Ways to help the hobby grow
RC Boater
something I wrote a few years ago.
I'm guessing (hoping) that a lot of people missed it so I'm re-posting it.
I hope this time it collects some additional ideas....
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There's been a lot of discussion about what's wrong with the hobby, and
whether or not it is in trouble/dying. Instead of wringing our hands, let's
try to use the group's collective
wisdom to come up with ways to help.
I'll go first.......
Ways to help to promote the hobby and/or attract new members:
1. Give away your old hobby magazines. Every time I go to a place that
has a waiting room (Doctor, Dentist, Muffler shop, Barber, etc.) I take
along a couple of hobby magazines, and leave them behind. Put a sticker
with contact info for your local club on the cover. This is one of the
easiest things to do,
costs you nothing, and helps get some clutter out of the house.
2. Buy a gift subscription to your favorite hobby mag. Donate it to the
local school or public library.
3. Participate in your club's Mall Shows.
4. Give away your old built-ups that you don't have room for, and aren't up
to your current standards anyways.
5. Many libraries have display cases, with displays/themes that change
regularly. Talk to the librarian, organize a display of models and
modeling-related books.
6. Loan your fancy, cased model to the local library or other public
building. I've seen ship models in various places.
7. Hang a couple of planes from the ceiling over your desk at work. You'd
be surprised at the interest this generates.
8. Make a mobile of small aircraft models, and give it to your dentist to
hang in his office. (Patients spent a lot of time looking at the ceiling!)
9. Go to other club's meetings. My RC scale boat club recently hooked up
with the local RC airplane club to exchange invitations to meetings and fun
flys/ fun floats.
10. Contact a local Cub Scout pack. Offer to help with modeling
activities. Start small- maybe a "make and take" for a single Den. (4-10
boys.) Precede the Make and take with a trip to a museum or airshow.
11. Ditto for the local girl scouts. My experience is that girls like cars
and sci-fi more than planes, armor, and warships. My daughter's current
project is a '65 beetle with "flower power" decals.
12. Teach a modeling class thru the local community Ed program. Also try
local stores. On my last visit to the local Michael's Arts and Crafts
store, I noticed they had a sign for a "Model Building" class posted, along
with the more common painting, flower arranging, and other craft classes.
13. Add to this list. Share it with other modelers.
14. Give models as gifts.
15. Ask where the models are in every store you enter. Buy one if you
see it.
16. When you go to a department store, ask the Store Manager or
Department Manager of the store "Do you carry plastic model kits?"
17. If they do carry something, buy one-- if you aren't going to build
it, save it and give it as a gift.
18. Compile a list of kits that would be of interest to members of some
other club. For example, the vintage Mustang car club your neighbor is in
might like a list of Ford Mustang kits for their newsletter. (I know my
old Coast Guard buddies appreciate my USCG kit list.)
19. Participate as an exhibitor in local community events/fairs.
Examples: I've seen local clubs have a display booth at airshows. My town
is having a grand opening day for the new rec area. (Ball fields, concert
area, trails, pond, etc.) I contacted the organizer, and got my RC scale
boat club invited.
20. Help distribute the Flyers for your local contest. Around here, the
local club contest fliers are ususally available in the local hobby shop.
To some extent, posting an IPMS flier at the local plastic shop is preaching
to the choir. Sent the fliers to the RC and train shops as well. Post one
on the community events bulletin board at the library and grocery store.
-Bill
Craig
21. Try and get FSM to add a "kids section" of kit submissions so
newbies won't be scared off from the hobby my pages and pages of
perfect models.
>
>
>
> -Bill
Bill Perez
our little club grows by a few people each time. I'm hoping to get the local
hobby shop to sponsor us so we can use his tax id, etc., to advertise ourselves
on the local military base; should be some armor/plane/car buffs in there
somewhere ;)
B
---
Sierra Vista Scale Modeling Club
Ksu93dlv
>newbies won't be scared off from the hobby my pages and pages of
>perfect models.
Actually, this is a brilliant idea. Has anyone ever contacted the folks at
Kalbach about it? I could see something like this really getting kids excited
about the hobby. I remember how good it felt to win some awards in the junior
category at a contest when I was a kid, so having a junior category for photo
submissions makes perfect sense.
Maiesm72
and another as a gift?
Tom