Survivors from my youth...

[Bob T]

Most of the models I've built since I was a kid, did not survive. Be it BB guns, firecrackers, or my kids growing up, most are gone.
After a forced retirement at age 60, we moved south in 2016. That involved clearing out a lot of stuff (you all understand).
I sold some of my stash, donated the rest. But packing for the move, two models from around 1980 turned up.
There are a little beat up, some parts missing...Took a few pictures to share.
It was all rattle cans and brushes in those days.

1/35 Tamiya M3 Lee. Built just before I left the service in '79...missing some tools, but the holes are there. Also a missing headlight and machine gun barrels

Next, a 1/35 Tamiya Marder II. Built shortly after I got out of the service, 1980-81

Got my first airbrush a few years ago. I am glad I did.

 

[BarleyBop]

rattle cans and brushes

Ha, don't have to back that far, I've only just now graduated to rattle cans!
The builds look great, BTW.
I like those early three-colour stars.
Hope to see more of your builds, and some of that airbrush work!

 

[Jakko]

I like those early three-colour stars.

I was about to comment that I didn't know the Tamiya kit included them.

BTW, even earlier nationality markings on M3 medium tanks had the colours reversed: red outer disc, white star, blue inner disc, and the inner disc was smaller so it didn't touch the inner points of the star but touched the lines between those. The Takom kit has those as decals.

 

[Bob T]

I can't decide if I should try to fix 'em up, or leave 'em as they are.

 

[BarleyBop]

leave 'em as they are.

Your call, but unless you are thinking of doing a full makeover, I'd be tempted to leave 'em... to me they do add a bit of 'period vintage feel', being older models.

 

[Jakko]

I would leave them as they are, but then, I generally want to leave everything that's old, as it is

 

[Bob T]

I would leave them as they are, but then, I generally want to leave everything that's old, as it is

I actually think I should pick up the newest version of each, and build them again, with what I know now.
They would look good on the shelf together, built 45 years apart.

 

[BarleyBop]

Bookends to decades of your modeling!

 

[Jakko]

I actually think I should pick up the newest version of each, and build them again, with what I know now.
They would look good on the shelf together, built 45 years apart.

Good plan. Buy a Takom M3 if you want a good model that's fairly easy to build, or a MiniArt one if you want a very good model that's less easy to build Can't help with the Marder, but doesn't Dragon have one? Probably …

 

[ambivalentmaybe]

I actually think I should pick up the newest version of each, and build them again, with what I know now.
They would look good on the shelf together, built 45 years apart.

That's a good idea! I have fond memories of the models I built as a kid (long lost, alas), and think as I get back into the hobby that I'm recovering skills I used to have. But if I look at models I built even a couple years ago they are quite crude compared to more recent builds. So my memory is likely hazy, and my standards very different.

 

[Alphonse]

You must have had a happy childhood