Misfits: Out of the Collecting Criteria but Loved

[abdulmohiuddin]

Everyone when they start this hobby sets a goal for themselves to figure out what models they want to collect, their collecting criteria. For me when I first started collecting, I aimed for Pakistani/Middle Eastern model aircraft, retro models from the 70's to the early 2000's(Eurasian and North African primarily), planes that I have flown on, and planes that I have commonly seen around where I live. For the longest time I thought I stuck to my criteria well, and I have for the most part collected within that criteria. However, I have found that occasionally a misfit to the criteria can enter the collection.

I was sorting through my collection after a while and found my copy of the NG Models Norwegian 787-9 G-CKWD. Now it does not fit into any of the categories that I had outlined earlier, but it remains one of my favorite models in my collection. But why, is what I was wondering. Why did I buy this if it didn't fit the criteria?

Well, there is the attractive scheme of the red nose and the icon on the tail(in this case, Ernest Shackleton), perhaps that was my motivation for buying it. But then I think of other attractive schemes that I have yet to being into my collection, there must have been something else. Maybe there was some nostalgia that influenced my decision, for I remember when Norwegian was rapidly expanding in the 2010's, being the darling of low cost long haul travel of its time alongside WOW. Then I finally recalled why, when I first started collecting, I saw the JC Wings Norwegian 787-9 with a Unicef tail on the brand new 787 mould JC Wings had made(at the time). Stunning model, and one that lived in the back of my head for while as a missed chance, since I choose to buy an Air Canada 777-300ER instead. I realize that this was me trying to finally get that Norwegian 787, even if it isn't the same model I lost before. Nominally a misfit to the collecting criteria, but it doesn't feel out of place to me, for it filled a place of nostalgia for me, reminding me of my early collecting days.

Now I want to pose the question to you all, have you any models that do not fit your collecting criteria, and what made you choose to buy it?

 

[Critical Aviator]

The models I have that don't fit my collecting criteria are:

- Air Canada Jetz A320 by NG: I only bought it because of the livery and North American narrowbodies aren't my collecting criteria in most instances, the only exception will be the ones that fly to Europe

- Condor 757-300 by NG: I bought this one when my European criteria wasn't as defined as it is now

- Lufthansa 787-9 D-ABPD: same reasons as the Condor 757-300 and I already had D-ABPA by AV400 anyway

- Etihad 787-9 in the Mission Impossible livery by NG: I only bought it because I wanted an Etihad 787-9, had I known NG would release one later, I wouldn't have bought the Mission Impossible one

- Boeing 787-10 Eco Demonstrator by NG: not much of a livery but it was the closest I could find to a house livery 787-10 at the time

- Condor A330-200 by NG: same reasons as the 757-300 but I initially wanted an A330-900 with the blue stripes, so that NG A332 was the closest I could find at the time

- Dragonair Cargo 747-300 by JC: I bought it because I wanted a 747-300 so I could have all production variants of the 747. Although I wish I had waited until I can get on a 747-300 of an airline I actually care about which they aren't that many that have been made recently

- Emirates A300-600 by GeminiJets: this might be the worst model in my collection and I only bought it because I wanted an A300

- US Airways A320 by Av400: again, as a North American narrowbody that didn't fly to Europe it shouldn't be in my collection but it is thanks to its registration, N106US. Do I need to say more ?

- Citilink A330-900 by JC: it's a surrogate Garuda A330-900

- American Airlines MD-82 by NG: it doesn't fit my collection criteria for the same reasons most US narrobodies do but I really like how the classic the polished AA livery looks on the MD-80

- Southwest 737MAX8 Imua One by NG: I just love the livery

- Air Canada 777-300ER Go Canada Go by Av400 and Air Canada 787-9 Fly the Flag by NG: I don't care about the Olympic games but I really like how these models turned out.

With the exception of the Emirates A300 I love all the models mentionned. I realize that with my current criteria and my experience as a collector, some of these models would never have joined my collection. I also believe it shows how much of a gamble collecting can be as most of the models that don't fit my collection criteria are in my collection because I couldn't get the models I actually wanted. But I think that's part of what this hobby is about, you learn as you collect, you figure out what models to buy and what models not to buy.

 

[Eagle]

I don’t collect fantasy models of aircraft that don’t exisit - yet the American Airlines 747-8I by JC Wings with the iconic chrome finish puts a smile on my face every time I look at it. By coincidence it was also my 500th model collected - making it even more special.

 

[MacSergey]

It is kinda weird not to buy a model that you like just because of artificial limitations, is not it? The only criteria for my collection is “I like how it looks and the mould is good”.

 

[Charter]

Ciao friend and thanks for the thread.
2000 - 2020: no criteria except for no fantasy models
2020 - 2023: European major airlines (wide and narrow), European low cost/charter/leisure airlines, widebodies of airlines serving Rome FCO Airport, my home airport.
2024-today: no criteria. Everything i love and i consider nice and beautiful, no making so much attention to manufacturers/brands (i know many in this forum will have a illness at these words ), remaining the fact that for my collection are fundamental European charter/low cost/leisure airlines and those widebodies arriving at FCO.

 

[Steinar]

My first criteria was to collect one of each type of aircraft. Like B737-100, 200, 300 etc….But I failed quite quickly. Now it is mainly Nordic models and models I have flown on. Still realize I’m still buying models outside my criteria. But I want to display all models so I’m limited to approx 500 models. Always try to sell some models at AACF in Amsterdam so I can keep on buying.

 

[vsr]

I have two different, only-partly-overlapping criteria; aircraft types/liveries I’ve personally flown on (exact reg is a +), and aircraft that have visited SFO - this second category naturally means that I try to collect as much United as I can. Both categories have a rough time bound of 1990-present. I’ve broken my own rule numerous times to have models that I just liked the look of, including a few classics that fall outside my time box, or liveries I find too good-looking to pass up (e.g. the Cathay Spirit of HK ‘97 747-200 by HX). It does make it easier for me to ignore a lot of nice models that are simply way too far out, though, which is good for my wallet.

 

[OllieBHaas25]

Not 1:400 but I have the Inflight200 Hawaiian Airlines DC-10-30 even though i collect mostly European narrowbodies and a few Euro Widebodies. Now that I’m thinking about it I don’t know how or why I got this model.