While driving my son back to college last night, I directed my idle thoughts to making a mental inventory of my model railroad supplies. While the accounting was anything but exhaustive, the conclusion I drew was quite clear: I have enough stuff on hand to make a pretty fair layout. All I'd really need to complete the layout would be the odd bag of ground cover once in a whille and various odds and ends. I could even sell some stuff and still get there.
So why, then, do continue browsing Ebay and scanning though the various Yahoo groups, looking for some steal of a deal on which to spend cash I don't have for stuff I really don't need? What is it that afflicts us model railroaders that gives us an itch that only a new piece of rolling stock can scratch? Understand, I've put virtually no new capital into the hobby this calendar year, yet that hasn't stopped me from continually window shopping and dreaming of some big haul of locomotives that would make my engine roster larger than the prototype I model.
What's WRONG with me, Doc? (sobs lightly) What's wrong with all of us?
Jim
"I am lapidary but not eristic when I use big words." - William F. Buckley
I haven't been sleeping. I'm afraid I'll dream I'm in a coma and then wake up unconscious. -Stephen Wright
mononguy63 What's WRONG with me, Doc? (sobs lightly) What's wrong with all of us? Jim
Gidday, "Magpie-itis" an attraction to "shiny things" !!!
I don't think you're the only one with this problem, besides can one have too much of a good thing ??
Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
"JaBear" mononguy63 What's WRONG with me, Doc? (sobs lightly) What's wrong with all of us? Jim Gidday, "Magpie-itis" an attraction to "shiny things" !!! I don't think you're the only one with this problem, besides can one have too much of a good thing ?? Cheers, the Bear.
On a certain music forum I'm on we call this...G.A.S.=Gear Acquisition Syndrome.
But its a shiny new thing!!!!
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
Hi mononguy63
You have a very bad case of model railroaditis there. Its incurable and there are no drugs to ease the symptoms.
But don't panic its not fatal doesn't hurt and is not contagious.
But you have to have some occupational therapy you must build a layout and read model railroad publications.
This may help with the uncontrollable urge to mutter incoherent number sequences like 0-4-0 2-8-0 2-6-0 etc
Please pay the receptionist on the way out
Seriously though I have never met a model railroad enthusiast who doesn't have to much stock of most of everything for his / her layout its one of the symptoms of the condition.
Erhm we will not mention the keeping every mag I have bought since 1973 or is it 1972.
the so called rubish the Evil domestic Authorities wants to get rid of
regards John
mononguy63 What's WRONG with me, Doc? (sobs lightly) What's wrong with all of us?
Nothing is wrong with you, or with us. We are the normal ones. It's the others who start wars, pollute the environment, molest buffalo and drive up the price of beer.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Ahhhh
At heart most of us are collectors (sounds better than pack rats).
Personally, I have way more rolling stock than I can use in S scale even if I fill my basement with layout.
So lately I have taken to buying old MDC Old Timer kits and other old kits such as Quality Craft and Ambroid in different scales - whenever I can get them at a good price.
I also dabble in O27.
What I should build instead of a layout is a replica hobby store of the 70's
But hey this is a hobby - as long as the kids (or dogs in my case) are fed and the bills paid - why not.
Enjoy
Paul
We are basically balancing out the battle of the sexes. Where as our wives "need" a new piece of jewelry or shoes like they need a hole in the head we "need" another locomotive or rolling stock to expand our empire and fill up every available nook and cranny of our layout and staging areas.
Sounds like what you are doing is emotionally substituting buying for doing. The cure is active modeling, and lots of it. Have you weathered and personalized all your existing rolling stock and locos? Try changing one digit in a road number, make some added detail item(s) a road standard, highlight some items with paint, put some easy-pull masking tape on one panel B/4 weathering and get a clean replacement panel for free. The more you do of this the less buying you do, and any buying is more focused. Sounds like you don’t currently have a layout. Make one. It can be small. A display loop will get trains rUnning. Even a display track will change your mood, and give some practice with scenery building.
Just don’t ask me how I know this (and how many boxes I have in the attic).
Model rails seem to fall into two subsets, collectors and builder-operators. At the moment, the OP seems to be in `collector' mode.
There are two things, not mutually exclusive, which will end the worst effects of, "Spending money I don't have on things that I don't need."
Take it from one who has gone that route, once your purchases get away from models and into building materials and reels of wire, the `buy everything in sight' reflex gets seriously curtailed. Even building domino dioramas against the future availability of space will have a positive impact.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with stuff collected long ago and very little new)
For me with rolling stock and loco is variety. I don't want to see the same 20 cars going round and round the layout. I do have an 8 foot shelf above my layout with 5 tracks for storing rolling stock so I can rotate what is on the layout.. some days it is coal, some days it box cars, some days it is grain cars. some days it is a mix.
There's a TV show about it. It's called "Hoarders".
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27
mononguy63What's WRONG with me, Doc? (sobs lightly) What's wrong with all of us?
The 'doctor' says, go buy two bags of Woodland Scenics and call me in the morning......
There's never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.....
Tell me about it.....................
Train shows are my undoing..... I have no trouble at all resisting higher ticket items at the dealers and even cut-throat mail order super street prices on locos and other big items.
If it weren't for my going to a train show in 2009 and seeing the Blackstone/Tsunami product I would not be back into MR at all right now!.... And it continues..........The HOn3 DCC Blackstones k-27's and C-19s are normally $429.00 list with Tsunami sound. I have seen them cut-throated to $359.00 on rare occasions, via mail order, but every time I hit Timonium's great big train show there is this same dealer that is always there, (dog gone it!), who hawks Blackstones, brand new, in box, my choice, for $260.00!!! I gotta' have another.....Always....just one more......How can I NOT buy one? I now have 5 K-27's and 3 C-19's acquired from this guy since 2009! 8 train shows, 8 engines. Oh boy..... Thank goodness the D&RGW ran multi-engine consists!
I steeled myself last June at Timonium against buying another Blackstone from him. I took only $300.00 with me to buy a bunch of stuff I knew I would need, but alas, came back with #453 mudhen K-27, but this time at $240.00! I was forced to put the other stuff I needed on plastic.
God save me from myself and this dealer! He keeps raisin' his skirts higher and higher and I keep buying his goods. Hopefully, he'll be sold out or will have to raise his prices when I go to the last big 2012 Timonium, MD. show in November. Wish me luck guys. It's a tough world out there when you have little resolve, like I have.
P.S. I tried to do the obvious and physically avoid the area he was in, but I someohow walked into his tables' force field vortex while wandering about and the inexorable force sucked me in.
Richard
If I can't fix it, I can fix it so it can't be fixed
mononguy63 While driving my son back to college last night, I directed my idle thoughts to making a mental inventory of my model railroad supplies. While the accounting was anything but exhaustive, the conclusion I drew was quite clear: I have enough stuff on hand to make a pretty fair layout. All I'd really need to complete the layout would be the odd bag of ground cover once in a whille and various odds and ends. I could even sell some stuff and still get there. So why, then, do continue browsing Ebay and scanning though the various Yahoo groups, looking for some steal of a deal on which to spend cash I don't have for stuff I really don't need? What is it that afflicts us model railroaders that gives us an itch that only a new piece of rolling stock can scratch? Understand, I've put virtually no new capital into the hobby this calendar year, yet that hasn't stopped me from continually window shopping and dreaming of some big haul of locomotives that would make my engine roster larger than the prototype I model. What's WRONG with me, Doc? (sobs lightly) What's wrong with all of us? Jim
I asked the same question a few forums back about MR's who have more "stuff" than they could use in 5 lifetimes, the responses were quite remarkable, a few said I was jealous, others responded with "because I can" some commented that this is normal behaviour for this hobby and others made no sense at all, (because your wife buys far too much "stuff" does not justify your extravagant purchases) I think a little self-control may be in order for them.
You seem to be able to stifle your urges to buy everything in sight which is to be commendable, if children did what many MR's over purchase, they would be reprimanded for being very, very foolish. Your layout falls in a seemingly correct direction and I assume you get plenty of pleasure from the hobby, truly, do the others that have an over abundance of equipment seem any more fulfilled than you? I assume not. I'm waiting for the responses.
Guys, there's worse things. Think drugs, alcohol, porn, wimmin,...
selectorGuys, there's worse things. Think drugs, alcohol, porn, wimmin,...
...exactly why my wife supports my involvement in the hobby wholeheartedly!
-Ken in Maryland (B&O modeler, former CSX modeler)
MisterBeasley mononguy63 What's WRONG with me, Doc? (sobs lightly) What's wrong with all of us? Nothing is wrong with you, or with us. We are the normal ones. It's the others who start wars, pollute the environment, molest buffalo and drive up the price of beer.
Best response I seen, read or heard in years. Molest buffalo? I must have missed the news story.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
It must be a human condition:
I sometimes see these huge RVs when we go camping, pulling along boats and ATVs. Personally, I thought going camping was getting away from the house and the machinery!
Then there are the guys that buy a brand new mountain bike even though the one they bought six months ago is still like new. But the new one is .5 grams lighter.
Does Jay Leno really need that many cars?
Does a wealthy man need another 100 million dollars?
Perhaps the only thing that can help the condition is to run out of money!
CSX_road_slug selectorGuys, there's worse things. Think drugs, alcohol, porn, wimmin,... ...exactly why my wife supports my involvement in the hobby wholeheartedly!
Mine doesn't. Perhaps it's time to change hobbies.
Wayne
Jim! Relax! There is nothing wrong. You are enjoying the hobby so go for it.
However there is the possibility that we collectors are procrastinating on actually building a layout.
I confess to having spent far too much time and money on eBay. In the spring I posted a note about my layout progress, which was to say there was still no layout but I threw out 10 cubic yards of junk from the garage where said layout will reside.
Then I fell back into the eBay thing. What has brought me around to re-focusing on building the layout was the fact that I was looking at many of my recent purchases and asking myself "what the heck did I buy that for?".
Then I looked at my Paypal bill and realized that I could have probably built half the bench work for the same money. That was kind of sobering.
So, the garage is being cleaned again to the point where I can actually see the walls, and I have an electrician coming in to, among other things, install the necessary power in the layout area. Note I did not say layout "room" - I'm not quite there yet, but one end wall will be going up in the next few days.
Clearing the garage has been tough! I forced myself to dispose of countless pieces of missmatched wood that I thought for sure I would put to good use some day. Fool! We were storing a mattress and box spring for the eventual day when our son moves out! It was in lousy shape. Why?!? Besides, we're not sure if he will ever move out! What is it they say about fooling me twice? We had an ancient roll top desk (without the roll) in really bad shape. Heck, I was going to retire on the value of that family heirloom! NOT!
I'm sure you get the picture.
So, I am hoping that I have at least partially broken the eBay spell! My next Visa bill will tell us how resolute I am.
Thanks for listening to my rant.
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Because you are silly like the rest of us.
Your friend Ken
I hate Rust
cudaken Because you are silly like the rest of us.
At that I'll just imitate my daughter by rolling my eyes and saying, "Well Duhhhh," as if I'd just realized that poking myself in the eye with a sharp stick causes pain
Love the responses, guys. Fun stuff going on here. And for what it's worth, I spent a cheap computer-free evening last night ballasting track. Turns out that working on the layout makes a nice productive alternative to surfing Ebay. Wow, who knew....
Maybe there is something wrong with me, since I don't have any desire for items beyond or outside those needed to fulfill the specific design and operational goals of my total layout plan.
Sheldon
Yes, Sheldon, I'm pretty sure you're the one with the problem. You must immediately go out and buy something totally frivolous, just to keep your membership in the model railroading fraternity current.
Spending money on whatever, makes the world go round.
jerryl Spending money on whatever, makes the world go round.
Dang straight. We be contributing to the economy...
hon30critter Jim! Relax! There is nothing wrong. You are enjoying the hobby so go for it. However there is the possibility that we collectors are procrastinating on actually building a layout. I confess to having spent far too much time and money on eBay. In the spring I posted a note about my layout progress, which was to say there was still no layout but I threw out 10 cubic yards of junk from the garage where said layout will reside. Then I fell back into the eBay thing. What has brought me around to re-focusing on building the layout was the fact that I was looking at many of my recent purchases and asking myself "what the heck did I buy that for?". Then I looked at my Paypal bill and realized that I could have probably built half the bench work for the same money. That was kind of sobering. So, the garage is being cleaned again to the point where I can actually see the walls, and I have an electrician coming in to, among other things, install the necessary power in the layout area. Note I did not say layout "room" - I'm not quite there yet, but one end wall will be going up in the next few days. Clearing the garage has been tough! I forced myself to dispose of countless pieces of missmatched wood that I thought for sure I would put to good use some day. Fool! We were storing a mattress and box spring for the eventual day when our son moves out! It was in lousy shape. Why?!? Besides, were not sure if he will ever move out! What is it they say about fooling me twice? We had an ancient roll top desk (without the roll) in really bad shape. Heck, I was going to retire on the value of that family heirloom! NOT! I'm sure you get the picture. So, I am hoping that I have at least partially broken the eBay spell! My next Visa bill will tell us how resolute I am. Thanks for listening to my rant. Dave
Clearing the garage has been tough! I forced myself to dispose of countless pieces of missmatched wood that I thought for sure I would put to good use some day. Fool! We were storing a mattress and box spring for the eventual day when our son moves out! It was in lousy shape. Why?!? Besides, were not sure if he will ever move out! What is it they say about fooling me twice? We had an ancient roll top desk (without the roll) in really bad shape. Heck, I was going to retire on the value of that family heirloom! NOT!
The best way to save money in this hobby is to build a layout. The two people I know with large, operating layouts spend less than anyone I can think of, and the person who spends the most is a guy with no layout at all, but shelves of equipment.
I went thru this, ended up with more stuff than I could ever use, ended up selling alot. Now I always do a mental calculation, do i already have this, or something similar, do I have room or a real need for this. Now I find myself only looking for things that are very unique or such a good deal it would be simply stupid to pass on them, so I havent bought very much over the last 2 years
Have fun with your trains
I came to the conclusion years ago its not only us but,any hobby in general and after that I gave up on submitting any time pondering on that question..
It is because it is.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
doctorwayne CSX_road_slug selectorGuys, there's worse things. Think drugs, alcohol, porn, wimmin,... ...exactly why my wife supports my involvement in the hobby wholeheartedly! Mine doesn't. Perhaps it's time to change hobbies. Wayne
Doc, why don't you tell the Missus that you've decided to work with a different kind of model.
When she asks, "What kind?" your answer is:
(I would suggest a hard hat, body armor and steel-toed footwear.)
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with a wife who doesn't approve of the showgirls next door!)