...and if so, how many of them do you have? What percent of complete are most of your 'incompletes'? Are most of them built, just not painted? Do you stop at the easy stuff (wheels and running gear) and then stop before getting further? I'm really curious how many of you are as bad as me!

I would say that almost all of my 20+ kits in the stash have some level of work done. From a primer shot on the inside of a helo all the way up to completed-just need paint/finishing.

It's not a problem, it's a gift.

I have a simple rule that I follow; never start a new kit until the one I'm working on is finished. I never break this rule, so I don't have any started kits in the pile.

Way too many, sadly

I just started two new kits but my long term unfinished is just one kit. I would be surprised if there are more than just a few with no unfinished kits that they've left behind.

I'm guilty of all phases of incomplete-hoarding. Several (perhaps 5 or 6) stopped at some later point due to onset of frustration due to project-complexity or loss of direction with some once-intended interior thing. Some of these MAY get completed and painted (albeit incomplete interiors may remain closed in some cases and hidden in order to get finished at all).

A few are part-dones waiting for some resolution of questions about painting, final detailing, pending mods to reflect new knowledge about the subject, etc. Most of these will complete.

Another few are wholly-assembled and just waiting until the paint stuff comes back out and they hit the booth (my painting gear and spray-booth and paints all got boxed for the Big Move across country last year, and haven't emerged yet). These WILL get done.

Another few are seriously dead-in-the-water and just are no longer of interest to me. These probably will go into the bin sooner or later. This bunch includes some wretched east-bloc kits of stuff now available in much better kits and a couple things which just got too boring to bother slogging through.

But sometimes shelf-queens and WIPs are the outcome of that odd side of my take on the hobby... it's sometimes just loads of fun to do some building, even when there is no clear end in sight! And I might not intend to complete it at all!

Cheers! Bob

Looking in my stash right now, I'd estimate that I have only 11 partially built kits. There are definitely a lot more in the display case!

I have five out of seven started ... dioramas that is! … along with their respective AFV’s, soft skins, figures, and groundwork!

I need to allow cement and putty to cure, paint to dry, and my fingers to heal … and I need to relax my mind from all of the curing, drying, and healing. I do so by starting a new kit and/or diorama before another is finished.

That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!

—mike

I have quite a few completely done models. My work schedule changed back in June 2017 and all my building basically stopped. I have 4 un-finished models.

ODS Abrams. It's completely built just needs paint.
M2A2 Bradley is completely build and probably 50% painted.
M1117 is probably 40% built.
T-55AM I have the lower hull and running gear built.

I don't see anything being done to these anytime soon unfortunately.

I was thinking about this yesterday, why does a kit build stall?
In no particular order
1) difficulty in assembly or painting / finish
2) lost part
3) lost interest
4) lack of supplies / tools

Thanks for the replies thus far, guys. I have probably 10 models that in various states of build. One of them has a lost part, which should be replaced soon, one has the base dunklegelb (Panther) painted, but too afraid to start the masking for the camo, but mostly, I just get to a point where I lose interest in the build, even though I still really like the vehicle...I can't really explain why I stall out on them. I'm always proud and pleased when I finish a model, I can't really understand why I just stop. It must be some character defect that needs psychoanalysis...

A little break altogether probably wouldn't hurt. It may refresh interest even greater.

Two. A US Navy LHD-1 and a Italeri Opel Blitz 4X4 conversion. Ship is 85% done and the truck is 15% .

Too many to count. Rather depressing but I have been trying to revisit some of those and see if I can finish some of those up.

33 aircraft
Around 25 armor
4 cars
7 ships/subs
1 space
1 paper

I am the King of Unfinished Builds. This explains why I am running (or trying to) unfinished build campaigns on Armorama, Model Shipwrights, AutoModeler, and ModelGeek. I have not managed to finish anything in the past 4 years. I hope to change that in 2018. We shall see.

As to why I don't finish them, I guess a variety of reasons. Usually because something better came out. Back then I was your typical modeler obsessed with having the latest most accurate kit. I was getting photo-etch and resin parts and many many reference books. Then at some point, I realized I'd turned my hobby into another form of work.

Another reason, is painting. I had a friend who is really into painting and he'd point out that the color I was using wasn't quite the right shade. Again, that turned something I didn't really enjoy in the first place into work. Of course, weathering is a whole other topic.

And I'm getting older. The eyes don't work as well and now the hands are going too.

I have about ten. Some stopped due to lack of interest ie: Maquette indy tracks. Others are waiting on paint but not feasible to set up an airbrush in my apt right now. I'll finish them up in the new year and then delve into my stash..in between buying a place and moving - no small feat in Vancouver..

I only have one about 80% done, the rest are stuck at some stage of weathering. Even "whats done" will get tweaked later.

I have had a few unfinished kits over the years. I took big break from modeling about 25 years ago. Wife, kids, house and work ect. Never had the time or the money. Picked it back up about 5 years ago. When I opened the box of model stuff I had 4 or 5 kits that were unfinished. All but one made the bin. I kept the DML E-100. That one was stopped due to the indy link tracks. It hit the shelf and was finished about a year ago.(once I learned how to deal with those tracks)
I am currently working out of the country so I had to pack up my model stuff yet again. And yet again I put 4 kits that were not finished in the box. This time mostly due to not enough time to get them all done. Now I have the hard fast.. DO NOT START A KIT UNTIL THE LAST ONE IS DONE.

Now as to why I did not finish the kits before. For me it was the fact that I never really liked the way the kits looked when I called them done. I spent a few years muddling around with models when I restarted 5 years ago. Then I joined a local club and got some advice. I was told, as long as you had fun who cares what your work looks like, Never try to compare your models to the models you see from others or worry if it is perfect. Just enjoy working on them. I also around that time watched a video from Mig. He was showing how he does his work and I was shocked how he did things. That was when I figured out that with a acrylic clear on the model you can play with oils and enamels quit a lot before you really screw things up. Those two things have allowed me to finish kits and actually like them. Since those revelations I have finished on average 5 or 6 a year. (couple of dioramas in there) Since my move to Taiwan last October I have finished two vignettes and have a third tank in base color getting ready for a three tone camo.

I took inventory last week. I am in the same league as Gary, as far as sheer volume is concerned

The kits get stopped for various reasons, all of which have been mentioned in this thread. One that keeps recurring is what i tend to call "boredom". Once i spent a lot of time on a model i often get bored or sidetracked with another kit and it ends up on the Shelf-of-Shame (SoS). Some are really far along and are just waiting for a bit of groundwork to place them on, some are just a few pieces cut loose from their sprue.

My SoS list is now sort of sorted in self decided priorities. Kits i want to finish first, a few new kits i want to start and kits that will stay on the SoS for a while longer. I enlisted in most Unfinished Business campaigns this year to try and wrap several up

Of course i don't have the illusion i'll reduce the SoS with 25+ kits this year, but any finished kit is a finished kit

Guilty as charged.
The only really sad case is Dragons Scud launcher.
There were gaps that needed filling and I took the advice to use two-component putty made by Verlinden. When it had cured it was really hard and I think it contained fine sand. I ruined a few needle files before I realised the problem and dumped the rest of it.
I learned to use slivers of plasticard and/or CA to fill gaps instead. That Scud has been sitting there for at least 20 years by now.
Halfway through the build I also started having doubts about the wheels and suspension. Now that there are other kits I might try to salvage that old Scud using information from other kits and sources.

There are also a few conversions for the Italeri CMP truck, those are stalled because I had to move 14 years ago (family and new apartment). The resin was badly warped so I had to rebuild many parts. These will get finished and I will probably try to improve them based on newer/better kits, opening up and detailing the engine grille/cooler maybe.

A few others are stalled waiting for paint. Had to stop painting with a baby in a small apartment and after the move the tank of the compressor rusted through (sod it). Need to rebuild the compressor using emptied fire extinguishers as tanks, have all the parts so I only need time to finish it.

A few started kits have gone into the bin when I realised just how bad they were.
Maybe 20 unfinished in total and over 200 in the display cabinet.
/ Robin

Edit: Sometimes I will start a kit without the intention of finishing it soon. I do this to reduce the size/volume of the boxes. Assemble the large parts and subassemblies without including fragile parts. This allows storing the kit in a smaller sturdier box and it uses less space in the stash. Some boxes contain a lot of empty space that can be used for other purposes. Modern MBT's can fit two or sometimes even three in one box Small and/or fragile parts inside the hull ...

I'm reminded of the saying about artists "that a work is never finished, just abandoned. "

I have lots of incomplete works, mostly waiting for figures and exterior gear. I get easily turned off figure painting especially since I've had to adjust so much since my cataract surgeries.

I had some started kits languishing in my closet for nearly three decades before being inspired to dust them off and finish them in the last couple of years.

I actually stopped doing dioramas because I just never finish them. I'll collect the bits and plan and build but never even get close to getting it all together.

All that said I have called officially "finished" more than thirty kits in the past two years. Now if I could just get motivated to do some figure painting.

oohhh.... more that I thought
1 -almost there; Final weathering and touch ups (Leo 1A5)
1 about 75% there build wise (Leo 2A5DK Afghan )
and at least 3 other projects at about 30-50%
there...stalled and stored for a serious amount of time.
Not to bad I suppose, but need to sort these before starting anything else. Though how likely that'll be

Fine Molds Type 5 75 %
Amusing Models E-100 30 %
cyberhobby Kingtiger initial 10 %

Well since 20years i stopped to build several kits at the same time and begin another just when the previous is finished.

So excepting my current project, and two historicals figures i just have a 20 years old project unfinished : a crashed UH1B and a LSSC boat builded at 80%.
I hopes to do those beasts one day but there're so many exciting new kits...

I always have at least 3 kits on the table. That's because i need some occupation while paint cures On most of kits, weathering alone takes 20 steps plus, some of the steps can be done at same time, some require few days of curing before i proceed. Annoyingly, some of these long cure steps only take 5 mins to accomplish. Therefore i can clean some parts by then. Similar story with base coat/cammo. It really pays off to wait a little bit, rather than rush and damage fine paint film you just finished.
As for weathering, i also like to make pause, and take look at kit with "fresh mind". In other words, i prefer to do things when i want to do them, rather than when i have to. And no, i don't feel any guilt (therefore no chance for recovery ).