How much do you spend each year on this hobby?

[cisco1]

Last year, it was an average of $200-$250 per month. So far this year:$0
Of course, that will probably change once the new benchwork and track are in place....[swg]

[n2mopac]

I actually have a budget--$10/week or $40/month or $500/year. I do manage a few extras on top ofthat, so I'd say $600/year total. You can do this hobby on a budget, it just takes PATIENCE!!!

Ron

[Isambard]

Interesting question and also interesting answers. I'm retired and returned to the hobby (HO) three years ago, starting over again from scratch.
I maintain an Excel sheet on home expenses, by month and year total with a hobbies column and sidebar comments. I have not (yet) created a column for MR'ing alone- the hobbies column includes genealogy research, bird feeders and bird seed and photographic stuff - for a total of $1,700 Cdn. in 2004. About $1,400 of that was for MR stuff e.g. RTR's, kits, detailing parts, magazines, books, paints, two Spectrum steam locomtoives, club fees etc. In '02/'03 my MR costs were probably about $2,000, including a Digitrax Empire Builder system, some test trackage, three Spectrum steamers and one Proto 0-8-0.
However I haven't reached the layout building stage, which I hope to do so later this year, and if so costs will certainly be substantially more than these past three years. Hmm, thinks - "I'd better do a bit more planning, cost analysis, set up a budget, introduce a specific MR column in my Excel sheets and monitor and (try to) control costs."
Hmm, thinks some more-"Hey, let's not get too serious, you're retired! Have fun!"

[howmus]

Let's see.... So far this year I've spent about $60 on odds and ends; some wire, a couple new turnouts, etc. Of course its only the 6th. of January. Hmmmm...... Yep that's about average. LOL I spend way to much and not nearly enough just like several others replies. But Hey! What else ya gonna do when you are retired with the family grown up and live way up here in the North Country of New York State when its COLD outside. Or for that matter so D&*m hot in the summer. I plan on going DCC very soon this year so I will shelling out some $$$ for that.

Ray

[trolleyboy]

Hey I just had another thought does it really matter how much we buy/sell/trade with the quality and quantity of good stuff comming out we can all stay out of or in trouble for years to come[swg] It's best to spend more when your young because it makes for a long and happy retirement and hey if you need cash for something new you cam always recycle at your mocal MR show.[swg] Just a thot!!! TB

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by darth9x9

I am ashamed at how much I spent on the hobby in 2004. If I told you all the actual amount, many of you would think I am crazy and others would think I was lying. But I am sure my LHS is appreciative of all of the trips to Las Vegas and Atlantic City that I paid through merchandise sales. Also, many of the industry's manufacturers would love me for the amount of items I procured over the last year. I think I need a 12 step program......

BC

Hi my name is Lee and I am here today because I spent too much.

I dont have a figure but there is a set budget every month that is USUALLY adhered to.

[jrbernier]

I am currently in the 'maintain' mode with a layout that only needs to have the scenery finished to completion at this point. The DCC is in, and enough engines are DCC complete at this point to operate in DCC mode. So I am more into the upgrade path for engines/cars.
I have purchased the following this year:

2 - BLI USRA 2-8-2's
1 - Spectrum 4-6-0
2 - P2K Geep's
1 - ER Models FP7
6 - decoders to complete all of my diesels
3 - Soundtraxx decoder/sound units for the steamers

About 40 mid to high end freight car kits(Accurail/Branchline/Red Caboose)
60 - packages of P2K wheel sets

Walthers 60' passenger car set
Walthers 12-1 pullman(more to come)

The usual supplies(glue/plastic/detail parts/magazines)

My addition shows that I spent about $3,000 in this past year. This is about $250/month. Now, I do a lot of train shows, and sell at local train flea markets, so I hope to sell off over 300 older freight cars over the next year. I went a little overboard this past year with the frt car upgrade(older 'blue box' cars do not look right running with the new stuff). I also am more era/prototype specific now and want 'correct' cars. Next year will be less, but I will be getting 4 more P2K GP9's to start off the year, and a Walthers Pullman every month for the first half of 2005. This hobby can be a 'spendy', but it is cheaper that the boat(long gone).

Jim Bernier

[Anonymous]

Planing to spend approximatly how ever much I need to spend. I am starting out so probably about $800 Canadian Funds.
There goes my first car for a couple of years, rather drive a SD70 any day,
Nagrom
(Morgan)

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by PennsyHoosier

My wife opened the binder where I keep the receipts for purchases last night. She got through three and said, "I don't want to know." My response? "You're right, you don't want to know." Ignorance is bliss![:I]

Ha! That reminds me of a story of several years ago. When I was building a small room in the basement of the old house for the layout, of course I had to buy all the construction materials. I had also been sort of hinting around to get a suede coat for Christmas.

Christmas morning came but the coat didn't. Eventually, I mentioned the no coat to the wife and she asked me, "How much did you spend on materials recently to build the train room?" I said, "You don't want to know." She responded, "Merry Christmas!"

[PennsyHoosier]

My wife opened the binder where I keep the receipts for purchases last night. She got through three and said, "I don't want to know." My response? "You're right, you don't want to know." Ignorance is bliss![:I]

[rexhea]

All I know is that I have a drawer completely full of receipts for this past year. I'm afraid to add them up thinking I would then have a huge hospital bill afterwards.[B)][B)][xx(]

[robengland]

I'm 45 and just returned to the hobby after 30 years off, so starting from scratch. I went berserk on spending last year, about US$5000, maybe more, which is a lot when buying with the New Zealand dollar (the "South Pacific peso")

But now I have shelves full of projects for the next ten years[:D][:D][:D]

This year I resolve to rein things in a bit, maybe two grand... [:I][;)]

[CBQ_Guy]

Well, GF, I'm 51, retired, and spend roughly a couple hundred or more per month, most months. I don't really keep track as this hobby is all I do now, and have been into it on and off since 1956! Been mostly picking up freight cars (and must admit a lot have been RTR recently as I certainly have enough kits to be built already at several hundred), a needed loco here and there (just recently picked up a Santa Fe, CF7, just because they're so darn ugly! I'll use it on my TP&W/ATSF interchange), but also detail parts, building kits, figures, vehicles -- I'll be needing all this stuff eventually anyway.

I came into some money a few years back and have managed to hang on to some I've put aside for the layout:
$1000 for room prep, and $3000 for basic layout construction -- lumber, Homasote, track, turnouts, wiring and supplies -- just enough to get the basic layout up and ready to start scenicking. The wife owes me $900, so if and when I get that, I'll add it to the kitty and if I don't need it, I just may use it to go DCC...we'll see.

Since, as I said, this is all I do at this point in my life, I don't really care what it costs. People spend a heck of a lot more on others hobbies or vacations EACH YEAR. The vacation thing is a one shot deal, and afterwards the money is gone and all you have left to show for it is a sunburn and some photographs!

What I've got will last me a lifetime...

[Anonymous]

Depends on what new products come out during the year that I need, or want. Expenses for the year could run as much as 1,000 dollars, to as little as a few hundred, currently, I"m concentrating on new sound equipped locomotives, so the expense could run high, depending on how many I decide I want to buy.

[aloco]

A locomotive here, a locomotive there... it's an addictive and expensive habit like smoking and drinking.

[trolleyboy]

*** I'm lucky the CFO here is a bigger RRD fan than possibly me, thank god for the Home Depot though as pay buy the piece works out cheaper than buying by the linear foot. BTW buy bulk drywall screws to hold everything together the boxes of 500 or 1000 pay for themselves.[:D] Rob

[grayfox1119]

Lumber costs have gone thru the roof!!! I cannot believe what the housing building boom had done to the price of plywood, and plain old #2 pine 1x3 and 1x4. I think I will have to talk to the CFO and get an extension on my loan!!

***

[trolleyboy]

Oh god I have no idea somewhere between $1-3000 a year this year was worse than most though as I've re-built the layout so the lumber etc adds up. TB

[Anonymous]

Well, I feel really cheap now :p Im new to the hobby (as of 2 years ago) and am only 15, have virtually no source of money for spending, so in those to years ive spent maybe $250. I plan on spending at least $100 or more this year, just depending on how much i get money wise. If i get a job I will probably spend a LOT more though. Its a good learning system basically.

[Anonymous]

I'm 21, and it all depends on whether I'm working or not, or what my other financial obligations are, and time of year. Early part of the year, may see me spending the most on new trains.

Alvie.

[PennsyHoosier]

I spent more than I should have last year. And I'm certainly NOT

[WickhamMan]

I'm 41 and just getting back into the hobby I enjoyed as a kid. This is a strange question because startup costs are significantly higher than I expect my ongoing costs to be. I spent around $2,000 last year but that bought me most of the expensive items for my layout. Now I just have smaller growth and maintenence costs (magazines, paint, models, etc.). I expect 2005's number to be less than $500, maybe even less than $200 if my wife starts adding things up! [:(!]

[jhoff310]

If I had to guess I would say somewhere in the neighborhood of $3000 that includes magazines, clinics, memberships etc....
Just a rough guess.
Jeff

[BNSFGP38]

I "dollar here, dollar there " myself to death. If I added it all up, I would probally slap myself for not buying a yacht! [:D][:p]

[grayfox1119]

It will be interesting to see how much we spend by December 31st 2005. It is easy to understand new folks spending a healthy sum, but for established RR'ds, I imagine the bucks would go for new engines, some cars, maybe an upgrade (DC to DCC).

***

[Anonymous]

Starting from scratch about two months ago, about $2500. No telling what 2005 will see.

[Roadtrp]

I'm 52, and I spent about $1,000 last year. That is probably about the same as I will spend this year. I'm at the point where I am mainly buying scenicing materials. I would like probably one more quality locomotive in the coming year, but that is the only major expenditure I can think of.

I'm just not a dozens of locomotives kind of guy. I figure my layout reasonably supports about four locomotives at a time. Why would I need more than four locos?

[:)]

[darth9x9]

I am ashamed at how much I spent on the hobby in 2004. If I told you all the actual amount, many of you would think I am crazy and others would think I was lying. But I am sure my LHS is appreciative of all of the trips to Las Vegas and Atlantic City that I paid through merchandise sales. Also, many of the industry's manufacturers would love me for the amount of items I procured over the last year. I think I need a 12 step program......

BC

[Anonymous]

I've spent about $6,000 easy between my new layout and new locos.