Dr. Cranky Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 I returned from a great show where for the first time I was part of the after market vendors, selling copies of my book, t-shirts, decals, etc . . . and I realized that for the first time I was paying close attention to how folks spend their money on the hobby, the things we buy, and the reasons we buy them. Of course, we all go to shows to look for those things we need, or things that we thought we'd never need, but suddenly we change our minds and get them. It's hard NOT to spend money at shows. There's always something. Most of us, though (and in particular in this economy) are watching our budgets. Suddenly we start making parts instead of getting them from the aftermarket. We fabricate, we improvise, we watch every penny. My point is that there are things that we NEED if we ever intend to get our modeling to the next level, and so we prioritize, we figure out what we can use and what we can live without for the time being. We don't all need to have a lathe and or a mill, but sometimes we have to bite the bullet and buy parts made by others . . . Anyway, I'm wondering where your priorities are in this huge and diverse after market world of kits, parts, and merchandise.
ZombieHunter26 Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 I always put it in this order (for hobby monies, anyhow)- 1. Kit. If it's on clearance, and I want it, I will get it. 2. Primer. 3. Styrene sheet and rods 4.New x-acto blades 5. Kit. If it's expensive, I will get other things instead first. Normally, I rely on trades for kits. You know this well, DC!
Dr. Cranky Posted March 25, 2012 Author Posted March 25, 2012 Rob, I like your logic and this list is a great place to start. The thing about shows is that they are laid out very similar to flea markets. Everyone has their booth. Lots of goodies everywhere, and the larger the shows and the well attended they are, the more it gets to be difficult to control the wallet or purse. For those of us who are always concerned about the well being of the hobby, it's great to see people coming through and spending their hard earned money on stuff they find irresistible. My attitude is NEVER to pass up on getting something I might regret later if I don't buy it now. After 10-15 years, you look around your bench an realize you are just one step away from being a hoarder. LOL!
Mercman Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 Being a dio builder I use a lot of things from around the house. However there are times when I can spend like a drunken sailor for items I will need in the future. For example just yesterday I placed an order with the LHS here for a good C-note worth of stuff. It will be used eventually, but was in a monthly sale catalog, so got it cheaper.
Mercman Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 My attitude is NEVER to pass up on getting something I might regret later if I don't buy it now. After 10-15 years, you look around your bench an realize you are just one step away from being a hoarder. LOL! I'm closer than you think!!!!!!!! :blink:
Scuderia Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 Since most of the cars I like are ones that aren't that interesting right now, or are easily found in dead stock i can buy a couple kits wrapped a month and not have to worry about money. Since My scratch and putty skills are miserable i only buy styrene and putty once a year lol.
Bartster Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 I've never been to a model car show other than what might be at a 1:1 show. I did find myself having to go into Houston to get a new outfit for my daughter the other day. While there we accidently found a Hobby Lobby. I bought 2 pro-street '66 Novas, a tack rag, some glue & some paint. We drove a round trip of over 130 miles, which I won't do in this economy, for the hobby. I get nearly everything I want from trading on this forum or buying from vendors. I get paint from Wal-mart whenever we DO go(40 mile r.t.). There is a hobby shop/junk store-mostly train stuff-that I go by every time we go to Wal-Mart, but he has only been open once. So I do try to be frugal. I don't mind spending on quality, I recently purchased a resin '65 Satellite for my Mopar collection, so I'm not cheap. I'll spend what I have to & save when I can. I'd say I'm frugal. Yes, I even save sprues,lol.
espo Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 I'm much more carfull of how I spend my money any more. At a show I might pickup an after market part that I can't get localy, or a kit that I havenot been able to find in the hobby shops. But with the way things are now it has tobe something I realy want or need.
charlie8575 Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 Having been either grossly underemployed or unemployed for 5+ years, I don't have much of a budget, but when I do, I get things I need- paint, blades, etc., and I'll buy kits if I can get a good deal on them or if it's something I really want. I tend to keep my eye open for unique items I want, out-ot-production, hard-to-find, and just stuff that I find interesting. When I have more money, I'll probably spend a little more liberally- get more of the resin I want, and so forth. But, spending more liberally and spendthrift is a fine line. You need to be able to balance your spending, not just for hobbies, but everything. Everyone may splurge once in awhile, but spending sensibly is the smartest thing to do. Charlie Larkin
Chuck Most Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 My attitude is NEVER to pass up on getting something I might regret later if I don't buy it now. That is pretty much the same way I approach it. I might even pounce if it's something I already have, but is available at a very good price. That's one of the reasons I have so many Lindberg '34 Ford pickups, a few years back a local guy was selling them for five bucks apiece. Ten '34 Ford pickups for fifty bucks? Don't mind if I do! Normally I try to get what I 'need' for as little money as possible, but there are times when I see something listed at what some might call a ridiculous price, but I don't care because I just have to have it. I figure why not- I'm usually pretty shrewd with my hobby dollars, I have the right to splurge every so often, right? One area I never 'cheap out' on is with materials- I've found that getting name-brand products will most often get you the best results, all other things considered. Of course, I still try to get the name brand stuff at discount rates whenever possible. I spend the majority on kits- the rest is split among building supplies (adhesives, foil, paint and prep supplies, etc.). Now that I'm starting to get interested in diorama modeling, I'm sure I'll be spending a bit less on kits and more on diorama supplies, mostly because I'm lacking that kind of stuff at the moment.
The70judgeman Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 Went to the scale model and toy show for the second time earlier this year and the money came flying out of my wallet. Not the same control as if I were at the hobby store. I found kits at the show that aren't in the store there and figured...buy it now or regret it later. A few were open and all there, so it was at a slightly reduced price which helped too. More bang for my buck so to speak. Plus...a couple are out of production kits I've been looking for and were resonably priced. It would take me months to buy all the kits in the store paying full retail. Isn't it funny how the brain works? At the store...frugal...at a show...spend like a mad man! Just glad there's only a few shows a year.
jeffs396 Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 I've been spending WAAAY too much lately...the last few shows I've been to have had deals way too good to pass up. I've even resorted to "hiding" kit purchases from my bride, I really gotta stop this! Must...stay.....away.......from.........LHS.............tomorrow
martinfan5 Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 I am in the middle, I will spend money on kits or decals, but then a the same time, I will be a cheapskate, I have a weekly model budget, I have to spend it wisely, so I buy a lot of ebay for that reason. I have a list of kits that I want, but are all higher dollar kits, meaning like from $40 and up range, so those are once a month purchase kits, or if I can get a deal worked out with sellers on evilbay, which I have in the past to get a few kits. I always shop around before I buy a kit online, I am more so looking at the shipping vs the cost of the kit.
Craig Irwin Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 My pay is commission based so I depend on others doing well. I am now down to buying #5 blades and glue to build what I allready have.
Jeff Johnston Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 I don't buy a lot of kits. If I run across a cheap 5 buck kit I'll buy it so I can trade it... Most of my budget goes to paint and modeling supplies. I have 50 unbuilt kits and would not have to buy one for 10 years if I built them all. I end up buying maybe 4 kits a year and it has to be something I really want. It didn't used to be that way, but now that kits about 25 bucks a pop, its how it is now. JJ
Ramfins59 Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 I figure that I know I have more kits in my stash that I will ever build in my life, even though I keep buying the new issues that interest me (like the '48 Ford, '49 Merc, '53 Hudson, '55 Chrysler (which I will buy at NNL East) & Revell '58 Impala). For the past 5 years I've been buying the new kits online as the prices are cheaper than the LHS prices when buying multiple kits, even with shipping I also am well stocked on PE and aftermarket stuff to last me for awhile. I am planning on spending a bunch of bucks at the NNL East for some resin stuff from RMCoMD & The Modelhaus and probably some paints. The NNL East is really the one time each year that I go nuts buying stuff. During the rest of the year I usually only spend at the LHS for XActo blades, jar paints and glues.
Sixx Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 Oh man, I went off the deep end a couple of yrs ago. I sprung for a Passhe spray booth...1200 bucks...still recovering from it!! LOL!!! 4 feet wide by 4ft deep by 3 ft high. 12 in explosion proof fan. I've got a ton of aftermarket stuff, some cool wheels from Jim at micro-nitro, and a boatload of kits that probably never get built, yet I still buy stuff when I can...stoopid huh? I guess my priorities are screwed up! LOL!!! Always stocking up on stuff like bare-metal foil, wiring from pro-tech, etc...
Austin T Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 I get scared if I have to spend over 25 $ on one kit.The vendors at the three shows I go to know that I will haggle 'em down and walk away with what I want cheaper then what they have.I had a ball today at an estate sale,vintage kit hoarder+5$ kits=AMAZING.
XJ6 Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 I have spent too much in the past...and still have the kits...paints....detail parts...ETC... But i have become wiser..and now spend way less..i force myself to keep a full tank of gas in the cars.. rather then a full stash of Kits..
Darin Bastedo Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 I'm neither. I'm not cheap, as I'm willing to pay a decent price for a decent product, and I can't say I'm especially frugal becuase I have more Models than I actually need, I would say I'm responsible. I never spend money needs to be used elsewhere on models. If I want something expensive I'll put off getting other stuff until I've saved up for what I want. Now that doesn't mean I wont look for ways to save if possible. I trade quite a bit, buy at swap meets where I don't pay shipping, and usually get models cheaper than online or the LHS. I have spent as much as $300 on a kit, but also have gotten $125 kits for $15.
Agent G Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 I know what I want, so I look around for the best deal I can get. Online, LHS, swap meets, shows, whatever. I am frugal, but will splurge if I see what I want right in front of me as, like others, I have passed up kits before, never to be able to find it again. G
martinfan5 Posted March 25, 2012 Posted March 25, 2012 I know what I want, so I look around for the best deal I can get. Online, LHS, swap meets, shows, whatever. I am frugal, but will splurge if I see what I want right in front of me as, like others, I have passed up kits before, never to be able to find it again. G Same here G, I have kick myself a few times for not getting some kits when I had the chance.
mikemodeler Posted March 26, 2012 Posted March 26, 2012 Like many have stated, I buy when the opportunity presents itself but am cautious to not spend the grocery or mortgage money! My wife is understanding of my hobby as I don't have any others but would like to see me thin out the stash. I am fortunate to be able to buy most anything I need, but I am always on the lookout for a bargain like everyone else and really have enough "stuff" to last me a good long while. I will be reducing the stash and funneling that money into a spray booth later this year, mostly because I have realized that I have too many models and I need to start building more and hoarding less.
Jantrix Posted March 26, 2012 Posted March 26, 2012 Right now I'm building as frugally as humanly possible. So I'm making do with kits I already own, and buying only what I cannot do without. Mostly glue, paint and styrene stock. I figure I'm spending $10 or less per month right now.
Harry P. Posted March 26, 2012 Posted March 26, 2012 My problem is the particular models I like to build (Pocher). They're not made anymore (the company went out of business years ago), and unbuilt kits are getting harder and harder to find. And of course, as the remaining unbuilt kits are sold, the prices keep going up, up, up, because there's only a finite supply of them in existence. I buy to build, not to "collect" or to resell at a profit... so every Pocher kit I buy and build means one less on the market, and that only serves to drive the price of the remaining ones up even higher. So by buying and building them (thereby reducing the number left to sell), I guess I'm actually part of the reason the prices keep climbing!
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