The question of what to do with a stash of unbuilt model kits, especially when the modeler passes away, seems to be rising more and more often. Last year, I had the solution to the problem pushed on me after a flood. I'm sharing my story with the hope that it may provide food for thought to others.
Every modeler has a work space and, like many modelers, mine's in the basement. Also, like many modelers, I had a large stash of unbuilt kits, a pile of started but uncompleted models, and yes, even some finished projects.
For over thirty years things went fine until July of last year when a heavy rain overtaxed the city storm drains, which backed up and flooded my basement with contaminated water to a depth of about nine inches.
A disaster cleanup company was able to dry the basement in about two weeks, but everything was left covered in a fine toxic powder. My wife and I cleared out the basement with help from the cleaners, so they could decontaminate whatever was salvageable.
When all our stuff had been decontaminated, I had a reality check. I hadn't really handled each and every kit -- those in boxes, those in bags, and my "Shelf of Shame" projects that I'd started but set aside -- in a long time. I realized that I could never hope to build all the models in my lifetime. In fact, there were too many to store safely in the event of another flood.
So, what to do? I build every kit I purchase in my mind; I suspect most of us do. In that regard, I felt I'd already gotten a lot of pleasure from simply having owned my stash. The idea of disposing of all my unbuilt kits was painful and yet somewhat liberating.
Selling the models would have been onerous and time-consuming. The easiest way to find good homes for my kits, I decided, was to donate the boxed kits to IPMS raffles. I am splitting the collection between Model Con 419, in Perrysburg, Ohio, on April 18, and the 2026 IPMS Nationals in Fort Wayne, Indiana. As my IPMS chapter, the Fremont (OH) KitBashers, is involved with both events, the club will benefit indirectly from the donations to each of the shows.
Looking forward, I'll have plenty to do to complete all my unfinished projects in a newly cleaned and reorganized basement. Photo 7 There's a much better chance I can get those done. Got too many models in your stash? Donating them to a raffle might be the answer!
by Mark McGovern