RStretton

I started collecting 1:400s in March last year after having collected 1:600 Schabaks for many years. After picking up 1650 schabaks or so space was always going to be an issue and so despite being a bit of a completist I've had to pick and choose the models I've bought and decide upon a theme for my collection.


I'm English but my theme is US carriers from 1935-1990. Why choose this theme?Well I have always found the US industry fascinating because:

• It's has been the formative and leading air carrier industry (shielded as it was from both wars)
• There's a wide range of colourful airlines with interesting histories
• There's a good range of 1:400 scale airliners made in it
• You can truly see how the network / airlines developed over time
• It developed mostly under regulation which though constrictive provided a fascinating period of gradual change in comparison to social and economic changes at the time
• There have been some great personalities involved
• Deregulation created the most amazing dogfight between the airlines
• Post 1990 it's been mainly Airbus and Boeing twins which I don't find anywhere near as cool as classics

I tend to see my collecting as an extension of research into the industry. The only drawback is that US carriers operated a relatively small range of aircraft types. I have now got 167 1:400 airliners (mostly Gemini, Aero******** with a smattering of Jet-X and SMA). In the future space and finances willing I'd love to collect British carriers from the same period and pick up some VC10s, HS748s etc

My question to everyone is what is your collection theme and why?

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Richard

My 1:400 Collection: http://www.diecastaircraftforum.com/modeldatabase/mycollection/collection-11962.html
My 1:600 Scale Model Airport: http://www.imogenia.com/

barolo

I don't have one overall theme, but I love collecting "sets" of different liveries within one airline. For example, one aircraft with each of the different tails that PIA was doing, or the America West "State" theme B757s.
There's lots of them out there (Nok, Bangkok Airlines, China Air, etc). The obvious one is British Airways but that's a project in and of itself.
I'm really hoping for some more 1/400 Frontiers!

jwalters692005

I like to try to get as many of the different types of aircraft on in an airline fleet as possible. For this i focus on carriers from the United States....but i try to have at least one or two from alot of different airlines around the world. I strictly collect post 90's, nothing personlal against the classics, I'm just more attracted to the more current aircraft.

Coffee Machine

Mine is to collect at least one from each countries around the world, most probably the flag carriers or if not the largest airlines in that country. Mostly current scheme with some older liveries that I really like (only one each). Fleet building for Indonesian airliners.

garuda747400

I have the exact same criteria as Coffe machine (see below) but unfortunetly there is much indonesian airlines except Garuda, Apart from the obvious GJ 1:400 Herpa 1:500

************ has given us Garuda in old and new colours , Merpati F28 - Pelita F28 and Megantara 727, hopeing for a Bouraq HS748 soon.

Coffee Machine

I agree with Garuda, many different Indonesian Airliners (IA) that are not represented yet in this hobby. Mandala, Batavia airlines. Sofar Phoenix models are releasing much of SE Asian airliners. Hopefully they come up with IA.

FedEx Express

As far as theme is concerned I think there are two main factors governing my collecting personally (which may ultimately be not collecting at all- I am not sure).

I collect for the diorama as a whole exclusively.
I collect for the airport. As such the whole is far more important than its constituent parts. However, the airport DOES exist for the planes IMO not the other way around. There is a difference.

I collect only current airliners and schemes for current airports.
As such realism is increased significantly because they work together as you would see them actually even so far as ensuring accurate day and night flights and such are more or less present at the airport at approximately the same time with slight variations and exceptions only. Once a particular type, scheme or livery is permanently gone I will sell or otherwise trade the model unless it reasonably does not take away from the overall impact provided by the diorama.

The benefit to this is new combinations are continually being added as it seems the bulk of new die cast models releases are current or future types and schemes. That makes this fairly simple to keep up with without too much research to find ancient out of production types. It also allows for reinvestment of monies received for expired types thereby allowing even more!

It also helps the pocket book as you become very specific and particular about models added and leaves some for those who really want or need them for their own collections and themes.

I know some consider this heresy and an offense close to being damnable but in this way I enjoy the hobby the most.

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Beach Cities West International Airport *UPDATED*
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sidath

Yes, I too collect models from each country but I wish to complete it continent-wise.

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My Collection: http://www.wings900.com/modeldatabas...ion-16411.html

marccferr

There is an interesting subject , it is amazing how collectors choose their preferences to build their own collection..

Probably as many of us, I started with only one theme in mind , but the virus got deeply in my blood and things changed:

The initial decision should be what scale that I would collect, many times during my walking through Airport´s terminals waiting for my flights ; I saw some resin models (probably 1:100) that were interesting, however they where, in my opinion, too big..... and during an A380´s demonstration flight in Brazil on dec 2007 , I earned a DW model, which was model #1 of my entire collection...

At that moment I didn´t have any information (manufacturer, where to Buy, forum and database), but the model caught my attention , due its detail level and size....

After some months of research on Internet I started to buy some models....

- My first intention was collect models of aircrafts (Model and livery, not necessary reg#) that I already flew...

- Then I saw a Varig´s MD-11 on Star Alliance livery, That I never had the opportunity to fly on it, however I had seen that bird several times at Guarulhos Airport.... That was the door to start collecting Star Alliance models.... (later, last year Oneworld and Skyteam members started to paint their planes with alliance livery, which make me collect them also...)

- Third criteria was models that has a sponsor, and started with Crossair Md80´s Mc plane.

- Then sports (Olympic, Soccer World cup, and F1 liveries)

- Colorfull Southwest , due their interesting liveries they start to fly to my airport

- And finally same company, with base Livery but different tails; as BA´s World Tails, Air India Express, Frontier, PIA.... also got on my wishlist........

So two years later I am here with 365 models..... and growing.... I really don´t know where it will end this , but I am enjoying it!!!!

Sorry to bother you with this long post.... but histories are histories!!!!!

Albert

For me, collecting is a geography lesson as I like to collect models mainly from flag carriers and arrange my collection in glass cabinets by country in alphabetical order starting with Afghanistan and ending in Zambia. Within these country sections, I like to portray the history of the airline and see the different types and liveries it has used over the years. My priority is to collect those airliners that were seen in the UK since the late 1950s, especially those I have seen.

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Albert

Algolida

I´m focused on latin american carriers. I began with the aim of making a regional airport diorama, so i began to collect mainly 727 and 737; afterwards I expanded the aircraft types to the bigger 767, 747, and now i´m trying to get as many planes of these airlines as i can. Big planes of other airlines, to use in a diorama of a big latin american airport, will have to wait, so a part of my collection is mainly for displaying porpouses.

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Latin american 1/400 collector.

RStretton

That's an impressive way to collect and must require some serious discipline. I don't think I could do it as it means relying on the airlines not to bring out ugly new liveries in place of their old ones. I don't think I could bring myself to sell a really nice model just because the livery was out of date. However I like your thinking and idea of making an accurate diorama.

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Richard

My 1:400 Collection: http://www.diecastaircraftforum.com/modeldatabase/mycollection/collection-11962.html
My 1:600 Scale Model Airport: http://www.imogenia.com/

RStretton

I really like this way Albert as it brings the history and geography into the collecting. For me aviation model collecting has to be connected to the time and place otherwise its just about moving people in a glorified air-bus! How many models have you got? It's such a shame that many small countries no longer have flag carriers of their own.

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Richard

My 1:400 Collection: http://www.diecastaircraftforum.com/modeldatabase/mycollection/collection-11962.html
My 1:600 Scale Model Airport: http://www.imogenia.com/

RStretton

Thanks for all the replies so far. I can understand collecting special liveries and that seems a popular way to go - I bet that makes those planes more sought after!

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Richard

My 1:400 Collection: http://www.diecastaircraftforum.com/modeldatabase/mycollection/collection-11962.html
My 1:600 Scale Model Airport: http://www.imogenia.com/

woodski28

I started my collection with the intention of getting all of the types available of the different aircraft, i.e. 747-100, 747-SP, 747-SCA, 747-200, 747-300, 747-400, 747-8 etc. I pick Airlines I like mostly. I have done pretty well in my collecting, I have most of the types out there. The hardest to find were the 737-600 and the A318, the military types are also getting harder and harder to find. I also collect all of the planes of certain airlines (Frontier, Jetblue, Fedex, UPS).