So I recently received a windfall around $1000 US and I'm trying to think of neat things to do with it.
I have a couple of open 40k projects at the moment, 1 of which is almost finished and I'm looking around for ideas of what I can do with this money I earned.
I would probably dump around $500 of it on gaming boards, materials, tools and general terrian to play on. Something I'm currently lacking(gaming boards), due to pet related bodliy functions and inquisitive accidents.
The rest would to be buff out/complete my 3 armies. Anything left over would go back into terrian or some cheap extra tables to put books/beers/snacks on etc.
But fantasy aside, it would probably be spent on paying bills and gak. :(
But more helpfully (assuming you don't just dump it all into your current 40K armies)..
Any local gaming clubs you quite fancied joining but never thought the fees were affordable ? pay for 3/6/12 months enough time to get a feel if you like it and if you do the chance for more and varied gaming
Any other systems played locally that you've been interested in, you could pick up a decent skirmish force for many of them for a lot less than you have
Decent tools/brushes setup if you enjoy that aspect of the hobby, it's amazing how much easier and more fun painting & assembly can be with high quality brushes/tools
Maybe an airbrush (a proper one, not GW) really usefull if you paint vehicals or big models regularly... not so good if you just do 'human sized' stuff. Iwatta make great air brushes (expensive though).... try and get demos from an art shop or anybody you know with one, they're not for everybody
If you've got space (and play at home) a decent table either a solid one you can have up all the time, or a well made fold away
Boardgames.... with minis, there are a lot around, some of them are really fun (and may help pull friends not interested in 40K into gaming) check some of them out, great for when there are 3 or 5 of you but time/space for only one game
Kickstarter.... Lots of interesting projects delivering stuff in the (far) future. THIS IS NOT A STORE, in theory you could loose your money and get nothing (I've backed a project where this looks likely) and stuff will be late, but that said it can be fun and nothing beats the feeling of a huge box of great new stuff coming through the door. Don't spend it all here, but 10-20% why not!
I'd make a sweet ass display board, probably with a large fish tank, and fill it with themed scenery, set it up with good lighting and buy some shelf or something to put it on.
Do I need it? Not really. Would mine and my girlfriends plans on moving in together benefit from it? Not likely. But if I got free money, would I make it happen? Hell yes!
I'm in a similar situation. I sold my old M:tG cards and got a LOT of store credit at my FLGS.
It let me re-boot my old 2nd army, Eldar, when their new codex released.
I picked up the apocalypse rules/templates, and the extras to boost my army to fit into a couple of the formations.
Now that my primary army has been updated (Ultramarines) I got some of the new shiny things, as well as some older stuff I needed to round out my collection.
Next on the list is to get some custom foam to drag (most) everything around in. I specced some out earlier this sumer, but was waiting until I saw the changes to pull the trigger. It was always something I wanted, but if my hobby-dollar could go towards foam or more minis, I traditionally sided with more minis. Hand packing stuff in scraps of old foam gets old quick though.
My P&M blog is basically what I'm doing with my windfall, plus a few odds and ends of other projects.
Buy intercontinental ballistic flying monkeys to attack anyone using "hella".
With the remaining $950 I would blow it on FW stuff, basically anything out of the ordinary that you would usually sit there and gawp at but your brain says "Yeah right, like you can afford that douchebag".
I've sorta done that, for the last two years I have put money aside to spurge at the FW stand at Salute and end up with about £500 each year.
I now have some boxes of some really fancy models along side the boxes of normal models. Money can't buy you time to build stuff!
Do what you want/need to move you to the next level. If you need to finish up x number of points to field your dream army. Load it up! If you want to improve your painting/converting skills, then pick up paints/tools/airbrushes, etc.... For me, I'm more painting oriented in this hobby and don't paint much at all. I'd love to pick up the entire line of Reaper Master Series pants, but that'll eat the whole amount. So, I'd pick up an airbrush, probably limit myself to about $200ish on it. Just entry level for basecoats and zenithal highlighting on main color. I'd then probably pick up the Vallejo Game Color suitcase, finish picking up the last 1/3 of the P3 paint line, oh and get those Badger paints for the airbrush. If anything is left, buy a weekend trip for me an my wife, and get her something nice. Maybe I should do that first, then get the Vallejo colors, P3 paints, (so I can have plenty of colors....I just paint things I like. IF termies here, SDE there, anything that catches my fancy.) Then see if I can pick up the airbrush and Badger paints. This was fun.
If you are feeling industrious and charitable you could find 99 or so other people with $1,000 and team up to produce cheap sci fi plastics. You know that we all would really like sci fi figures for a buck a piece.
Wow. I feel really weird because there are at least 20 things I could sink $1000 into that would be more important than gaming, which makes me a little sad to be honest...
(I'm not ragging on you by the way, I'm just really not used to having large sums of entirely disposable money sitting around).
However, if I did have that kind of money:
A board for Bushido.
A board for Infinity.
Super Dungeon Explore + Expansions (because I LOVE the minis)
Sink the rest into either a necron force or more orks!
I'd buy a titan and pay someone to build it for me. I'd still like the 'honor' of painting it.
Leigen_Zero wrote: Wow. I feel really weird because there are at least 20 things I could sink $1000 into that would be more important than gaming, which makes me a little sad to be honest...
I'm the same way, but in all honesty the unexpected windfall wouldn't really help me out with my 'more important' things really. I mean I could pay off my car sooner, but that'd be 3 months sooner...
Probably just have someone finish painting my deldar for me...I don't think I'll ever get around to it.
Or buy more prebuilt terrain. I've been getting lazy lately.
I've got literally thousands of models and tonnes of scenery in various states, some completed some on sprue etc.
I'd pay someone to strip/catalogue alot of my old vintage metals either so that they are saleable or I can just get on and paint them....someday.
i'd then spend what's left on well organised racking/cases/cabinets (even for the unpainted stuff).
ivangterrace wrote: So I recently received a windfall around $1000 US and I'm trying to think of neat things to do with it.
I have a couple of open 40k projects at the moment, 1 of which is almost finished and I'm looking around for ideas of what I can do with this money I earned.
What would you do with 1000 dollars/pounds/euros?
As usual with large chunks of cash (that are dedicated to hobby/entertainment/personal expenditures, mind) I would spend it on something that one needs a large amount of cash at one time for. For example: pledging at an exclusive level to a kickstarter you are very excited about, purchasing a new fully detailed game board, getting an expensive tool such as a swanky airbrush setup, completely overhauling your hobby workspace, and so forth.
Another thing that I tend to do in such circumstances is start a brand new ambitious project. A very sizable percentage of my income comes in the form of a yearly bonus, and I always reserve a percentage of that bonus just for me, no questions asked (that's right Liz, no stink eye). Consequently, I am in a similar situation every year. Apart from things like the above, I like to use the funds to start something new. Not a new army, but usually an entirely new game that requires a ton of stuff that I don't already have.
This year I started my Wild West Fantasy miniatures campaign, having no western models and no western terrain. It all started from scratch in January. Sometimes I buy into a game or miniatures range whole hog, and get enough models and material for multiple people to play. So, if you think Dreadball would be awesome, for example, but don't know anyone who plays in your area, you can haul off and get the whole darn thing. Get all of the teams, a couple of sweet game boards, and whatever else one needs for Dreadball (I don't really know this is just an example). Now you can run a league that folks can play in without having to invest anything, which raises your chances of playing Dreadball regularly exponentially.
*Get a lot of the cool terrain out there that I 'like' but is not 'needed'. Even cheap terrain, when you want to buy a bunch can cost a few 100$
*Get army packing/transportation for my entire collection. Probably KR multicase stuff so I could pack and store everything if needed. Right now I can transport a large chunk but I can't pack everything. I would want to get enough custom foam to handle my entire army, future growth and all my board games.
*Consider backing a KS or possibly starting one, or even just doing some garage kits on my own. If I could blow 1000$ bucks, I could get some large quantity of resin and moldmaking, make some really nice reusable mold boxes and play around with casting some stuff I made. Kinda grow myself from the 50$ DIY kit to the next level.
*Get a quality airbrush setup
*Give Kromlech a pile of money for ork stuff.
*Maybe buy a higher backer level for a KS and get some custom figures made by buying in large enough.
1000 is my budget every year on Wargames. I sell off the army from last year and start a new one. Or keep last years and slowy build a new one with the money. I put it away and even though i have enough to buy every thing at once. I slowy pick things up so the x-mas feeling last a good amount of time.
I would split it in half.
Half wargaming, half for other things/saving for a rainy day.
The half for wargaming though would be used to do something big. I have a problem finishing projects and I would likely use this as an opportunity to commission someone for painting a force for Infinity to a good standard and have some conversion work done.
I'd probably spend some to buff up my Chaos Space Marine army to apocalypse levels and some on modeling materials and business cards for my commission business I'm planning.
The thing is unless to do a planned project it can actually be quite hard to spend a ton cash on gaming in my experience.
As I say I've hit Salute a few times with the thought of splurging big time with spare money but common sense kicks in after a bit (about the second trip back to the car!) and do wonder what the hell your doing.
Buy $1000 worth of Sisters split between GW and FW (Those Repressors look so cool. I mean how many armies can honestly field what are essentially Predator Transports?).
I would have taken the 1000 bucks, walk into a GW store, look through their inventory while flashing the money and let the staffers drool over it for a bit, until I say "Nah, I don't think I will" and leave the store.
12 month return is 28% in price and a so while past performance does not equal future results it is better than flushing it down the rat hole of plastic crack (unless you already have a substancial portfolio and emergency fund... if that is the case spend away).
Bank 1/2 then spend the rest like this
200 for supplies to build more terrain (I like wide and varied terrain)
then 300 to either beef a current army or build a small allied army
$1000 for wargaming... I would buy a couple cool character models, more paint, some brushes, maybe get character models commission painted along with a couple of my personally preferred squads, buy a couple vehicle models and possibly get them commissioned. Oh yeah, maybe get a couple squads of Legion of the Damned painted up real wicked like. I would definitely spend all of the money and enjoy everything that I bought, hopefully you do the same. ~Semper Fortis~
Since I have more unpainted figs than I could reasonably get to in the next few years, I'd blow a chunk on my office displays. Some mroe glass cases, acrylic risers, lighting and additional storage/transport for what I have. Alternately, commission and design a mini to be sculpted (a Planescape modron probably). The odd unit box can always be squeezed in one at a time, but something requring a decent chunk of change is a bit more work.
I don't think there is anything I could do with $1000 for my hobby-related goals.
They are generally on holdup due to a lack of time/commitment more than anything financial related.
Maybe for $1k if I absolutely had to spend it on hobby-stuff I could get a good sculptor to make me a 100% original mini of my design? That's usually around $1k (give or take) on various kickstarters.
I'd have Frontline Gaming paint my Red Hunters army... just can't seem to get up the motivation/time to start on it. Then my entire collection would be fully painted.
Well, I actually did have a similar situation, and I bought a new GK army with it.
If it was just a cold $1000 though? I'd probably save it at this point. Certainly consider NOT spending it on 40k and re-evaluating my financial situation before acting on anything.
daedalus wrote: Well, I actually did have a similar situation, and I bought a new GK army with it.
If it was just a cold $1000 though? I'd probably save it at this point. Certainly consider NOT spending it on 40k and re-evaluating my financial situation before acting on anything.
I realize that's much more boring though.
I actually got 3k total so I put 1k on my car, 1k in savings, then 1k to mess around with. I'm single and in the military so my only bills are car, car insurance, internet, and cell phone.
I do keep a rotating wishlist. I buy lots of things from Forge World and other places of that nature, but there are other things they make that I can't bring myself to buy because they are simultaneously "relatively expensive to how much I want them" AND "I cannot easily fit them into any of my armies" - I can justify things from one or the other category, but not both.
If I were in your position, I'd buy some of the things on the list. My wishlist of things that are in both categories in are:
Use it to pay rent on somewhere so I can get a even-localer FLGS going, and buying some boards for said FLGS.
Then I'd probably get a few more Nid things, then a Dark Eldar and Vampire Counts army. Oh, and I'd set some aside for entering Armies on Parade next year.
Extra $1000? Sadly, student loans. Pay off 1/15th of my Sallie Mae in one shot.
Of course, if we're talking gaming, I need another 6 Mantic ogres, 3 blasters, and we still have two upcoming Mantic Kickstarters (2nd KoW I hear, and Warpath). $475 each sounds fair.
Obligatory "I wouldn't spend it all on the hobby, save at least half of it, rainy-day-o-gak fund".
*ahem* With that out of the way... with 1 grand, assuming guilt free spending, on the hobby.
I'd probably finish up my Grey Knights and Tau. Land Raider. Storm Raven. Riptide. Dreadknight. Few boxes of power armor knights for grey knights. Inquisitorial retinue maybe.
That's a good chunk of change right there, That's probably 400 plus bucks right there.
After that i'd probably work on a Chaos Space marine / Fallen project i have in mind.
space wolves codex
3 thunderwolf cav
6 drop pods
6 Gh squads
10scouts in rhino
40K book
canis wolfsbane?
wolf guard
razorback wiv 5 long fangs and rune priest
razorback wiv 5 long fangs
2 vindicators
A 6x4 trestle table and some ruins. Then some more Noise Marines and Huron Blackheart. Then two Heldrakes *ducks*. Whatever pittance was left would go towards my IG.
I'd probably commission for the remainder of my guard army to be painted to match the rest as I simply don't have time to do that right now.
Then I'd buy some terrain and Dark Angel models for my girl
Anything left over would go toward my Tau
A 2nd faction for all my games, maybe 1 super heavy for both my 40k armies, and then build a table. With excellent terrain. Think I need free money before I start spending on terrain rather than models.
A windfall I'd spend on something big like a Reaver and an airbrush to go with it. You can always by the little things a little at a tie, but big things take saving up and saving up ~$1000 is hard for a lot of people.
Me I'd spend it on a ton of Ork stuff this month as that's what I've dedicated this month's hobby budget on.
I suppose that would net me about half a GW army nowadays!
Depends on your definition of a "GW army". 22.000 points of Blood Angels?
Kirasu is more correct than you think...
Totalling up in GW US prices for $1000, with relatively few wasted models and limited part swapping... A roughly 2000 point Imperial Guard army.
$33 Codex: Imperial Guard
$480 Imperial Guard Battleforce X 4
$149.00 Imperial Guard Chimeras x 4
$10.75 Guard Company Commander
$26.50 Guard Commissar x 2
$148.50 Guard Heavy Support Tanks x 3 (artillery or Russ, you pick)
$17.25 Imperial Guard Regimental Advisors
$132.00 Imperial Guard Valkyrie
This will get you an Imperial Guard 2000(ish) point army with.
1 Company Command Squad in a Chimera
2 Platoon Command Squads in Chimeras
8 Imperial Guard Infantry Squads with suitable heavy and special weapons
2-3 Veteran Squads (using Heavy Weapons team bits and part swapping). 2 in Chimeras, 1 in Valkyrie.
A sentinel squadron
3 heavy support choices
$1000 really does NOT stretch far when you play an Imperial Guard army.
I'd honestly put most of it in the bank for safe keeping. I'd probably splurge a bit on something I wouldn't normally be able to afford but I'd want to put most of the money away some were.
X Wing: Doesn't require painting and gameplay is good. $180 of whatever looks good + $20 for a good black table cover.
MTG: Set of one of each common from recent releases, some lands and some good sleeves. A pauper draft cube that can provide hours of fun for up to 8 players at once. $75 with good card sleeves.
Terrain: $100 for a larger zuzzy mat after shipping. $200 in resin and plastic terrain pieces and trees.
Hobby: Gravity fed airbrush (likely a Badger), Compressor and a few set of Vallejo Model Air paints. $325
Reaper Bones 2 Kickstarter starting in a couple of days: $200 of miniatures.for fantasy skirmish gaming.
Go nuts buying from Sarissa Precision, Blind Pig and Warmill to have enought to make some super dense city. 2-3 megacity elevated street sets and 2-3 non-elevated sets from Warmill. Apartments from Blind Pig, lots of them. Random bits from Sarissa Precision like the Warehouse and Warehouse storage, water tanks, etc. Then random flavour buildings from Warmill - one of each of the Foodbooths, one of each of the ORB buildings, a couple of waste management buildings, and the Medical Facility.
A hard plastic/resin game board. Basically the Realm of battle set and the FW urban expansion for it. Or any suitable alternatives, but definitely terrain or terrain like investments for me.
Seeing as I have just started up Battletech, I would probably buy all the rules, Make a WOB Combined Arms Battalion, and then buy a lot of paint, glues, brushes, and if I can find it for a somewhat reasonable amount of money, more Heroscape terrain.
If I had that kind of money, I would finish my eldar/chaos marines/ogres and with the rest, buy a army of the new dark elves I have always wanted and pay someone to paint it!
Tau crisis suit commander NIB SM vindicator assembled and unprimed
Predator NIB 5 tactical terminators, 1 w/ cyclone missile launcher
That cost me around $150ish
I tried ordering $275 of new Space marine kits from frontline gaming but they like to not ship the stuff I buy from them or respond to my inquiries in a timely manner, so I have filed a paypal claim (it's been 20+ days since I ordered from you, not having my stuff by now is not acceptable).
At my hobby shop I bought:
1 box of new tactical marines
1 set of 40k magic power cards
3 pots of paint
2 brushes.
I basically have spent $500 of my $1k but I'm getting $275 back from paypal so I've only spent $225.
I'm so bad at 40k I can't even get the stuff I buy. ugh.
I would; get a sheetload of brushes, an airbrush, a gameboard, A titan (cuz apoc), The Apoc book (cuz titan), IA something, some battlefoam (my minis are covered in layers of varnish but I think they are wispering for me to stop brutaly hauling them around), some tau (starting tau anyway), some eldar (they have some amazazazing models), some dark angels (cuz allies), some scenery, 3 land speeder storms, Convert a ROB tile (its funny cuz the acronym for realm of battle is rob) into a display for my spehhs mehreens, But all of this wouldn't fit into 1k so I would clip the odd expense here and there. But it would be great.
1. Get a Raven Guard Thunderhawk.
2. Get 3 Land Speeder Tempests.
3. Get another 4 drop pods to add to my current 2, and get 6 Tactical squads to fill them.
4. Get several squadrons of Imperial Guard tanks, Leman Russ's, Chimeras, Baneblades, TItans etc.
...
Then get several squads of these guys from Victoria Miniatures.
And voila! A Mordian Iron Guard regiment with heavy armour support to ally with my Raven Guard.
I might also get a couple squads of Adepta Sororitas / Sisters of Battle just for fluff and narrative reasons, as an allied detachment representing the Inquisition.
I would spend it at my local hobby shop. To be specific I would get a my new army of Cadians purchased, maybe 2 maxed platoons worth of Infantry, Chimeras for all units. that would probably kill the $1000...
Automatically Appended Next Post: Nevermind, I'd drive to GWHQ in Memphis and buy a Thunderhawk for my BA's... what was I thinking earlier?
