Hi Brad,
@BradNSW
you bring up a very important point. How often do misunderstandings arise because of a missing or incorrectly placed comma, etc.? On top of that, I'm using a translator.
A good example: the longer my sentence is in German, the more nonsense it comes out in the translation. So I always have to make sure my sentence is as short as possible. These are additional obstacles that are unintentionally introduced.
We're talking about standards here, okay.
I'd like to share a thought process with you. When I talk about a certain standard, there's a set of rules or regulations that define it, right? So, person X has to rate according to this standard and has a scale of 1-10 for doing so.
And that's where, in my opinion, everything falls apart. Why? 1-10, person X gives it a 1, person Y gives it a 7. And now I'm in a dilemma. I have two ratings, two different opinions, and therefore it's no longer a standard.
Another example from sports was also brought up, especially since the Olympics are currently underway.
Well, what can I say? It's absolutely clear-cut when something can be measured by time or distance, or how many goals I score. If we think about figure skating and there are multiple judges, it becomes more complicated. Because then it's a matter of discretion, meaning arbitrariness. I don't like the way she wears her hair, so I deduct a point. It has nothing to do with performance but with appearance. This point deduction isn't even conscious, as it's a subconscious decision. I could give countless more examples.
So, what exactly can I standardize and what can't I? In model making, I don't think that's possible. And when a manufacturer writes on the packaging, "It's possible to build a top-quality, museum-grade model," I wonder what they mean by that.
Exactly, IT IS POSSIBLE. But it ultimately depends on my skills whether I can achieve it or not. And yes, there are model builders who can turn garbage into gold, but also those who can turn gold into garbage.
The discussion touched on art and art objects, but art is not comparable to model making. A 300-year-old model of a frigate ship displayed in a museum is not a work of art in the figurative sense; it is an exhibit and, of course, has a certain value. But it is not comparable to the Mona Lisa. We find both in museums. A pharaoh's sarcophagus, ornately decorated with precious metals and gemstones, is 5,000 years old. It has a certain value due to its materials, as well as its age and history. But is it a work of art, like a painting or even a ship model by Blasi Oliver?
Where is the standard?
What are our models actually worth, or how can I determine their value?
Perhaps at auctions, or on commissions?
If I'm asked today what I want for my La Palme, my answer is "it's not for sale." But is it then priceless? Everything has its price, and when I say everything, I mean everything. And if a businessman were to offer me €1,000,000, it would be sold without a second thought. Whether this businessman has any idea if everything is historically accurate, whether the side should be hammered left or right, whether the anchor looked like that in 1747 or is incorrect, etc., he has no clue 90% of the time. He simply thinks it looks good for his lobby.
I think we primarily determine the value of our models ourselves, based on our skills, accuracy, and the execution of our work. Some model-building colleagues regularly participate in events and competitions, and the best among them are well-known and would certainly win very good prizes with their models.
There's a market for everything; it might not be quite as large for ship models, but it exists nonetheless.
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with friends!
