How to prevent co-workers from touching models

[WelshZeCorgi]

I have a few models I have on display at work, since I don't really have a place at home to display. 

My co-workers keep touching them and moving them around. (I don't know who, if it's just one person or several) Putting the figures in lewd positions and such. And this itself isn't a problem, I just move them back to their original positions and no harm done.

 

What really pisses me off though is when I come back to work and find bits and pieces of the models broken off. Antennas, width indicators, rear view mirrors or machine guns and headlights. They are by no means masterpieces, but they did take a lot of work and practice to get made and it would be ideal if people didn't touch them.

 

Having a little knowledge in human psychology, (and having attended junior-high, high-school and college) I think anything I do would make it worse. If I tell people to stop, they'll probably do it more. If I complain to anyone, no one would help and people would just tell me I'm over-reacting. 

 

I'm considering taking it all down and just storing it at home, but I wanted to ask the community if there was anything they did that actually prevented co-workers from screwing around with their belongings. 

Edited April 21, 2020 by WelshZeCorgi

[JohnT]

Human nature being what it is I suspect the answer is that models on display will get touched unless behind a glass barrier. I’d take them home. 

[Schwarz-Brot]

Often it is not co-workers and bad will but the cleaning teams. They usually don't have to move things around and won't do - in fact they are not even allowed to clean our desks if they are not tidied up. But some are motivated to do a good and complete job. Sometimes they will at least try to wipe around stuff. While still being on a tight time budget they are not very careful.

 

No matter who it really is - put your stuff in display cases and FIX IT IN THERE, so it won't rattle around when moved. Simple as that.

[modelmaker]

If I said what I'd do to saboteurs who are generally talentless oafs with no hobbies, interests and most probably no real friends, who have no respect for others  I'd be thrown out by the moderators.........I may be wrong, hopefully.  Good luck

Edited April 22, 2020 by modelmaker
Spelling!

[theplasticsurgeon]

15 hours ago, JohnT said:

Human nature being what it is I suspect the answer is that models on display will get touched unless behind a glass barrier.

Got to agree with this comment. 

I'll occasionally take a model to work to show to colleagues - they've all got to be picked up and touched.

For under-construction builds, I do this after painting and decals - but before undercarriage.

[goggsy]

I’m pretty sure I saw some convincing looking health & safety warning sign stickers for sale at a show once, something along the lines of “Risk of Broken Fingers”. Wish I’d brought a few now. Nobody gets left unsupervised in my hobby room now as in my experience most people are basically cretins who want to “see if the propellers go round” for some reason.

[dogsbody]

Make a casting of one of your forefingers, then paint it up to look like an old, severed digit. Mount it on a little stand near/beside your models. If/when asked about it, just say it's from the last S.O.B. who touched one of your models. 

 

 

 

 

Chris