To unpack or not to? That is the question. Anyone else?

hotrodrock · Post by **hotrodrock** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:00 am

After years of being in storage (the planes, not me), I finally unpacked and assembled my Samatha Peyton and Haleakala P-38's. Also unpacked and assembled the Pudgy and Putt, Putt P-38's, the green and white Zero's, and the red tail P-51. Getting old (me, not the planes) and it had gotten to the point where I just wasn't enjoying buying all of this stuff and then putting it away and not seeing it for years. Was up in the attic a few days ago and saw a bunch of 1/6 vehicles and some 1/18 vehicles I didn't even know were there.

I've seen photos of other members storage areas who were in the same boat as myself, just buying stuff and putting it on a shelf. It got to the point where I asked myself if I was happy just being able to say I have a certain item, somewhere, or did I want to see it and enjoy it that way. Well, I have now gone on a rampage going thru the attic and the two storage buildings full of collectibles unpacking and displaying my favorite items. Anyone else go thru this?

Panther F · Post by **Panther F** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:50 am

I think they're meant to enjoy. It's one thing if you are planing a move or to re-sell but I couldn't just leave 'em in the box.

mikeg · Post by **mikeg** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:56 am

Well, I would'nt lick the back of a rare uncancelled stamp, clean a speck or two of rust off a mint antique firearm with naval jelly, or strp down a piece of colonial furniture and repaint it, but I don't hesitate to open everything I buy and display it. I'm not financially nuanced enough to see my purchases as top tier investements (I keep the boxes anyway, though). The bottom line to me is that anyone who wants my stuff when I'm gone or bored with this hobby is gonna want a tank or ac first, then a mib, nib, anib, or whatever after the fact. My enjoyment of my stuff takes precedence over the chance that all my assets wil be worthless exept for my XD one day. I obvously don't make a living off ebay,etc. either with said items.

AMERICAN_GRENADIER · Post by **AMERICAN_GRENADIER** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:57 am

i was the same way until my wife told me i was an idiot! so i began to set them up. some items are easily put back into there boxes. I found when and if you want to resell them it doesnt matter much to the buyer. they are happy to get something that was well taken care of and is no longer available. I alomost always get more than i payed originally. so i say set them up and enjoy!!!!

kevrut · Post by **kevrut** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:58 am

I went through all of my stuff last year and decided to just keep my favorite paint scheme of each model plane. (With the exception of all my P-38s.)

I've been selling them off gradually over the last year or so. I will buy new planes, just no repaints.

AMERICAN_GRENADIER · Post by **AMERICAN_GRENADIER** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:01 am

caesarbc wrote:I'm getting that point as well. I ask myself am I collection out of habit or am I collection to one day enjoy the fruits of my labor? If I ma collection to one day enjoy the fruits of my labor, then when will that day come? I gotta do something about this as I am not sure why I am doing it.

you put into words exactly how i felt before i began openning the items

mikeg · Post by **mikeg** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:02 am

hmm... not much dissent so far, c'mon all you enlightened ones (you know your out there) tell us we're bumpkins....

mikeg · Post by **mikeg** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:16 am

It's definately become a habit, from hitting the targets, tru, walmarts, or specialty shops repeatedly to hiding innocent amounts of money to afford stuff- yeah, its definately a habit.

Tinman · Post by **Tinman** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:21 am

I often wait a few years, but eventually I unpack everything and enjoy them.

rmoore456 · Post by **rmoore456** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:25 am

mikeg wrote:It's definately become a habit, from hitting the targets, tru, walmarts, or specialty shops repeatedly to hiding innocent amounts of money to afford stuff- yeah, its definately a habit.

Yep, everytime we go to Walmart my wife says meet me over at so and so because I know where you are going!

Ray

Buckyroo · Post by **Buckyroo** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:26 am

OPENED, ASSEMBLED AND GOT RID OF THE BOXES. THE PLANES I HAVE ARE FOR ENJOYMENT; NOT FOR AN INVESTMENT. I JUST NEED TO GET BACK TO WORK ON A WALL HANGER SO I CAN PUT THEM IN MY MANCAVE. IT'S MUCH MORE FUN TO SHOW THEM OFF WHEN THEY ARE OPENED AND PUT TOGETHER.

mikeg · Post by **mikeg** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:31 am

by gawd!!!!! until ya pry my cold dead fingers from 'em

olifant · Post by **olifant** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:34 am

hrd, I have plenty of stuff both on display and MIB. Here is how I handle it.

All items I have only one of I unpack and enjoy. Every thing else is case by case. If I have four or five loose figures, or four Sherman or whatever out of the box already, I feel good about squirreling the rest away. If I ever feel I need them open I can, or I can save them for the reason I buy them: for future trading. Some day there will be something that comes up I can't afford or find and I can dig through my MIB stuff to make a trade. And if worse comes to worse and I need some cash I can always sell them.

And, it feels good sometimes to pull out something from storage and open it up!

Dauntless · Post by **Dauntless** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:48 am

Sure I open a lot of stuff and display them, but sometimes like me you get tired of seeing the same 1:18 Stuka in a dive hanging from the ceiling. I like to mix it up now, so I keep all my old boxes and hopefully the shipping boxes they came in. because the packaging is easy to put them back in out of harms way. I like to rotate the planes on display. We are talking about 1:18, and not a lot of us have that much room to display all of our stuff.
I'm not willing to damage any of these precious planes when I need to store them. So I keep every box.

I changed the plane in the kitchen from a 109 to a 1:18 Flying Tiger complete with Chinese decals just for Chinese New Year coming up that my sisters like to celebrate.
I think it will look cool for that and symbolize the bond we and the Chinese had when Americans fought for them.

pickelhaube · Post by **pickelhaube** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 12:09 pm

Well I do have a bunch of stuff. You guys are lucky that you can show them off. I have a 3 day limit to enjoy something new. Then it is banished out to the work shed. Mama Spike is not one to mess around with.

I have them every were out there. Stacked on top of each other.

But all my XD is out there and I am out there 10-12 hrs a day making XD so it aint to bad.

immeww2 · Post by **immeww2** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 8:32 pm

I only display a few items at a time and the rest are in their boxes, but every piece get's their fair share of display time.

STUKA · Post by **STUKA** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 9:23 pm

I have about a quarter of my tanks and helos in my office -
I have 5 planes hanging in my son's room - the rest are boxed up except for a Stuka in my office - the rest of my tanks and vehicles are on a shelf I put in the top of my closet - I have a few boxed.

tmanthegreat · Post by **tmanthegreat** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:20 pm

21c planes always look much better out of the box

The beauty with those products is, however, that both the planes and the tanks can be easily re-inserted into the boxes with little trouble. Since most come wired or screwed to the plastic tray, if one takes the item out carefully and saves the twist-ties and rubberbands, it can be put back in with little effort and look none the worse for the wear. That is what I have done with some of my planes and tanks I don't currently display.

Yoxford · Post by **Yoxford** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 5:44 am

no boxes in my house...they are ripped apart and burned within 60 seconds of opening. Come on! enjoy them, modify them, tweek the missing detail crap out of em.

VMF115 · Post by **VMF115** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 5:47 am

tmanthegreat wrote:21c planes always look much better out of the box

The beauty with those products is, however, that both the planes and the tanks can be easily re-inserted into the boxes with little trouble. Since most come wired or screwed to the plastic tray, if one takes the item out carefully and saves the twist-ties and rubberbands, it can be put back in with little effort and look none the worse for the wear. That is what I have done with some of my planes and tanks I don't currently display.

Yoxford wrote:no boxes in my house...they are ripped apart and burned within 60 seconds of opening. Come on! enjoy them, modify them, tweek the missing detail crap out of em.

the best two post in this thread

warhawker · Post by **warhawker** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:52 am

I have to say that most of mine are in boxes stored away in both attics of my house.
I am thinking one day if or when we ever get a bigger house that I will have one room, like a large media room, where I will be able to re-create dogfights with them on the ceiling and watch movies there.

AMERICAN_GRENADIER · Post by **AMERICAN_GRENADIER** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 1:40 pm

warhawker wrote:I have to say that most of mine are in boxes stored away in both attics of my house.
I am thinking one day if or when we ever get a bigger house that I will have one room, like a large media room, where I will be able to re-create dogfights with them on the ceiling and watch movies there.

what a room that would be, thats every guys dream that has a wife.

uksubs · Post by **uksubs** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 2:46 pm

warhawker wrote:I have to say that most of mine are in boxes stored away in both attics of my house.
I am thinking one day if or when we ever get a bigger house that I will have one room, like a large media room, where I will be able to re-create dogfights with them on the ceiling and watch movies there.

I'm in the middle of building a extension on my house & will have my own room when it finished next year , big bummer is all my stuff in the loft & every weekend I'm working on the house

Small Scale Military Headquarters

To unpack or not to? That is the question. Anyone else?

To unpack or not to? That is the question. Anyone else?

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