I finally took the time to actually sit down and count all of my N scale locos and rolling stock, and to estimate their value as closely as possible in the event I were to sell them all off. I have 7 steam locos, 15 diesel locos, 29 passenger cars and 195 pieces of rolling stock - all collected and bought in just the past couple of years, and all in like brand new condition...
As some of you might already know, I'm real down on myself right now for letting myself get out of control with my spending on this stuff, and have vowed not to buy anything else for one full year beginning January 1st 2007. I have more important things to spend my money on (but it sure has been fun...).
Anyone else out there in the same boat I am ?.
Tracklayer
I am resisting adding up the 'dollar value' column on my excel inventory program for a reason.
While I havent given up buying anything completely, I am making a concerted effort to work through all of the kits I purchased last year, it was my first year back in MR since I was a kid and I did buy more than I 'should' to fulfill my grandeous plans of what I was going to build as a layout.
I realised I had about 20 unbuilt structure kits and my plans were changing, so, I have decided to build the stuff I have, try and gain some experience on them and then revisit the planning stages when I am sure of the space I will be utilising (I have bought 2 houses in the past year and am now looking at a third which I will hopefully move into in Jan), so a 2'x8' diorama will display the kits I am building now with a mainline and a few sidings for industries.
So yup, I kind know where you are coming from but hey, at least we realised what was going on before we spent the mortgage money on a bigboy....... or did you do that already?????
Have fun & be safeKarl.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
ukguy wrote:...I am making a concerted effort to work through all of the kits I purchased last year, it was my first year back in MR since I was a kid and I did buy more than I 'should' to fulfill my grandeous plans of what I was going to build as a layout...
I have a box of boxcars and engines that need finishing too! I have the 4G figure beat tho...when I was a semi-pro RC driver I had about 15G plus invested in that! I'm just glad I had sponsors and sold most of it off!
Dan
ukguy wrote: While I havent given up buying anything completely, I am making a concerted effort to work through all of the kits I purchased last year, it was my first year back in MR since I was a kid and I did buy more than I 'should' to fulfill my grandeous plans of what I was going to build as a layout.I realised I had about 20 unbuilt structure kits and my plans were changing, so, I have decided to build the stuff I have, try and gain some experience on them and then revisit the planning stages when I am sure of the space I will be utilising (I have bought 2 houses in the past year and am now looking at a third which I will hopefully move into in Jan), so a 2'x8' diorama will display the kits I am building now with a mainline and a few sidings for industries.So yup, I kind know where you are coming from but hey, at least we realised what was going on before we spent the mortgage money on a bigboy....... or did you do that already????? Have fun & be safeKarl.
No. No Big Boy yet, but just about everything else you can think of...
If my wife sees this post.....
I wanted to keep track of everything since I got back into the hobby, so I set up an Excel spread sheet to log in all sorts of data: Manufacture, road name, road number, part number, brief description, COST, etc. I’ve also included all tools and such. I'll print out the list when out shopping at the LHS (or have the screen up when on the net) so I don’t buy something I already have (it’s had to keep track of every single item from memory). It has really helped me from impulse buying and to keep my "excessive/compulsive" disorder in check. LOL That being said I’m at 12k.... gads....
You know...I really have NO IDEA and have never added it all up. However, I have to think that I most likely spent close, if not more than 4K just putting the Trainroom together (removing windows, wiring, insulation, new ceiling, backshop, paintshop, lighting for both the shops and the pike, benchwork and a furnace).
With that said, I'm afraid to start adding up the totals for the locos and rolling stock, not to mention the structures, figures, detail parts and scenicing materials on the shelf.........to the amount that rivals the LHS.
If for no other reason, it is probably smart to have an inventory with cost up to date and probably at more than one location as your insurance will likely not cover these things if you do not have proof of your collection. Never know when that might be needed.
That being said, I really need to update mine.
I know exactly how you feel...couple of hundred here and there and they all add up at the end...I have spent way too much on hobbies...besides trains I also collect die-cast commercial jets in the 1/400 and 1/500 scale and let me tell you, that's even more additctive and pretty much a bottomless pit...there is this other forum which they actually have a database of all the planes available and you can enter what you have and kee your collection on their website and I think there should be one for trains although unlike those, most train stuff prob not worth much after a while...
I really hate to put an exact figure to what I spent on my hobbies...I now cut out a couple of them like RC in the 1/10 scale...I got rid of most of them to fund my trains now but to-date, I probably have close to 1000 planes I think and they average about $30 each (conservative estimate) and I think I have dumped about $3000-$4000 into trains so far especially I just bought a whole bunch of DCC stuff and just upgraded to DCC and I expect that's going to add up when I have DCC up and running...
My wife's been pretty supportive but I know she rather me put those money aside or our child's education...I think once everything settles down that will control itself I hope...our daughtor is still young but I think oviously the cost of raising a child will increase as she grows so I will have to control myself then...
hello Mark,
There is an old saying that if you want to have fun it's gonna cost you....i'm willing to bet that since 1977, i've spent over $40,000 on 6 different layouts in this hobby. But it's fun, makes me happy, and to a degree I don't mind spending the money on it.
I'm not going to go out and max out the credit cards all at one time , but i will spend money if I think i'll need it someday and the price is right. What i do is look for good deals even if it's not going to go on the layout for years. There are many places to find good deals so that you don't have to spend retail prices on your MRR items. I'll look thru Trainworld ads, go to an LHS and check out the specials and deals on consignment items, Walthers supplimental mailer catalog, the internet to compare prices from one dealer to the next dealer, trainshows, and even have found stuff in estate and garage sales at dirt cheap prices (some folks don't realize what they have that they are selling) , and occasionally from e-bay.
I hope this works out for you, but I know i could never make a promise to myself like that because I enjoy the hobby too much to do without for that long.....chuck
This is a very interesting thread. I have been back in the hobby now for about two years. However, my endeavors have been limited to collecting various Tools, Supplies, Literature, Kits, a couple of Locomotives and a few peices of Rolling Stock with the idea i would use these purchases eventually when I build my attic empire. The attic empire requires a great deal of expenditures to even get the room ready for a layout. While the attic awaits I have built one one diorama and am starting another larger 30" x 60".
I guess at this point I am an armchair modeler and in so doing I have set up a Spreadsheet similar to what someone has posted earlier keeping track of all expenditures. My thought in doing so was to run my model railroad like a real railroad. I have also kept a journal specifically for the Model Railroad to keep track of ideas etc., The total to date is somewhere around $3,000.00, which is quie shocking when I look at what has been amassed thus far. Although disappointed in not being able to start the attic empire, I am having fun with the other aspects of the hobby.
Afterall, it is all about having fun, no matter how much is spent. Right?
GUB
$40,000 and still adding. I have been only been working on my latest layout for 5 years (25 x 75 basemnt) but I still have a long way to go.
Having 3000 feet of HO track, 300 turnouts 850 cars and 50 engines plus the DCC system, it is no wonder that amount has been spent.
Although I am slowly getting into Cub Cadet lawn tractor restos
But it sure is a lot cheaper than Show Cars!
BOB H - Clarion, PA
cwclark wrote: hello Mark, There is an old saying that if you want to have fun it's gonna cost you....i'm willing to bet that since 1977, i've spent over $40,000 on 6 different layouts in this hobby. But it's fun, makes me happy, and to a degree I don't mind spending the money on it. I'm not going to go out and max out the credit cards all at one time , but i will spend money if I think i'll need it someday and the price is right. What i do is look for good deals even if it's not going to go on the layout for years. There are many places to find good deals so that you don't have to spend retail prices on your MRR items. I'll look thru Trainworld ads, go to an LHS and check out the specials and deals on consignment items, Walthers supplimental mailer catalog, the internet to compare prices from one dealer to the next dealer, trainshows, and even have found stuff in estate and garage sales at dirt cheap prices (some folks don't realize what they have that they are selling) , and occasionally from e-bay. I hope this works out for you, but I know i could never make a promise to myself like that because I enjoy the hobby too much to do without for that long.....chuck
Hey Chuck!. Hope all is well with you and yours.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not getting out of the hobby, just shutting down my spending on anything train related for one full year. I need a new computer and several other items that I've been puting off for too long...
Mark (Tracklayer)
GUB says"While the attic awaits I have built one one diorama and am starting another larger 30" x 60".
I'm not sure this isn't a way to go. I really like to build stuff and dioramas would let a person build a number of unrelated things not associated with a layout. Ian Rice hints pretty strongly at that with his small layouts book
reklein wrote: Ian Rice hints pretty strongly at that with his small layouts book
Ian Rice hints pretty strongly at that with his small layouts book
Who publishes them?
Well I offically hate this thead! I was off today and couldn't keep from thinking about this. So I went through and updated all my "stuff" Total? It's $13,802.35 and that includes shipping & taxes. Gads.
$19,752.58 without tax on my Lionel collection. I have a combined value of $2,750 on my N scale equipment (almost exclusivly second hand, but good condition).
Lionel collector, stuck in an N scaler's modelling space.
My upper lip breaks into a sweat just thinking about this. I spend about $5000 last year for my first layout, then wife convinced me to get the basement finished, so $10K for that, plus a new wood stove since the previous monster that came with the place was old and uneconomical...not to mention huge. When it came time to install the carpet, it quickly became crystal clear that Layout Numero Uno was history.
Layout Numero Dos is about 75% done, and I am into it for about $2000, with no more substantial expenses foreseen. I have acquired four locos this year and about five pieces of rolling stock. I also upgraded three QSI chips.
Trust me on this one....it stops here and now.
ukguy wrote:It never stops...... just lays dormant for a while.............
It's a hydra, I tell ya! You cut down your roster by a car or two, and four more nice RTR ones show up in the latest magazines. What's the intrepid modeler to do? (Hey, wait a minute...did I use the words "RTR" and "modeler" in the same sentence? )
doc! we need a bed and a 42 mg application of coal for this one!
-Dan
Builder of Bowser steam! Railimages Site
Just one more locomotive... one more locomotive, and I promise not to spend any more money on model railroad equipment! Just one more locomotive... please? Please? Pretty please?
I guess I've got 8 or 9,000 in model trains and collectables now, but thats over bout 25 years too.
So I don't figure I've done to bad. Most of it's came from swap meets, flea markets, yard sales and some Ebay.
I do have some extra stuff I plan on selling off next year.
inch
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/4309
So, um, hows about tossing some of this cash my way eh?
Dave Loman
My site: The Rusty Spike
"It's a penny for your thoughts, but you have to put your 2 cents in.... hey, someone's making a penny!"
Oh my! I passed $4000 some time ago. I have probably passed $20,000, but it's not really important. I spend what I can afford to on the hobby. That has varied over 35 years with some years just renewing magazine subs and other years probably spending a couple of thousand - most years are somewhere in between.
Currently, I have most of the cars and locomotives I want for the layout - I still add some as they appeal to me, but spending in this area is down.
Will probably start my next layout this month so I will be buying lumber, track and roadbed. Most of next year my spending on those three things with maybe some scenery as a relief activity. But of course there is a train show at the end of the month, another in February, and...
Enjoy
Paul
Plywood Pacific $648
DCC $564
playing trains & ignoring the honey do list......priceless!
I stopped counting years ago, it's worth every penny, you can't put a price on happiness!