Nostalgia, is it what it used to be?

[Daishi12]

Just a quick question, does anybody else remember the first kit that they bought? If so do you remember the following :-

1. What kit it was and manufacturer?
2. How old were you?
3. How much you paid for it?
4. Was there any special reason that the kit was bought?

Mine was :-

1. Airfix Supermarine Spitfire Mk1 (Bagged and carded kit)
2. It was 1972 and I was 6
3. I think I paid 5 new pence (This was only a year after decimalisation in the UK)
4. I bought it for my summer holidays so I would have something to play with

[Gav0909]

I think my first kit was an Airfix Gnat (the Red Arrows one), I wouldn't have a clue about the year, but I was probably around 10 or so.

I had a wave of nostalgia recently when I was back at my parents house and found the poly wallet with the instructions from most of the kits I built in my early teenage years before I moved into wargaming instead. I surprised myself with some of the kits, I don't remember building most of them!

[UKscalemodeller]

I don't think I can pinpoint the exact one,

I remember some my first models were the Airfix Bristol Blenheim, and the Revell micrwings Ju87.

My dad got them for me so I have no idea about the price. I remember the Ju88 was too blue underneath and the blenheims guns got bent from the heat of a fire I set in front of it when making a 'film'

I know it was a horrid kit but I think I'd like to build it again now to see what a job I could do with it.

thanks for asking the question, has brought back some wonderfull memories.

[Gav0909]

Haha, I too remember cutting bad holes in models to represent battle damage (although possibly not as wholly inaccurate as that sounds lol) and acting out scenes. I then took more pride in my work.

I remember going ballistic at my brother once when he through a tennis ball into my room from outside (good shot I must say) and it bounced right along my shelf of models knocking them flying, resulting in some breakage. Don't think I have ever been so livid in my life! Lol

[UKscalemodeller]

Haha, I too remember cutting bad holes in models to represent battle damage (although possibly not as wholly inaccurate as that sounds lol) and acting out scenes. I then took more pride in my work.

I remember going ballistic at my brother once when he through a tennis ball into my room from outside (good shot I must say) and it bounced right along my shelf of models knocking them flying, resulting in some breakage. Don't think I have ever been so livid in my life! Lol

his ass!

if anyone sees the above mentioned Blenheim cheap anywhere could you point me in its direction.

[McLeod]

I think my 1st one was a Matchbox 1:72 Starfighter, I think it was 1985 and I was 10, bought it with my birthday money and I got it because it looked cool and futuristic lol.

The 1st model I got was another Matchbox one, my parents got me for my birthday the previous year, it was a Spitfire of some description. I remember being really upset because I came downstairs the following day and my dad had built it lol. Cheeky bugger used the excuse that he thought I would break it, my mum subsequently made him go out and get me another which we then built together which was great.

[Daishi12]

Look on www.kitsforcash.com there seem to be 3 airfix Blenheims on from £5 to £10

[UKscalemodeller]

Yea, but the postage kills the deal unless you buy in bulk.

Can't afford to do that right now.

(

[T3hGuppy]

Don't know if it was my first kit but I remember have a 1:72 Airfix Spitfire.

No Idea on cost but think I got it at the imperial war museum one summer.

[muskegman]

I think the year was about 1970 and i was 6. My Uncle Mick who at the time was about 16 and still living at home with my grandparents had a 1/72 scale Airfix Spitfire on a table next to his bed, not painted. I asked him if i could play with it and he said no but he said lets go out and buy you one and I will help you build it. This is the earliest memory I have of model building. If i recall it came in a bag. This was in the U.K when i lived there, we emigrated to Canada in sept 1980.



Mark

[Paul]

For me I must have been about 8 or 9, I was bought an airfix helicopter for a birthday present, I started to build with my dad sadly it was never finished as the glue was left open leaked and glued all the parts together.

I started building when I was a teenager this stopped when I found beer women and cars. I took the hobby back up in 2003-2005 then had a break until I started again taking it up seriously in 2009.

[UKscalemodeller]

For me I must have been about 8 or 9, I was bought an airfix helicopter for a birthday present, I started to build with my dad sadly it was never finished as the glue was left open leaked and glued all the parts together.

I started building when I was a teenager this stopped when I found beer women and cars. I took the hobby back up in 2003-2005 then had a break until I started again taking it up seriously in 2009.

Ain't that the way when hormones start to kick in. I remember when I first got a job after school, I spent the money on beer and women, the rest I wasted. just think of all the spitfires I could have built with the pints I bought.

[wappynutter]

Mid to late 70's was my first attempt at the modelling hobby. I suddenly became the owner of the usual Airfix Spitfire.
I just glued it together painted it with some enamels, green, black etc... and a cheap couple of brushes.
Next must have been the Halifax, again a 1:72 Airfix special.
A UFO Angel Interceptor, some German fighters( Stuka and Messerschmitt ) then scifi really took over.
Airfix Saturn V a huge thing with the detachable command module and eagle lunar lander. Painted it up black and white and gold and played with it every day.
In "77" Star Wars came around and R2D2 was available in kit form. A Space 1999 Eagle, then 1978 and Battlestar Galactica became the kit of choice. A Cylon raider and old Mk1 Viper also.
I had some awesome bits of plastic but was just building them to play with them till they broke or got lost..
So many kits, even now I will see an old kit and suddenly think " hey I had one of those!" Mr Spock and the 3 headed snake diorama was another I built and cannot remember were it ended up...

I think that my renewed interest is because of the dreaded Middle-aged syndrome, 44 now and I think I'm trying to go back to the good old 70's, as a child where I lived and how I lived will probably be the best times of my life.
Seeing these wonderful kits and reliving every build ( no matter how rough ) always brings a smile.
We had nothing, a little money, 3 tv channels that closed down at night, but we were Happy... and I wanted for nothing...

[ww2hispanomodels]

I have no problem, mine was 2 years ago:

1- M10 Achilles from Italeri.
2- I had 14 years old.
3- I think it was 40 €, it was for my birthday.

I also remember that night in the TV they put the movie "I Am Legend"

[chief5437]

I used to stay with my grandparents every weekend (while mum and dad went on the razz!) and every Saturday morning we'd go to the local market and buy a model kit. Can't remember which was first, there were so many! This probably started when I was about 6 I think. And I kept it up til I was 18 and joined the army. 14 years later I started again and haven't looked back. First kit I got this time round was a Dragon King Tiger, which I'm currently repainting!
Think it was about 20 quid at the time (7 years ago).

[Nige201980]

I think it was a spit or hurricane was 13 (1993) in the air cadets that's how I got in to it but the 1st one I bought was the airfix buccaneer 1:48 loved doing it and think I'm going to find another for the future.

[HamilkarBarkas]

Nostalgia was better in the past

1. Arado Ar 196 in 1:72 scale from Revell
2. On my 8th birthday
3. I did not pay anything, it was a gift. A friend of my parents knew i like dinosaurs so he gave me a dinosaur memory game. Unfortunately i had this one already so he gave me the kit instead from his stash. Awesome! This was in 1998 - hell, quite a while ago! Time flies by...
4. The kind fellow bought it for himself but he had no time to build it. I showed a lot of intereset in model building so he gave me my first kit

[Lee]

I was about 12 and it was the Airfix Saturn rocket, can't remember which one. Remember building it, my Dad couldn't be arsed to help me. Thinking I destroyed it a week later in a lunar crash...lol

[WebbyNZ]

I was the mid 80's and i was in primary school and for some reason i dont remember why we were allowed to build model kits, might have been a 'craft' day or something.

It was a white Lamborghini Countach, dont remember who made the kit but I may still have it buried away somewhere in the garage but dont wanna unbox everything till we move again.
I remeber a big black mess of glue and paint between the top and bottom parts of the panels.

The first kit I brought with my own money was a AMT Shuttle Tydirium, my fist of may Star Wars kits that was started but got badly damaged in a move.
I do have a replacement in the stash that looks at me everytimne i pick out a new kit but I wanna knock this one for a 6 when i do make it.

[NovYank]

1. What kit it was and manufacturer?
-Tamiya U.S. Marine M60 with reactive armor.

2. How old were you?
-16 years old.
3. How much you paid for it?
-I think $35.00.

4. Was there any special reason that the kit was bought?
I absolutely loved the M60...something about the age of tank warfare. I thought it was simpler and more conservative compared to the new space-age M1 Abrams.

[Bassman]

Must have been over 50 years ago. I think it was a Frog Meteor. I was probably under 10 and had never come across decals. I recall the decals being "carefully" cut out and glued to the plane! I hope I have come along a little since then!

On my return to modelling in the early '70's I bought an AMT Kenworth Conventional and matching Fridge Trailer. Subsequently, a number of years later, had an engine removal as it was not a realistic colour. The engine with a few others from the unrealistic engine painting phase are still sitting in a box some 30 (or more) years later!