Profile
Personal
On this page I want to tell you something about myself and how I came to collect. My name is Jan-Klaas Kuiper, I was born 63 years ago in Siddeburen (Gr) and currently live in Musselkanaal (Gr).
I am father of two sons Sander of 24 and Matthijs of 21.
I work for network operator Enexis as an Engineer, where I am responsible for designing and calculating a reliable electricity network.
The beginning
I started like most collectors I think, with toy cars that you received on birthdays. Of course it also helped that my grandfather had a transport company, this was transport company Gebr. Knollema in Harkstede, mainly specialized in the transport of bulk grain.
During the holidays I was allowed to go with two uncles who worked there as a driver. When I got a bit older, I think I was about 14 years old, I bought my first model.
It was a truck and trailer Scania 110 Super from Tekno in scale 1:50, which I converted
to a truck that drove at my grandfather's. (see photo on the left).
Although it has been spartanly renovated, it is a model that I am very fond of, because it was my first model and because it reminds me of my grandfather and a beautiful time. This is how what later turned out to be a wonderful hobby began.
Scale 1:50
So I started with the 1:50 scale, of which I bought models from Tekno, Lion-Car and Conrad, some of which you can see on the photo pages.
All the models I bought at that time are still in my possession, because I am not a collector who easily gives up models, always afraid that you may regret it later.
When there were about 20 models in the 1:50 scale in my collection, I realized that a lot of space was needed to store all the models, especially if more and more of the same scale were to come.
Current collection
In the store where I bought my models they also sold models in 1:87 scale from Wiking for railway enthusiasts.
So I bought my first model in scale 1:87, namely a truck with low loader Magirus-Deutz from Wiking loaded with a cable reel. (see photo on the right).
The models of that time were not nearly as beautifully detailed as they are today, but I was still impressed by this model. Especially because there were many low loaders of this type in our area.
That's how I started my collection of model cars in scale 1:87. In the beginning the collection was mainly expanded with Wiking, but later also with Herpa, Brekina and AWM. In the first years it was possible to keep the collection relatively complete, but later this became impossible. That is why I started specializing in models from Dutch companies.
Here is an example of one of the first Dutch models, this is a truck and trailer Volvo F12 from De Bruin Surhuisterveen
Over the years, I think about twenty years, I have collected quite a few models. Due to various circumstances, I did not purchase any models for a number of years and the collection stood still, you could say. However, in recent years I have started collecting again and I must say with great pleasure. By building this website I want to give you an insight into my collection of model cars in the scale ratio 1:87. Hopefully the above story has given you an impression of how I started collecting and I would like to wish you a lot of fun by viewing my website.
