A box of cardboard and paper templates. You cut it all out with knife.
Not much fun.
Sounds awful. The only thing worse would be scratch building. 
Scratch building is "worse"????
Wholly Mackinaw!....and I've always had the MOST fun when scratch building!!
Creating something unique, working from photos...or, as the Disney folks call it: Imagineering!...gives this old phart the most rewarding construction project of all!
Re cardboard?....If you have some old, old model railroad magazines....we're talking 1930's-1950's...you should see some of the things people made using 'cardboard'. Anyone remember Jack Work, model builder? He was well published in Model Railroader. His project medium-of-choice?...Strathmore board...fancy 'cardboard'. Kalmbach had a project book about 40+ years ago....a collection of 'dollar projects'...things you could make for the layout using inexpensive, commonly available materials...like cardboard. Easy, fun, never-ending supply of free material.
One of our (LHS) associates has us save all single ply cardstock for her building needs. For our store G scale layout I built an octagonal gateman's house from an old magazine article/plan using cardboard 100% throughout. (Strictly an indoor structure, though, for sure.) Scratch built. Loved every minute of the project.
But, TEHO.
KD
I absolutely remember Jack Work and many of the other scratch builders that have faded from memory. But these gentlemen never looked for kits to build something they needed, they simply gathered up materials from where ever and built everything from scratch. They are my heroes and I will build a kit only as a last resort or if it was a gift from a loved one...
Avanti...I know you prefer scratch building and yes you picked the wrong emoticon...but it was good for a laugh....
Bob
