An expensive hobby...........?

[Ian M]

Ajay, I do not have a problem with a shameless plug and I think John will also turn a blind eye. I will however point you in the direction of the section "Share your site" and plug away as shamelesly as you can.

You could also put a thread in the "for sale" section. I am sure that John won't have objections to that either.

I know from seeing them that you do portraits of People and aircraft, but I cant recall what else you draw. I will say that they are fantastic. Maybe you could get a few commissions sold if you told what you will/can won't/can't along with some price examples.

I feel rather guilty now but I will point out, in my defence, that I am married, we are both fortunate to have jobs, and have no kids. I don't drink, maybe a beer once in a while and the misses neither drinks or smokes.

Ian M

[Guest]

Appreciate that, Ian - thanks.

[Guest]

Hi Alex, I do agree with you to a certain extent, all hobbies are expensive when you start building up your tools and more importantly in our case your paint stock. My big bug bear is the aftermarket products. In the past I have invested in quite a lot only to find that in a lot of cases what they replace is only marginally better than the kit item. In future the only after market I will be investing in is possibly decals - if I want a particular squadron and maybe the odd exhaust as I do like a nice rear end. Being retired and having started modelling in the 1950s when Airfix came in a plastic bag at 2/- ; when I returned to the hobby some three years ago and found plastic kits at nearly £100 came as quite a shock. But think about the cost divided by the manhours of enjoyment and it isn't so expensive!!! maybe. Cheers Derek

[Guest]

I have to agree with a lot of what Derek says. I work on the cost -v- hours ratio. I have a huge amount of disposable income and tend to go for the cheaper kits. However the point about aftermarket products really struck home. I was thinking about doinga 32nd scale build and as I've never done one before I thought I'd start with the Revell Hawk 1/32 BAE Hawk T1 Red Arrows which John sells at a very reasonable £14.99. I decided against the venture when I looked up the PE set on Hannants and found it would set me back another £45! For £59.99 I'd expect the real Red Arrows to do a flypast of my garden.

Keith

[Ian M]

And from that Keith you have leaned not to shop from Hannants. I think you will find it cheaper if you shop around. But I agree that after market bits are often more expensive than the kits they go on.

Ian M

[Guest]

And from that Keith you have leaned not to shop from Hannants. I think you will find it cheaper if you shop around. But I agree that after market bits are often more expensive than the kits they go on.Ian M

No argument here,Tamiya 1/48 ZXRR kit $38.00 Studio 27 upgrade $87.00 ,and yea hate to admit it I did buy it,in my defense it was a very thorough upgrade ! Then again I've spent more on a bottle of single Malt:moneyeyes:

[Guest]

Alex, shop around on ebay, also if you can get to a show or two there'll always be club members selling kits, second hand stalls are always worth a look.

Maybe we're all missing the point and that point is that we enjoy what we do.

[Guest]

I have only just started modelling this year (well, did a couple when I was younger but not to a very good standard) and so far have got some great bargains. I joined a group on facebook that allows you to advertise bits and bats that you have for sale in the local area and managed to grab myself a revell mini cooper 1/25 kit, with paints and brush fo £5! I just had to collect it but it was only down the road.

eBay is always worth checking now and again too, I missed a kit last night that ended up going for about £8 (inc. postage), one of the haynes classic car collection (think they're also made by revell).

We are also on a very low income, and have twin baby girls, but I try to get a couple of bits each week, the odd tin of paint here and there etc. It all adds up then lasts you a fairly long time and comes in for many models.

It is definitely cheaper than spending a night down the local anyway!!

[spanner570]

What an interesting and diverse thread, with some excellent comments and views....

Here's my thinking on the various aspects of our game. I know some will disagree with some of it, but it's just my way of approaching the cost of our hobby.

Like any hobby, scale model building is as cheap or expensive as you care to make it. Spare dosh being, obviously, the main consideration.

I was taught modelling by my late father, and in those days modelling airbrushes, pigments ect. and all the after market stuff was unheard of, so we had to get on with what we had....Airfix models, paint, turps, school pastels and a pencil. That was it!

I still only use the same stuff today, and as I don't possess or want an a.b., my modelling costs are minimal.

As folks know, my dioramas are more or less built for free. I use scrap and unwanted packaging (in my Omaha dios, the bunkers were made of plant trays and a cut in half plastic flower pot!) I state this to show what can be used and for nothing. So dio's can be built with little expense or for free...... It just needs a bit of scrounging and though.

I generally buy the cheaper kits such as Academy and ICM. I see these kits are usually looked on as 'Inferior' in some folks eyes, who see expensive Tamiya as the only kits worth a carrot. Most cheaper kits can be turned into a finished model on a par with 'Better quality' kits......Who wants drop together kits anyway, we are modellers are we not?lol

I agree with Derek and others on the subject of aftermarket stuff....I avoid it, full stop! Even if I had the spare cash, I wouldn't but any of it. How can the crazy, over the top prices be justified? I just don't see such a great improvement in the finished model to justify spending an amount which is usually way over the top of the original kit cost! I'm more than happy with my o.O .b. models.....And the money saved buys me another kit!

Buying washes and various pigments for this and that are not really neccessary. I've seen some great models on here using cheap alternative methods, such as childrens pastels to achieve the same results as expensive pigments ect.

Modelling can, and in my case is, dirt cheap. The kits, a few paints and scrounger's instincts are all I need.

I'm not knocking those who do buy all the stuff going, I just know it's not neccessary to have all the clobber to produce satisfying models.....

In conclusion, we all have our own ways of achieving the desired end result. If one has an endless supply of spare pennies, that's fine, buy away......But spare a thought for others at the other end of the scale who don't have (or want) that luxury and have great fun model on a shoestring.

Irrespective of what we have or want from our modelling, the one thing money, or lack of, can't buy is FUN!

Cheers all,

Ron

[Guest]

Brilliant post Ron!

Knocked the nail right on the head there I think.

Think I'll try and find some of these academy and ICM models on eBay if they are lower cost in comparison, I haven't heard of them before! (I only started modelling this year mind!)

[flyjoe180]

It's worth watching the online auction sites, I recently picked up a Tamiya 1/72 Mosquito VI for about half of what it sells for in the shop.

[Guest]

You can get some great deals, but the only thing is that eBay can be quite addictive so sometimes you end up spending more than you wanted to lol!

Well, I find it addictive anyway! I guess I just can't resist a bargain!

[aaron]

I dont like ebay,after postage (to New Zealand) theres any chance of a saving blown, and i dont like waiting for a month for something to arrive.

I prefer Asian online stores lol.

[Guest]

Yeh, that's true for you then!

Isn't there an NZ eBay, or maybe an AUS one?

[stona]

Sometimes I read something and think "I wish I'd written that".

Well,Ron's post above is a case in point. Beautifully and eloquently expressed.

Cheers

Steve