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An east Auckland resident has transformed the basement garage of his home into what could be a scale-model fan’s idea of heaven.
Mark, who only wants his first name published to protect the security of his collection, is putting more than 440 of the highly detailed scale models he’s built on public display at his Howick property as part of a charity model gallery called ‘Miniature Marvels – The 1/72nd Scale Experience’.
He plans to regularly add to the display and has another 1200 unbuilt kits to construct.
Admission to the display is free but donations are encouraged and will go to the Neurological Foundation.
He chose to donate proceeds from the display to the organisation because he has Parkinson’s Disease and his 87-year-old mother has Multiple Sclerosis, a chronic neurological disorder.
“I thought it was an appropriate charity to get behind,” he says.
“I realised I was coming to the point that I find it increasingly difficult to build them to the standards I used to, so how do I put this to some sort of use rather than let it atrophy?”
The former New Zealand Army captain has already raised almost $700, with the display only having opened this year.
Among the models on show are aircraft, helicopters, military vehicles and tanks, and submarines and ships representing countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, Sweden, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, China, Bulgaria, Colombia, France, and more.
All are to a constant 1/72 scale, where six feet equals one inch, enabling many interesting comparisons to be made between exhibits, Mark says.
The rarest, largest and most expensive model on display is of the sole Ukrainian Antonov An-225 Mriya cargo plane. It may be the only one of its kind in New Zealand.
The kit came from Ukraine and cost Mark almost $900. It took him almost 350 hours to build.
There’s also a model of the rocket that US astronaut-turned-Senator John Glenn piloted into space, and the iconic Lockheed SR-71 ‘Blackbird’.
Mark is a scale-model expert, having joined the Auckland branch of the International Plastic Modellers Society, serving as a kit reviewer for Hyperscale for several years and writing hundreds of reviews on newly released kits.
He says people usually get into building scale models at about eight years old.
“I also want to give modelling advice to anyone who’s interested in the hobby.
“A lot of people came back into the hobby during Covid. Typically, adults come back to it when they’re middle aged and their children are gone and they look around for something to do.”
Mark says the biggest thing he’s got from his hobby is meeting new people.
“I’ve made a lot of new friends, surprisingly for what’s often a solitary hobby.
“Also, when selling kits on TradeMe, people come to my house and I ask if they want to see my models.
“From that I’ve built lasting relationships as we share techniques and advice.
“In terms of skills, patience is one thing you need, and fine motor skills.”
Admission to the gallery is free and by appointment.
People who want to view it can go online to http://www.miniature-marvels.kiwi.nz and contact Mark using the online form.
