Stash Insanity.... Lets see your stash!

[Red Dog]

10 hours ago, RichSpreier said:

This a photo of the “organized” part of my stash. Mostly Fisher and Collect aire stuff I have over paid for. The other side of the room is a disaster with over 60-70 different 1/32 and 1/48 kits. I keep them at my office so my wife cannot see the depth of my problem.

 

Let me talk to your wife

[Gary Needham]

 

An enjoyable and fun topic sharing our stashes and talking about them but also one with a serious consideration.

 

To the massive relief of the executor of my will, I have removed for others the burden of disposing of a lifetime collection (obsession) and which is probably at full retail valued between £35-40K by letting my close model mates (who have similar crazy stashes) take what they really want of, say, 3 kits each as a gesture and the rest, I am leaving to UK Charity 'Models For Heroes' which provides a great service to our current and former veterans who also love the hobby but often don't have disposable incomes to fully engage in the hobby as many others do. They are also supplied as part of therapy, recuperation and support services as kits give them some focus away from other matters or concerns in their lives.

 

I imagine other countries also possibly have like model making charities or good causes for veterans or indeed other good causes in general..?

 

We all love sitting among our stashes and like 'Smaug' fondling the trove of treasures about us but the reality is, that you are doing your relatives and loved ones no favours at all by leaving them with the headache of what to do with your mountain of kits when you are gone. Believe me, your stash is NOT for them 'my baby' as it is to you and from first hand experience with someone who passed in my extended family, then it actually caused some resentment for the problem left behind and for others to sort out and dispose of them all !

 

Enjoy your stash whilst you have it ladies and gents and may it give you happiness for many years yet to come, but do take a moment to ponder upon the serious subject of what to do with it when you are no longer here and (if) you get no advance notice of checking out to allow you to dispose or liquidate it yourself.

 

Gary 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 4, 2025 by Gary Needham

[Red Dog]

Well, I remember a fellow model mate doing the very same, And I gratefully was on the receiving end. 

When He passed a few mates sold his stash on model events and made a donation for research against the illness that took him away

A toast to him and all involved.  

 

Throwing away old boxes filled with plastic and resin is not going to be a problem for my family (and I assume many families) -  if my model mates don't want these boxes

But it's completely different with built models. These are an even bigger nightmare for the family, because these are personal, tell a story and make them remember a few things. And do they take dust when left unloved on shelves!

So I don't see my stash as an issue for later, because I stash to build mostly, built models on the other hand ... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wunwinglow]

From personal experience, can I make a serious request, guys? Please, please, please, get your will written and witnessed.  I spent a great deal of last year helping the family of a great friend who passed, way, way too young, and hadn't left any instructions. His collection was substantial, and it took a huge amount of effort from us all to sort things out, but the process would have been a lot more straightforward had there been a will to guide us. 

 

Get your will sorted. Please...

[fab]

On 8/2/2025 at 11:32 AM, thierry laurent said:

Too dangerous! I would immediately have to agree I'm insane if I knew how many kits I own... Ignorance can be comfortable...😇

How many?!? 6785, without AM...

[scvrobeson]

On 8/3/2025 at 6:58 PM, LSP_K2 said:

Three Panthers? Now that's just greedy, but I like it. 

 

4 in there if you look closely

 

 

 

Matt 

[LSP_K2]

2 hours ago, scvrobeson said:

4 in there if you look closely

 

Matt 

 

Yep, but I was referring to the -5 specifically, the -2 doesn't interest me. 

[MikeMaben]

22 hours ago, James Rademaker said:

Mike, a REVELL 1/32 P-47 Razorback?

Jim

Hi Jim, nope Trumpeter.

[ScottsGT]

I’m floating around 200 kits in the stash.  Way too many, especially since I’m looking to jump back into RC flying.  This spring I  started selling off a few I knew I’d never get to, mostly 1/48 kits. Posted them on eBay at give away prices and cover shipping.  I was just glad to see them gone.  I did post a 1/32 Tamiya J phantom, Marines version several times and never got a taker.  So it’s back in the stash. 
Here’s a pic at the old house. 

 

After the move I had to build shelves in my garage to store them.  

 

part of the stash is above the tool box.  The shelf is 4’ deep and kits are still packed in the moving boxes.  I have each box numbered and an inventory list I can go to if I want to find a particular kit.  
More here along the other wall.

 

And in my downstairs work area I have a large pile in a corner behind a blinder screen.  I also keep all of my resin AM, Fisher kits and decal stash in this area as well.  
 

But I’m probably going to re-evaluate things after I get my first RC model in the air and see if that’s the direction I want to go.  I spent about 12 years in the hobby up until 1999 due to family commitments.  Now I’m retired and we’re empty nesters.   I never got confident flying, and that’s my goal. 
And of course my hoarding tendencies have bitten me again, I’ve stashed away 4 kits, 5 engines with another kit on my garage bench under construction now.  They were deals I could not refuse and they were kits I always wanted to build the first time around, but never did. 
 

And I might dig through the plastic stash and put a few more up for sale soon too. 

[Shoggz]

Nice motor!

[Javlin1]

I am in the vicinity of 300 unbuilts and 250+ built  like many here I have them in a closet,under my bed(ships) and the bulk inside the shop.

[Martinnfb]

Never mind the models Scott, but your Mustang is such a sight to behold. 
 

[Martinnfb]

[chuck540z3]

After years of having about 25 kits, I now only have 12 kits and I probably won’t build any of them!  They are mostly duplicates of what I’ve already built and the passion to do another one is long gone, so I’ll likely get rid of them soon.   At the ripe old age of 71, having a big stash is not fair to my family, so I now just buy what I’m going to build over the next year, including aftermarket stuff that gets better and better every year thanks to 3D printing.  For me, this is my new “stash” happy place.

 

Cheers,

Chuck.

[Tony T]

Have reduced my collection by a net forty to ~120 kits over the past twenty months, with 20-25 more scheduled to go over the next year. 

The hoard is contained in plain Ryman's double-walled 610x457x457mm cardboard boxes which stops the kits from getting dished or dented and will allow my Wife to dispose of them speedily via a used kit store or charity outlet.  Should be worth a few cases of vino. 

 

Started ones get transferred to plastic crates and will likely be binned on my demise.

 

The 1:72 are pretty much gone apart from two V-bombers.

1:48 is next for the major chop. 

1:32 will grow by half a dozen to about 70 keepers. ⅔rd jets. 

 

The book hoard is shrinking constantly.

The coin hoard is the problem one. She'll sell them carefully if she's clever.

 

Tony