[WWI] Kids and kits

[Helen and Chris]

Seems like J.R. has hit a nerve about today's kids building kits.

I don't think there is one simple reason why "construction kits" have fallen out of favour (<- English spelling).  But I do think that those of us in our late 50's onwards need to hold up our hands and take some of the blame.

Having lived through the austerity which followed WW2, we vowed our kids would not suffer as we had.

Then came the technology explosion - telephone, television and portable radio. The Western economies boomed and, for most of the time, we could afford to indulge in it and "provide" for our families.  And so it continued until, here we are, all sitting in front of our PC's.  And probably taking it for granted.

But what we forgot was that our kids (and now our grand children) never knew the austerity.  To them, technology is normal.  And, probably, boring.

If the way to Hell is paved with good intentions, then we have poorly served our kids.  To them, normality is a screen, speakers and an interactive content.

Add to this our (US and UK) lunatic approach to education.  If a child knows that failure is not possible, why should any effort be required?  The frightening thing is to turn this around the other way - if a child can't succeed.......!

So what chance has a poor kit got when it just sits there and demands things be done to it?

Is it any wonder, then, that Sierra scale, Rosemont and now Pegasus, are all jacking it in?

OK, I'm getting off my soap-box now to address Dave's point about costs.

Attached is a copy of the back cover of John Lloyd's booklet Aircraft of World War 1 published by Ian Allan in 1958.

The Lanc is priced at 7/6 which equates to about 37.5p or roughly $0.75.  2/- equals 10p or about 20 cents.

Some seven years later, my first ever job (which didn't last too long) paid me £250 ($500) per year.  Within a few months, I'd changed direction and was earning £675 ($1350) per year.  I'll let the mathematicians work out the details, but I reckon that, pro-rata, the kits were actually more expensive back then than they are today.

Sorry this is so long - I just felt it might be worth saying.

Bless those who gave us our joy.

Chris
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