I was already into the hobby but my first Heathkit was an AA-14 Amplifier. And it did work the first time I plugged it in. ![Grin ;D](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/grin.gif)
For how long? ![Laughing :-DD](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/smiley_laughing.gif)
First kit I built (well first kit I could afford to buy to build) was a Maplin CMOS logic probe in 1992. Didn't work because I blew up the 4001BE in it.
I didn't build no steenkin' kits!.
![Angry >:(](https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/angry.gif)
My first builds were radios-- from a "one valve regen set" using a 1T4 battery valve, which didn't work, to a "two valve regen set" which used 6SH7s, but I added a a 6V6GT so it could drive a speaker(it worked, but had a few problems), to a "5 valve mantel radio, built into a bakelite speaker enclosure, with a 8" speaker (after a few initial problems, it worked a treat!
All of the above were built from magazine articles, with all the bits purchased separately when I could afford them.
I gave up on making stuff for a few years, but then built my one & only audio amplifier---a Mullard "3-3" amplifier (not as you may assume, a stereo amp, but a mono one --"3 valves-3 watts").
My mate had the transformers & some other bits,but still not a kit.
I have built a few trifling doo-dads from "short form" kits since then, but kits were never a major orientation for me.