TOPIC:

So I have been reading and occasionally posting for a few weeks, but perhaps a proper, quick intro wouldn't hurt...

So, I live in Australia and have been into R/C since I was growing up in the 1980s.

For many years as a boy I was pretty obsessed with both the toy-grade Tandy/Radio Shack rc cars, which back in those days were often really great looking toys in their own right.

And then I also learned about Tamiya, mostly through a humble Tamiya catalogue. But I used to dream of owning those particular vehicles. It was only a dream though, as my family wasn't really able to afford such expensive toys.

Upon reaching the teenage years, I started to look up nearby hobby shops in the telephone book, and my Dad and I would start to drive around to visit various ones on some weekends. It was a great shared interest we had, and we both always loved hobbies.

Gradually, we found a few old vintage parts and cars, and by the mid 1990s I had about 5 Tamiyas in nice shape.

I was very keen on originality from the first moment, and to this day have no interest in even ESCs. I like everything period-correct from the 1980s - all part of the "making up for lost time" factor in finally having things I wasn't able to have when I was very young! If things wear out, then you have the fun of repairs. Having spares is crucial.

In the late 1990s though, I refer to this period as the "dark ages". Supplies of the more classic, vintage kits had long since dried up from hobby stores. The newer cars did not interest me much. Parts too were running out. I wondered if I would ever advance my collection further. I was pretty sure the answer was "no", other than finding things at car boot sales and so forth. I only ever expected to find old, bashed cars and restore them as best I could to roughly catalogue appearance.

But then the internet gave rise to eBay. I joined eBay in 1999 on a whim, after a friend in a music forum told me you could buy music memorabilia there. And then i searched for Tamiya as well. And within months, my mind was pretty well blown by what I found - whole unbuilt kits of vintage Tamiya cars??? I couldn't believe they existed at first. But pretty soon, I was spending as much as I could to buy as many as I could. Which was just a few. But still, I was so impressed by the possibilities. I even collected a fair few NIB Tandy and Nikko models.

2000-2005 was a great period where eBay was filled with old stock finds from around the world, and I bought quite a few kits.

Luckily my dad was around to appreciate a lot of these amazing old treasures, but then he passed away of cancer in 2005. To some extent, this inspired me to continue with a plan to obtain all the specific models I wanted. So from then on, I have had a fairly specific list of targets and goals.

In 2003 I had met my future wife, and we married in 2007. Of course she distracted me away from any geeky hobby stuff for at least a couple of years, but in fact she's been so supportive of my side-interest over the years that I can now even credit her with:
- Finding me a NIB Superchamp in an antique store one day, for $60!
- Letting me visit many hobby shops around the world, along the way we were traveling during our honeymoon in 2007 We had many other plans, but if we saw a hobby shop nearby we would always stop to visit. France, Austria, UK, Alaska, and more.

Today, my interest in the hobby sometimes takes a break, but I always come back to it.
I have a fair sized collection of old kits and parts and runners to be restored.
I have absolutely zero re-release stuff.

One day I plan to have a showroom space. And since we bought a home on acreage a few years ago, I already have an area marked to build an RC track. But this will require some money as I'm thinking of something like a synthetic grass/sand tennis court type track surface.

After many years (7?) of posting topics on Tamiyaclub, I'm thinking Tamiyabase is more of a vintage-focused site these days, whereas Tamiyaclub is more about rereleases and "how to" topics.
I have never cared much for either of these, as I think the love for the hobby comes from somewhere else - an appreciation for great miniature, working models, and the happy memories of driving them around when we were kids. At least for me, that's what inspires.

So I'm thinking it makes sense to share my thoughts, memories and collecting fun on a blog, hence I recently set up rcmemories.wordpress.com
I could write a whole post just about a kit, or a memory, or a hobby shop, or an old magazine - but whatever it is, I can guarantee it will always be something related to the vintage side of the hobby, as nostalgia is the #1 reason why I collect and have this interest to begin with

Anyway, that's my story - written quickly via iPhone, using tapatalk

Cheers,
H.

H, I kind of envy you this long term relationship with the RC hobby.
I was much like you in my early years, playing with toy grade RC, then discovering Tamiyas through their immaculate Guide Books which I bought at my local hobby shop.

But after reaching 15 or so years I moved on to motorbikes, VW bugs, etc, and later on girls It was not until I cleaned out my parent attic in 2004 and found my old 4x4 Hilux, that the Tamiya interest woke up again.
And here I am

-Lars