A slight shift in attitude was needed to adjust to the trade stand situation and quite an education it was.
What I leant: Most modellers are over 55
Most of the interest was from returnees (30 years being the oft quoted number)
Most of them used two words in the conversation: 'confidence and fear'. This reinforces my long term belief that railway modelling is a pastime of aspiration and little progress for the many.
They are looking for help (but on the whole aren't keen on forum type help - they want real humans, not people hiding being interweb handles who will laugh at them and their imaginged stupid questions).
All this meant that Hopwood (me) was blasted with, 'can I ask a question? How did you....? Regulars here will know that everything on the layout could have been bought in a box 25' away at Cheltenham Model Centre, or one of a dozen + other traders in the room and so the scale of the issue can be understood. This is not a problem of a lack of cash, opportunity or availability and once again underlines my recent comments on basic skills being in common short supply. This is not a finescale, DCC hobby folks, despite all that we are told, by the hip press and the trade, it's Hornby and Peco Code 100 and 30 year old Lima; help is actively sought and one wonders why it needs to be. After all, what they mostly want is a nice-looking train-set to run things on, not Copenhagen Fields.
The highlight of the weekend by far. Captions are encouraged in the comment box.
Interesting.Whilst I never fully left the hobby there were years when it wasn't easy to actually do nay myself, or when particular interests took me away from the mainstream of 4mm standard gauge. It was reading magazines, even if only occasionaly, that kept me sufficently in the loop. In particular it was the articles of messers Nevard, Dent, and Parker, plusbooks by the likes of Rice and Lunn that gave me the confidence that I could pick it up again. And not just to pick up where I left it in 1980 but considerably further on from there.
ReplyDeleteBut if you've been away for a longtime you probably still rely on the RM, not the newer mags, and even those newer ones sometimes seem to dominated by review sections these day.
I blame moulded on plugs for the malaise ;)
ReplyDeleteThere was a time when every man had to have basic craft skills and knowledge just to create a functioning home. These days IKEA furniture is the greatest challenge most men will ever face, and frankly, for anyone with a modicum of attention and the ability to hold an Allen key, IKEA is a doddle.
It's a shame, but I suspect for some men the 'how do you do that' question includes the ability to hold a craft knife in one hand and a ruler in the other.
Caption? How about "Roll up Roll up. Don't be afraid. Step inside and see how it's done." A bit lame but all I can think of at the moment.
ReplyDeleteI'd say your assessment isn't far from mine, although I think the help they are often looking for is in the form of a magic wand.
ReplyDeleteA magic wand to gain the skills, or just to have a ready built layout?
DeleteI quite often get asked for impossible solutions to problems. More than once I've explained an answer and felt they are going to go away and keep asking the same question until someone gives them the answer they want, not the truth. Questions about how to have widely varying wheel standards running through the same track as well as properly matched ones for example. Acquiring skills without practise is another.
DeleteThere also those who hope I'll say, "I'll come and do your modelling for you for free".
Phil, that all sounds depressingly like my day job. I suppose I should add to it my sadness at seeing people at a show loving a layout with lots of bright lights and trains whizzing around whilst ignoring the beautiful, and realistic, layout opposite.
DeleteYou're both right. It's like learning to do anything Phil, like playing a musical instrument. Practice, practice and practice again, learning by your mistakes along the way. There's no instant magic bullet or short-cut with hand skills, but the learning process is fun! (frequently curse-inducing but often rewarding the next morning, when you're on the way to solving last night's problem). James, there are still people who appreciate excellent modelling rather than gimmicks. (Sigh) it's the age we live in, instant gratification.
ReplyDelete"Success is easiest when broken down into small chunks of effort, matched to discernable improvement,being prepared to throw away things that don't work, whilst all the time being motivated by the big goal" Not a quote about modelling, but what I said to an audience of IT bods at a big conference last week.
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