Is this normal? How many unbuilt models do you have?

[SPFan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dehusman

You are a confirmed model railroader when your basement has a better selection of kits than the local hobby shop.

Dave H.

[:D][:D][:D][:D]

My basement almost qualifies. Its not that I have that many kits waiting to be built, more a reflection of the poor selection at the local hobby shops. [%-)]

Pete

[Anonymous]

I have enough that whatever I feel like building, I can go get one and start it. But in answer to the question - probably 300 to 350 car kits and 40 to 45 structures. Most of my stuff is craftsman type kits that take awhile to finish, and I still buy some more if one strikes my fancy.

Bob

[Anonymous]

Like others have mentioned, I more or less have my own personal hobby shop. Most of the times when I work on projects I have everything on hand to do it, from the basic model to the detail parts to the paint and decals.

Here's much of my stuff stashed in a cabinet:



The top shelf is mostly tools and some bottled supples on the right.

The second from the top shelf is again tools and supplies. There are two trays, one with HO scale figures, one with painted detail parts for my photo scenes.

The third shelf has four pull out drawers with mostly tools and glues, some tools in the middle and bags of styrene, decals, sandpaper, etc. on the right.

Fourth shelf is all paint, in removable trays - Floquil, Badger, Accupaint, Testors, Scalecoat and others.

Fifth is mostly unbuilt kits and small parts, stripwood, strip styrene in the tray.

Sixth is kits and parts in plastic bags, lots of rolling stock, boxes with details and O scale figures, glue.

Bottom shelf is unbuilt kits, Bachmann EZ Track loop (test track), Kadees, etc.

Not in the cabinet, on my workbench is a bunch of plastic parts drawers with parts, Kadees, detailing parts, etc. I have a 3" 3-ring binder with clear pages full of decals. I have a cabinet with strip styrene and stripwood, and a mailing tube with 2' long stripwood. Two of my airbrushes and painting supplies are in a paint booth in another room. There is more stuff here and there too!

Bob Boudreau
(as one guy on a newsgroup signs himself "the keeper of too much crap"! [:D]

[ClinchValleySD40]

Cars about 200. Locos about 50 Buildings about 30. So much stuff, so little time.

[Ibflattop]

Ok, My wife says she goes down to the Hobbyshop when she heads to the basement. I have around 600 freight cars which only around 100 are built. My fleet of engines consist of 120. ( Proto 2000 and Athearn) I probaby have close to 30 building kits waiting to be built. Oh one thing else, When the local hobbyshop wants to know about something they always call here!!!!!!
Its great to collect H.O.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kevin

[orsonroy]

14 cars and 9 buildings? Ha! Lightweight.....

I've got, either on the workbench, or in real planning stages:

20+ minor steam detailing projects
10+ major steam detailing/kitbashing projects
6 diesel paint jobs
70-80 resin freight car kits
30-40 plastic freight car kits
100-200 freight car weathering projects
5 Branchline passenger car kits
4 simple Rivarossi passenger car kitbashes/repaints
10 MAJOR Roundhouse passenger car kitbashes
20-25 caboose projects
5 major industrial building scratchbuild projects
10-20 house scratchbuild/kitbash projects
1 Ogle coal dock kit to find & build
1 Tichy coal dock kitbash
1 25 stall roundhouse scratchbuilding project
1 95-foot turntable kitbuilding project
1 MAJOR union station scratchbuilding project

Oh, and on top of all that, I need to finish laying track, adding scenery, converting to DCC, adding lighting to my lower decks, adding carpet to the layout room, and filling out the 500+ car cards & waybilld I'll need to operate. I think I'll be done by 2010, if I give up all my other hobbies!

[leighant]

121 structure kits unbuilt on hand
35 more structure kits “needed” for desired layout
79 scratchbuilt structures “planned”

ready-to-run freight cars to repaint/decal or radical kitbash, not counting MicroTrains coupler conversions to complete:
8 boxcars to redo
9 flatcars
9 gondolas
10 open hoppers
9 covered hoppers
14 reefers
15 tankcars
I am a bit of a freight car not, so I have my projects a little more lined up there. I will just guess I have 20 passenger car kits or rebuild projects and about 15 locomotive projects.

So in answer to your question, NO! It's not normal to have as FEW unbuilt models as you mention.

(see some of my completed freightcar kitbash projects and structure kitbashes and scratchbuilt projects at http://www.railimages.com/gallery/kennethanthony)

[Anonymous]

My biggest unfinished kit is my basement train room. We moved into our new house in August last year, and it looks like I will fini***he basement by May, then I can start layout construction. That is my excuse for the shelves of building kits and frieght cars...no layout...yet.

[jspinner]

20 plus locos and 40 plus cars.

[tatans]

Buy a model kit : build it.=No unbuilt model kits, isn't that the procedure?

[Anonymous]

Just remember.....he who dies with the most toys wins...and his widow will put them on consignment and another model railroader will fill HIS basement. It's a viscious circle, but we obviously love it!

LP

[davekelly]

Tatans,

You are way to disiplined! How do you fight the urge to get that "one cool kit" while you are building another? How can you live with yourself knowing that you don't have piles of stuff that would give your spouse or significant other grounds to say "what? another kit? you got bunches taht you haven't even started?" Heck, with that procedure I bet you have money left over each month to do mundane things like pay the mortgage and buy food.

Serious time. Please don't let my fiance know your procedure . . . it could have unfortunate reprecussions.

[IRONROOSTER]

Sometimes I think my hobby is really collecting unassembled kits. I have more than I can count - in 3 scales yet. Part of the problem is availability. In S scale especailly, a lot of kits are limited run so if I think I might want it in the future, I buy it now. I probably should sell off my HO and O, but then you never know ....

Oh well, keeps the manufacturers in business - maybe when I retire in a few years I can catch up.

Enjoy
Paul

[gvdobler]

Anyone who spends money on kits and then does't build them is seriously disturbed.

I have about 20 MRR and 40 RC airplane kits unbuilt.

Jon - Las Vegas

[RMax1]

I have a bunch I haven't built yet cars.locos and buildings. In fact I am going to overhaul a few of the ones I have already built and make some changes to them. Upgrades and inhancements. Sometimes I will find good buys at shows or a hobby shop I have visited and just store the things away. Others times it's just haven't got to yet's. I found a bunch of Plasticville buildings for a buck a piece. One of these days I'm going to kit ba***he living daylights out of them. Add airconditioners, tv antennas, maybe a new room addition. For a buck you can't go wrong.

RMax1

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tatans

Buy a model kit : build it.=No unbuilt model kits, isn't that the procedure?

Maybe for some people, but from the replies in this thread it doesn't seem so. I don't think any of us starts out to be kit and model collectors, it "just happens".

I like MOW equipment and snow plows, have built quite a few of them. At a train show last year a dealer had a really great deal on a Walthers powered American crane and a Russell snow plow. And an extra 10% off for sales before 10AM! Couldn't resist buying both, although I already had similar ones at home. The price is what got me - both for around $44.00 (Canadian) and no 15% sales tax! I paid around $80.00 for my previous powered crane, and had seen unpowered ones for around $42.00. Saved some big bucks and gained some more kits for "someday".

I collected plastic model airplanes and helicopters too - had around 200 stashed in a closet. While I do like them, they do take up way too much space when built, so I sold a bunch on eBay a while ago and not sure what I'll do with the 150 or so left and some are BIG kits! I do have about a dozen built, but they take up a whole shelf in my hobby room where I could store around 72 HO scale rolling stock models.

Kit collectors' madness I guess! [:D]

Bob Boudreau

[Anonymous]

I have been organizing my unbuilt stock. I have several structures and ship models that will be built someday when there is room for them to go on the layout. Otherwise they are stored safely.

I have 15 athearn B&O Hoppers in three seperate bulk packs of 5 in storage I may add 5 or 6 more I dont know yet. I have reduced the number of unbuilt rolling stock and focused on what I have running now as in kaydee couplers, Metal wheelsets etc.

I continue to buy unbuilt kits that fills a need (or want) Because they may not be availiable in the future. Several of my structures are in the process of completion.. they will be the first to go onto the layout.

Even then nothing is "complete" you need ballast, scenery, people, life items such as benches, mailboxes antenne etc etc etc the list goes on.

[davekelly]

Highiron,

If you ever want to unload those hoppers, let me know. I have some empty space in my closet.

Dave

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by davekelly

Highiron,

If you ever want to unload those hoppers, let me know. I have some empty space in my closet.

Dave

Heh. I did find a few Western Maryland hopper kits in roundhouse hiding under the desk as well (Gee where did these come from??)

I dont think I will be unloading these as I am hunting for a specific athearn set to finish out the consist for the 2-8-8-2 Mallet (20 cars total) ebay has been coming up dry these days. I may resort to buying single hoppers in certain road numbers until I get the 20 hoppers in.

Speaking of empty space, I finally cleared the 8 feet of wall to pernamently mount the layout and I think I just found more room to store stuff. I know my wife warned me (see attached riot acts, edicts, warnings and other cautionary messages) against filling the house with trains... I have managed to keep it in that one room so far.

I could to into the attic but even with the turbines the poor bairns would fry in the summer and freeze in the winter and be wet and humid the rest of the year. Ugh!

[bluepuma]

The EL F7A/B is a kit if I get around to repainting it for SP, maybe other roads, some UP GP20's into SP.. Waiting layout, airbrush. I'm in N scale, good thing, everything is smaller, but less of some thing is available.

All of them, not sure about number, got most of the key buildings, some too good to pass up for kitbashing. Just getting kits and looking them, seeing how they go together, some I decided I just wanted, had to have, afraid they'd be gone. Some are waiting for airbrush of something better than brush. Have mostly key things, some people, some metal truck kits. I could fill most of a 2.5x7 ft. area after track, sidings, not room enough for many more. Over 10 with the ConCor ones I got, the LL hotel, I'd like to have the entire Woodland scenics building set. I could go nuts with buildings if I had plenty of room, money, time. Most recent score was the Kato 6 story office building, it came prebuilt, but needs finishing touches, white LED lighting for each floor, such.

Aside, there is a NYC Hudson HO kit (static) and Japanese box loco purchased in '83 in Yokohama, JP. Started it, hard like the Robert E Lee paddlewheel boat model was, bunch of parts. Didn't have to build my die cast 1/50th PCC cars or 1/18, 1/24th cars.

The stuff that goes on the layout makes me want to get the layout part done enough to put on the buildings. I know that I don't want any UGLY buildings on mine.

[davekelly]

Highiron,

Darn. Need some B&O hoppers. I feel your pain about the scarcity of somethings to pop up on ebay. Been hunting and hunting for a couple of the CNJ hopper sets that Athearn once produced.

[Anonymous]

2 Cars and 2 Buildings that are "modern"

and stuff from the 80's(?) i got second hand to fix up.

[espeefoamer]

So many I can't count them.

[Anonymous]

Your low count of unfinished kits is proof positive that you have not been in the hobby very long.

[Favrefan04]

I have 3 as of right now, 2 that are covered hoppers, and one that is a BN Caboose. I would have more, but my wife thinks that we need to pay our bills on time. I know, I know sounds crazy, but I do what she says most of the time.

[fievel]

[:P] Hey !, You have got to have a good supply of kits to enjoy on a rainy day![:)]

[darkstar974]

I got about 17 HO car kits about 1 dozen buildings to do when i get my layout up and running

[mustanggt]

Let's see...
walthers american loco crane ( darn rigging)
several types of walthers buildings
dissasembled Bachmann acela engine in need of decoder (does anyone know what kind to use?)
Proto GP30 waiting for a decoder
Not to mention my layout[:(]

[tomwatkins]

Many, Many of them. Actually I'm thinning out some of the stuff I'm not likely to use and buying very little new stuff. What I'm buying is selected carefully to fill a need on the railroad. I bought ahead of my needs while I was still working, and now that I'm retired I'm building more and buying less.
Have Fun,
Tom Watkins

[camarokid]

I could not even begin to count. There are at least 5 boxes of the kind that reams of paper come in full of various makers of cars and an old dresser with eight inch deep drawers (4) that is full and a boxed set of SP Overnight boxcars (different numbers) and an old kitchen built-in drawer with 4 drawers of different depths that is full. I think I'll stop there because you all get the picture. Ain't it great!!
Archie