Now back to topic on hand, hobby is cheap, no really. When I finish my layout I will about break even, e-bay is my freind!
OK, OK, we're getting away from the topic of the hobby and into the economy, which is dangerously close to politics. Knock it off or I will.
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
BATMAN I am just glad that I live in a country that allows me to go out and make more money if I need it, lets me decide how I will spend it and lets me sell anything I own for as much as someone is willing to pay me for it. I think life is pretty good.
I am just glad that I live in a country that allows me to go out and make more money if I need it, lets me decide how I will spend it and lets me sell anything I own for as much as someone is willing to pay me for it. I think life is pretty good.
Like so many of us, I am just glad that I live in a country that allows me to go out and make more money if I need it, lets me decide how I will spend it and lets me sell anything I own for as much as someone is willing to pay me for it. I think life is pretty good.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
ATLANTIC CENTRAL I just picked a Spectrum 2-6-6-2 for $150, a bargain beyond belief, and two Spectrum 2-8-0's for $60 each, all new in the box, yet untouched by North American hands. This hobby is really afordable these days........ Sheldon
I just picked a Spectrum 2-6-6-2 for $150, a bargain beyond belief, and two Spectrum 2-8-0's for $60 each, all new in the box, yet untouched by North American hands.
This hobby is really afordable these days........
Sheldon
Chuck - Modeling in HO scale and anything narrow gauge
andrechapelon Steven Otte Instead of complaining about high hobby prices, let's make a game out of it. Here's a challenge I just posted to MR's Facebook page: Post something that would make the hobby even MORE expensive, in JUST 3 WORDS. Examples might be: Nickel-platinum track; Z live steam; bought Miniatur Wunderland; or working gold smelter. Your turn! Go! 1950's production technology. Andre Edit and PS: A Varney Super Pacific kit would cost $570. Tender would be extra.
Steven Otte Instead of complaining about high hobby prices, let's make a game out of it. Here's a challenge I just posted to MR's Facebook page: Post something that would make the hobby even MORE expensive, in JUST 3 WORDS. Examples might be: Nickel-platinum track; Z live steam; bought Miniatur Wunderland; or working gold smelter. Your turn! Go!
Instead of complaining about high hobby prices, let's make a game out of it. Here's a challenge I just posted to MR's Facebook page: Post something that would make the hobby even MORE expensive, in JUST 3 WORDS. Examples might be: Nickel-platinum track; Z live steam; bought Miniatur Wunderland; or working gold smelter. Your turn! Go!
Andre, we have explained that about 300 times now, they will never get it.
Steven Otte IRONROOSTER While complaining about the high price of the hobby is our favorite topic, complaining about the complaining is our second favorite topic. Rebuking the complainers of the complaining is our 3rd favorite topic. Putting it all in one topic makes it easier for everyone to find. So everyone's happy. I want to complain about people who waste time complaining about people who complain. It's about time something was done about it.
IRONROOSTER While complaining about the high price of the hobby is our favorite topic, complaining about the complaining is our second favorite topic. Rebuking the complainers of the complaining is our 3rd favorite topic. Putting it all in one topic makes it easier for everyone to find. So everyone's happy.
While complaining about the high price of the hobby is our favorite topic, complaining about the complaining is our second favorite topic. Rebuking the complainers of the complaining is our 3rd favorite topic. Putting it all in one topic makes it easier for everyone to find. So everyone's happy.
I want to complain about people who waste time complaining about people who complain. It's about time something was done about it.
No it isn't.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFKtI6gn9Y
Andre
How about hydrogen powered trains....
BRAKIE Steven Otte Instead of complaining about high hobby prices, let's make a game out of it. Here's a challenge I just posted to MR's Facebook page: Post something that would make the hobby even MORE expensive, in JUST 3 WORDS. Examples might be: Nickel-platinum track; Z live steam; bought Miniatur Wunderland; or working gold smelter. Your turn! Go! $2.00 evening projects? Wouldn't that be better? There's some loads you can make for pennies per load once you buy the needed items.
$2.00 evening projects?
Wouldn't that be better? There's some loads you can make for pennies per load once you buy the needed items.
MORE expensive. There's already a thread for how to make the hobby less expensive.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
IRONROOSTER While complaining about the high price of the hobby is our favorite topic, complaining about the complaining is our second favorite topic. Rebuking the complainers of the complaining is our 3rd favorite topic. Putting it all in one topic makes it easier for everyone to find. So everyone's happy. Enjoy Paul
While complaining about the high price of the hobby is our favorite topic,
complaining about the complaining is our second favorite topic.
Rebuking the complainers of the complaining is our 3rd favorite topic.
Putting it all in one topic makes it easier for everyone to find. So everyone's happy.
Enjoy
Paul
One of the nice things about our particular hobby is that it is possible to spend a great deal of enjoyable time at it and spend next to nothing, and sometimes even literally nothing. Very few leisure time activities can claim this.
That belongs in the designated ways to do model railroading on the cheap; IIRC, there was a special topic for that too.
As for hobby too expensive, usually the new topics that get posted every so often have more to do with how the manufacturers are getting rich and trying to fleece us, or they have a "magic bullet" on how to make costs lower, such as the the one saying if all engines had OEM sound, it would lower the cost of engines.
You know the old saying, you can please some of the people some of the time but you can't please all of the people all of the time.
There are industry movers and shakers, such as Jason Schron of Rapido, and others, who get down in the weeds of the costs of production, number of units, demand and all of that stuff, and have made it clear they aren't making a killing and that they are doing the best they can to bring the products we demand to market for the most affordable prices possible.
Jason can try his best to explain things to the skeptical forum members, such as some who have posted recently, and it may or may not convince them. If not, then we are back to the the old "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink" situation. Then just walk away and leave the skeptics to stew.
Model Railroading has never necessarily been a cheap hobby, and now with much of the customer base wanting accurate, high fidelity models, detailed models, costs are going to reflect accordingly. Some realize they are getting what they pay for, QAQC issues aside and are fairly satisfied while others will never be happy and always think they are getting ripped off. This situation will always be the case and will go on and on and on and on here in this forum and probably others.
Maybe I should just boiler-plate this message and post it periodically as often as is needed. Cheers.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
trwroute DAVID FORTNEY when you see the same complaints over and over it becomes mind numbing. I have and will continue to say so no matter if people like it or not. Trains priced too high? Buy what you like and can afford or buy used, build your own and stop torturing the rest of us With constant complaining about prices. David, Please keep in mind that no one is forcing you to read threads that are titled... The designated "This hobby is so expensive" thread So, if you don't like reading about it, don't click on it! Problem solved!
DAVID FORTNEY when you see the same complaints over and over it becomes mind numbing. I have and will continue to say so no matter if people like it or not. Trains priced too high? Buy what you like and can afford or buy used, build your own and stop torturing the rest of us With constant complaining about prices.
when you see the same complaints over and over it becomes mind numbing. I have and will continue to say so no matter if people like it or not.
Trains priced too high? Buy what you like and can afford or buy used, build your own and stop torturing the rest of us With constant complaining about prices.
David, Please keep in mind that no one is forcing you to read threads that are titled...
So, if you don't like reading about it, don't click on it! Problem solved!
DAVID FORTNEY Prices are going up-get over it. Been to a grocery store lately?
Prices are going up-get over it. Been to a grocery store lately?
David,I hear more complaints over those prices then I do about the hobby since everybody needs to eat.
Even at that I do 90% of my grocery shopping at Krogers and being retired I buy a months supply and talk about $$$ but,I eat good.
I won't complain about grocery prices since I shop at Kroger but,I found ways to lower hobby costs.
As far as "get over it" that's folly at best since people in general loves to moan and groan about prices. Been that way for as long as I can remember. I can remember folks complaining when gas went from 39.9 cents to 42.9 cents per gallon.
mobilman44All this said another way, "if you can't afford it, get another hobby - or job!"
Or maybe "Don't model above your means?"
I never been a Bill Gates or Donald Trump but,got whatever I wanted in the hobby without busting the bank,mortgaging the farm or getting a second job-only time I even thought about needing a second job was when my kids became teenagers but,that's another story left for Family Circle,Readers Digest or some such magazine.
Not so long ago it was: Hello mail order,hello used shelf and today its hello on line shopping and hello use shelf my old friend.
There's always ways to cut hobby cost and it starts with these letters Y-O-U.
Hi once again,
I've been playing with trains since the early '50s, so I'm familiar with the MR marketplace. IMO, the hobby once had relatively inexpensive options for locos, cars, trackage, and controls, but I don't believe that is the case as much today.
That said, this hobby (and any other pastime) is all about priorities.
A guideline for priorities should be, "if you can't afford it - without taking away from family or creditors - you don't buy it".
If the hobby itself is too expensive for you to build a layout or collect trains and your interest is keen, then buy some of the Kalmbach books and start putting that "dream layout" down on paper. I've done this many times over the years, and it was definitely time well spent.
I look around me - at friends, family, and neighbors - and see an all too common theme......... "I want NEW, I want it NOW, and I don't care what it COSTS!"
Nothing wrong with that, except the invoices are paid with credit cards and seriously dinging ones future. Sadly, few seem to be thinking beyond "today".
All this said another way, "if you can't afford it, get another hobby - or job!"
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
BRAKIE ... From "do I need it?" to "Gotta have it!" ...
... From "do I need it?" to "Gotta have it!" ...
My, I need and gotta are basically the same. I don't have buildings, scenery, people, roads, vehicles, bridges, signals, signs, and the most important TRACK. All I have is a long basic oval without turnouts. I NEED switch tracks.
I'm somewhere in the middle of having freight cars and locomotives only. Half way of completing.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
I have lots of stuff i like to sell cheap but nobody wants to buy trains in my area.
Russell
I have been preparing a clinic for the fall "season" on weathering and have been trying out a variety of techniques in various articles in MR and the NMRA magazine in recent years. For the most part my big expenditure has been two spray cans of DullCote -- about the same as a fast food lunch -- although I admit I had some stuff on hand (tools, isopropyl alcohol, india ink. brushes and makeup sponges, Q-tips, chalks and powders, including actual school blackboard chalk and charred wood from the fireplace) and have no good notion of how to allocate those long-ago amortized costs to what I have been doing.
The other out of pocket cost was train set quality freight cars to practice on or be "props" for the clinic itself (in HO, N, and some Lionel shells). $1 each. Heh - the N scale car looks so good I might pop for Micro Trains couplers.
I probably have well over 50 hours in on this and have spent perhaps $20 total.
I do not deny that really nice stuff costs money -shocking concept -- and sometimes those amounts can be a bit staggering to those of us who remember other price structures (while glossing over the compromises in quality and accuracy we often accepted to get those lower prices).
My only point is that you can spend a lot of time model railroading and spend nothing or very little, and in that sense we still have things in common with the guys back in 1934 who spent very little because there was so little to buy.
Dave Nelson
trwroute richhotrain trwroute DAVID FORTNEY Prices are going up-get over it. Been to a grocery store lately? There are several recent threads where David replies, "Get over it". Rich Just goes to show you how much I pay attention!
richhotrain trwroute DAVID FORTNEY Prices are going up-get over it. Been to a grocery store lately? There are several recent threads where David replies, "Get over it". Rich
trwroute DAVID FORTNEY Prices are going up-get over it. Been to a grocery store lately? There are several recent threads where David replies, "Get over it".
There are several recent threads where David replies, "Get over it".
Rich
RMax1 Really if it's not a good value don't buy it. I have started doing that with a lot of things in this hobby.
Really if it's not a good value don't buy it. I have started doing that with a lot of things in this hobby.
Yep!
LakeOne only need 10 engines at the most, and has close to a 100.
If one models a short line one or two would be enough.
However..That never works.
Sigh!
One only need 10 engines at the most, and has close to a 100.
Prices are to high!
One only needs 250 railcars and has over 800.
Prices are to high.
Newest engine out for the layout cost $300.00. Has 80 more then needed already.
Ken G Price My N-Scale Layout
Digitrax Super Empire Builder Radio System. South Valley Texas Railroad. SVTRR
N-Scale out west. 1996-1998 or so! UP, SP, Missouri Pacific, C&NW.
trwroute DAVID FORTNEY Prices are going up-get over it. Been to a grocery store lately? I don't understand this way of thinking. It is perfectly acceptable for someone to think, and even post, that they think prices are way too expensive. It is not acceptable for others to blast them because of that.
Alton Junction