Lots of great kites that I used to own

[@DoubleDeckerAnton]

Kabuki Suruga is a lovely kite and so is the African woman kite as well.

[@JimNicholls]

I regret selling them, but I needed the cash!

[@DoubleDeckerAnton]

Yes...at least you have some good memories of them, documented on video.

[@PanyingPilot]

It's all about the chase.

[@MichaelKSherman]

What an incredible bunch of kites Jim. I understand some of your regret. : ) But, there's always another kite.

[@JimNicholls]

Glenn, you're right. There is always that desire to acquire a special new kite, but there comes a time when you find there are too many of them and they've taken over your life and consumed all your money!

[@JimNicholls]

Michael K. Sherman There's always another kite, Michael, but since I retired there's seldom the money to buy it!

[@raymonddimock6838]

@@JimNicholls Hi!, I'm a Kite Addict and I love flying Kites. A message from AKA / Anonymous Kite Addicts. :^{D

[@PanyingPilot]

@@JimNicholls Unless KZbin purges videos, your fame and legacy are assured. If you have kept your completed videos on archive, you might consider a strategy to duplicate your work and bequeath the content to NZ library system, world kite museum and Weifang kite museum. If you sell your appliqued kites to fund screen print stuff, like your most recent kite post, you are going backwards. This is nothing new, of course. Taking action is. First step, explore grant funding for electronic storage. Second step, do the first step.

[@danokitemanotoo1791]

I used to fly with Reza in the 90's, his designs were incredible & he was quite a different fella! LoL I too have many kites that I miss. Some bought & some I made myself (miss them the most)!

[@JimNicholls]

I came to kite-flying late in life and missed most of his designs which were available. It must have been great flying with him.

[@danokitemanotoo1791]

@@JimNicholls It was nice to see his original designs fly. We met him through Jane & Larry Ambrose of Sky Scraper Kites / OSOW Fame.

[@JOKOKEMPLUNG]

Beautiful kite to the eye. Celestial enchantments salam from indonesia

[@JimNicholls]

Thank you, I'm glad you like it. I hope all is well in Indonesia.

[@MooCowBlueKites]

I have two major regrets with parting ways with things I wish I had not and they both involve vehicles, fortunately not kites yet. Thanks for sharing some of your parted ways kites. At least you have some nice videos to remember them by although I know that is not exactly the same. I honestly think it is kind of cool that you let some pieces from your collection go for others to get some enjoyment out of a kite they may not have been able to get otherwise. Kites need to be flown and if I have 200 kites in my closet no one is really enjoying them. I have been trying to get myself more in the mindset of enjoying a kite for a while and then letting go to a good home versus hoarding them in my closet. I have kites that have not been flown in years or at all and they are just standard kites not the nice collectable ones like you have. Thanks for again for letting us see some really facinating kites.

[@JimNicholls]

Good points, Mark. A kite unflown is a sad object, so it is indeed better to pass them on if they are not going to be flown occasionally at least.

[@CMChen]

Jim, you've had such beautiful kites.

[@JimNicholls]

Yes, I've bought far too many and have spent far too much on them. Now, at 80 years old, I am trying to sell some of them and cut down on future purchases.

[@MrHelidude]

Very nice Jim .....

[@JimNicholls]

Thank you, Nara. I guess your wings have been well and truly clipped for now, but I hope Qantas will not be grounded too long and maybe you'll get a chance to have a kite or two in the air while stuck on the ground yourself.

[@MrHelidude]

Yes, flat on the ground ..... (◕︿◕✿) Will have to fly some kites somewhere but it feels a bit awkward because of the strange feeling that people may be looking and "judging" during these "please stay at home days" at the moment. Hmmmmmm

[@JimNicholls]

I'm in exactly the same situation, Nara, so I haven't ventured out yet.

[@MrHelidude]

I am going to go and cut the grass now. That will be my outing. Sad

[@darrentylor5473]

So many Roks.... I had a Cobra when I was too young to appreciate it... Haven't seen a Puff in a long time. Thanks for the trip down memory lane

[@JimNicholls]

Glad you enjoyed it, Darren.

[@MarkAGroh]

Jim, you truly have the best collection I have ever seen. Glenn and queen comes close, and a few others. Thanks for many years of videos. Yes, the Firebird is a real gem!

[@JimNicholls]

The collection's not quite what it was, with the loss of all those great kites I showed here, but it's nice to have had them, flown them, and still have the memories. And of course there are still some gems amongst the far too many kites that I still have.

[@coach_pete]

Thanks for sharing, Jim. I can see why these were some of your favorites.

[@JimNicholls]

Yes, some good items there, but it's no use having regrets so I'll just enjoy the far-too-many that I still have, as soon as the lockdown ends, that is!

[@meiumi9456]

I don't know why but I am particularly drawn to that first flying saucer kite, if it came in a slightly smaller version ha, I imagine that big guy probably had some pull to it.

[@JimNicholls]

Yes, it had quite a pull, Meiumi. I'm not sure why I sold it, as it's a very good kite.

[@meiumi9456]

@@JimNicholls I found one that they say is 2.25 meters wide, would that be the same as the one you had? 2.25x 12m

[@JimNicholls]

@@meiumi9456 No, Meiumi, mine was 3m by 20m or 10ft by 66ft. That one you've found would be much more manageable, at around 7ft 6in by 40ft.

[@meiumi9456]

@@JimNicholls do you think 300 lb line would work for it

[@mrlionel1965]

What a great compilation of kites. Playing in a band here, I think I need the guitar one..lol.

[@JimNicholls]

You're a man of many talents, Ken! The Guitar has been out of production for years, but it was certainly a kite with a difference and a surprisingly good flier.

[@mrlionel1965]

Well, it would certainly suit me..lol

[@markoakley6132]

I love kites soooooomuch!!! Thank you thank you thank you for giving me so much exciting hope for my kite future. You ROCK!!!!

[@JimNicholls]

Please, for your sanity, don't ever get as crazy as I have been. For every kite I've shown here, there are dozens of others, big and small, still cluttering up my life and having consumed much of my income for many years. Of course, if you are very rich, no problem!

[@markoakley6132]

@@JimNicholls Haha, alright, I will heed your advice and balance my interest as I am not rich. As for my sanity, I remember what Chico Marx of the Marx Brothers saying, "You can't fool me, there ain't no sanity clause." : )

[@ttullis1]

I still have the Blais Air Guitar in my bag and used to own the Koch Mesh Delta (still in town) and there is a Butterfly Genki that one of our members (Alaskiters) still owns but I covet. Thank you sir for this review.

[@JimNicholls]

I'm glad you enjoyed it, Tim, and it's good to know that you have some good kites with you and around you.

[@meiumi9456]

Why did you part with your George Peter's dragonfly kite?

[@JimNicholls]

I didn't like it, and the money was useful!

[@kiteflyingdownunder....car6272]

You say that looking back you have regrets. I was looking forward to seeing them and now I have regrets. Thanks for a great video record. It's some consolation for not seeing the real thing.

[@JimNicholls]

True, but a video is never quite as good as having the real thing on the end of your line.

[@MrOldflyer]

Very nice Jim :-)

[@JimNicholls]

Thanks, Nigel. I hope the Fish is still getting the occasional outing. No flying here, but I shall have to attempt a break-out soon.

[@CirrusRC]

great to see these kites again Jim. No surprise that my favourite was the Firebird - thank you for putting that up again. Also like the African Woman, reminded me of the Amulet. Do you keep all the original footage from over the years or have you just downloaded existing KZbin videos and re-edited? Be good to see more compilations like this. Like your top 10 kites ...etc.

[@JimNicholls]

I've kept much of my original footage, David, but some has been lost when I've run out of storage space and not got around to buying more. I may well do some more compilations, especially if I can't get out to fly.

[@pragashselvam7752]

Pls put your making video We would love u to do the same

[@JimNicholls]

Do you mean how I make the kites? I don't make them, I buy them.

[@mshybutter42]

This is my favorite video these are amazing peices!

[@JimNicholls]

I'm sad to have lost those kites, but happy that I had them for a while anyway.

[@cloudybongo]

Some nice ones there. I wouldn't part with my Cody for anything! Once the covid pandemic is over it is the first thing I plan to fly in celebration , then maybe a trilobite ; - ))

[@JimNicholls]

My problem was shortage of cash and too many kites, Bill, and the Cody almost never got flown and was an in-demand item, so it went on the list for disposal. Ideally, of course, I would have kept them all Trilobites are more essential in my view, as they can be flown at a minute's notice and don't need any assembly or disassembly, things I seldom have time for.

[@markgray1127]

Nice ex collection to see. When did you get into kiting big time or has it just been a building work in progress as such.

[@JimNicholls]

About 12 years ago, but I went totally crazy buying everything that caught my eye until I ran out of money. Now, I have to sell a couple of kites before I can afford to buy a new one (which is always still a temptation!)

[@deweygravesjr.122]

Those where some great looking kites Jim. How many kites do you still have? Nice video. Thanks Jim!

[@JimNicholls]

How many do I still have? Far too many! I shall probably sell some more as soon as things return to a bit more like normality.

[@lionharehart]

I guess we all have to part with things we love sometimes. I was wondering the condition of your house. Is there enough room to get to your kitchen with the mega fish in the dining room? No intervention needed? Whew!

[@JimNicholls]

Vito, your imagination is not too far from the truth. I had my son staying with me for a while recently, and had to move a lot of gear out of one room to make space for him. He's left now, so there's a bit more scope to spread out, but I do have to have another big clear-out in the near future. A lot of cheaper kites will probably be given away, as no-one around here wants to buy kites, and postage is too expensive to send them elsewhere.

[@raymonddimock6838]

@@JimNicholls If you sell them (Cheaper Kites) in larger lots of 5 - 10 this would make postage more bearable for shipping globally for your buyers .

[@JimNicholls]

No good, Raymond - the cost of post from here is too high. We're a long way from anywhere!