That was until I went to the local official Harley Davidson shop with my Dad the other day to buy him something for his birthday.My god it made GW look almost peasant like in its prices!
Example - 6 screws for some part on the engine. Just small screws, nothing fancy. £15!!!!!!!
A badge that goes on the engine cover - £90. Yes. £90 for a badge about the size of my hand with an eagle on it.
The list is endless and the prices are unbelievable. A guy bought a bike for £12'000 and spent £27'000 doing it up!!!!
So - does anyone else have or seen hobbies that sometimes put our plastic men in perspective? How much have you spent on other hobbies? I'm a semi-pro musician and have about £5'000 worth of basses, about £2'500 worth of amps and other various parts. I earn money from it though so it's paid for itself but still. Expensive hobby!
(This isn't a GW suck up thread, just shedding some light on how expensive other hobbies can be)
I used to play guitars and it was expensive, i have a bad habit of getting bored quickly so i used to buy something new like every month such as a new pedal, it was costing in excess of hundred quid a month which is cheap for guitar stuff . Not to mention the amound of gear i traded just to keep myself sane
Yeah, it's what I've been saying. As a hobby GW games are pretty reasonable.
I usually use the example of 4x4 off-roading that I used to do. Cost of petrol & repairs is expensive. I still have my Land Rover but can't afford to go off-roading any more, I play 40K instead.
I do a lot of cycling.
My bike was worth about £1000 new with the wheels alone as a pair worth £250
1 crash later and I had an unusable front wheel and another dodgy sholder plus a week long holiday in Switzelend/ France lymping. The new front wheel cost £180 - that was mid of the range bog standard...
Mountain biking. Bought a new tyre for the same price you'd pay for a car tyre several weeks ago. It's already shredded and needs to be replaced.
Photography. just can't stop throwing money at lenses and other bits and pieces. "Cheap" decent lenses cost about £300+ depending on what you're after.
4x4's (as above!). Used to own a Land Rover when I lived in Wales, that was a bottomless money pit.
Scuba Diving. You have the right to complain about the expense of a hobby when you have to pay for air to breathe!
Not quite sure how people are managing to spend quite so much on playing guitar, but then I'm somewhat easy to please, give me a stage, a working amp and a guitar and I'm golden. The initial layout for a decent setup can be a lot though, depending on your tastes.
I used to skateboard in my (not so) wild and misspent youth, that gets pretty damn expensive fast since you can spend 50 quid on something only to have it break near instantly.
PC gaming can be very expensive, if you insist on riding the bleeding edge and getting a high-end video card every year. I myself tend to get a $350 video card and make it last about 2 years, but I'm not as h4rcc0rez as I used to be, in my advancing age.
I built a NAS a few months ago - a 24 bay beast, and have started populating it with 2TB drives. The initial outlay was right around $1200 for the initial 3x 2TB build, and every time I add a new drive it's $80. Assuming the cost of the drives remain $80 until I finish populating it, I would have spent $1,920 in drives alone, for a total of around 3 grand.
Of course, 40TB will take even me a while to fill out, so I hope to make it last at least 4 or 5 years.
--
The most obvious analogy, of course, would be console gaming. A decent console would be around $400 initially, and lets say 3 games a month new, which are $64.19 with tax (my coworker works at Gamestop and knows that number intimately) - so, $192.57 a month? Your numbers may vary. I don't play console games so I have no idea what the average consumption would be.
piperider361 wrote:Shooting. Can't resell that lead when you're done with it.
Try being a shooter in the UK - The prices here are huge and getting worse all the time
- I go shooting with cadets and we pay nothing to go. One weekend we turned up to the MOD range at Dymchurch and pelted 2,400 7.62 mm (We were using the L98A2) for absulutly nothing down the end range by the converted napoleonic fort.. Oh and there is no cost for using the Rifles.
And how about that swimming with sharks lark as well. The special alloy for the 'cage' you sit in is bloody expensive, and there's a chance that the shark might opt to chew through the chain which is attached to the ship, leaving you to plummet through the depths and to a watery grave!
At least with GW products you don't have the chance of that happening!
The BBC wrote:The Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation - which includes mortgage interest payments - also fell, from 5.2% to 5%, according to the Office for National Statistics.
The slowdown came courtesy of falling prices for games, toys and hobbies, as well as for clothing and footwear.
Fencing gear is quite expensive, thankfully my club loans me the kit I need.
But if you want a foil for competition it's about £120 with VAT. Your also gonna need it to work with electrics so make it £150 with VAT.
Low end (350n) jackets, breeches, plastrons and gloves will easily pass the £100 mark, £400 for high end gear. Then a foil lame for electrics again so another £70 odd pounds.
Masks range from £50 to £250 depending on what you get and whether you want electric or not.
Not as expensive as things that involve moving parts but still quite hefty on the wallet.
BAh its not as expensive as Mage Knights oh boy was that expensive in the long run.
Each blister pack which contained 6 models costed 16 dollars Then a starter pack cost 35$
and only contained 10 models...
Then the heroes oh boy... 15 dollars for one hero. and then the items which were basically cards cost 10 dollars. EACH.
Then Mech Warriors ha was that a blast, but expensive again....
Its not that GW is particularly expensive in the scheme of all things you can spend money on. Just that in the scheme of 5 gram pieces of plastic, it doesn't seem like great value for money. Especially compared to other 5 gram pieces of plastic which are 1/4 the price, or the same piece of plastic a month ago for half the price...
EDIT: My expensive hobby is Wakeboarding. $150-$250 for a day's fuel depending on how many people are on the water, $40000->$200000 depending on how 'pro' you want your boat, $1500 for a board with decent boots, $200 for a rope and handle. I'm prepared to pay more for premium products because I can easily tell the difference in quality and manufacturing process between a $200 and a $800 board: I see minis from other companies which are made in the same way with the same materials (and increasingly, the same quality) as GW minis for 1/4 of the pricem and that is what irks me.
My two Harleys are my most expensive hobby but I wouldn't trade them for the world.
Just a bit of advice, when looking for a gift for a Harley Davidson enthusiast your best bet is a T-Shirt or Hoodie from a hard to get to store, like Maui, the Bahamas, any of the ports in Alaska...
I like to think of my car as a hobby. Not because it's a wonderful piece of machinery or anything, but more because I've got this macabre sort of ticker in my head counting how long I can keep it running.
My wife's hobby s interior decorating. Last year she was complaining that she never had enough money for it; I told her she could match my gaming budget dollar for dollar. She told me that wasn't nearly enough.
Someone mentioned earlier how it feels like we are not getting our moneys worth for the weight of plastic and comparison of other companies.
I know this sounds like ultra GW sucking up but what we have to remember is that we are not just paying for the model and it's value in plastic/finecast but wages of ALL the staff over all the stores and at GWHQ. We are paying for the rent/cost of running Warhammer World, the factories etc. If you've ever been to WHW you'll see why that's a huge factor. You can't really compare other companies to what GW is doing because they are all tiny in comparison to GWs size. This is why I believe prices are so high. Obviously they are high down to the fact they are PLC and shareholders are greedy mofo's but after comparing other hobbies I am holding back on my GW hate campaign over their prices.
Let me just make this clear, we are on about prices here...not their attitude to customers. That's another thread altogether!!! :-D
Automatically Appended Next Post: Oh, I was going to start Airsoft soon...I really need to stop wanting more hobbies!
I'm not talking about those cheap RC's at Toys R Us
I'm talking bout those machines you buy at hobby stores that will cost you several baneblades, not to mention replacement parts if you damage the thing
OMG! And, like, drugs! They're heaps expensive. That black tar stuff will run you back a pretty penny, let me tell you! Wow!
Sorry, what was the point of this thread again? I wasn't aware that pointing out the faults or problems in other things somehow excused the faults in something else?
Catyrpelius wrote:My two Harleys are my most expensive hobby but I wouldn't trade them for the world.
Just a bit of advice, when looking for a gift for a Harley Davidson enthusiast your best bet is a T-Shirt or Hoodie from a hard to get to store, like Maui, the Bahamas, any of the ports in Alaska...
T-shirts from the H-D dealership just off Red Square in Moscow are rediculously cool.
ddogwood wrote:My wife's hobby s interior decorating. Last year she was complaining that she never had enough money for it; I told her she could match my gaming budget dollar for dollar. She told me that wasn't nearly enough.
Funny, same thing here. That response works every time.
Laughing Man wrote:I like to think of my car as a hobby. Not because it's a wonderful piece of machinery or anything, but more because I've got this macabre sort of ticker in my head counting how long I can keep it running.
I remember back in High School, looking forward to my first car....then I remember the elation of pulling my first car off the lot when I got a bit older.
Now---7 years without a car payment---I can't bring myself to buy a brand new car. I just think of the depreciation and how much it costs to feed the damn thing. If I didn't live in the Midwest, I wouldn't own one. I hate cars.
Platuan4th wrote:
It's almost like hobbies and entertainment cost money...
Who said this was a hobby? I added Games Workshop to my portfolio several years ago.
I don't invest in the actual stock mind you, but the miniatures. I figure between a 20% growth rate each year and 10+ years between updates, my stockpile of unopened boxes are going to result in a nice early retirement. I store the boxes right next my oil barrel collection.
I've got a 1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator (see my avatar) and a 1989 Ford Mustang GT Convertible '25 year anniversary edition'.
As far as cars go, they're both pretty easy and cheap to work on: the Cougar shares many parts with the 1970 mustang, thus replacement parts are pretty easy to get, and the '89 mustang is extremely popular for drag racing, and the aftermarket is extremely well populated for that car/engine. Despite that, I've still put at least $40,000 into the two, combined (including price of purchase). All so I can enjoy 12 and 16 miles to the gallon, and pay to put them in car shows.
In all honesty, though, I feel worse about sinking $35 for 6 striking scorpions than I do for sinking $500 for an intake manifold. I understand the reason why they cost $35, but that doesn't mean I have to like it!
Stormfather wrote:I've got a 1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator (see my avatar) and a 1989 Ford Mustang GT Convertible '25 year anniversary edition'.
As far as cars go, they're both pretty easy and cheap to work on: the Cougar shares many parts with the 1970 mustang, thus replacement parts are pretty easy to get, and the '89 mustang is extremely popular for drag racing, and the aftermarket is extremely well populated for that car/engine. Despite that, I've still put at least $40,000 into the two, combined (including price of purchase). All so I can enjoy 12 and 16 miles to the gallon, and pay to put them in car shows.
In all honesty, though, I feel worse about sinking $35 for 6 striking scorpions than I do for sinking $500 for an intake manifold. I understand the reason why they cost $35, but that doesn't mean I have to like it!
Fast cars will get you the ladies, Stormfather.
GW figs will not
Oh, I forgot. Every thread has to be super serious and can't just be a light hearted question about what other expensive hobbies you have. Good thing you folks were here to drag down the fun!
On topic: Magic the Gathering. I don't want to think about how much money I sunk into that game. What's even worse, is to think about how much I spent on Magic the Gathering: Online! Virtual cards, sounds like a bargain! -_-
Catyrpelius wrote:My two Harleys are my most expensive hobby but I wouldn't trade them for the world.
Just a bit of advice, when looking for a gift for a Harley Davidson enthusiast your best bet is a T-Shirt or Hoodie from a hard to get to store, like Maui, the Bahamas, any of the ports in Alaska...
But they mean more if you've ridden to get them I've got Iraq, Singapore and Hawaii as gifts, but I've ridden to Death Valley, Vegas, New Orleans and Yellowstone.
Some other expensive hobbies:
Children. the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates the lifetime cost of raising a child is well over $200,000 -- and that doesn't even include the cost of a college education. On the other hand, you can always hope that they take care of you in your old age, so there's that.
Pets. Our pets run a budget of about $100/month for food, treats & toys, another $200 for a daytime dog walker ($10 for a noon walk each day), and, as a puppy at least, $110 for six weeks of obedience or fun activity classes. Another $30 or so for medical insurance (to avoid the $1000 emergency vet bill - pet insurance doesn't cover the yearly checkup/rabies booster shot), and it totals about $350-400 each month. (That's like a new army every month or two)
Fine dining. It's possible to spend over $1000 for a single meal for two (including wine).
Travel. Want to go on a safari? They start in the $5k range, not including airfare.
Entertainment events. Concert tickets, broadway shows, theatre, sporting events. Want to go to a live event, it'll cost you.
I did a cost calc to justify my spend on 40k stuff recently.
~£500 per annum, works out about 5% of my disposable income, same as what I spend on coffee.
As with spyders example, I used to think getting hammered every weekend was normal (this actually passes for socialising in some parts of the UK, such as Glasgow).
So drinking culture involves spending at least double this per annum. On balance I'd rather play toy soldiers.
Children. the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates the lifetime cost of raising a child is well over $200,000 -- and that doesn't even include the cost of a college education. On the other hand, you can always hope that they take care of you in your old age, so there's that.
Children. the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates the lifetime cost of raising a child is well over $200,000 -- and that doesn't even include the cost of a college education. On the other hand, you can always hope that they take care of you in your old age, so there's that.
Children. the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates the lifetime cost of raising a child is well over $200,000 -- and that doesn't even include the cost of a college education. On the other hand, you can always hope that they take care of you in your old age, so there's that.
Eh, kids aren't a hobby...but they are expensive.
Says you. I'm working on getting a complete set. Unfortunately they're only available in random packaging.
The majority of higher-end luxury hobbies like those listed thus far are going to be more expensive than miniatures-based wargaming... even if you only play contract custom painted mechanised Death Korps of Krieg.
However, many (all?) of those higher-end luxury hobbies also have a perception of being more extrinsically rewarding than 40k via the status associated with them. SCUBA=cool, 4x4ing=cool, harleys=cool, drinking liqueur from endangered rain forest flowers cold-distilled over multicolored diamonds while playing croquet on robot elephants using asian swim suit models as living wickets... well, some hobbies are simply more appealing than others.
sourclams wrote: drinking liqueur from endangered rain forest flowers cold-distilled over multicolored diamonds while playing croquet on robot elephants using asian swim suit models as living wickets... well, some hobbies are simply more appealing than others.
Fencing, shooting and playing drums all take a pretty toll on my bank account combined.
Saltwater fish however, are worse than all of those and warhammer combined. With fish/coral ranging from the price of a special character to a baneblade. GW models dont need water changes, perfect salinity, pH, trace elements, temperature, food, and they cant get diseases.
Its like playing 40K, but when your unit dies, you cant use that model again.
keisukekun wrote:Shooting definitely. I have a .45 so I pay about $100 for 250 bullets. I usually savor them but its really easy to go through them all in one session.
Want/need a new car too and that's expensive.
Save your brass and reload it. I shoot .45 for about $.30/round with Hornady FMJ or JHP bullets depending on what I'm trying out. Rolling your own is fun as well since you can tailor the load however you want it. There are cheaper bullets you can find but I like the Hornady's.
H.B.M.C. wrote:OMG! And, like, drugs! They're heaps expensive. That black tar stuff will run you back a pretty penny, let me tell you! Wow!
Sorry, what was the point of this thread again? I wasn't aware that pointing out the faults or problems in other things somehow excused the faults in something else?
If you seriously are this much of a black hole of sorrow and dispair and hatred for GW, then stop having a Commissar as your avatar. Stop playing 40k. Stop commenting on posts about Warhammer.
What is the point of this thread, you ask...... I ask, what is the point of your post!?
Everyone stop. Stop right now. No one is allowed to play or enjoy Warhammer anymore because HMBC doesn't like Games Workshop. I'm sorry guys. We all have to go home now. Adepticon is cancelled. Christmas is on notice as well, because HMBC doesn't like fruit cake.
Christ on a pogostick it's like every other thread is riddled with the saaaame oooollld bla bla bla. Can we move on!? Please!? We're talking about other hobbies that are expensive. Not about HMBC hating GW. Add to the discussion, or move on.
/endrant
Stamp collecting is absolutely insane. My brother collects, and these things are intrinsically valueless.. I mean theres no "stamphammer" to play... and some of them.. are... pricey.
Between guitar (cheapest of my hobbies even after a nice new BC RICH), console gaming, computer gaming, Ice Hockey (easily the most expensive) and going to the gym (yes i pay more for somewhere to go do pushups than i do on Warhammer) 40k seems like a steal alot of the time for the amount of entertainment i get out of the painting and modelling alone.
H.B.M.C. wrote:OMG! And, like, drugs! They're heaps expensive. That black tar stuff will run you back a pretty penny, let me tell you! Wow!
Sorry, what was the point of this thread again? I wasn't aware that pointing out the faults or problems in other things somehow excused the faults in something else?
If you seriously are this much of a black hole of sorrow and dispair and hatred for GW, then stop having a Commissar as your avatar. Stop playing 40k. Stop commenting on posts about Warhammer.
What is the point of this thread, you ask...... I ask, what is the point of your post!?
Everyone stop. Stop right now. No one is allowed to play or enjoy Warhammer anymore because HMBC doesn't like Games Workshop. I'm sorry guys. We all have to go home now. Adepticon is cancelled. Christmas is on notice as well, because HMBC doesn't like fruit cake.
Christ on a pogostick it's like every other thread is riddled with the saaaame oooollld bla bla bla. Can we move on!? Please!? We're talking about other hobbies that are expensive. Not about HMBC hating GW. Add to the discussion, or move on.
/endrant
Stamp collecting is absolutely insane. My brother collects, and these things are intrinsically valueless.. I mean theres no "stamphammer" to play... and some of them.. are... pricey.
Lol, somebody doesn't like H.B.M.C., the rest of us are used to him.
Platuan4th wrote:Or, and this is just a thought, I could express my opinion like everyone else is able.
I don't dispute you have the right to do so, but you haven't yet done so. You posted an image macro indicating "not this thread again" and nothing else. You didn't contribute anything to the thread other then what could reasonably categorized as spam.
I agree there are a great many recurring subjects on Dakka. I myself find "this months plastic thunderhawk rumor" thread to be tiresome, so I don't go out of my way to post in them crapping all over everyone else who maybe does want to talk about the topic of the thread. It just seems easier to ignore the thread then to contribute nothing and increase the acrimony level in a thread, thereby eventually getting it locked, annoying people and thereby increasing the acrimony on subsequent threads, forevermore, hallelujah.
Platuan4th wrote:Or, and this is just a thought, I could express my opinion like everyone else is able.
I don't dispute you have the right to do so, but you haven't yet done so. You posted an image macro indicating "not this thread again" and nothing else.
Go back and read. I also said "It's almost like hobbies and entertainment cost money...", which was there as a statement that comparing the costs of different types of hobbies is a bit futile, as "expensive" is a relative term. Honestly, this thread is a little pointless every time it comes up, because other hobbies costing more money does NOT somehow make GW more or less expensive.
Not quite "nothing else", though the text is quite a bit smaller than the pic, so you can be forgiven for missing it.
Ouze wrote:You know, I did, in fact, miss the text. So my apologies on that end.
No problem. Only replied to point it out and take it as an opportunity to expand on the thought without editing a post that most people probably wouldn't check again.
Excess supply caused by unemployment has actually reduced prices for many suppliers unless you are looking at the porsche end of the market where prices are still stable because the suppliers still believe they have a very high perceived quality to cost ratio for the product they sell.
Excess supply caused by unemployment has actually reduced prices for many suppliers unless you are looking at the porsche end of the market where prices are still stable because the suppliers still believe they have a very high perceived quality to cost ratio for the product they sell.
That reminds me of 2007-2008 when Canada's 'gentlemen establishments' were running out of suitable .. uh.. talent. California and Vegas were doing so well that they were importing attractive Canadian girls, with the expected result on Canadian supply and prices.
Excess supply caused by unemployment has actually reduced prices for many suppliers unless you are looking at the porsche end of the market where prices are still stable because the suppliers still believe they have a very high perceived quality to cost ratio for the product they sell.
That reminds me of 2007-2008 when Canada's 'gentlemen establishments' were running out of suitable .. uh.. talent. California and Vegas were doing so well that they were importing attractive Canadian girls, with the expected result on Canadian supply and prices.
Electric drumming. I got mine for £400. Three toms. Only one crash though. And the rimshot is crap.
Fencing, a good £500 for a snazzy kit.
I don't know if recurve is more pricy than medieval longbow in archery, I think they are about the same. But a cheap'n'cheerful 30 pound longbow is about £150. Plus 30 for arrows. A good £50 for the club. Another 30 for odd bits and pieces.
My car, although more driving it than working on it. Add to that that I drive it to work and around town, so it's not entirely a hobby either. But when you're not doing stuff yourself, you pay out the wazzoo for service (I believe this could apply to the discussion on Canadians as well). Paid $2000 for a set of tires last month, anyway.
I think there should be a general boycott of Harley Davidson! I mean, you can't even pickup compatible parts bearing the bar-and-shield logo without going through H-D. What a freaking rip-off!!! I tried casting my own, but I was told by Harley to stop doing that.
I just dropped $500 on a graphics card for my PC, but that's the only upgrade it's seen in 5 years, and that graphics card is going to keep it bleeding-edge until I rebuild the whole thing in another 10 months (saving up for that... budgeting about another $1000. $1500 total for a PC that lasts you 5 years isn't bad in my book)
Another expensive hobby in the US is Paintball. I don't play so much now that I'm older but when I was younger... man.
The gun, mask, gear, all need to be constantly tweaked and updated. Guns need new parts, masks get damaged and need replaced, gear gets lost, or maybe you're just constantly getting new cool stuff.
Then you have the costs of actually PLAYING. Everytime you shoot your gun you're essentially firing a dime. That adds up REALLY quick.
airsoft....£200 for a decent rifle, 5000 rounds is £10 and i could run through that in about an hour, mags are actully very cheap, only £20 for a 470 round magazine, and a full set of tac gear can cost you upwards of £100 and a MOLLE rig can cost sooo much, base layer about £80 and the pouches about £20, a decent quick-draw holster can cost upwards of £150(!!!!). a days gaming with your own gear however is about £25.
I paid over one hundred dollars for my Kindle, and buy at least 3-4 books per month to read. That translates to almost $10 per month on books alone. And for what? A few hours of enjoyment that I can experience again and again. However, I will admit that it's cheaper than it used to be, buying 3-4 paperbacks a month could run upwards of $25 per month.
If I spent as much on GW miniatures as I have on books this year, I'd have nearly 2000 points worth of models! (Grey Knights)
assultmarine wrote:but....reading is brilliant? i dont really like the kindle though, i prefer that 'new book' smell
The only reason I have my Illuminati(Sharper Image's full color wifi reader, bought for a whole $40 at Ross vs the retail $199) is for electronic and PDF(for rulebooks, codecii, etc.) versions of books I own when I travel. I've yet to actually pay for a book on it, though.
Kilkrazy wrote:I think of my wife as a hobby. She's still cheaper than J-Class yacht racing.
Any idea what the resale value of wives are on eBay at the moment?
Just in case.
As for other hobbies, how about old book collecting? I'm trying to assemble a complete collection of Charles Napier's 'History of the War in the Peninsula and in the South of France from the Year 1807 to the Year 1814', as produced by Frederick Warne & Co. The trouble is, I'm looking for the edition published c.1890, and I've only managed to acquire 1 of the six volumes. There's another one on eBay, so I'm thinking about grabbing that, even if it'll be a good $50-60 dollars.
Playing music as a whole. I have about £1200 worth of acoustic drum kit, £400 of electronic drum kit, £3000 of PA system, maybe £600 of guitars. Add in the £50 a month on rehearsal space hire, plus the fuel getting to and from, plus the cost to download any songs we're looking to cover.
I definitely love my music, but it's too reliant on other people as drummer, plus I can only practice for a couple of hours a week. At least with 40k I can get outta bed at 3am and decide to paint some sh1t up. I've thought about trying to sculpt Slipknot look-a-like miniatures as noise marine conversions just so I can combine both hobbies
Automatically Appended Next Post:
infinite_array wrote:
Kilkrazy wrote:I think of my wife as a hobby. She's still cheaper than J-Class yacht racing.
Any idea what the resale value of wives are on eBay at the moment?
My other hobby is money burning. I like to dip any paper bills I can get my hands on in the most expensive diesel fuel I can buy and then light them on fire in my house.
Gaming in all forms is pretty tame compared to vehicle based hobbies.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
assultmarine wrote:airsoft....£200 for a decent rifle, 5000 rounds is £10 and i could run through that in about an hour,
Try real guns.
Take my Beretta PX4 9mm (my cheapest) for example, in USD:
PX4 9mm pistol (with 2 17 round mags) $624
50 rounds 9mm FMJ $18
Targets (2) $5
Range time (lane rental per hour) $15
Hers the fun on ammo...a single box of 50 is 2 1/2 mags. I can empty a mag in about 10-12 seconds. So thats $18 for around 30 seconds of firing, at max ROF. In a typical hour Ill usually use just 1 box of ammo. Max ROF can be fun, but isnt good for accuracy or the pocketbook.
gr1m_dan wrote:That was until I went to the local official Harley Davidson shop with my Dad the other day to buy him something for his birthday.My god it made GW look almost peasant like in its prices!
Example - 6 screws for some part on the engine. Just small screws, nothing fancy. £15!!!!!!!
A badge that goes on the engine cover - £90. Yes. £90 for a badge about the size of my hand with an eagle on it.
The list is endless and the prices are unbelievable. A guy bought a bike for £12'000 and spent £27'000 doing it up!!!!
So - does anyone else have or seen hobbies that sometimes put our plastic men in perspective? How much have you spent on other hobbies? I'm a semi-pro musician and have about £5'000 worth of basses, about £2'500 worth of amps and other various parts. I earn money from it though so it's paid for itself but still. Expensive hobby!
(This isn't a GW suck up thread, just shedding some light on how expensive other hobbies can be)
Flying. I'm working on it, and its 200 bucks to start. and $1,000's to continue. Want a reroll? Not happening if you dump one.
Death or Glory, baby!!!
Scuba Diving. 150.bucks for the lessions, upwards to 3,000 for a rig, and then we start talking about the boat. Of course theres the divespots and everything else...
Boating... Bring Out Another Thousand. I found one, can get it for free if I want it, and I'm already looking at over 5,000 bucks to get it up and seaworthy. Do I dare take the challenge?
You know what else is expensive? Rent. If I kept the $450 a week I spend on rent, I could buy a new army every week! Also, the sum total of all my warhammer collection pales in comparison to my property collection, those are upwards of $300 000 PER MODEL!! I guess I should stop bitching when GW hikes the price of my favourite 0.50c lump of plastic box set by 25% to $70 for no apparent reason.
Almost all my other hobbies are more expensive then Games Workshop. Horseback riding, Kayaking, Fencing, Martial Arts, Golf, Racing, like most fun adult hobbies is more expensive Games Workshop. Its just that you pay the price for these hobbies and know what you are getting and that your going to have a good time.
What is annoying about Games Workshop not that they are expensive but the lack of quality in their product for the price you pay. Their rules are terribly written and require faqs for corrections just look at Codex Grey Knights. Their so called Finecast models which should be immaculate and better then the usual model have miscasts and missing pieces that require extra work to fix that isn't very enjoyable. For the premium you pay they should have great rulesets and great models. They don't.
1: 4x4 truck (current project is a motor+transmission swap that will probably cost in excess of $5000. 8.2L of gas guzzling fury!)
2. Firearms. I almost embarrassed at how much I spent on my M1A1 Scout rifle. And it's not even 'done up'!
3. Gaming. PC and console. Console games are $60 a pop, and keeping your PC up to date get's costly. I think I've spend about $1200 twice to build towers.
4. WH40K. Two unfinished armies of probably around 3000pts each if all totaled up. Not to mention airbrush, compressor and all the other hobby supplies.
One of my hobbies, collecting medals and decoration from WWII era Third Reich/US/GB/Japan/USSR:
How about $400-$500 for a WWII era Iron Cross First Class? Or $4,500-$6,000 for Cased German Cross in Gold. Chained Model 1936 SS-Leader Dagger? $25,000-$40,000 (depends on maker and condition). Soviet Order of Lenin 1st class made at the Moscow state mint (prior to 1930)? $65,000-$100,000. WWII Era Navy Cross: $900 w/light blue Navy issue case + $400
WWII Era Medal of Honor: Prison
One of my other hobbies, gun collecting:
(Un-messed with, no rebuilds) WWII M1 Carbine: $700-$5,000, Unmodified Gas Trap M1 Garand: $10,000-$25,000, Colt SA Army from the late 1800's: $75,000-$100,000, Colt Walker (conditions on these range from rusted hunk of gak to nearly brand new [side note: these were made in 1846-1847]): $75,000-$450,000
I have 62 in total, most of which are old and none of which are this rare (except for the one below)
Another hobby, Civil War memorabilia:
Texas Coat Button $4,500-$10,000 / CSA Griswold & Gunnison Revolver (of which I have one of the 3,700 made): $7,000-$16,000
Hobbies are all frivolity in hindsight, but damn are they fun.
For the record... fishing is the sport that the most money is spent on. Of course that is counting all of the boats etc. but it really adds up. Im gonna have to say its not much of a sport when you own all the sonar etc. more of a hobby. for me i am going to have to say that GW is my biggest most expensive hobby. Then women.
Then there's targets, range rental time, etc. And then there's the occasional "...is that an FN Five-seveN in the rental case? Can I go shoot it?" moments.
Airsoft is pretty expensive too.
JG M16: $110
x5 or so extra mags: $60
x2 Extra Batteries: $40
ALICE Gear: $30 ish
Cammies: $50 ish
Sidearm (Jericho 941): $60
Extra Mag: $25
...and you get the idea. My airsoft stuff, if sold for the price that I paid for it, would probably net me a whole FW army.
I used to own and race stockcars (NASCAR) at the local southwest tracks.
I'd probably burn all of my race winnings plus 10-20k out of pocket a year for that little hobby.
How do you make a small fortune in auto racing?
Start with a large fortune.
The look on someone's face when you take them out: Priceless
(and I didn't bother with tent, bed and bedding, all the living history stuff, not to mention transport to and from events)
The problem with the thread, though, is that we all know there are other hobbies which are more expensive than GW. The point is that if you compare GW like-for-like to other miniature wargaming companies then they charge a premium for simply having a larger customer base.
Yes, there are other companies out there that charge as much or more than GW per figure, for example Corvus Belli who make Infinity - but you need very few models, they are some of the finest sculpts out there and the rules are free. GW change to resin and jack the price up by 30%, Mantic change to resin and drop the price by 50%.
Is GW more expensive than other hobbies? No
Is GW more expensive than it should be given its product and competition? Yes
Glad the majority of people on here have posted the prices of their other hobbies. Calvin has got it right above and probably something I should have put in my OP. Just for the sake of it though I just wanted to see what people spent on other hobbies. Simple as that.
It was only meant as light hearted fun and I apologise to those who have felt the need to reply with sarcasm and rage.
I am an archer and that can be expensive so for me it is around £400 for a bow and around £120 for arrows (witch need repairing once a week cos I am great!) and this is not the to of the rage stuff (which for a hole set of arrows and a bow cane cost you easily £2000+) so its not to bad tbh. i have a good club (that is not to dear) and spend probably £70 a year in club fees.
Lanrak wrote:Hi all.
Compared to other table top minature wargaming products ,the GW Hobby is expencive.
Can we stop bragging about how much money we waste on other stuff please.
Isn't that the whole point of this thread?
and while GW is the most expensive tabletop retailer, I think the costs pale in comparasion to mostly everything else people do.
i know someone who collects old WW2 stuff (nothing in particular, just stuff like medals, helmets, clothes, diaries etc.) and he's spent more on that alone than I have earned in my current life.
and remember, spending money on something you like is not wasted. its only wasted when its not interesting.
yea, GW games are pricey for what they are, btu in the grand sceme of things you can get alot of use out of minis.
now as others say with pc gaming I have more money than I'd like to admit in my rig, I tend to buy new shiny and sell old shiny
but the biggest money sink is probably working out, whey i use runs $40+ for 3 lb, and I'll go through 1 1/2 - 2 tubs a month, the preworkout formula is about $35-40 a tub and one tub of that a month, vitamins and other supliments are at least $100 monthly... comparativly GW products last longer for much less... but they aren't as good for your health (though i will say where i play war gamers aren't as overweight as the video gamers probably from standing so much of the day )
Mud bogging is an expensive hobby, its the main reason I stopped doing it. Insanely fun but holy gak was that costly. It was $50 for a season pass, which is pretty much a whole year, so not bad, but just to go, I spent a fortune in gas, my truck drank gas like crazy (9 miles a gallon in 2 wheel drive) so just to go it was 30-40 bucks and that was a couple years ago when gas wasnt near 4 bucks. So 30-40 just to go, thatd be like paying 30 bucks JUST to get to play 40k. And that was if nothing broke. My brother blew a 300 dollar tire on one run, so that was a $340 weekend there. My buddy Tony, broke his front axle, so again that was a couple hundred bucks, and we were the "poor guys" in that hobby. Some guys have $3k dollar motors and theyll stick em in a pit and get stuck, but to prove they are hardasses they would gun it to try and get out, ooops, blown motor, gotta put another 2 grand in it to fix it.
The worst this guy we called betterbeaters, had a super duper badass stroker motor and a professionally done transmission. He went through a pit, and stressed it so hard that the tail of his tranny snapped off, sent the drive shaft through the floor board of his jeep, and when that happened, it over revved his engine which caused the piston to blow out the side and in doing so, shrapnel hit his steering shaft and broke that as well. So I think in that one hole he spent around 8 THOUSAND dollars to make it halfway through.
So yea....warhams is pricey at times....but you really can put it into perspective
keisukekun wrote:Shooting definitely. I have a .45 so I pay about $100 for 250 bullets. I usually savor them but its really easy to go through them all in one session.
Want/need a new car too and that's expensive.
Save your brass and reload it. I shoot .45 for about $.30/round with Hornady FMJ or JHP bullets depending on what I'm trying out. Rolling your own is fun as well since you can tailor the load however you want it. There are cheaper bullets you can find but I like the Hornady's.
Too true!
I reload for 223/556, 30-30 Win, 8MM Mauser and 9MM Luger. The reloading equipment costs about $200, plus $40 for the dies.
With the amount of shooting I do, it only makes sense to reload. I pay $60/year for use of indoor and outdoor range at my club, $30 for my LTCF (License to Carry Firearm) which covers me for 5 years, about $20 for powder that will do about 2000 rounds, and say for 8MM, about $20 for 100 rounds of 175 grain bullets (not completed rounds, those cost $30 for 20 rds).
The cost of the guns wasnt too much either. About $700 or so for the custom built AR (took a year, bought parts as they went on sale), $169 for the 30-30 lever (someone owed me $$), 1915 Mauser was a gift and the Ruger 9mm cost about $350.
piperider361 wrote:Shooting. Can't resell that lead when you're done with it.
Came here to say target shooting is probably the most expensive hobby I have, and you beat me to it. Reloading ammo can save you money but it also takes time and in some cases reloading doesn't save you all that much money since certain calibers are still sort of cheap.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Oh and I will say the thing about war gaming is, models never really go obsolete. I played back in the early 90s originally when I was in middle school. Once I hit my teens and got a car and a job I was more interested in chasing girls and sneaking out to see live music. Fast forward 15 years later I decided to rescue my minis from my parent's basement. Found the tackle boxes, dusted them off and inside I found all my minis for the most part, which still work to this day. All my 2nd edition space wolves, IG, Nids, Eldar, lizardmen, and Orks still work till this day. So, getting back into the hobby wasn't all that expensive. I just bought the new rule sets, and a couple of boxed sets to modernize my armies form 2nd edition 5th (4th to 8th in fantasy) and now I am back in the game.
Initial cost of ownership may be a bit high compare to some hobbies, but overall cost of ownership war gaming is rather cheap. Anything with technology you are forced to upgrade every so often, where as my miniatures from Rogue Trader still work.
Crom wrote:
Came here to say target shooting is probably the most expensive hobby I have, and you beat me to it. Reloading ammo can save you money but it also takes time and in some cases reloading doesn't save you all that much money since certain calibers are still sort of cheap.
True but even reloading 9mm ($10.47 at your local Wally World for Federal Premium) for about the same price (to me) gives me more piece of mind. It's loaded to how I want it, with the bullet I want (147gn JHP 9mm is hard to find in most stores).
About the only time I go by rounds off the shelf is for my .40's or if I need to replentish my brass pile with brass I know hasn't been shot alot. .40's are quite hot rounds and go from good to kaboom pretty quickly.
Crom wrote:
Came here to say target shooting is probably the most expensive hobby I have, and you beat me to it. Reloading ammo can save you money but it also takes time and in some cases reloading doesn't save you all that much money since certain calibers are still sort of cheap.
True but even reloading 9mm ($10.47 at your local Wally World for Federal Premium) for about the same price (to me) gives me more piece of mind. It's loaded to how I want it, with the bullet I want (147gn JHP 9mm is hard to find in most stores).
About the only time I go by rounds off the shelf is for my .40's or if I need to replentish my brass pile with brass I know hasn't been shot alot. .40's are quite hot rounds and go from good to kaboom pretty quickly.
Yeah I hear ya man. I am definitely not knocking it. My uncle is a very avid gun collector (has 100s) and reloads his own ammo and casts his own bullets (dude has endless amounts of ammo) and he loves creating his own ammo. He has that hand loaders bible and looks up the ballistics of all the different rounds and loads so if he wants a bullet that travels a 932.6 feet per a second he can load his ammo to do exactly that.
I personally don't have the space to set up a reloading work bench. I also buy a lot of milsurp rounds. I got 1,000 7.62x54R steel core Czeh Republic milsurp rounds for my Mosin for only $90 at a gun show. So far not a single one has given me any grief. Fired probably 200 rounds out of that 1,000 so far.
For that matter, some people build their own boats, or bows and arrows, or sculpt and cast their own wargame figures.
So, if we get back on the main topic, we see that GW models are 25% to 300% more expensive than equivalent models from other wargame companies. The rules also are Not Cheap™.
That is what leads people to complain about the cost of GW as a hobby.
My sister wanted to start horse riding - 20£ for a one hour lesson ! Horses cost money just standing still :
Stable Equipment £200
Pre-purchase Vetting (per horse) £200
First aid/ grooming equipment £50
Riding clothes and equipment £250
Leather Saddle £600
Brand new English leather bridle with bit £100
Outdoor Rugs (per rug) £100
Indoor Rugs (per rug) £70
Annual Livery Costs
Full Livery (Per Annum) £5,200
Part Livery (Per Annum) £3,640
Working Livery (Per Annum) £2,600
Grass Livery (Per Annum) £1,560
Shoeing (every 6 weeks) £645
Specialist shoeing (every 4 weeks) £1,950
Trimming (every 6 weeks) £215
Tetanus & Equine Influenza Vaccination excluding vet call out fee £120
Worming Products (1 Syringe every 8 weeks) £78
Shavings (using 2 bales per week £728
Straw (small bales) (using 2 bales per week) £364
Hay (small bales) (using 4 bales a week) £936
Haylage (small bales) (using 3 bales a week) £936
Bag of horse/ pony cubes (using 1 bag every 3 weeks) £122
Bag of chaff (using 1 bag every 2 weeks for) £182
Plus Licensing Fees, Insurance Fees, Staff Wages, Building Purchase / Rent / Morgage, Vehicle Purchase + Maintence and many more things which could add up to over £100,000 a year.
For that matter, some people build their own boats, or bows and arrows, or sculpt and cast their own wargame figures.
So, if we get back on the main topic, we see that GW models are 25% to 300% more expensive than equivalent models from other wargame companies. The rules also are Not Cheap™.
That is what leads people to complain about the cost of GW as a hobby.
The main topic was over priced hobbies, not just GW. Though I will say the overall cost of war gaming is pretty cheap compared to other hobbies. You are a console gamer, you gotta buy a new console every so often, and games and controllers and such, and pay for some online services, etc. With war gaming the best part is that your minis from the 80s still work, albeit they aren't as cool as some of the modern models, but they still work.
I think overall cost of ownership is low but initial cost is high comparatively in the gaming world. One firearm can equal the cost of several armies, a car or motor cycle can cost more than every army. I think the biggest gruff gamers have is that the technology making the models is getting better and they are being produced cheaper, but the prices are never going down, and the hikes have been outrageous. Back when I started you could get 2 metal terminators in a blister pack for $6, so $18 got you a squad of 6 termies, where now it is a $50 box set for 5.
For that matter, some people build their own boats, or bows and arrows, or sculpt and cast their own wargame figures.
So, if we get back on the main topic, we see that GW models are 25% to 300% more expensive than equivalent models from other wargame companies. The rules also are Not Cheap™.
That is what leads people to complain about the cost of GW as a hobby.
The main topic was over priced hobbies, not just GW. Though I will say the overall cost of war gaming is pretty cheap compared to other hobbies. You are a console gamer, you gotta buy a new console every so often, and games and controllers and such, and pay for some online services, etc. With war gaming the best part is that your minis from the 80s still work, albeit they aren't as cool as some of the modern models, but they still work.
NOT AS COOL!!! i always like it when i see really old minis
For that matter, some people build their own boats, or bows and arrows, or sculpt and cast their own wargame figures.
So, if we get back on the main topic, we see that GW models are 25% to 300% more expensive than equivalent models from other wargame companies. The rules also are Not Cheap™.
That is what leads people to complain about the cost of GW as a hobby.
The main topic was over priced hobbies, not just GW. Though I will say the overall cost of war gaming is pretty cheap compared to other hobbies. You are a console gamer, you gotta buy a new console every so often, and games and controllers and such, and pay for some online services, etc. With war gaming the best part is that your minis from the 80s still work, albeit they aren't as cool as some of the modern models, but they still work.
NOT AS COOL!!! i always like it when i see really old minis
back in my day the minis were metal, and came in blister packs. I probably got 15 to 20 wolf guard termies from the early 90s. All metal. I got the original land speeder, land raider, Predator, lots of 2nd edition boxed set marines and orks, 2nd edition Nids and 2nd edition guard.
Then I have an Ork army from: 2x sets of 2nd edition boxed set plastics and a bunch of gorka morka stuff. I never actually built an Ork army on purpose I just built one from buying boxed sets...
I think both are really expensive, but alot of younger kids play gw then put bikes together, what im getting at is that older men who ride motorcycles have jobs with annual salary, and younger people like me who play warhammer don't. There are alot even crazier hobbies and sports like polo where shoes cost $4000
King Crow wrote:I think both are really expensive, but alot of younger kids play gw then put bikes together, what im getting at is that older men who ride motorcycles have jobs with annual salary, and younger people like me who play warhammer don't. There are alot even crazier hobbies and sports like polo where shoes cost $4000
shoes cost 4000...plus the horse, are the mallets...OVER 9000!!!
King Crow wrote:I think both are really expensive, but alot of younger kids play gw then put bikes together, what im getting at is that older men who ride motorcycles have jobs with annual salary, and younger people like me who play warhammer don't. There are alot even crazier hobbies and sports like polo where shoes cost $4000
well compare it other hobbies youth have...
paintball - expensive, and always has constant over head of maintenance and of course paint ammo
skateboarding - not as expensive, but i guess you go through a lot of shoes when you skate (ex skater myself)
sports - between equipment, league costs, etc, it can be pricey.
video games - consoles and computers easily cost as much if not more than war gaming
I think the life lesson we all need to just accept here is that anything that is cool and/or really fun to do is going to cost money. I want a motorcycle but have been putting it off for years because I know once I commit to buying one, I will spend double or more than I originally intend to do. It just always works out that way.
For that matter, some people build their own boats, or bows and arrows, or sculpt and cast their own wargame figures.
So, if we get back on the main topic, we see that GW models are 25% to 300% more expensive than equivalent models from other wargame companies. The rules also are Not Cheap™.
That is what leads people to complain about the cost of GW as a hobby.
Jubear wrote:All my hobbies cost more then wargaming.
A new skateboard deck cost bout 120 AUS and you will kill a deck every couple of months (mates who are better then me kill one every 2 weeks)
Anything for my motorbike is going to cost more then anything to do with wargaming (well any go fast parts)
A new video card for my PC is like 250-300 a year plus a whole new rig every 2-3 years.
suddenly 300-400 bucks for a new army dont seem so bad.
How the hell does a skate deck cost $120 AU they are like $50 here in the US? Now with trucks and wheels it can add up, but you don't need new ones of those so often. This entire thread is crazy, you know what GW is cheaper than flying to the moon, that doesn't mean that it's cheap. They charge way too much for their products, for more than is needed to cover expenses, the problem is that they are also paying for their stores, which don't make enough money to pay the rent! Great idea guys.
I remembered when a good computer cost $8000, but a new army was $200. Now a new (much better) computer is $400 and a new army costs you $1000. It's stupid. I play lacrosse a new stick is $100, that will last 1-2 years, new helmet $100, that will last forever, new gloves $60 those will last 4-5 years. Hell I rebuilt a 68 Vespa from the ground up for $500. I'm not sure how you guys are spending money, but it seams very very flippantly. I'd rather put that money in my retirement fund, or kids college fund.
Justifying GW's absurd prices to, well, anything in life, instead of just OTHER war gaming companies?
Well, if we are doing this, toothpicks are like, 500 for a dollar. GW is for rich people in comparison!
I agree. Things are different prices, because they have different values. Some things cost a lot of money but they are bargains, other things cost very little but they are still a rip-off.
I think what bugs me about GW's prices is that I can go onto ebay now and buy a big bag off 100 plastic army men for £2.50. If I go into GW that is how much they charge for 1 plastic army man. Admittedly there is some difference in quality, but not so much that it justifies GW being 10,000% more expensive. This sets alarm bells ringing in my head that I am not getting value for my money.
I know some people will say that it really isn't that much to pay when you consider how many weeks or months a single purchase can keep you busy. I will agree that the hobby can certainly be rewarding. But it is your time and patience and creativity that makes it that way; Games Workshop charging more doesn't make it any more rewarding, all it does is makes them richer and you poorer.
To be honest there has been very little in this tread that I would consider to be a bigger rip than GW. $90 for a Harley badge is a bigger rip than GW... That' about it.
In my own life: I have plenty of hobbies which are much more expensive than miniatures, but none of them make me feel like I'm being ripped off anything like GW does. I think the only other thing in my life that makes me feel that way, is having to pay things like Rent and tax, which are also a colossal rip-off in the city, but what can you do?
Jubear wrote:All my hobbies cost more then wargaming.
A new skateboard deck cost bout 120 AUS and you will kill a deck every couple of months (mates who are better then me kill one every 2 weeks)
Anything for my motorbike is going to cost more then anything to do with wargaming (well any go fast parts)
A new video card for my PC is like 250-300 a year plus a whole new rig every 2-3 years.
suddenly 300-400 bucks for a new army dont seem so bad.
How the hell does a skate deck cost $120 AU they are like $50 here in the US? Now with trucks and wheels it can add up, but you don't need new ones of those so often. This entire thread is crazy, you know what GW is cheaper than flying to the moon, that doesn't mean that it's cheap. They charge way too much for their products, for more than is needed to cover expenses, the problem is that they are also paying for their stores, which don't make enough money to pay the rent! Great idea guys.
I remembered when a good computer cost $8000, but a new army was $200. Now a new (much better) computer is $400 and a new army costs you $1000. It's stupid. I play lacrosse a new stick is $100, that will last 1-2 years, new helmet $100, that will last forever, new gloves $60 those will last 4-5 years. Hell I rebuilt a 68 Vespa from the ground up for $500. I'm not sure how you guys are spending money, but it seams very very flippantly. I'd rather put that money in my retirement fund, or kids college fund.
Dunno mate but I assure you thats we pay in a store maybe 60-80 bucks for a blank but yeah well over a hundred if you want a graphic. And thats not including the 120 bucks plus for a new pair of skate shoes every 2 months =(
Jubear wrote:All my hobbies cost more then wargaming.
A new skateboard deck cost bout 120 AUS and you will kill a deck every couple of months (mates who are better then me kill one every 2 weeks)
Anything for my motorbike is going to cost more then anything to do with wargaming (well any go fast parts)
A new video card for my PC is like 250-300 a year plus a whole new rig every 2-3 years.
suddenly 300-400 bucks for a new army dont seem so bad.
How the hell does a skate deck cost $120 AU they are like $50 here in the US? Now with trucks and wheels it can add up, but you don't need new ones of those so often. This entire thread is crazy, you know what GW is cheaper than flying to the moon, that doesn't mean that it's cheap. They charge way too much for their products, for more than is needed to cover expenses, the problem is that they are also paying for their stores, which don't make enough money to pay the rent! Great idea guys.
I remembered when a good computer cost $8000, but a new army was $200. Now a new (much better) computer is $400 and a new army costs you $1000. It's stupid. I play lacrosse a new stick is $100, that will last 1-2 years, new helmet $100, that will last forever, new gloves $60 those will last 4-5 years. Hell I rebuilt a 68 Vespa from the ground up for $500. I'm not sure how you guys are spending money, but it seams very very flippantly. I'd rather put that money in my retirement fund, or kids college fund.
AU gets boned on prices for pretty much everything. I wouldn't doubt them having to pay 100+ AUDfor a deck. heck in the US last deck i bought was $70 for the deck alone, how long has it been since you bought a board? i remember it was around 40-50 for a non blank around 2000 but now it ccosts abotu that for a blank here in FL
I'd also argue a "good" computer costing $400, maybe a cheapo low end computer which will work for watching youtube and playing facebook games, but if you want to play any measure of games the onyl way to hit under $500 is if you don't include any of the software, monitor, keyboard, mouse etc. possibly even need to be using a case. I should know, I use the same username over at tomshardware.com advising people on building pc's themselves that fit thier needs
kudos on the classic vespa though, I'm more a motorcycle guy, but yea when i see a classic moped or old biek in good shape it is awsome to see somebody either taking care of them or putting in the time to restore em
Compare GW's stuff to virtual products like World of Warcraft. Even though they are ever increasing in price, at the end of the day, you'll still have the models you paid for. If GW closes shop, kills your favorite army, or whatever, you can still enjoy the hobby and even get some games in with friends. Once an online game shuts down, you've pretty much got nothing to show for it.
Isn't the minimum wage in Australia though like $15 an hour? While prices may be higher you guys make more on an average as a country compared to the USA.
$15 an HOUR!!! i am very well paid for an intern and get $13.75! WTF, if this is true, no wonder GW stuff costs more, it costs twice as much because minimum wage is twice as much...
dajobe wrote:$15 an HOUR!!! i am very well paid for an intern and get $13.75! WTF, if this is true, no wonder GW stuff costs more, it costs twice as much because minimum wage is twice as much...
It actually went up to $15.51 an hour. Australia as a nation makes more on average than Americans. They also have both public and private health care, and pretty good educational systems. However, their government censors video games and the Internet. I would love to go to Australia. If any of you are from Australia and need a Systems Administrator and want to hire a yank, PM me, hahahaha.
I thought that Airfix was cheap, at approximately £10 for a infantry box.
Then I realised that the whole kit had about as much plastic in it as 1 GW model,
they were gakky for painting, came with no bits and were useless
Try justifying to yourself a new LEGO set sometime. Pick up that $11-$15 box, and read the piece count, and feel the lack of weight.
I have not actually done a weight comparison, but I have a feeling going by sheer weight of ABS plastic, LEGO costs about the same of a little more than GW.
dajobe wrote:$15 an HOUR!!! i am very well paid for an intern and get $13.75! WTF, if this is true, no wonder GW stuff costs more, it costs twice as much because minimum wage is twice as much...
It actually went up to $15.51 an hour. Australia as a nation makes more on average than Americans. They also have both public and private health care, and pretty good educational systems. However, their government censors video games and the Internet. I would love to go to Australia. If any of you are from Australia and need a Systems Administrator and want to hire a yank, PM me, hahahaha.
dajobe wrote:$15 an HOUR!!! i am very well paid for an intern and get $13.75! WTF, if this is true, no wonder GW stuff costs more, it costs twice as much because minimum wage is twice as much...
It actually went up to $15.51 an hour. Australia as a nation makes more on average than Americans. They also have both public and private health care, and pretty good educational systems. However, their government censors video games and the Internet. I would love to go to Australia. If any of you are from Australia and need a Systems Administrator and want to hire a yank, PM me, hahahaha.
Now that the AUS dollar is equal value of the American dollar it would be a nice time to live in Australia. Plus they got kangaroos!
Equal to your dollar, but we pay two times the amount you'll ever have to for anything and prices are set to go higher on electricity and the likes.
Its actually getting to the point where my family, which is generally well off, has to start tightening its belt a bit to deal with the insane costs.
dajobe wrote:$15 an HOUR!!! i am very well paid for an intern and get $13.75! WTF, if this is true, no wonder GW stuff costs more, it costs twice as much because minimum wage is twice as much...
It actually went up to $15.51 an hour. Australia as a nation makes more on average than Americans. They also have both public and private health care, and pretty good educational systems. However, their government censors video games and the Internet. I would love to go to Australia. If any of you are from Australia and need a Systems Administrator and want to hire a yank, PM me, hahahaha.
Now that the AUS dollar is equal value of the American dollar it would be a nice time to live in Australia. Plus they got kangaroos!
Equal to your dollar, but we pay two times the amount you'll ever have to for anything and prices are set to go higher on electricity and the likes.
Its actually getting to the point where my family, which is generally well off, has to start tightening its belt a bit to deal with the insane costs.
Most families in the USA are raised with cutting costs and "tightening the budget." I remember lots of times when business was bad for my dad, we didn't spend as much and when money was tight with my mom she cooked us a lot of pasta, mac and cheese, and other really cheap to make dishes.
I buy most of my GW stuff off of ebay these days anyway....but still would love to live in Australia for a few years maybe more.
most american families on a tight budget need to take a lesson from college students, who are usually on a tight budget...you can never have enough ramen. now THAT is a lesson in budget management.
dajobe wrote:most american families on a tight budget need to take a lesson from college students, who are usually on a tight budget...you can never have enough ramen. now THAT is a lesson in budget management.
moved out when I was 18 700 miles from home, went to college, worked 30+ hours a week to pay for my downtown apartment (and it was a piece of crap) and went to school full time. I was one of those students that did not live off of student loans, and I am glad I didn't. They are paid off now. Where as some of my friends used their student loans to pay for school and their living situation so they didn't have to work and could just be a full time student.
dajobe wrote:most american families on a tight budget need to take a lesson from college students, who are usually on a tight budget...you can never have enough ramen. now THAT is a lesson in budget management.
moved out when I was 18 700 miles from home, went to college, worked 30+ hours a week to pay for my downtown apartment (and it was a piece of crap) and went to school full time. I was one of those students that did not live off of student loans, and I am glad I didn't. They are paid off now. Where as some of my friends used their student loans to pay for school and their living situation so they didn't have to work and could just be a full time student.
very true, if you do this and eat only ramen, you may have enough money to buy GW products
When I was in college, I didn't have the money to afford GW stuff (and this was in the early nineties, when, apparently, marines grew on trees, and tanks came 3 for $10).
Rather than go online and complain about it, I did my homework and got a job that allows me to afford them now
Redbeard wrote:When I was in college, I didn't have the money to afford GW stuff (and this was in the early nineties, when, apparently, marines grew on trees, and tanks came 3 for $10).
Rather than go online and complain about it, I did my homework and got a job that allows me to afford them now
I didn't start college until the late 90s, but started war gaming in the early 90s. I would spend all summers mowing lawns for $15 to $20 a pop, and save up all my money and then blow it at the gaming store. So I built up the bulk of my armies from 90 to 94 when I lived at home and had no bills, quit war gaming around 95ish and just got back into it last year. My parents never threw out or sold my war minis, and I had complete 40K, Fantasy, Warzone, star wars, and parts of a manowar armies in boxes still.
I remember when a box of plastic marines was $10 and blisters came 2 models for $6. I think tanks were $20.
Sure, but I remember when both gas and milk were under $1/gallon, and when you could buy a decent new car for under $7000. I mean, times change, right?
Redbeard wrote:Sure, but I remember when both gas and milk were under $1/gallon, and when you could buy a decent new car for under $7000. I mean, times change, right?
Yeah they sure do. I remember in high school once gas was 70 cents a gallon! A pack of smokes was $1.20. The saddest part is, that our wages and salaries have not adjusted with inflation. So while the price goes up, our wages don't. Though I cannot complain at the moment, I make a decent wage for what I do, but I had to go through 4 job changes to get where I am.
I think GW markets to middle class kids living at home that have no expenses and probably do odd jobs here and there to make money. Just like the Music industry does with teeny bopper pop stars. They basically take the wallet of every 14 year old.
I really hope some competition comes out. GW will never go down in price as consumer goods never do really go down in price. However, it may cause GW to have sales, or bulk deals, or something of the like to boost their sales against competition.
Actually, I am really looking at starting an Infinity army one of these days. The models are cool, the system looks solid, and the price is decent.
Redbeard wrote:Sure, but I remember when both gas and milk were under $1/gallon, and when you could buy a decent new car for under $7000. I mean, times change, right?
Yeah they sure do. I remember in high school once gas was 70 cents a gallon! A pack of smokes was $1.20. The saddest part is, that our wages and salaries have not adjusted with inflation. So while the price goes up, our wages don't. Though I cannot complain at the moment, I make a decent wage for what I do, but I had to go through 4 job changes to get where I am.
I think GW markets to middle class kids living at home that have no expenses and probably do odd jobs here and there to make money. Just like the Music industry does with teeny bopper pop stars. They basically take the wallet of every 14 year old.
I really hope some competition comes out. GW will never go down in price as consumer goods never do really go down in price. However, it may cause GW to have sales, or bulk deals, or something of the like to boost their sales against competition.
Actually, I am really looking at starting an Infinity army one of these days. The models are cool, the system looks solid, and the price is decent.
wages in the U.S. have skyrocketed... for the top 10% but yea the bottom 90% have due to inflation lost wages, AUS does it better imo too... go figure, they tax the rich and don't do cororate loopholes ... this = sucess
G00fySmiley wrote:wages in the U.S. have skyrocketed... for the top 10% but yea the bottom 90% have due to inflation lost wages
Yeah, that's the real question about US politics. In most recent elections, victory has been decided by popular votes within a couple of percents. You have to figure that means that ~40% of the population are voting for politicians favouring policies that work against their best interests. Are those 40% hoping to someday make it to the top 10%?
O.T. Completely inexpensive hobby - posting on internet forums!
The average household in the USA makes 44k a year. That is household, everyone who earns that lives in the house. I really wish we would work on better living wages because by the time you young ones want to retire you are gonna need a crap ton of money.
Speaking of retirement...it would be cool to maybe run some gaming leagues once I retire. If I am still into war gaming then.
AU gets boned on prices for pretty much everything. I wouldn't doubt them having to pay 100+ AUDfor a deck. heck in the US last deck i bought was $70 for the deck alone, how long has it been since you bought a board? i remember it was around 40-50 for a non blank around 2000 but now it ccosts abotu that for a blank here in FL
I just went to look up Santa Cruz boards, most are still around $50 (some more some less) even cheaper on other sites, what I find interesting is they are remaking all the classic boards from when I started, I used to have a Rob Roskupp and a Street Creep.
I just bought a great computer from a deal site for $285, plays all the latest games, Samsung R580. I5 dual core processor. I somehow ended up with 2 and sold the other on ebay for $380. It may not be an alien ware rig, but it works for me.
wages in the U.S. have skyrocketed... for the top 10% but yea the bottom 90% have due to inflation lost wages, AUS does it better imo too... go figure, they tax the rich and don't do cororate loopholes ... this = sucess
4 years ago I made $13.50/hr plus overtime almost every day. Averaged around $34,000 per year. I worked in an air conditioned room, sitting i a chair most of the time.
Now I make $10/hr...with no air condition and on my feet most of the time.
My wifes pay has dropped as well. Our house lost around 65% of its value.
Sadly there are many in the same situation. Some are even worse.
I buy local nto online, las tbaor i bought in Tallahassee FL was $67 before tax, $67 included griptape. I prett ymuch only skate blind decks though which are a bti mroe i just find they can put up with a bit of a beating before breaking due to the fiber the mix in called texalium , plus they are the only company i know who use an 8 ply deck (most use 5-7) but yes a plain blank wood deck or blank is likely cheaper, i just don't but em, I snap plain wood decks fairly quickly.
ahh you meant laptop ... to me a "computer" defaults in my mind to desktop not laptop (though yes they are computers i just don't like not being able to upgrade so avoid em but know about em and thier hardware since i do fix am as a job). and r58 samsung i don't know options but the specs i see on thier site say i3 ( Intel Core i3-330M ) and an nvidia chipset (Nvidia GeForce 310M ) so not a real graphics card, and shared video memory, comes with 2 gigs, not bad for the price and you'll be able to game at the resolution (1366x768 ) but its not going to be in top settings, and if you hooked it up to a 1080p monitor it wouldn't do so well. still looking at the harware that was a pretty good buy for that price, nice find.
and yea mad4minis i was 5 years ago up in the 50k a year mark, now me and my wife with me working 3 jobs (1 full time 2 part time) might be lucky to combined make 55 . but we're making due
G00fySmiley wrote:I buy local nto online, las tbaor i bought in Tallahassee FL was $67 before tax, $67 included griptape. I prett ymuch only skate blind decks though which are a bti mroe i just find they can put up with a bit of a beating before breaking due to the fiber the mix in called texalium , plus they are the only company i know who use an 8 ply deck (most use 5-7) but yes a plain blank wood deck or blank is likely cheaper, i just don't but em, I snap plain wood decks fairly quickly.
ahh you meant laptop ... to me a "computer" defaults in my mind to desktop not laptop (though yes they are computers i just don't like not being able to upgrade so avoid em but know about em and thier hardware since i do fix am as a job). and r58 samsung i don't know options but the specs i see on thier site say i3 ( Intel Core i3-330M ) and an nvidia chipset (Nvidia GeForce 310M ) so not a real graphics card, and shared video memory, comes with 2 gigs, not bad for the price and you'll be able to game at the resolution (1366x768 ) but its not going to be in top settings, and if you hooked it up to a 1080p monitor it wouldn't do so well. still looking at the harware that was a pretty good buy for that price, nice find.
and yea mad4minis i was 5 years ago up in the 50k a year mark, now me and my wife with me working 3 jobs (1 full time 2 part time) might be lucky to combined make 55 . but we're making due
I got the upgraded model, with the I5 and the graphics card. I can do all my web design work on this, so I consider that good enough.
Murrdox wrote:Man I can't believe the number of people on here who list actual firearms as their other main hobby.
Fortunately I don't see too many nerds at my FLGS packing heat!
Go the range, rent a gun, fire some rounds and see if the gun bug doesn't bite you as well. I also like the fact that I got my .357 (loaded with .38sp +P hollows) handy in case anyone breaks in. I have been broken into before while home and you have no clue what that person has or intends to do. Also, shooting guns is great fun and awesome practice for when the zombies come! I have shot up some of these before and they are fun.
Shooting is a hobby i would like to try but alas our government doesn't trust us.
i used to do archery and getting good bows cost me a fortune , that and the only decent place where i could shoot at the time was a treck away meant the costs really used to add up after a while.
Crom wrote:The average household in the USA makes 44k a year.
I'd kill for a job like that right now. The best I can do is about half that.
Mad4Minis wrote:Now I make $10/hr...with no air condition and on my feet most of the time.
I hear that. In heat like this it's especially rough.
And Jesus Christ that spoiler is ugly, it ruins the car in my opinion. Just looks obnoxious, even though it's probably so fast it actually needs that spoiler to stay on the road. But then again, most people would consider my opinion invalid since I think cars like the Camaro and Mustang look good.
Crom wrote:The average household in the USA makes 44k a year.
I'd kill for a job like that right now. The best I can do is about half that.
So you've got an average job. You just need a wife making the same, and you'll be right on average. Most households are dual-income these days, by necessity, not choice.
Didn't read the entire thread, but here's the breakout of my hobbies.
Gaming.
I don't buy much GW anymore, but I still spend around 30-60 bucks a month on miniature gaming as a whole. However the real figure is much lower because I buy and sell alot of stuff an usually manage to turn a fair profit. Figure 20 bucks a month of out of pocket.
Bass Playing
I've probably got about 4 grand in basses and 2 grand in amps, cabs and accessories. However this also is mitigated by the fact that I've acquired these mostly over 12 years (I've been playing for around 18) That only comes to about 40 bucks a month, further offset by buying and selling gear and the 3 years I was actually making reasonably good money gigging, figure about 20 bucks a month after renting practice space is taken into consideration.
LEGO
I build LEGO and am part of a LEGO train club that does public displays ( www.niltc.org) This is a hobby that I make no effort to recoup by selling anything. Figure an average of about 40 bucks a month. Some months I buy nothing and some months I go mad!
My point is that a hobby only costs as much as you're interested in spending on it. There are some absolutes, if you want a harley or a really high end Bass Guitar or to buy an entire new flavor of the month army right now. Even there however, almost everything can be purchased in smaller sections or on a payment plan. If you're disciplined search for deals and focus in on the hobby that you really like I think that most hobbies are financially vialbe to anyone from lower-middle class on up.
The stumbilng block is that once most of us get interested in a hobby discipline is the first thing to go.
Lastly, a note to Sidstyler,
It's not that hard to find a woman that is smarter and more successfull than you. The real trick is getting her to marry you. Worked for me though, so i can say -with well deserved self-deprication- that there's hope for most everyone!
Crom wrote:The average household in the USA makes 44k a year.
I'd kill for a job like that right now. The best I can do is about half that.
Mad4Minis wrote:Now I make $10/hr...with no air condition and on my feet most of the time.
I hear that. In heat like this it's especially rough.
QFT, the heat in Saint Louis sucks ! thats why i go to school in Wisconsin
Man, I'll take the heat 8 days a week over really, really, cold. I worked on a loading dock ($15/hr) when I got laid off from my job and the dead of winter in Ohio (particularly this past January) is so much worse than the heat, IMO. I'd rather be sweaty than numb for sure.
lol, NEVAR!!! I'd prefer 20 below 0 to 105, i can always put on more clothes, there is only so much that i can take off(legaly). Plus i really like snow sports.
dajobe wrote:lol, NEVAR!!! I'd prefer 20 below 0 to 105, i can always put on more clothes, there is only so much that i can take off(legaly). Plus i really like snow sports.
....and snow sports are expensive! Though just about every sport that isn't running will end up costing you quite a bit.
The cheapest I can find for decent tenor saxophone reeds is $18 for 5 reeds on woodwindbrasswind.com. Saxophones themselves are very pricy, but I buy used. Sure they're scratched up, but they still play nice. One cost saving tip is that certain parts, like screws, will cost an arm and a leg at music stores, but if you take an example screw into a hardware store, you can buy 5 spares for $2.
Also, I just got back from my first taste of scuba. Dear God I want to keep doing this for the rest of my life. Of course, gear is expensive as hell, let alone getting there and renting tanks, guides, ect.
The best snow sports are sledding (cheap and easy) and snoeshowing (can be somewhat expensive, but little maintenance cost).
Fascinating thread. I will point to it in the future when someone tells me something like "GW is a total rip off/totally overpriced".
I do Larp for example. I do it on pretty high kit standard, having spent plenty of money all in all. About 400 Euros for shoes (3 pairs), about 400 Euros for armour (breast plate, arms, chainmailcollar and skullcap), wepaons about 300 (and I was able to get some bargains here, Larp-halberds are damn expensive, I got two + sideweapons), 350 Euro for the tent (a nice cone, will last me many years), about 250 euro for camp equipment (the small stuff like eating knife and spoon in matching leathercases, plates, etc.), plenty of money on cloth (never really counted that) Besides the euipment, the events run between 50 and 150 Euros. I can just affored two to three times a year but it adds up over the years (I larp since 2002).
Some weeks ago I talked to a friend I Larp with who played WH some years ago but quit for time reasons. When we talked about it, the GW is ridiculusly priced-argument came up. When I pointed out what he spends on Larp and how much quality time he gets from that he agreed that WH suddenly didn't look that bad. For me it is all about that. What amount of entertainement I get out of an investment. And WH is still superb in that in comparison to many other hobbies/activities no one complains about. And that is another point. Why shouldn't we compare the indulgement in WH/40k with other hobbies (with videogames the most obvious)? It is what we spend our time with and what we shell out money for after all.
Now it is true that other Wargames are cheaper/have a less erratic behaviour company wise. That is a very good thing as it gives us alternatives. I play a lot Flames of War for example. But I for example restarted playing 40k in 2008 (I didn't like the games system in 3rd/4th Ed.) after a long period of utter dissatisfaction with a lot of gamescompanies (Warzone/Target Games, Confrontation/Rackham, VOR/Fasa, Ronin/whatever their name was). And still, besides Battlefront and Privateer Press (whose games are not my cup of tea) no other company seems reliable enough to me to get my money after all the other failures. Although GW seems to be intent on adding itself to this list (still, less because of the price) and Spartan Games and Mantic seem to be gaining ground reliability wise.
All in all, I would find it hard to take someone serious who tells me that he/she enjoys one of the aforementioned hobbies and then tells me in the same instance that WH/40k are overpriced. I guess different perspectives on the relative value of a good are as always the explanation. That doesn't make it less tedious to deal with this level of subjectivity.
I used to play Magic the Gathering. They come out with new rules and new cards, dwarfing the previous sets. I spent a lot of money constantly keeping up and making new powerful decks to beat my friends, who were doing the same. Despite spending roughly a little over 1000 USD, it pales in comparison to how much I spent on Magic the Gathering. At least Warhammer has better resale price off Ebay.
SabrX wrote:I used to play Magic the Gathering. They come out with new rules and new cards, dwarfing the previous sets. I spent a lot of money constantly keeping up and making new powerful decks to beat my friends, who were doing the same. Despite spending roughly a little over 1000 USD, it pales in comparison to how much I spent on Magic the Gathering. At least Warhammer has better resale price off Ebay.
And not only that, but also take into consideration that the economics of TCGs are absolutely terrible.
"Oh, you invested $xxx into a playset of the current hotness just two weeks ago? Well guess what, it just dropped halfway in value because it got banned/no longer tops/is not currently being played/etc. Have fun with your cardboard!"
I know when I'm snorting blow off a call girl's hip bone---while sun bathing on my yacht, I always think "Man that box of space marines really isn't over priced..."
Seriously, the only apt comparison is v. other miniature table top game options. You could even break it down into;
--Construction/painting/converting fun
--Length of games
--Ability to manipulate and change your force via limited purchasing
etc.
Comparing GW specifically v. other hobbies is misplaced--as it assumes the GW is the only tabletop miniature option/manufacturer.
Kilkrazy wrote:So, if we get back on the main topic, we see that GW models are 25% to 300% more expensive than equivalent models from other wargame companies. The rules also are Not Cheap™
I don't see that there is that big a price discrepancy. There are some mini ranges that are cheaper but there are others that are similar or more expensive.
From the BoLS article on gaming cost:
Orks - $548 for 80 infantry and 7 vehicles
Legion - $193 for 26 infantry and 1 vehicle
The Orks cost 2.5x as much but you get significantly more than 2.5x as much stuff.
Kilkrazy wrote:So, if we get back on the main topic, we see that GW models are 25% to 300% more expensive than equivalent models from other wargame companies. The rules also are Not Cheap™
I don't see that there is that big a price discrepancy. There are some mini ranges that are cheaper but there are others that are similar or more expensive.
From the BoLS article on gaming cost:
Orks - $548 for 80 infantry and 7 vehicles
Legion - $193 for 26 infantry and 1 vehicle
The Orks cost 2.5x as much but you get significantly more than 2.5x as much stuff.
You can't do single numbers--as many models in WM live much longer than their 40k counterparts. You can line up 7 vehicles and 80 infantry first turn---and lose 1/2 of your vehicles and portions of units. I haven't seen a first round 'Lost a significant chunk of your army' moment in WM.
150 bucks gives you a pretty good 35 point force (which 'feels' like a sub 1850 game of 40k to me). Upgrade to 50 for another 50 bucks with Strangewayes, Stormclad and UA (Which 'feels' like a 1850ish+ game to me). So 200 bucks gives you a pretty good 50 point force (Which seems to be the Steamroller format---35 or 50).
Exactly Scott-S6, on a per-model basis, GW prices are not out-of-line with the rest of the miniature industry. There are cheaper lines, there are more expensive lines, and that's how it goes.
The complaint most have doesn't seem to revolve around that reality though. People say Warmachine is cheaper, not because Warmachine models cost less, but because, as a game, you need fewer of them in order to play.
With that in mind, the start-up cost for Warmachine is cheaper than that for 40k or Fantasy. That's one of the biggest problems with GWs stuff right now - there is no intro-priced system that leads into the full 2000-3000 points games.
What's worse is that GWs hamfisted approaches to doing just this have consistently failed because rather than write a separate set of rules just for small-scale skirmishes, they keep trying to retrofit existing rules and codexes for this purposes. Consider Combat Patrol, or Kill Team. Why didn't they ever accomplish much?
1) They required you to buy the whole $75 rulebook, because the rulebook that comes with the starter set omits those rules.
2) They're horribly unbalanced. Kill-team isn't an even skirmish game, one side has models that move randomly for half the game, while the other side gets special buffs. And so much is dependent on the initiative stat, that low-int armies have a really hard time playing defender, while high int armies get quite a big boost. Combat Patrol is worse. With it's seemingly random restrictions (no 2+ save, no 3-wound models, no AV over a certain total), you end up with a situation where a guard army can field a full-blown mech line, with an HQ and multiple scoring units, while Eldar, for example, are unable to take an HQ at all, and have no transports that are allowed. That's fair...
It'd be nice to see a real intro game that doesn't rely on a $100 investment in rulebooks, one that starts to teach some of the mechanics of the full games, but that plays by itself, and is balanced with itself.
---
As for the value of time enjoying a hobby, I posted something about this in another thread before. Compare going to a movie with buying a box of marines. The movie would be over before I even had the marines assembled. I'd spend several more hours enjoying painting my marines. When I was done, I'd be able to sell my marines, for more than I paid for them, on eBay. Your mileage may vary on those last two points. People who view assembling and painting their models are not going to get the full value return on their purchase as those who do. If you think filing mold lines, drilling bolter barrels, and painting unit insignia are a waste of time and a chore, you're viewing these things as negatives, whereas someone who enjoys these aspects of the hobby sees them as a positive.
The value of any hobby is in the enjoyment you get from it. I can burn gasoline riding my motorcycle for $5/hour, if I choose. It's fun, but I have nothing to show for it after the fact. Is that a better or worse hobby than painting toy soldiers?
Redbeard wrote:Exactly Scott-S6, on a per-model basis, GW prices are not out-of-line with the rest of the miniature industry. There are cheaper lines, there are more expensive lines, and that's how it goes.
The complaint most have doesn't seem to revolve around that reality though. People say Warmachine is cheaper, not because Warmachine models cost less, but because, as a game, you need fewer of them in order to play.
I agree that the buy-in for 40K is higher than WM but the common statement that GW minis are expensive doesn't hold up. Especially when one of the most popular alternatives has figures priced substantially higher. Yet we have kilkrazy claiming that GW minis are 25-300% more expensive.
streamdragon wrote:Oh, I forgot. Every thread has to be super serious and can't just be a light hearted question about what other expensive hobbies you have. Good thing you folks were here to drag down the fun!
On topic: Magic the Gathering. I don't want to think about how much money I sunk into that game. What's even worse, is to think about how much I spent on Magic the Gathering: Online! Virtual cards, sounds like a bargain! -_-
Yeah magic the gathering does cost a few.
my main money drain is: £1000 mandola and a £1200 drum kit + festivals( £200 a time at least and i did four last year...)
Airsoft/hardball is also pretty expensive. You need a LOT of gear to really get going, and the weapons constantly require maintenance, gas and bullets. Sometimes they outright break, and you have to get them to a mechanic to be fixed for a hefty sum or buy a new weapon altogether. Club memberships costs money, and you also need to pay to rent places to go and shoot unless you have a good location already. I never really got into the hobby properly because the cost was too high compared to the time you actually spent in the field shooting at eachother. I know that fishing can be very expensive if you want all the proper gear to catch every kind of fish out there.
Some buddies of mine also spend a lot of money to go out drinking and clubbing. I know this isn't a hobby, but it is what they do most of their thursday/friday/saturday evenings. My guess that they spend most of the money they earn, somtimes up to 1000DKK (roughly 190$/120£) during a single night of clubbing! I think that is too expensive, but sometimes I go with them if I have nothing else to do.
. Not to mention the amound of gear i traded just to keep myself sane 
I've got Iraq, Singapore and Hawaii as gifts, but I've ridden to Death Valley, Vegas, New Orleans and Yellowstone.
