Before taking on the role of Creative Director and Wheelman for the Model Car Hall of Fame, Ron Ruelle worked at hobbyDB contributing many articles about diecast. He has also written for other diecast and automotive sites and publications. His articles have ranged from listicles to thought pieces to product reviews to just plain silliness. From time to time, we will highlight some of those pieces that still hold up today.
Why Do You Do That Thing You Do?
I was dusting off my bookshelves full of my random, eclectic, unfocused model car collection when I questioned my life’s decisions. Or more to the point, why do I collect what I collect? In this article for hobbyDB, I looked at the rationale for why collectors or model builders might focus on a particular scale, Let’s dig in!
The topic was prompted by someone in a British Airfix Facebook group asking why people chose their favorite scales. I love how the question is framed as “the scale you do.” Like, do you collect finished models, or do you build them, or do you scratch build them, or do you create entire dioramas? The article focused mostly on aircraft and boats, but the responses were varied and worth exploring for the entire world of diecast, to say the least.
Turns out the issue of scale ranges from space consideration to deep personal memories to flippant, random choices to complete disregard in the service of just collecting what you like.
I can’t fault anyone here. Let us know your rationale in the comments!
Ron Ruelle is a cartoonist, writer, and illustrator who also writes about model cars. You can see his work at www.ronruelle.com
