A Combination Of Three Hobbies
The name Panzer-ShopNL dates back to 2018, when I started making military vehicles for my own model railway layout with my own 3D printer. "Panzer" is, of course, the German word for tank, and that's exactly what it was all about in the beginning. It was really a combination of three hobbies: model railways, 3D printing, and a fascination with military vehicles.
In this article, I'll tell you how this small hobby project grew into Panzer-ShopNL, and why the name doesn't quite match what we actually offer anymore.
The Start: A Hobby Alongside A Full-Time Job
I'm Kevin, founder of Panzer-ShopNL. When I started printing military vehicles for my own layout in 2018, more and more people soon started asking whether they could buy the models too. So I started selling them. The requests kept growing, until I officially founded Panzer-ShopNL in 2019.
The original idea behind it was simple: making military vehicles for model railway layouts. A nice side project alongside my full-time job as a pyrotechnician, where I handled fireworks at festivals.
(Image: Panzer-ShopNL in 2019)
The Growth: From Military Vehicles To Everything And Anything
It turned out that a lot of people loved my work, and Panzer-ShopNL grew rapidly. In 2020, I therefore decided to start making civilian vehicles as well.
From that moment on, the name was already outdated, looking back, a different name would have fit much better. The focus on military vehicles disappeared, and from then on I produced a mix of civilian and military vehicles, figures, pallets, trash cans, decals, and much more. Panzer-ShopNL turned into a full-time job, with a name that no longer quite fit.
Today: More Civilian Than Military Vehicles
In 2026, as I write this article, Panzer-ShopNL now has significantly more civilian vehicles than military ones in the range. My personal passion still lies with the military side, but every month more civilian vehicles are added, while most of the interesting military vehicles are already part of our collection.
So strictly speaking, the name doesn't quite fit anymore, but quality and variety have only grown explosively over the years. And that's ultimately what it's all about: not the name, but what we make for you.
(Image: Panzer-ShopNL in 2026)
Onward To The Next Years
What started in 2018 as a small hobby project alongside my job as a pyrotechnician is now far more than that. Here's to the next 7 years, in which the surprises are guaranteed to keep coming!
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