[bsmith13]

I've been thinking about this for a few days, mainly since I read a few posts about recruiting people to this hobby. I'd like to ask a few questions of you all in order to try and narrow down how we got into this, and maybe figure out how we can get others into it.

Before you started collecting diecast airplanes, did you consider yourself a history buff or aviation buff?

Do you read books and magazines about airplanes/aviation/history?

Are you a pilot or in some other way connected with the field of aviation?

Do you know the histories of the planes and pilots depicted by the aircraft in your collection? If not, do you care?

Have you ever collected anything else? Obsessively? If yes to either question, how did you get started?

Where do you buy most of your airplanes - mortar&brick, internet or other?

Have you ever attended a toy show or collectibles show where you saw and/or purchased a piece for your collection?

Is price an issue with you?

Thanks for your responses!

[flaps]

Always was into aviaton, Interest ran high, but never did anything professionally with it.

Collected a few oddbals, then my son which was around 10 at the time saw a plane in a toy store and the collecting started.

I did Commercial Aviation 1st then switched to Military.

I did not read the mags until after I started to collect the planes.

I always enjoyed the movies that were aviation related.

Now I am addicted. Go to all the airshows within 3 hours of here, we have the big Nellis one every year and the Chino one which I went to the 1st time this year was a ball, even more fun than the Nellis one for WW II buffs.

Buy most of my planes internet / Ebay.

Enough,

Flaps

[parsig9]

Before you started collecting diecast airplanes, did you consider yourself a history buff or aviation buff? History teacher and yes.

Do you read books and magazines about airplanes/aviation/history? Actually the books and magazines followed in droves. I started with WWII and airplane movies about 10 years ago and have a collection of about 50+ movies and sweet documentaries from BBC, PBS, History Channel, Discovery Channel, etc...

Are you a pilot or in some other way connected with the field of aviation? NO

Do you know the histories of the planes and pilots depicted by the aircraft in your collection? If not, do you care? I know most and try to have articles or books for reference in my collection or in a file on my CPU. Someday hope to make little cards for each model to display with history and pilot pic.
Have you ever collected anything else? Obsessively? If yes to either question, how did you get started? No and have never really been tempted.


Where do you buy most of your airplanes - mortar&brick, internet or other? Online shops and Ebay. Tuesday AM and Target. A small shop in Tecumseh MI.

Have you ever attended a toy show or collectibles show where you saw and/or purchased a piece for your collection? NO

Is price an issue with you?

I consider myself a bargain hunter but not if I want it bad enough. I spend $100+/ month I'd say. Some of this is funded by sales of part of the existing collection. I'll buy almost any Corgi or Dragon model I don't have if it is under $15 and I seem to find quite a few of those

[Taff the Terrible]

History buf in a big way. My old man took to one of the Ruhr dams and it was still pockmarked with holes from the Dambusters guns, that really caught my imagination.
I like the historical side of diecast collecting so I do look the hstory of the pilots. I'm not a fanatical collector and price definitely matters but if it was the right plane I would spend more then is prudent perhaps.
Taff

[Bluenosed Bastard]

For me I think it started when I was born!!! NO really though, I grew up in grandpa and grandma's house with my mom and my grandfather flew C-47's in Europe during the war. After he still flew. When I was little he used to take me out to the airport on Sundays and we would watch the planes. I am a pilot now and love anything and everything WWII aircraft. I have over 100 aces autographs and a few bomber pilots and almost 150 diecast and my name is Kelly and I have a problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Captain Eddie]

Before you started collecting diecast airplanes, did you consider yourself a history buff or aviation buff? aviation history buff

Do you read books and magazines about airplanes/aviation/history? yes

Are you a pilot or in some other way connected with the field of aviation? no, unfortunately

Do you know the histories of the planes and pilots depicted by the aircraft in your collection? If not, do you care? some yes, some, no

Have you ever collected anything else? Obsessively? If yes to either question, how did you get started? no.

Where do you buy most of your airplanes - mortar&brick, internet or other? most internet, some at local stores.

Have you ever attended a toy show or collectibles show where you saw and/or purchased a piece for your collection? no.

Is price an issue with you? yes.

[MoMo]

Before you started collecting diecast airplanes, did you consider yourself a history buff or aviation buff?
History. It's like a drug...you constantly want to know more then look at the world today and apply your knowledge to make sense of the senseless! Politicians never do this!

Do you read books and magazines about airplanes/aviation/history?
Some, when I am in the mood. I have to resist these nerd-like tendencies!

Are you a pilot or in some other way connected with the field of aviation?
No, but I once had a ride in a Tiger Moth when i was about ten. I wore a leather flying helmet, goggles and my cousin scared the shit out of me when he attempted to do what I later learned was an Immelman roll. We were not trying to shake the Hun off our tail!

Do you know the histories of the planes and pilots depicted by the aircraft in your collection? If not, do you care?
I know quite a bit about air history. Mainly strategy and tactics. I am interested in WW1 pilots because they had to develop air combat from step one. I am interested in WW2 pilots because they had to deal with such rapid development and costantly adjust. I have read quite a bit about pilots who flew planes and Choppers in Vietnam.

Have you ever collected anything else? Obsessively? If yes to either question, how did you get started?
Wow! Where do I begin: built and made models. Collected football cards. Collected cigarette and Trade cards. Collected stamps. Collected Armoured Fighting Vehicles. Collected antiques. Collected Art Deco ceramics, etc.

Where do you buy most of your airplanes - mortar&brick, internet or other?
Shops. Some from ebay.

Have you ever attended a toy show or collectibles show where you saw and/or purchased a piece for your collection?
No

Is price an issue with you?
Yes. If you collect as much as I do, you always look for an edge.


cheers,

MoMo

[jim]

Originally Posted by bsmith13

I've been thinking about this for a few days, mainly since I read a few posts about recruiting people to this hobby. I'd like to ask a few questions of you all in order to try and narrow down how we got into this, and maybe figure out how we can get others into it.

Before you started collecting diecast airplanes, did you consider yourself a history buff or aviation buff? Yes.

Do you read books and magazines about airplanes/aviation/history? Every day.

Are you a pilot or in some other way connected with the field of aviation? Had lessons but ran out of money!! But I get up there whenever some kind person gives me a ride. Once sat in the back of a Chipmunk while the pilot flew a display routine, awesome stuff.

Do you know the histories of the planes and pilots depicted by the aircraft in your collection? If not, do you care? Yes I research them a little.

Have you ever collected anything else? Obsessively? If yes to either question, how did you get started? Like most I started with plastic kits at about age 8. I had every Airfix model that had a prop. Over 200 as I recall.

Where do you buy most of your airplanes - mortar&brick, internet or other?Yes to all of those.

Have you ever attended a toy show or collectibles show where you saw and/or purchased a piece for your collection? Yes.

Is price an issue with you? Depends on how bad I want it.

Thanks for your responses!

your welcome.

[HotTrap429]

Before you started collecting diecast airplanes, did you consider yourself a history buff or aviation buff?
A little of both. I love history from all periods from the Romans to modern times. My true love is U.S. History especially the Civil War. Aviation just was another thing I was interested in.

Do you read books and magazines about airplanes/aviation/history?
Loved to read about WWII aviation since I was eight. Spent hours in the library. Loved reading about jets as well - you know the technical stuff & specs. Don't get much chance now and will pick up an aviation magazine once or twice a year. Used to have 30 - 40 Squadron "In Action" books, but I gave these all away years ago.

Are you a pilot or in some other way connected with the field of aviation?
Nope! I teach kids. They drive me batty which is as close as I ever get to flying.

Do you know the histories of the planes and pilots depicted by the aircraft in your collection? If not, do you care?
I know the general history of the various plane types. As for the history of specific planes or the pilots, never cared even a little. If it looks good, I'll buy it and I don't care if the pilot was a schmuck.

Have you ever collected anything else? Obsessively? If yes to either question, how did you get started?
Yes. As a kid, I loved to buy plastic models and build and play with them. Built them all through my teens into my early twenties. I had over 100 made and close to 200 unmade model kits in a huge closet. Then ten years ago, I just gave up on this and sold off all my stuff. The only other thing I collect now are my own pictures of lighthouses that I paint, and of course video games.

Where do you buy most of your airplanes - mortar&brick, internet or other?
Internet: wholesalers and ebay. Would love to buy from a real dealer or hobby shop, but alas none are in my area.

Have you ever attended a toy show or collectibles show where you saw and/or purchased a piece for your collection?
Nope! Never been to one. I haven't seen one in Connecticut and I've been collecting for about three years.

Is price an issue with you? Absolutely! I will only buy a Corgi if it's more than 25% off retail - just not worth the prices they are asking no matter how they justify it. HobbyMaster, Gemini, Dragon, and IXO are still affordable, but I'd rather buy them for less. I've finally discovered that there is a lot of stuff out there that I can't afford and can live without.

Thanks for your responses![/quote]

[chiefs70]

Before you started collecting diecast airplanes, did you consider yourself a history buff or aviation buff? Yes, I have an undergrad degree in history and have always been a history nut. Were it not for asthma and an shredded shoulder from high school sports I would have pursued a career in military aviation.

Do you read books and magazines about airplanes/aviation/history? Mostly books and military history magazines.

Are you a pilot or in some other way connected with the field of aviation? No.

Do you know the histories of the planes and pilots depicted by the aircraft in your collection? If not, do you care? To paraphrase from above some yes, some no.

Have you ever collected anything else? Obsessively? If yes to either question, how did you get started? Not really, diecast if my first addiction. I collected things as a kid but I don't consider those as anything other than the process of growing up since I didn't care about anything other than the "new" stuff.

Where do you buy most of your airplanes - mortar&brick, internet or other? Internet. I buy a few from local shops but why pay sales tax when free shipping is available without the tax?

Have you ever attended a toy show or collectibles show where you saw and/or purchased a piece for your collection? No.

Is price an issue with you? Yes. I will pay for something I have to acquire but otherwise I prefer targets of opportunity.