"School boy hobby"?!

[The Smythe Meister]

Just a brief aside here,and this is by far NOT a scientific survey,just a quick snapshot really,however .....
I just had a quick count up from a group of 7 site members who reacted to a post of mine.Now, not everyone makes their age public,in fact,only 5 of that 7 have......
A quick tot up of said 5 ages, then divided by 5,gave an average age of 64.
Obviously this is just a microcosm of the site in general,and I know that there are many guys on here, well short of that age,(myself included),but even so,it certainly showed,to me anyway,that this sure ain't no "School Boy hobby" anymore!:disappointed2:

[Jack L]

Just a brief aside here,and this is by far NOT a scientific survey,just a quick snapshot really,however .....
I just had a quick count up from a group of 7 site members who reacted to a post of mine.Now, not everyone makes their age public,in fact,only 5 of that 7 have......
A quick tot up of said 5 ages, then divided by 5,gave an average age of 64.
Obviously this is just a microcosm of the site in general,and I know that there are many guys on here, well short of that age,(myself included),but even so,it certainly showed,to me anyway,that this sure ain't no "School Boy hobby" anymore!:disappointed2:

I'm 35 and fairly sure I'm one of the youngest on the forum.

[Airborne01]

That's very true Andy, I started plastic modelling at about the age of nine or ten - financing my hobby by running paper rounds, a boot round and a milk round on Saturday! That makes it about sixty-five years of modelling pleasure - although there were a couple of non-productive intervals due to 'the exigencies of the Service' and travelling - that's a long time on reflection. I've just helped clear a friend's late father's effects and there were many unstarted kits from the Sixties and Seventies - Airfix (DH66 in unopened wallet and more!) Frog, Lindbergh, AMT and many more - it reinforced how much the hobby has changed (The plastic colours particularly!)
Steve

[Ian M]

I'm 35 and fairly sure I'm one of the youngest on the forum.

So you are the reason we all have to behave, not swear (to badly) and keep it 'safe for work'. LOL

[Jim R]

I must be unusual in that I didn't model until I retired. I retired in 2005, fulfilled my dream and moved to the Outer Hebrides. I got a job in a little garden centre in Stornoway. I worked there until 2010. I then found I had time on my hands. I was in a newsagents one day and saw a model making magazine. The wife was already moaning that I needed a hobby to stop me getting under her feet all day. The rest is history. I joined the forum that is no more, bought a Tamiya jeep kit and went on from there.

[Tim Marlow]

Well, I’m sixty three in a couple of months, and have been playing with toy soldiers, toy trains, and model kits, for at least fifty five of those years….and I’ve been posting on forums (fora?) for a good thirty years. The biggest change for me is that I very rarely read magazines anymore. I used to avidly buy almost all of them, and read them over and over, but with the advent of the internet age I find I rarely do that anymore.

[Andy T]

54 here.

I built my first ever model back in early 2019, it's still around here somewhere.

After around 2 years I took almost a 2 year break due to work and mental health issues.

So around here I'm still a comparative newbie compared to those with decades of experience & enjoyment in the hobby, but I agree, it's definitely not a young man's game. On this forum at least.

[Valeron]

I'm 57, modelled in the early 70s but only very amateurish. I then stopped in about 1980 when I discovered other things.

I then got back into it during the 3rd lockdown in 2021,bought a couple of Airfix start kits and built them, joined this site in early 2022 and my eyes (and my wallet actually) have been opened to the true modelling world.

I've retired now so hopefully have plenty of time to improve my skills.

Saying that I always has a fascination for models etc during the 40 year or so gap and would always go into model shops on my travels or exhibitions etc.

[Stefee]

65 here, modelled from age of 10 up until getting married and having 5 sprogs at 27 so didn't do anything until around 1998. Had a major eye injury in 1999 and emigrated back to the UK the following year selling all model making paraphernalia before arriving.
Retired in July 2022 and, as previously mentioned was getting in the bosses way, so re-equipped and got started in February 2023.
The thing that surprised me was the interest from my grown up kids and the older grandchildren one of which is taking tentative first steps into our world.
Even the next door neighbours 14 year old granddaughter is building a Ferrari F1 model and comes around to use/ borrow stuff or ask advise.
A hobby for all ages and skill levels and doesn't harm anyone but decimated the wallet.

[TLM]

71 and just started........ already spending more time on the forum and even worse - in the shop- than I should be.
John

[Lee W]

Fast approaching 51, been modelling on and off for as long as I can remember... have I built that many kits in 2 days?!

[colin m]

A school not hobby. As some previous post mentioned, the cost. This is a hobby were you can spend what you want. Yes there are starter kits available, but the hobby seems to have moved along with most of us.
I had the classic 1980's bedroom ceiling, aircraft dangling all over.
Then life took over, with me returning to the hobby in 2008 (I think)
The funny thing was, in all those years in between, I kept an old shoe box with my Humbrol paints and brushes. The paints are still good now.

[Windy]

53 here. Started modelling aged about 7. We were in Germany and my first model was an Airfix Spitfire - cost DM1 from the Naafi in Paderborn. Gave up aged about 17/18 when other things became more interesting! Started again about 10 years ago.

[Geoffers]

I’m 59 but started to build kits when I was a schoolboy. I then had the usual big hiatus from late teens till about 12 years ago.

I started again after helping my sons with a couple of kits they wanted to try. They lost interest but I was hooked again. I found it really helped relieving the stress of work etc …. well that’s the sensible answer to why I do it, the real reason is I just like playing with little planes :tears-of-joy: :tears-of-joy:

Geoff.

[Stefee]

Just an observation, every reply to this topic and the OP are SMF Supporters.