Carl, What do you mean getting old! I'm only 69, just a kid, I have built since the 1950's when the kits were ink stamped on balsa and you cut everything out and the covering was silkspan.
I have always found time to build because I love the hobby so much, most of the guys in our club who say they build kits are building the ARF's, even though it takes a lot of time to do all the scale detail it still is not what I call building.
People today I think don't want to take the time to get involved in the building process, they want to fly now, not a year later.
I love to build because I like to re-engineer the kits, a lot of them have weak points that can be strengthened, and it feels good to have a model that will hold up to many years of flying without repairs.
I have nothing against people going to this ARF route, it's just not for me.
Ron
I'm building a 1/3 Waco right now and have a Mick Reeves Sopwith Strutter lined up right behind that one.