This hobby doesn't half cost a lot..!!

This hobby is very expensive, I’ve been totaling up ebay auctions, credit card bills etc, and without some paints as I pay for them mostly by cash at automotive shops, or the LHS I’ve spent nearly £2000 this year. This does include new display cabinets, tools, storage and airbrushes, and canned air as well as 8 tamiya display cases, that cost £15 each… Not to mention 55 kits to build, some of them with expensive SMS upgrades, new decals, and 6 lots of SMS CF template or mormal decals.

£2000..!!!!!!!! Can’t sustain that. The credit card needs to be paid so time to get help with my sickness.. I try and shop cheaply, but not good enough so it would seem.

I’m glad I’m not married, or I would be looking at more expense. A divorce..!! Still, compared to my past hobbies, PC games, Playstation Games, PC upgrading I guess I can’t complain, I spent £5000 a few years ago on PC addiction..

Time to stop spending..

I know, the further you progress in this hobby the more expensive it seems to get. When I started it was just the price of a kit - now it could be a kit, photoetch, c/f decals, new decal scheme, paints etc.

But any hobby can be expensive, some more than others.

But there is one good thing about it, all the kits and detail parts won't lose any of their value. Or better you can get way more money if they're out of production... :grinno:

think about upgrading your pc with a new graphic card or cpu, they're nearly worthless after 6 months... :banghead: :banghead:

I see what you mean... I don't spend nearly as much as you do, but still it's much. Paint is incredibly expensive, at 8 euros per one little can. Masking tape will cost me 4 euros per roll, Compound's 8 euros for one, well, whatever those things are called that have compound in them...
But oh well, I'm having fun with it, I think that's worth the money.

I think the money you spend on the hobby is worth it Mick, even if it is 2000 pounds. I mean, look at your builds, they all look very cool!

Yeah, got some nice models to show for it. and I lot of tools and paint and display cabinet..

If it were PC hardware, money down the drain..!! Not all bad.. But still, not a cheap hobby, and this used to be a pocket money hobby..!!

I see what you mean, but with every hobby there comes expenses. At least your in the model world now, and not pc world, a little extra change for those paints and brushes.

It's all relative though, isn't it? How much does a round cost in a pub? or a meal out? or a pack of fags a day? or a computer game? or sky TV? all of a sudden a kit for £25 isn't such a bad deal when it can give months of entertainment, even without the aftermarket parts.

It does cost a bit to buy tools and paints, but they last a long time in most cases, I'm still using things I bought 10 years ago.

It just comes down to what you choose to spend your money on.

Dont total it up. Thats a mistake there. I've spent $800+ between my two scratch built's and dont have much to show.

I used to opperate on a $20 a month budget...
It wasn't carved in stone, but I stayed close for quite a while.
I let go this spring and remodeled my workbench, bought a new airbrush and 'invested' in automotive body materials. I let go of my zero growth concept for a bit as well and aquired several kits (6+) without getting rid of the same number (building, selling, giving away).

And yet with all that, I spent less than I did fooling around with RC cars for a few months.

:p

well modeling seems to be my cheap hobby - for better or worse. collecting/buidling 1:1 sports cars are my real hobby, and those go for $30000+ a pop easily! good thing my daily driver is the only one in my collection..... :biggrin:

i have actually started building a "go kart." although rather than using a lawnmower engine or something actual kart motor.... i bought a Yamaha R1 motor... byebye $1500. project on hold til I can get a welder!

Hmm...I never pay full price for a kit, and I build almost exclusively Revells...I got all my Tamiya paints free with the Enzo kit...All my tools were Christmas presents...I use Krylon Primer, $3 lasts 3-4 models...I'm definately a budget builder. The most I have spent on anything model-related was the full-price Fujimi Murcielago I got a few months ago - $36, ouch.

But, somehow, I still have (*gasp* just counted) 63 unbuilt kits (around 25 are Will's though!)

I did spend $60 on a Walmart desk earlier this semester so I didn't have to pack up (and scratch up) my in-progress builds. That's my worst splurge.

Redstang, what all 1:1 cars do you have? We have quite a collection ourselves (See sig)

55 kits!!!!!!!!!!
Holy crap... I've got 8. And that includes two which are current projects.

I've managed to get by with about AUS$15.00 per week at the moment, but I think that's going to start climbing soon.

Just lucky I build relatively slowly.

My wife wishes I only had 55 kits in the 'to build' pile.....

My wife wishes I only had 55 kits in the 'to build' pile.....
I'm with you, Ray:(

Redstang, what all 1:1 cars do you have? We have quite a collection ourselves (See sig)

For now, just a 2000 Mustang GT (see avatar). Hopefully never going to sell her. I play with my dad's 300C behind his back, but haven't done anything permanent. I'm helping my girlfriend's dad restore his 82 Corvette, I helped a friend restore a Porsche 928, and I helped a friend's dad build a Shelby Cobra replica.

I learnt a long time ago to never keep a record of exactly how much money is spent on this hobby. The numbers would be frightening. On the plus side after a few years you have pretty much everything you need and the level of investment aproaches a reasonable level. :) At least it does until you decide you need that lathe or maybe an autoclave so you can form real carbon fibre...:lol:

reminds me a lot of fly tying for fly fishing... to get started with all the proper tools and materials is expensive as hell - i think i have around $1500 worth of stuff - but once you get your equipment and materials set up, it costs pennies. now for the same $5+ it would cost to buy a saltwater fly at the store, i can usually tie at least 20 of that pattern!

never, Never, NEVER add up what your hobbies cost...

and 55 kits? Talk about a noobie...

I've probably got that in just duplicate kits/spares boxes alone...;-)>

Bill

Mike, see what happens when you find a forum like this :screwy:

I happened to me, but the upside is you now have those tools etc, so spending should be coming down now.

I would never add up my spending in total, but if you just take the money spent on Wheels in the last 2 years £4 a box delivered x 150 boxes that's £600. You can buy 2 off 1:1 Volks Racing TE37's for that.

So are you coming to the IPMS Nationals at Telford on 19th November
That way you can spend even more :evillol:

At least it does until you decide you need that lathe or maybe an autoclave so you can form real carbon fibre...:lol:

I used to work 1:1 with carbon/kevlar and glass and for a reasonable cost you can buy a vacuum pump, bags and tape. Use an accelerator in the resin (needed for the temp in the UK) and off you go. I'm going to mold a couple of 1/20 body shells and attempt to laminate them with carbon and glass. Either that or I'll get a life......