribly wrong.(OOB) The kits nowadays are soooo much better in so many ways, and the technology has come so far that many times when a new kit is presented and there are glaring errors in it, and there are easy references for such subject it DOES come across as insulting to the modeler that the company couldn't have simply done a better job of study/execution. And in so doing, some of those companies have hurt themselves and/or disappeared. The hobby is not as large as it was, and you can't afford to continually insult builders with veiled re-issues or lazy mold making. Especially when we've seen some of those same "lazy" companies execute fantastic kits.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

A lot to digest there…

[@Chilly_Billy]

What went wrong? People realized they could make money off the obsessive-compulsives in the hobby. Downhill from there. But as my friend Max of Max's Models says, "make it what you want it to be."

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Yep you do you…

[@BuddyX74]

As hpiguy says (a Yank, like me 😊), “Build your models the way you want to build them.” If you can afford, and want the fancy stuff, good on you. But you can build a beautiful model with barebones tools and a little know how, which you folks so kindly provide (for free I might add!), and be proud of the results! I know! Just got back into the hobby after 35 years, and was pretty darned tickled with the results. Great video!

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks matey

[@garylawless3608]

Excellent video as always Harry. I am not what you call an experienced modeller by any means. I started back into the hobby a couple of years ago at age 70, and I think my previous modelling experiences ended around age 16 ( a long, long time ago in a galaxy, far, far, away). I faced a steep learning curve once I started again, but the whole experience has been a joy. I just build models the way I like them, not what is expected, and I must admit I enjoy the building more than the painting and weathering. At my age, photo-etch is a nightmare considering my shaky hands and weak eyesight, so if it comes with the kit I will use it, but I won’t purchase aftermarket stuff. Your comments are encouraging for modellers like myself - do what you enjoy, for the pure enjoyment of it. One of your best mate! Cheers from a fellow Aussie!

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Good on you Gary. Always nice to hear from you.

[@Itsjustme-Justme]

The biggest problem isn't the existance of all the aftermarket detailling stuff. The biggest problem is that too many experienced modellers tend to create the impression that you can't build a beautiful model without it. That scares off beginners. Especially the teenage boys who have been the typical beginners in all these decades since the invention of plastic modelling. They don't havethe skills yet because they are beginners (obviously) and most of the time they don't have the money for aftermarket parts and very special weathering paints and whatever that costs way more than the kit. If they get told they need this and that and have to take care of idontknow, they won't even try it. The manufacturers follow the path of more and more complexity that master modellers ask for. That leads to the unpleasant situation that a brand new kit is much harder to build than an old one. Despite the much more advanced moulding technology that actually should make it easier because the parts fit together much better.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Well said

[@19chinaman62]

You're absolutely right (and/or left) about this. It all boiles down to : 1. Know what you really want to do, 2. develop a plan, make arangements (or don't), 3. and DO it ! It's all about the fun you can have being creative and as long you have fun nothing can really fail, you'll only learn and get better.... wich gives móre fun 😋😉 I live in the Netherlands, never get bored, am 61 but have plans and kits to keep me busy for something like a 100 years ? Happy Modelling ✌😁👍

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Hope you get those 100 years to finish your kits :)

[@19chinaman62]

@@HarryHoudiniModels Thanks Harry, that would be great haha and also to see how scale modelling has developed by then 🤓 Cheers 🤟 Peter

[@ronandanne1]

If you want to make it complicated you can; if you want to keep it simple you can do that too. It's up to you.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Exactly what I said…

[@vincentrathbone26]

I couldn't agree with you more, growing up in Moonee Ponds during the 70's and 80's we were very well catered for in regards to toy shops and hobby shops, we had P.J's Hobby World, Granny's Toys, Toy World, Sim's ( now a sports shop ), Coles and the local Newsagent, I would usually buy a kit on Friday's after school and I would spend the whole of Saturday sitting at the kitchen table building and painting Airfix and Matchbox kits AND have fun doing it without worrying about accuracy or exact colours, I definately miss the old days. 😞

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

It was a great time… we had no expectations from ourselves or from anyone else… just the pure fun of model making

[@cherminatorDR]

I haven't encountered any project, where I NEEDED after-market parts, but I did buy a bunch

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Yes that is the issue, the compulsion to buy aftermarket due to seeing relentless social media builds…. we simply don’t need it.

[@kevinrace5584]

Nice one Harry, couldn’t agree more with your comments & thoughts, you are so right on every level. It’s not about a model kit anymore it’s turned into executive engineering builds. Cheers.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Bloody executive suits… messing everything up with their stuffed shirts LOL

[@TheDesertMarlin]

The connections with history, my past and my dad. This is what truly makes me happy in this hobby. Spot on mate!

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks Matey

[@PanzermansBunker]

Great thing about this hobby is you do what you want. If you want PE and aftermarket stuff....go for it. If you just want to build out of box.....go for it. Build for fun.....not accolades. Always LEAD....don't FOLLOW.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Some can do that…. many cannot, as evident by the comments here and discussions I have had with other modellers.

[@JETScaleModels]

not everyone wants to do it easy- sometimes its more fun to squeeze as much realism into a subject as possible.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Each to their own matey… no one is forcing you one way or the other

[@tgapete01]

i know what you mean about connections. Many years ago, while still at school, I built the 1/48 Bandai Valentine. So I painted it following the instructions in a desert scheme. Dad was horrified, they were green! Why didn't you paint it green? He was right of course, Valentines and Matildas were painted green, only sandy in the desert, so thats what he would have seen in service. I made the Matchbox Diamond T tank transporter, showed dad and he immediately recognised it (he drove trucks during the war). Making a 1/32 Corsair, i was told I should have seen Mr. Gunn who lived up the road. You guessed it, he flew Corsairs during the war. All those connections we had, now sadly passed. They attached a level of realism to those models you could never replicate.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Yes time marches relentlessly on….

[@glenflanderka6504]

Find what you want to do, what brings you pleasure and go for it. Your stuff doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. In the end it just has to look good to you.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

That’s the ticket

[@geoffredmond730]

In a word mate it has become too expensive, I love my scale modelling, especially ships and cars, however most decent models have to come from overseas , and by the time they arrive in Australia the freight costs are as much as the model itself, what for something to look at on the shelf. I have more pressing needs to spend my money on nowadays.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Yes it has become a big cash grab in the “golden age” (read take my gold coins) of scale modelling. I look forward to buying inexpensive 3D print files then spitting out my own models at whatever scale and detail level I want.

[@swedishgooner6339]

People weathering tanks like they’ve been used for years. It was barely common that the paint had dried until the tank was destroyed.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Yes that has always been absurd… but paint and weather it anyway you like… just don’t tell me I have to do it the same LOL

[@swedishgooner6339]

@@HarryHoudiniModels Exact my point but I just wanted to point that out. As for me I stick with some dirt and wet effects

[@ejharrop1416]

Brilliant message Harry, could not agree more. Got reintroduced to modeling after a 60 year or so break by first watching Max’s videos and then have expanded from there, to include you and Chris Beckers as well as others. I got caught up in aspirations of getting back in and making show worthy builds. Bought a small stash of plastic and stick kits and was moving along on getting going on builds. Luckily I realized where my addiction truly lay and it was the box art. I was saved😂. I now know I stink at building and etc. and realized that I am a box art junky and that is where my alpha is. I purchased a few beautiful model planes, the built up ones and that is good enough for my habit. Happily I now know my place in the hobby. Thank you all, cheers mate!

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Once you find your groove just go with it :)

[@Jack-bs6zb]

Don’t see a problem. Our only ‘burden’ is the greater choice we now have. Build simple or sophisticated. It’s up to you. It’s not a competition unless you want it to be. You lose sleep about this?

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

LOL… it was not literal… simply a metaphor about how some people feel about the way things have changed in the hobby since the 60’s.

[@paulhennessy5627]

So much my own modelling philosophy, mostly out of box . It's a hobby, my decompression. I am totally with you on the doing as much or as little as you want. I build and paint for myself, if someone else likes it thats nice, but if they dint no sleep lost here.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

A very solid attitude Paul.

[@joshuamurphy4928]

The internet. The best and worst thing to happen to scale modeling. We have all the information, pictures, and products we need just a search away, but as you said sometimes it can make us feel like we have to have it all. The kit I'm doing now has a ton of photoetch, but I'm not using a lot of it because the kit is just as good. With add ons to our models we should always ask "Is the juice worth the squeeze?"

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

An excellent fruity analogy

[@fenman1954]

My enjoyment comes from building it as it comes out of the box . Not into weathering

[@christosswc]

Ditto, putting the thing together. I call it the "basic build" and it's what I enjoy.

[@supercededman]

Spot on!

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Same for me

[@marksherratt51]

Hello. Well said. My grandson makes the old Airfix spitfire and paints it blue and white He loves it the joy of making. Cheers Mark

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

That sounds perfect… nothing wrong with a Blue Spitty… they actually are that colour for recon and racing.

[@alisteraitken2149]

More thought provoking words of wisdom from the wizard of Oz! Keep up the great work Harry, you are an inspiration.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

The Tin Man and Toto agree

[@jimaltergott9326]

Greetings Harry from Chicago, Illinois! Absolutely love the message of this video 😊 I am from your era sir, built my first model at age 11 in June 1976. A simple Monogram Hurricane Mk.IIc. Been involved in the hobby ever since! I too have drifted far from those simple, innocent days of my youth to "panel lines, photo-etch & resin"! Thanks for posting this straightforward and honest reminder to people like myself that it is about fun & enjoyment! Take care and keep your stuff coming mate!, I love it!!!

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks for your heart felt words… glad you liked my video

[@Steve-bo6ht]

Brilliant Harry so glad you've touched on this subject I've recently returned to the hobby and I have gone full circle on what tool's and kit's to buy, I still have a large stash in the loft and I basically had to stop and think what do you want from the Hobby it doesn't matter what other's think as long as you're getting pleasure from the build. Really appreciate you're down to earth input and I can imagine a lot of people new to Modelling must become put off by becoming exhausted when it can be very relaxing and enjoyable if things are kept simple.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Yes Steve just keep it simple and have fun with the hobby… otherwise you are must doing another job!

[@seananthonyegan3395]

Harry you have hit the nail on the head with your observations about model making it's complex beyond belief the enjoyment has been lost from it😮

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

It sure can seem that way for many. Just look at the comments here

[@michaellawrence2706]

Nothing went wrong. More detail and options is a wonderful thing. Everyone wins.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

..and yet so many feel overwhelmed by it?

[@mp-modelplastic]

Excelent video Harry. You give the most important point of plastic modeling, building, painting and have fun with hobby. I agree completly, in am a modelig builder since of the 80´s in that time Airfix kits in bags and Matchbox in my chilhood. Today i feel the same , glue the plastic it´s more fun , then painting and decals is a upgrade of the kit. Sure the aftermarkets is going to get an top nivel in the kit , but most important is having fun and have our moment of relaxing time. Always a plasure to see your videos. Greetings from Portugal

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks for your kind words, sorry it took so long to respond, there have been hundreds of comments on this video

[@TheQstoltz]

As usual you have brought us back to earth with a thoughtful discussion of the hobby. I agree that the aftermarket pressures can take you down painful rabbit holes (try Tamiya MP4/4 with the Top Studio set at 1/20 - which is a complete kicking) but you are right we need to step back and breathe and enjoy what is in front of us. Thanks again. Best wishes

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Glad you enjoyed the message matey

[@potrzebieneuman4702]

I agree with you but also there is the option to go as far as you want to. I build for my own pleasure and display and merely experiment with different methods, I'm 67 years old so I understand where you're coming from.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Good on you matey

[@mr.hainie2543]

Best advice i ever heard; "comparison is the thief of joy."

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

It certainly can be matey

[@rotwang2000]

A funny thing happened a while ago, we were leafing through an old Verlinden Way book and I spotted a truck with a canvas top that was so obviously plastic, we started to look closer and ended up seeing so many flaws and issues like very obvious moulded wires complete with an even coat of silver, including the mounting brackets and even one part where we were divided between it being meant to be casting barbs or that François Verlinden failed to clean up the part properly or even some extremely obvious drybrushing. Make no mistake this was published in 1980, so much of the work had been done in the late 70's where all the luxury options we can get today didn't exist and some of the techniques he and others pioneered are still in use today, but we have learned so much more since and have access to so many techniques, tools and options. And that's in my opinion the key word : Options. You can do a straight out of the box kit with some tidying up and a straight paintjob You can ignore all the aftermarket updates, but then weather the heck out of a kit or even do a straight up building job and leave it there, or try to build an amazing diorama with a model that's been done to the highest possible standard. If you just want to recapture the magic of that first Airfix kit or try your hand on some amazing project that will blow away everyone else at the next competition, it's all valid. I know a modeller who has issues, he'll never make a "nice" model, not one for the magazines or to proudly display on the internet, he lacks fine motor skills, he's somewhat impatient, but he loves his models. And to me it's all that matters.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

That is all that matters

[@blackcat62]

Harry you are both hilarious and totally right and refreshingly clear talking. Such a lot of sense. Good on you. Love it. From an old git of that certain age.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Good on you matey… with age comes… whimsy apparently?

[@osonavigator]

Relax and Enjoy it's a Hobby 😎👍

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Absolutely

[@stevesmodelbuilds5473]

This is an issue with model railroad hobbyists, too. There's even a line of very high-quality model trains called Rivet Counter. I think we can all admit to a streak of OCD -- it's one reason we enjoy modeling. For some, that streak is a mile wide, and obsessing over realism is a big part of that. Then, of course, there's the 'Nerd Factor,' and the snobbery that goes with it. The fact is, any model is just that -- it's not the real thing, it's a representation of reality. There's plenty of ways to 'sex-up' any model kit, whether by one's own detailing, or with after-market stuff. For me, I want a kit that's accurate (if not perfect) and assembles properly without too much unnecessary difficulty. If, in the end, I'm pleased with the results, I'm happy. I'm not going to ruin my enjoyment of the hobby because a panel line or whatever isn't correct for that version -- that's what paint is for... 😎

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Well you guys did come up with the “rivet counter” LOL

[@stevesmodelbuilds5473]

@@HarryHoudiniModels True 😎. But it feeds the same obsession. One great thing about either hobby -- and they're not mutually exclusive -- is, as you said, we can make what we want of the hobby. They're open to all skill-levels, most income levels, and all kinds of sub-interests within them 😀.

[@stuartwren5526]

Yup, I'm with you Harry. You can still make it simple, but we'll. 🇬🇧

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Nothing wrong with that

[@calmcanuck]

Great video! You remotivated me. All these masterpieces out there had discouraged me from just doing a simple fun model.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

You can do it!

[@allandavis8201]

Personally I make models because I find it relaxing and fun, I just want to produce a finished article that pleases me, and me alone, I buy kits for the enjoyment of opening the box, studying how well it is produced, the quality of the instructions and decals etc, and if I decide I want to build it I do, I buy all the tools,paint and aftermarket parts that I want, not need, want, and I get enormous pleasure shopping online for whatever takes my fancy. I just think that as a hobby you can make it as hard or easy as you want, but at the end of the day all that matters is the pleasure you get, and if you don’t have fun/pleasure from the process then you should probably give up the hobby. I did all the fun things you did as a kid, and I did modelling as well, from about the age of 8 years old to today, now I am retired I have all the time I want to do whatever I want, perhaps my circumstances and thoughts are different from others but I don’t think I am wasting my time because it is fun to me. I don’t think it is a waste of time buying aftermarket parts etc, and I definitely don’t see it as a waste of money, if you can afford it and you want it then buy it, it all comes down to personal preference about how much or little effort and money into your hobby, not just modelling but any hobby/pastime that you enjoy doing. I agree 100% with your closing points, but, and there is always a but, I felt that during your narration you were pushing your opinion on others, but your closing points are spot on.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

You have taken it all too literally and seriously… this was just a fun poke at the way we do the hobby. Enjoy it your way.

[@nickbutler7935]

Bring back the 'Baggies' lol. I build my models to the best standard I can and I'm content. Dodgy eyes and hands virtually rule out P.E.. I now rarely enter competitions as there are too many 'Fokkers' counting the rivets, which has tarnished that aspect of things for me. I introduced a friends Grandson to the hobby by donating some kits from my stash. It was so good just to watch him slap it together, splodge some paint on and Bingo Bongo ( copy right and trade marks of H.H. fully respected). It reminded me so much of my early days. Thing is I'm a tad worried I have created a monster. Also jealous his initial efforts are so much better than mine were. Cheers for the video Harry.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Great story Nick… sorry for the late reply, I was inundated with hundreds of comments on this one

[@HamilkarBarkasScaleModelling]

I noticed that a good portion of scale modellers out there are insecure about their results. One can keep explaining to them that the "result" (what a horrible word actually to describe the enjoyable hobby) isn´t important, but the journey to get there and the enjoyment you experience while doing so is essential, yet people remain stressed out despite the encouraging words. Don´t we have enough stress and pressure to succeed at the job already? So the hobby should counterbalance it by being the opposite. However, the enjoyment is also partially rooted in seeing the own skills progressing, getting better with every model feels good right?! How to make it better? Aftermarkets and fancy painting techniques might be the way. It just becomes problematic once people take it too far and put themselves under pressure. A thing i also noticed is that a many modellers build their models as replicas of other models made by the celebrities, not necessarily doing the research to find out what the real thing looked like. Speaking of the different generations, here is a story: My friends and me, all born around 1990, built our tree house in a really old tree my grandfather built his treehouse in as a kid already. Really majestic tree indeed. Yet the baby boomers in the neighbourhood didn´t like it, tore it down and cut the tree down too. Well, its not all the faul of the younger generation that things are, what they are, right :) Each generation is molded by the previous two generations.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Those baby boomers are horrible. Thanks for sharing Michael

[@andrewjones1649]

Harry. I'd pretty much hit the buffers with modelling, very disheartened. I kept on seeing stuff on the internet that I'll never be able to achieve or even really want to, then one day I came upon your ship building tutorials. I was hooked. Been watching you a while now, and my mojo came back. Thank you.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Great to hear Andrew… welcome back aboard

[@jmatch3744]

I’m in the younger generation and the reaction I get when I tell people that I build model planes is “wow I think my dad used to do that as a kid!” I feel old and I’m not even 20.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Don’t listen to the neigh sayers… nothing wrong with having a hobby which is not digital or on a screen. We want more of you youngsters to keep the hobby alive

[@JHartModelworks]

Absolutely nothing is wrong. If you don't like it, don't do it. Build what you want, it will be great! Others of us are driven to do crazy details. Half the stuff i do no one will ever see. It's fun for us and ... it's great. The awesome thing about this hobby you can go as deep down the rabbit hole as you want to go, but when you want to get off the ride, just stop and call it good.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Absolutely true matey

[@declan1278]

Mate I live on the otherside of the world to you in London but totally agree with what your saying I think the same all the best Declan

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks Declan

[@williamgarnett5667]

I can really understand what you have stated so well. Over complicating a build was taking all the fun out of the hobby for me.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Hope this video helps you pull back and have some fun again?

[@williamgarnett5667]

Yes has thank you.

[@FrankPerrone-jw1ul]

Could not agree more Harry !! Fun video and awesome Rant .

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks Frank

[@willthorson4543]

No one is forcing anyone to do anything when it comes to modeling. Its still a reltively lonely 1 person hobby. I am 51. I've been there in the 80s when things started changing. It was exciting. Did you all forget when we all got excited when ONE kit was released in 6 months? Now we get brand new kits all the time! Things we all never thought would see in plastic. Kits today fit a lot better than before the 90s. I personally love accurate kits. I build both out of box and i've done loads of after market and both make me happy. I cannot vouch for what others think. But for me? As a disabled veteran, building models is one of the best things i can do both pbysically and mentally. I love challenges. I love research. I love out of box builds. I love adding a ton to a model. I love seeing others people's work. I love seeing those that are phenominal at scratch building and painting and weathering. It is all motivation for me. I love to challenge myself. I love to try new techmiques and do more and more things to make my models look better and accurate. Like you said, that is what i love about this hobby. We live in a golden age of modeling across the board. From beautifully detailed models to references to the internet to seeing others works we would never be able to see otherwise. As a hobby? I think it is still relitively cheap. Times change. Prices go up on everything. I build a lot o tamiya kits. Still fantastic out of the box, you can add anything you want, or not. Still usually good prices. If not? Go to a model show and peruse the tables and buy kits that are pretty cheap, a good 50 to 75% off the actual price. People today get so hung up on what others think, or how they model instead of just sitting back and enjoying a fantastic hobby. Just remember people, no one is fircing you to do anything model related. Don't worry about what others think. Not eveyone has to like a model you make. Absorb the critiques, learn and keep building. Strive to be better...or not. It is always up to you.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Your last 3 sentences sum it up beautifully

[@TheUmbralFox]

My dad would buy models in the 50s, early 60s, and build them very basically while watching Flintstones and other cartoons with a messy glue tube and supplied paints (probably that plastic-bristled brush too). I often picture that sort of thing when looking at earlier kits from Revell and others. My biggest thing I'd go stir crazy with is not having much reference past the minimal photos found in maybe a library or the papers (I build spacecraft, and in this era these were new and always evolving). I like your video, a lot of interesting points and perspectives. There's a ton of stuff now, even since I started in the 80s, but I enjoy it that way. It helps me not outgrow the passion and I can keep giving a try on more new stuff. My biggest stubborn point is printing. A bit hypocritical because I've used printed work, but I really hate how it's become the autotune of the modeling world in some ways. My biggest worry is that modeling of any kind goes away, so if it expands I think that's great. It all boils down to the same thing though: build what you want, how you want to

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

I agree wholeheartedly

[@davidshepherd397]

Many things have gone this way, like camping, it used to be fairly simple with a reflector tent, then when it came into vogue Coleman came out with multi room tents, lanterns and cook stoves. Today there is very special equipment for hikers and tents on car roofs. The desire to get things right or better is part of the drive in humanity. Also the wealthy as usual want to take things and take over things, so models and model trains went from quick and easy to fancy and delicate. The best thing to do in my opinion is to build for yourself only build kits that give you joy to build and display, or not. build your skill level or stretch yourself a bit.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Don’t get me started on camping… that’s a topic for another video

[@ricardoroberto7054]

It's only as complicated as you make it. I like to improve all the time so just do what I need to keep improving without having to go mad. I still make vintage airfix just for the challenge. I agree about the panel lines. People go way over the top and it's not realistic.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Well said!

[@MGB-learning]

Always an outstanding video and presentation.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Wow, thank you!

[@johnsanty2169]

Much of what you say is true to my experiences having been a chil in the 1960s. Simply, the hobby has evolved. I accept some of the progress and inovations and others I have rejected.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Sensible attitude

[@davidfreyta3857]

I find modeling very relaxing. I don't use much aftermarket stuff, mainly plug wires. I like scratch building the details. I'm never in a rush to finish a kit, it will be done when I think it is. I don't enter contests, I don't need the drama. I have took my models to contests just to show. I think for every great modeler I see on here there are probably 40 more we will never see. The easier you make something the more expensive it gets. And the more skills you lose. Remember heating the sprues with a candle and stretching them to make spark plug wires? That is a skill that has been lost.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

I could never get a good sprue stretch… mine always caught fire

[@kinumike]

The hobby is about having fun . Just build at your own pace. For me . I'm losing my hands carpol tunnel . I'm not giving up. If there's a will there's a way. Keep on building down under. Take care Harry. Show you next time .

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Good on you David. Fun is the aim of a hobby, well it should be.

[@ronaldbyrne3320]

Never underestimate the ability of human beings to complicate their lives Harry. 😆 I like adding photoetch and resin parts but ONLY when my extra hard work will be seen on the model. You’re right, we have to decide for ourselves if we want to add these extras, not just because we are being told that we need to. And that goes for kazillion-part 1/35 scale tank kits for another example - doesn’t work for me most times, life is too short for that kind of complication. 🤟🏻

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

True… just Keep It Simple Stupid.. KISS and you will be fine

[@peterkensey6728]

Once upon a time we drove Morris 1100s too. The world has moved on. I grew up with B&W TV. If you wanted to change the channel, you got up, walked to the set, turned a dial, re-aligned the arial and sat down again. Remember when we didn't have seat belts, Thai food, mobile phones, MRI machines and a million other improvements to our lives? If you want to build like we both did in the sixties, go for it. Me? I'll take all the help I can get.

[@jmcc2275]

I know I drove a Morris 1100.👍🏻

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

I drove a 60’s Cortina LOL… but yes the world has moved on and we have a lot to be thankful for. Except photo etch… that stuff is evil!

[@jonp4890]

Back in the 60's and 70's Airfix models were available for pocket money prices and you could buy them in Woolworth, and newsagents. I could just walk up the road and find a 1'72 aircraft kit I liked the look of. The first expensive kit I remember lusting after was the Tamiya 1/6 Honda CB750 motorcycle, don't know how much it cost in 1970 in the UK, but I know it was way beyond my price range as a 10 year old.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Still an expensive kit…

[@jerryvolpini7987]

Whose to blame for this shift in modelling - us! The Internet, resin, photoetch, 3d printing, they are all tools we can choose to use, or NOT. People need to stop blamind the industry - WE created the demand and we got exactly what WE asked for (we are our own worst enemies!). If people want to go back to the good ole days, then do it! Plenty of good kits out there that are a quick, simple build. We all bitch about Tamiya not going the full monty but they are making the exact models you're talking about. Like you said, relax and enjoy the hobby, stop listening to the voices, lol, build what makes YOU happy! 😊

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Wise words

[@beacon_models]

Speaking as both a hobbyist and a plastic kit manufacturer, I think you've identified a lot of what made me want to start producing models that I actually wanted to build. I'm in a place in life where I like small, simple but fun bitesize models which is why Bryan and I picked 1/144 scale to develop as a range. We hoped people would feel the same way, and it looks like they do, and your sentiments here are shared with many of those modellers. Of course there's a place for big detailed kits, I would never knock them, but there's also room for that old hobby shop style kit, just made using modern processes to a better out of the box standard of build and presentation. This is why I think that Airfix releasing their "Vintage Classics" line is really cool too, they're similar in their intent. It's good to have the option of a lower pressure build where you're just zoning out as you described, that can be finished off in a few hours and gives the you satisfaction of a finished model that look good.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks for you comments… I really don’t dislike all aftermarket manufacturers, hope you got the joke.

[@beacon_models]

@@HarryHoudiniModels yes of course no worries mate :D!

[@danieljohnson1177]

Hi Harry from the USA. I'm a boomer and like you I build to relax and enjoy. Like you I use some of the modern stuff like pe and after market. And just recently got the wood decking for a banner 1/350 Arizona just to try. Love your videos and your work. Keep on trucking. (boomers will understand lol)

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Ten Four good buddy… I think we got ourselves a Convoy

[@doogledog1740]

Quite so , Harry. I see it as akin to life . We start out simple, life gets more and more complex, and then in later life we gain experience, insight, wisdom (? maybe a stretch there) and can reassess things, returning to something simpler and enjoyable. I don't think we can ever go back completely. Things, once learned, are hard to ignore, but perhaps a satisfying level can be found. Thanks.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Yes a satisfying level is what we are after… great idea

[@theminiatureconstructionco4556]

Ive been a modeller, on and off since childhood. Never a serious one i must admit, die hard brush man. Used to turn my nose up at Airfix starter sets until i got some last Christmas. The absolute joy in sitting down not thinking about what paint to use, what brush etc. The simplicity and the challenge of only using the contents of the box is wonderful and just as rewarding. Its a real grass roots experience i cant recommend enough. And if your careful you can get a decent model in a day! Love it 👍👍

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Great story and good to read your experience. If only others would go down the same path…

[@theminiatureconstructionco4556]

@HarryHoudiniModels I think it's horses for courses. I've come to the conclusion that I'm a builder, not a painter. If a project takes too long, it starts to feel like a bit of a chore. For a modeller, I think I lack patience. As a kid, they never got paint or decals. The glue was barely dry before they were having dogfights round my bedroom! 😂👍😂

[@andrekamsteeg4567]

My rigging is making individual tank track. Adding sometimes more than 600 pieces to a rather simple tank.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

As long as you enjoy it, and are not bothering anyone else, go for it matey

[@davidguy6823]

Wise words indeed Harry. I fully agree with you and really enjoy building out of the box. PE really winds me up and as you say so much of it can’t even be seen! I really enjoy all your videos and look forward to seeing them as they come out so many thanks for taking the time to make them for sharing.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks David… I enjoy making my videos, so it’s great to hear they are enjoyed

[@brenstratters2026]

Yes Harry. Agree. I've got The Airfix Bong (no Bond) Bug on the go. The petrol tank was miising. OK, you can get the part from Airfix but I decides to have a go at scratch building it. FUN. All the best shipmate.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Well done matey

[@JAFKARNAT]

Well said. Fully agree with you. No enjoyment, no modelling.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Sad to hear that

[@salc9593]

I enjoy your WTF videos. I've returned to scale modeling after a 45 year hiatus and come to find model building very pleasureful. I've acquired some new items for the past year since my return to modeling (paints, brushes, glue, etc...). and am incorporation my knowledge in electronics and programming to a animate some of my kits. But all the time I remember what my mother use to tell me as a child when it came to building my models in my youth "Build for your own satisfaction and not to others expectations...unless you're being paid for the work" Thank you for your entertaining WTF videos 😀 👍👍

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Your mother was a wise person

[@RoyORear]

Thanks for this. Just getting back into the hobby after many (many!) years and was feeling a little overwhelmed with the options and ... expectations, I guess. Needed a bit of a level-set.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

I just call em as I see em….

[@thanassisveggos627]

Ever try using an Ares resin cockpit?? Bloody things need a ton of sending to fit inside the model and when it comes time to painting all those little knobs and switches that they molded in you have to have super vision to do it! I also got caught up in the aftermarket craziness so now I limit myself the doors and hatches and railings for ship models and instrumentation panels for fighter jets where you can display the canopy in the open position.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

I had one if those Ares things and just could not face it. Had been told I need this… turns out I didn’t :)

[@amraceway]

You should treat model building like art. Some like painting by numbers... the stock box builders some like painting landscapes ... the diorama mob, some like super realism... the rivet counters, some are art collectors...the kit hoarders.. and some like the abstract... the customizers, dreamers and what if crew. What you should follow is your own passion. It is the journey that is important.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Absolutely agree

[@osonavigator]

hey i'm art collector ... thanks 😅🤣😂

[@rexsmith9577]

You can still build any kit the way you want. If you don't want to use PE or Resin, don't.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

That’s right Rex

[@glencwilson]

Spot on! Some of the problem is that we generally have more money to spend on our hobbies. We need to be selective on aftermarket as some things do make a difference but most is never seen. Spend time getting the build right and scratch building is the way to go for a lot of things.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Could not agree with you more Glen

[@jameslarosa2396]

I build them out of the box like I did 60 years ago. Spray can and brush paint. I don't spend more than 12-15 hours on a kit. I'm not go to win any contests. But I have fun and a nice collection.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

And that is all the matters.. good on you James

[@Donleecartoons]

Built a tank model -- a Tamiya King Tiger -- for my cousin ... well, a lot of years ago now. I was surprised and pleased by the detail and the quality of the fit, though I wondered why I was building all the detail inside the turret that was going to be invisible once I closed things up. And when I finished and looked at the result, I half expected the thing to start up and rumble off in search of Shermans to shoot at before it broke down. The kit, in short, was a wonder (and I hear the engineering has only gotten more impressive in recent years, though they're more expensive than I can justify to myself). But it wasn't any FUN. By contrast, I built for myself a model tugboat out of a snap-together kit of ... well, the quality wasn't great. But I had my hobby knife and my sandpaper and I made things fit. Then I built some deck gear out of scraps, railings and masts out of sections of paperclip and sewing thread and brush-painted the whole thing in craft acrylic from squeeze bottles -- the goal was to see how detailed I could get while still being my cheapskate self. And it was the most fun I ever had building a model.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

I have the most fun from resurrecting a rescue kit… like the Airfix St Louis I got half started and a mess. But I knew that was its state before I bought, and at a bargain price, for what has become a rare kit. I’ve since stripped it all down, refit and rebuilt, plus added a lot of scratch. Loved every moment and looking at her now you would never realise the mess it was in when I got her.

[@markthomas5110]

100% agree with you Harry. Go back to basics, have fun with your modelling, play with trying different techniques, try something new (I.e if you many build planes, try a car or a lorry). But if you see that one must have kit, that you want to go belt and braces on, then all the extras are fine. Just don’t feel pressurised into thinking every kit requires it.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

That is the message… just do it your way and have fun

[@theconfusedmodelmaker]

I agree it does seem to be buy all these extras only to lose them underpaint/covered up that is why I only buy after market bits for projects in which I needed them such as the easy eight wheel set when I made my BC 25t from scratch.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Sounds like a good balance

[@soonermodels1173]

The rivet counters were born

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Fokker the Rivet Counters :)

[@sgtrock6213]

Great advice my friend.....thank you for the content...

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

My pleasure!

[@agdgdgwngo]

I don't think anything went wrong except in the modellers head. Cos all the resin, photo etch, etc it's been around for ages, not a recent thing really and at the end of the day it's up to you if ou want to use it or not. Certain things, like masks for example, just objectively make the hobby was quicker and easier and I wish I had them as a kid. If you like building kits the old fashioned way, with a brush and tins of enamel, it's still easily possible. We just have such a wealth of choice now. You can even buy the same old Airfix kits in vintage classics or second hand. I'm 29, so I'm too young to remember modelling, but I built hundred of old airfix kits with raised panel lines, and painted them with enamels via brush. But I also remember coming back to the hobby in like 2012 and being amazed by the choices availiable. Suddenly I could build any plane I wanted, rather than being stuck with whats on the shelf. I can read a review or watch someone else building it on youtube so I know it's a good kit. Tamiya and Eduard kits set a whole new level of fit and detail for me. In modelling terms, everything is better nowadays.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

True it is better and there is more choice but so many returning to the hobby find it overwhelming… just read the comments here

[@davidoswald6194]

What a breath of fresh air Harry...thank God.....I love making models....but I am not a fan of photo etch and resin....all the time...its nice if you get it with a kit...but I can live without it to....Not knocking the majority who think it's essential to have every extra piece made....its just not me.....personally....and I was starting to think there was something wrong with me.....I don't do a lot of weathering ....just the essential bits and bobs....depends on the subject and the photos I can see.....I feel weathering way over done...people have to take into consideration the picture quality of the past can often be misleading....what we today take as grime...can sometimes just be light reflection on a particular colour and the photography process

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Yes the whole over weathering thing is just a fanciful artform now.. realistically aircraft and ships are mostly kept in a clean condition unless left out to rust, and tanks in WWII never lasted long enough to have all the grime and rust on them that is such a fad now.

[@tomlavelle8340]

I just build 1/72 new tool Airfix aircraft now. Fun to build, looks good, easy to paint and decal. And if I mess up, no big deal. Another kit is only a few dollars.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

That’s a great attitude

[@rogercroll856]

I'm 74 now and I still build my models the same way I did when I was 11 or 12. I like them to look like they've just come out of the factory. I do appreciate the time and effort and skill some people put into their modeling but i'm getting a bit long in the tooth for that.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Yep old teeth are a problem… thanks for your comments Roger

[@steveg3981]

Great rant. Lots of common sense. Finally a KZbinr who says you don't need photo-etch. You pay $50 for a model , then check out the experts on line who suggest all kinds of must have extras, costing another $125. Could be more if you buy the fancy weathering paints. such as mud or grime. What a crock. Newcomers with a budget will surely exit stage left. Got a new sub. Look forward to more of your comments

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Welcome aboard Steve… yep, build em out the box, and scratch anything extra you need… if you can’t see it, don’t build it. That’s my motto.

[@skipper2844]

I have watched a number of your vids now and I cant stop laughing. What you say resonates with me and like you, cant get to grips with excessive photo-etch, cant be doing with the pre-shade (why?) or filling in panel lines ? At the end of the day as you said, you build for yourself and at the end of the build it WILL look like the real thing and be recognized as such. To many folks are more concerned with keeping up with other folks, not altogether a bad thing if you are lookin to improve your own build but it can take years to learn and change your way but being a fuddy duddy at 65 I'm happy the way my models turn out. Thanks for sharing your thoughts !

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Good on you matey

[@stanheijnen9677]

Well said Harry. For me masking cannopy's is a thing, so I often buy these mask for my models (planes). Sure our hobby (and making things) is giving me so much rest in the head, its better than meditation. Great work Harry, thanks for your great presentations.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Glad you like them

[@ericchristopher1687]

Ah - good points you bring up. I just got back into model building after 30 years and am working only on cars and other vehicles with a personal connection to me, my family or cultural or historical events that mean something to me. I'm currently modifying an ICM 1/24 Model T Ford into something historic and unique, and will add visible detail to the kit - but I won't go crazy and install a ream of photo-etched parts and resin accessories. I am thoroughly enjoying building this kit for my own enjoyment, and don't care to compete with anyone else - or to tell them then can't do whatever pleases them. Enjoyed your video very much.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Thanks Eric

[@martinoconnor4314]

The only aftermarket stuff I use is the stuff I make myself. Used Takeaway food trays and beer cans are the best free sheet metal for modelling and if I can't make it myself then the model ain't getting it.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Very resourceful matey

[@dmb531sull]

Yes I loved riding our bikes to Kresge‘s and go to the basement where the models were building a few model cars then getting some M80s and blowing them up oh the memories

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Oh dear, another destroyer of dreams LOL

[@wullieg7269]

when younger my fingers were smaller and 1/72 scale was no prob now im old and want more than 1/35 and the 1/16 tanks look tempting for paint and weathering

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Yes those bigger tanks look fun, until you realise you need a bank loan for the paint and glue

[@props-model-shop]

Well said, on what you said. About time someone said it. Glad you said it (except for the Zeppelin part).

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Hey what’s wring with Zepp? hehe

[@marvinbanka7592]

You are so right. I once would get photo-etch and resin parts, but not anymore. I build models out of the box, and the only weathering I might do is a wash when the model is done. The model looks great on the shelf.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

And that is the truth of the matter…

[@sseltrek1a2b]

i think one of the main reasons is that people now have the potential to create a "studio quality" miniature out of every kit because of the technology being where it is, and all the video/teaching resources available...and yes- it is "very" over-whelming (it's given the whole hobby a very "competitive" vibe...)...

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Compete or relax.. you just need to choose

[@garysprandel1817]

I've invested extra effort to improve the cockpit and create an actual Rebel Alliance pilot from the 50s jet pilot for the Return Of The Jedi reissue of the original glue kit AMT Xwing and did similar in improving the " space Lay -Z - Boy " cockpit on the Buck Rogers fighter. Got around to building my late wife's light and sound Star Trek 5 Enterprise. Wife apparently put the sound board in another kit box or scavenged it for another project so I at least recreated the very basic light kit that came with the kit and all of that I enjoyed. Then was the painting. It's a post ST:TMP Enterprise so I have to do azteking, prime and paint for light blocking, let it dry and cure for a couple days then layout and carefully mask for first of many levels of azteking,paint first off color panel sections and let dry. Pull back masking and original base paint comes with masking in several areas. Roll my eyes skyward, issue an apology to my wife that i just don't have it in me to go that crazy on her Enterprise and say feck it it's going all white.

[@HarryHoudiniModels]

Yep, there comes a point where all that faffing about is no longer any fun. Thanks for sharing your story Gary