Newbie Hello

[grwebster]

Punks, your terming the Corgi Aviation Archives and the likes 'going to the dark side' of aircraft collectibles is amusing.
By luck, when I started collecting I had read somewhere about the need to focus a collection, ie only 18th century silver like my father-in-law, or die cast vehicles with drivers like a Brazilian friend, or dolls with moving eyes like my sister's collection, etc.... so I decided to limit the scope of my plane collecting {at first} to those die cast TOY {not scale model} airplanes produced up through the 1970s or so. My first acquisition was a set of early 1950 Tootsietoy jets. This pre 1980 date was set to include the superb Aero Minis and the last of the Dinky Toys known as the 'Big Planes', ie what we refer to here as ''Vintage. But, thankfully It excluded all those which came right after, the excellent ERTL Force One series, all those nice ERTL Banks, and then very conveniently all the rest like the Gemini, Western, and so many of all the excellent models {but not really toys} now around.
The recent Corgi series sorely tested this focus because they are so well done and the subjects were very interesting. I did make some exceptions along the way notably with the Corgi Catalina and Short seaplanes they produced {because I also have a collecting field focused on seaplanes!}, but basically I stuck to the original focus ie die cast TOYs, pre 1980.
This was all fine for a few years but then I remembered those 'black rubber' { which i later learned was celluloid acetate} ID/identification/recognition model planes from WW II that my Dad, a Navy pilot, would bring home in the 1950s as play toys for me. That started a collection of identification models.
Then one day I met Tone {aka Anthony Duva} who pointed out the joys of collecting 1950s Yonezawa tin planes with all metal parts like the props. So I started getting some of those.....
But each time I entered a new field I did keep a focus for it with some exceptions. For example the small collection I have of Topping desk models were confined and focused to those aircraft I or my father had flown.... and so it went as my collection expanded to toys such as 1950 built plastic toys from firms like Acme, Palitoy, Renwal etc.
So today, while I maintained a focus in each field, I now, perhaps, have way too many fields!
Thankfully kits were never of much interest to me so I avoided that big, dark hole....another of what Punks would term a 'dark side of airplane collecting!
...and so it goes
Happy Holidays, GR

[MichaelB]

"Thankfully kits were never of much interest to me so I avoided that big, dark hole....another of what Punks would term a 'dark side of airplane collecting!
..."
Blasphemer! Infidel! Antipasto!
Scale model kits were a big deal about model airplane collecting in the '50s...an immensely popular field and something new entirely! A lot of great talent went into their production...from the artisans who produced the original molds, to the wide number of illustrators who made such over-the-top box illustrations!
As a kit collector I've had a lot of fun with the hobby. As a matter of fact, when I look back at my childhood Christmases I remember the models under the tree and the fun hours putting them together - still do, as a matter of fact!
I only had a few toy airplanes at that same time, and a few remain in my memory: the Hubley Brewster, the Remco Flying Fox, an Ideal wind up Cessna Floatplane. At my grandmother's, a tin lithographed airport with airliners on wires that "flew" in circles (I wish I had that one now!)
Small diecast toys didn't come to my attention until my son became "of age" and I noticed how nicely Zee had made their A-10. As a modeler I stripped the paint, took off the way overscale "toy" parts, repainted it and ended up with a really cute little WartHog! Neat! That propelled me into the DynaFlite line and all the other parts came attached. There was so much!
That provoked a singular event in my life. I enjoyed the DynaFlite so much, and at $1 ea. they were terrifically affordable, that I wondered what the rest of the line was like? On the back of the cards it said: Collect Them All! All right I said - what's all?
This time was pretty much before "the internet", so my investigations didn't go very far. At that time the ONLY reference to the field were in GR's ads for TPN in magazines, so I bit on that one. Lots of neat stuff...but no DynaFlites.
So, confronted with the need for a list of DynaFlite production - I created one!
What fun! ...and revelatory too! ...the rest is history - and here we are today!
...this story goes on and on...suffice to say that it's the fun part that important, and in finding other like minded adults who also can't seem to get enough. We're all enjoying ourselves here - so get at it!
Merry Christmas to all! ...go play with your toys today!
Michael

[Punks]

Hi Michael, I know what you are saying. It's something we feel that others who look on don't always get it. You are right about "adventure" of looking. I call it my treasure hunt. So satisfying when you find what you have been looking for and exhilarating when you find something you did not know about, but must simply have!

The new stuff is nice, but you're right the old stuff has character. It has survived and presents a window to a long gone time. In effect a little mini time machine. Life seemed simpler then, I guess we were a lot more naieve. These models were made as toys, designed from the start to envoke fun. The designers then through in some details that would be lost of kids or many educational. So in effect, the covered multiple generations. I wonder if todays toys and collectibles will be so endearing. Already I hear about people getting rid of an older model because a new more details model had become available. A throw away society. Throwing away its history.

Anyway have a very happy holidays to you and those around you and an amazing new year.

[Punks]

Yes GR, our collecting focus does change over time. Looking at some of your terrific pictures lights the fire in my belly to want to find some of the models. Not to compete with you but to share in the close up look and feel of the model. Something seems to pass between the model and you. You're a kid again and having fun.

In getting involved in all the new stuff I felt that something was missing. They were accurate right down to the rivets, but that is not the point. When you stand back from them they do not resonate any emotions, they weren't built for kids, and we are all just kids at different ages. Instead the new models are 3-D engineering likenesses of the planes. Their value ceases when a new and better rendition comes out.

Our vintage toys will live on indefinitely because they are a moment in time trapped forever. Just like the proverbial pre-historic ants trapped for eternity in a drop of amber. I can give you no guess as to what will happen to the collectible models of today. Maybe they will say to future generations, what happen to the fun, where did it go?

So I am all over the place in terms of collecting. I was fortunate enough to be able to retire while I'm "young" enough to enjoy it. This is such a diverse hobby that there will be overlaps from one area to another. Yes I even "sinned" and built plastic kits as a younger kid. Mechanically I put them together all right. But the finishing was truly sinful. I could not get it right.

The new models are like plastic kits with all the assembly and finishing done for you, all you have to do is take it out of the box. What's missing? all of the fun. Most new model collectors are refugees from plastic model making where lack of time, dexterity and skill make pre-made models very attractive, and they are beautiful, but there's none of you in there, it was just too easy.

I could blabber on for hours, but I will rescue from that awful fate and wish you, your family and friends and all of my fellow forumites very happy holidays and a terrific new year with lots of new toy acquisitions.

[angelreader]

A warm welcome Punks,I have to admit that your handle did throw me off as well ! as GR mentioned we get the less honourable people trying to infiltrate our little bit of space here devoted to our cherished airplanes,your collecting interests are of interest and value here and passion and interest are more important than massive numbers any day,when you look at the postings here it speaks for itself,all about quality !
Yes GR's collection is the envy of us all but he has worked hard at it to get some of those gems in the collection,collect what gives you joy is my take on things,one mans junk is anothers treasure as they say ?
Catch you on the threads,Barry.