Don’t fret the hobby’s future
I really enjoyed the January/February 2023
FSM. I think a lot of us have been concerned that our hobby was headed in the wrong direction. Yet, anyone who builds models today knows that this is a great time for builders, with an unlimited choice of kits, really great paints and weathering supplies, and tools that we only dreamed of a few years ago. I think what I and others sense is the shift in the hobby. The best models now come from Europe or China, , paint is imported, and we notice brick-andmortar stores closing. Go to shows and you see nothing but a lot of old guys bringing their models to the contest. I felt that eventually all the current modelers would pass away and there would be no one to replace them. Then I met a college student who builds Gundams. I thought these were guys snapping Transformers together, but he was building kits far more complex than mine using skills that far surpassed mine. That’s when I realized that our hobby wasn’t going away, it was shifting into areas that I had never imagined. Your article pointed out all of this and more. It was exactly the right info at the right time.
Also, thanks for the articles on 3D printing, something that is cropping up more and more in things I do and see, yet it remains mysterious and unapproachable to many of us. More and more of the parts we buy for our models are 3D printed, and the uses of 3D printing are limited only by our imagination. But I am also at an age where I worry about the steep learning curve required. The articles do a good job of pointing out the uses of 3D printing as well as the equipment needed and why. I’m an old guy, and I may never jump into 3D printing, but I think there are a lot of people who might be ready to make the leap. Your articles provided the basic information to make this new tool a little less intimidating; more would be appreciated. – George Blair Georgetown, Texas
Ed.: We agree, George. 3D printing is here to stay and you can expect more articles about it in the magazine and at FineScale.com.