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With the just released info about upcoming GW codexes, I have already seen a lot of complaints about having to buy books twice, about expensive character models etc. And yet it seems that it is those who are complaining are spending the most money.
Gaming especially of the GW variety is an expensive hobby but there do seem to be ways of minimising that expense and saving a lot of frustration.
Why buy all 5 index books when you can buy just one and the free core rules? You can then try out a few games of 8th to see if you like it before spending more money. Why buy an expensive character model now when GW has a recent track record of bundling them up for cheaper down the line? Or better yet go on eBay and hunt for bargains.

For me, I rarely buy any release new. I tend to wait and see what bundles come later and also if there are any problems with the released product like the errors in the forgeworld index books.

So how do manage your spending when it comes to this hobby?

The thing I find funny is the people complaining most about book prices are those with like 5 armies.

Not that I always stick to it if you want to be price conscious

1.) Own only a single faction (less books to buy, fewer updates needed at edition change, more resilience to change)
2.) Only buy new models when you have assembled and painted what you already own.
3.) Buy things second hand
4.) Use your Bits, many kits come with a whole bunch of extras (heads, arms, sometimes torsos), if you buy a few bits here and there you can turn a box of 5 models into a box of 10 in some cases, for less than the cost of a second box.

Managing spending is mostly just avoiding the temptation to start new armies and finish painting what I have. 40K is a large part of my hobby time, but a quite small part of my budget. I'm still playing with the Tactical Marines from the 3rd ed. box and have more armies than I have time to regularly play anyway.

I'm collecting some Primaris now - but they're really quite cheap (2 box halves is around 1500 points, and once those are painted I'll add a Dread, Libby and support unit to reach 2000).

Chikout wrote:
With the just released info about upcoming GW codexes, I have already seen a lot of complaints about having to buy books twice, about expensive character models etc. And yet it seems that it is those who are complaining are spending the most money.

Is there any sort of citation for this?

I do and I don't. (One of these years I'll give a straight answer).

Do I want this?
Am I prepared to pay list for it?
Am I prepared to pay list - 20%?
Ebay with fixed bid and don't look until auction closes.

Different items will progress further down the list than others. The Primaris characters are very nice. I'd like them, but not at £22.50. The interim indexes at £15 apiece aren't too extortionate, but I have many armies, so £75 as a single chunk that I KNOW will need replacing sooner or later is a hard sell, but a successful one.

Your mileage may vary.

Lastly, while GW is expensive, it's still, for me, mostly good value. I'm still playing with my 3rd edition starter set figures.

Play Orks.

Very carefully

Back in the day, I would pick up models without much thought given aside from how they looked, and I studied every Codex that came out. But once 7th Edition hit, I lost some interest, and other things began to take up my time and money. Nowadays, I have a family that takes up my time and money, and my job requires a real long commute, so my days are basically shot by the time I get home. Compound onto that some familial issues that are emotionally draining, and I just can't hardly participate in the hobby anymore.

Here lately, I plan out my shopping for models to ridiculous amounts. I look at the points-per-dollar of the kits, determining what my color schemes will be before getting a single model, or looking at how that model or unit will affect my army. Then I do shopping for bargains and determine how to source my models; I used to always only ever buy new from my local shops if the kit wasn't OOP, but in the past couple months, I have made trades or sold off some of my own models which I thought I would never do.

As it stands, I pretty much haven't bought models for the past few months. I have literally hundreds of models to get painted up for my various 40K and Fantasy and AoS armies, plus my Reaper Bones 3 Kickstarter order finally came in, increasing my model count by addiitonal hundreds on top of my neglected Space Marines, Space Wolves, Guardsmen, Lizardmen, Orks, Necrons, Imperial Knights, Custodes, Chaos Warriors, or other random kits I have accumulated over the years. Right now, I am saving up what I get from selling off models to put towards the new 40K 8th Edition Starter Set. With any luck, I might be able to grab it in the coming months, but it will probably be my last major army purchase until I get some projects finished up.

Anymore, it's a matter of not wasting money on something I don't have time for these days. I can't justify myself getting new models when I have so many left to be painted. So aside from the Dark Imperium set, I am not planning on getting more models until I finish what I've got.

Well, to be honest.... i started doing a lot of the work myself.

That meant making rules for games I wanted to play, making models for them, making terrain for them etc. I started making a lot of stuff myself.

Then, when I start a game or are platesting, i slmost always use paper templates.

https://bloodandspectacles.blogspot.com/2016/12/wargaming-on-budget-paper-templates.html

I found out someone on The Grand Alliance made a PDF for renown points for the whole range of non-huge models. So the primary way to manage price is to play smaller games like Skirmish.

For 40k, it's INQ28 type gaming. I've also found some people on facebook who say 40k is so close to Age of Sigmar now that you could use the Skirmish rules with it with some tweaks. Looking at the rules, I think they are right. Similarly there is Shadow War Armageddon and all the fan curated Inquisimunda living rulebooks out there.

The other thing I do is build from bits. The new Primaris Captain is $45 CAD, but I can grab a Primaris Ancient and some space marine veteran parts off an ebay bits seller and have my own captain for $15 or less after shipping.

The next thing is to not buy more until you are painting your last purchase. Have only one thing in your painting que.

Add terrain making into your hobby and build from scratch. Most everything you need can be had from a decent dollar store or pound shop type place. Youtube has loads of videos about this.

Avoid the cult of the new. From the Codex FAQ on warhammer community:

"What’s the difference between a codex and an index book?
The indexes let you play with your Warhammer 40,000 army until the codex for your faction is released. The idea being that the rules for units in codexes eventually supersede the rules for them presented in the index books."

Actually my Index Imperium 1 will continue to work fine after Codex: Space Marines comes out. Especially if I'm already taking ownership of my gaming and using something like the 8th edition Skirmish Rules people in the Inquisimunda community have cooked up.

Some of my fondest GW gaming memories are from when 40k and WHFB didn't have army books yet. 2nd edition little black book. 6th edition WHFB with Ravening Hordes army lists. The original trilogy of Lord of The Rings with everything in each rulebook.

So far Age of Sigmar without any battletomes has been great.

I don't really do the gaming with strangers thing, but the times I have done pick up games with strangers and pulled out Ravening Hordes, they were like "Isn't there an army book for that?" and I was like "Yeah, I keep spending my hobby money on miniatures. You okay if I just use this?" and never had anyone say no. It takes a particular type of stickler to what's proper to say no to that and that also can serve as a warning sign about whether or not you've found a compatible player.

Also from the Codex FAQ:

"Can I choose to use the rules and/or points for units from my index instead of the new ones in the codex once released?
In your own games, if you and your opponent agree, you can, of course, play with whatever rules you like."

Exactly. And I will. I've always thought this model where each player brings half the pieces to a board game and hopes it works out because everything is "official" is not optimal anyway. Maybe it's just that I've never really been reliant on gaming with strangers, but even when I have, talking to other humans seems to solve any issue with games (even if the solution is realizing you're not compatible with them).

--

1/72 homemade conversions, papercraft vehicles and scenery made from stuff fished out of the recycling bin. You might be surprised.. https://skinflintgames.wordpress.com/cheaphammer/

A few things I have done or seen done

1) Use the free printed 8-page rules or the PDF download from Games Workshop instead of buying the full rules.

2) Club purchase of the indexes and/or army builder software for listmaking. Almost all modern list builders have the full stats nowadays. It also looks like new/refurbished kits will come with their 8E rules enclosed - a fantastic reason to start a Primaris army from scratch, for example.

3) Proxy non-GW minis and/or kitbash. I've even seen some amazing papercraft models that you couldn't tell from plastic models until you picked them up. IG can be built with cheaper WW2 (or modern/future) plastics or metals. Many other companies make some terrific, cheaper minis that can be subbed in as alternate takes on 40K asthetics.




Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also:

4) If you are going to buy GW, buy used. They're generally already assembled and its not hard to find models that are decently painted as well - for cheaper than new.

 frozenwastes wrote:

So far Age of Sigmar without any battletomes has been great.

I bought the AoS starter box when it first came out, the General's Handbook when it showed up a year later, and now the Skirmish book for all of $10. I could just as well skip the GHB now and be just as happy, since Skirmish is mostly all I do anyway. I'm enjoying it a lot more without the overhead.

Chikout wrote:

Why buy all 5 index books when you can buy just one and the free core rules?

Because then you only have an incomplete set of rules, which makes it considerably harder to play the game unless you're always using the same army and playing against the same opponents.



I'm in the lucky situation of having bought an awful lot of models back when I could afford it, so by the time prices got to a point where the appeal of the models stopped being sufficient to over-ride the sticker shock, I didn't really need to buy much. The bigger issue was the rules... From 2nd ed through to the start of 6th ed, I bought every single book GW published. When they switched to the ridiculously expensive hardcover codexes, I switched to just buying the codexes I could find on ridiculous specials or 2nd hand at a price I was willing to pay.

The problem with that approach is that the further behind I got with the rules, the less interest I had in playing. For me, not having the faintest idea what the models on the other side of the table can do removes a very large chunk of the enjoyment of the game. So to answer the original question, I 'navigated' GW's prices by just stopping playing 40K through the second half of 6th edition and gave 7th edition a miss entirely.


Jury's still out on 8th edition, but if they're really going down the road they look to be going with the codexes, there's no way I'll be able to keep up, so will probably wind up sitting this one out also.

 insaniak wrote:


Jury's still out on 8th edition, but if they're really going down the road they look to be going with the codexes, there's no way I'll be able to keep up, so will probably wind up sitting this one out also.

Don't forget your Chapter Approved book in December!

One of the best ways to pick up models is secondhand. eBay and sites like Bartertown (and even Dakka's own Swap-Shop) are a great way to get models for less than retail price. Additionally, there are online stores (and even some local ones) which offer discounts, to try to look out for places like those. Finally, as others have said, sticking with a single particular faction is a good way to go. Picking a larger, more supported faction (marines of most flavors come to mind) and if you slowly round out a collection, you should be able to slowly amass a good collection.

Sometimes, it feels like people treat collecting like an arms race. At the end of the day, it's a collection, and like any other collection, taking it at a comfortable pace is key.

Chikout wrote:
So how do manage your spending when it comes to this hobby?

Learn how to convert models as needed, and don't be afraid to substitute. My Salamanders are all in MkIV armor, mostly from the Betrayal at Calth. I've used those for regular marines, devastators, vanguard veterans, etcetera. Right now I have 3 Tau Cadre Fireblades and 3 Firesight Marksmen on my table made from Fire Warrior sprues and odd bits robbed from other Tau kits. Instead of $25 CAD per Fireblade, it's more like $4.

Also, realize that as hobbies go, even GW miniatures aren't expensive, so try not to stress out thinking you're getting ripped off paying GW prices. If a squad of minis cost $50 and takes 10 hours to assemble and paint, $5 an hour for entertainment is cheap, less than going to the movies, about on par with buying a paperback novel. The more you use it on the tabletop, the less money per hour you've spent for entertainment.

I have a few tricks:
-using extra bits and buying a few missing pieces to assemble expensive models like Captains
-buying starter sets which are good value for money, and buying them at a 15-25% discount. overall it's about 50% off retail buying the models separately.
-and buying new-on-sprue models from folks off kijiji (I'm too fussy to buy painted)

*edit, one more thing*
-I refuse to buy some models that are overpriced, especially when compared to points value. Forgeworld is just straight up overpriced, or units like a Biovore that are super expensive for the 50ish point value of the unit itself.

For regular GW, pretty much whatever whenever.

But, my FW habits might help. See, I struggle with Resin as a material, as I'm not that confident with it. But of course Forgeworld doesn't come cheap.

So instead, when considering a purchase I have to ask 'how much do I really need this?'

If it's a big show piece, probably not at all. If it's because a certain aesthetic better suits my take on a given force, well that's better. But the big one? How likely am I to actually build this kit? If like my now sold on Knight, probably not very likely at all. So I'll do without.

rmeister0 wrote:

 frozenwastes wrote:

So far Age of Sigmar without any battletomes has been great.

I bought the AoS starter box when it first came out, the General's Handbook when it showed up a year later, and now the Skirmish book for all of $10. I could just as well skip the GHB now and be just as happy, since Skirmish is mostly all I do anyway. I'm enjoying it a lot more without the overhead.

Actually now that you mention it, I haven't opened my GHB since the Skirmish book came out.

Skirmish can also reduce costs in terms of the number of figures purchased.

I used to be a huge fan of eBay sellers that sold single figures with a base, but I have since found that I'm better off getting the bits I need to make exactly the figure I want. It often ends up being slightly cheaper and often a part I need comes with a few others. To the point where the last time I ordered parts for a couple miniatures, I was like "but I don't need one of those" because I had it already.

- Buy at the lowest price possible. This can be eBay, online web stores, sales, etc.
- Use alternative means to increase your buying power. Ebay has fire sales about once a month. Services like Ebates, discount eBay/PayPal/iTunes cards at Walmart/Costco, etc. will effective increase any discounts already in place by the seller.
- Set up trades, especially with starter sets and such.
- Sell what you don't want and can't trade.

With a GW focus, there's a certain timeframe where you want to aim for when buying new things, especially the bigger boxes like Calth, Renegade, etc. There will be an initial surge on release, but in the US at least there will also be a bit of slack in demand where the online sellers are more interested in getting the turnover than the margin. This varies with demand for a given product, but generally about a month or two after release you can start spotting these. It's a small-ish window as they will generally reach a point where that slack is gone and the price stabilizes at the "normal" range. It's not as cheap as waiting even longer to buy used or second-hand, but for those who do prefer new product that's a thing to try as well. Not sure how GW's recent policy change to allow online sales formally will play out there, though I wouldn't be surprised if it's fairly minimal.

GW is a middle class hobby. It is a cheap middle class hobby compared to many of them out there. I know people who spend 10k+ a year on their middle class hobbies. Per hour I get the most value from my dollar with my GW hobby compared to everything else.

Is it mandatory for your existence? Nope, then its simply a matter of if it is worth it or not. Most of it is just people wanting something for cheaper than it is. If it is not worth buying than dont buy it.

Do I wish things were cheaper? Yep! I also wish Cherries were 2.99 or less a pound all year long. I live in reality and in reality if it is worth buying, you buy it. If not you wont.

Does this mean that I buy less than I used to? Yep, but I got so much crap as is it anyway I am not really feeling the loss. They still get the same amount of my dollars as they used to and even though I have fewer models I feel like I am getting more value PER model than I was when prices were lower. What I really like is that they save me a lot of time because models I used to have to work hard and kitbash or convert I can now just make out of the box. When you only have 3 hours or so a day after work my time is worth more than anything else and anything that saves me time on the annoying parts of the hobby is worth investing in(seriously the new GW paints are AMAZING). One vanguard kit can give me all the bits I need for all of my tactical sergeants and then some. Same with sternguard and the like. Each sternguard model looks better than the old captain model kit.

Then again, I am also the same guy who gets the GW primer. The number of hours I have lost to gakky primers that flake off or dont stick or so many other problems(I have used them all
and am running probably a 10-20% issue rate with non-GW primers). I spend 500 on a FW army, I can afford to spend an additional 30 on some solid primer.

I do find however that I do get a lot of third party supplemental stuff that go along with the modeling aspect of the hobby, side things like paint, weathering powder, hobby and basing supplies, an airbrush set up so on and so forth.

My method for playing the mandollies on a budget:

#1. Don't buy at first release. Wait a while. Up to a year, after the buzz has died, and the next army of the month is a thing. Also, many other stores sell it at discounted prices anyway.

#2. Buy 2nd hand (or 3rd/4th/etc). Can be combined with #1 above. May need stripping and/or repair. Use the time between release and this point to "git gud" at both.

#3. Don't buy tools, paints, glues at GW. Art stores and other hobby stores (NOT necessarily game stores. Stores that sell other model kits; like tanks and planes and stuff ) they often have other paint ranges, brushes, thinners, brush cleaners as well as tools and putties of various kinds - often for less than GW sells their equivalents.
Your GW models aren't any less "GW" because you didn't assemble them with GW branded "sprue cutters" (clippers) glue them with GW branded "gak in a bottle" and paint them with branded "daub in a bucket" and branded hairy stick.

I stopped playing their games. Living in Australia, the price has gotten absurdly out of hand. it's simply not affordable for me anymore. When they want $100au for an Exocrine/Haruspex kit or Toxicrene/Maleceptor kit, or $96au for a Tervigon, and these are just parts of an overall army, I can't justify it anymore. The cost of one of those gets me a fieldable, legal list in the games I now play.

For less money I get more miniatures and the same enjoyment playing their competitors games.

 chromedog wrote:
My method for playing the mandollies on a budget:

#1. Don't buy at first release. Wait a while. Up to a year, after the buzz has died, and the next army of the month is a thing. Also, many other stores sell it at discounted prices anyway.

The "cooling off period" might also let you realise you don't really want those new minis anyway - I've been looking forward to Thousand Sons Terminators since Forge World first did their Khorne and Nurgle upgrade kits a decade or more ago. However, when the new plastics were released I was low on funds for a few months, so I left them. After that, the "New! Shiny!" wore off, so I don't have any.

Cooling off period is definitely a good thing. You might miss out on some LE stuff up front, but it usually creeps back down in price and is available for less than retail later.

So many people buy stuff on launch and leave it sitting there, so you can quite often get NIB stuff at a discount when someone has a clear out.

If you can't find what you want 2nd hand, then you can always optimize your list for points/$ and buy from a discounter. I suspect that's why things like Grey Knights were so popular.

Just buy miniatures that you like the look of / like the story for. That way if the next edition makes them crap, you don't need to go out and spend money to replace them.

I've had the same Imperial Guard army since 1994. I've added to it over the years, but I'm still using the same metal Cadian infantry I was back in 2nd edition.

1) don't get caught up in an arms race
2) don't impulse buy, plan ahead
3) as others said buy used when possible
4) kitbash when possible

It's called a budget. 50 a month with anything unspent going back into the pot to be added to the next months 50.

I'm pretty impulsive and have to say have become addicted to buying of late, a looming new addition to the family is gonna put a stop to that I think.
Aside from going a bit crazy recently I usually stick to discount retailers, ebay (the best place for a bargain) or using cheaper alternative miniatures. This last one is a bit contentious for some but I'm lucky that my gaming group is cool with it.
As far as paints and tools are concerned I use a mixture of brands, including Citadel, Vallejo, Army Painter and P3. Vallejo probably being the most cost effective. I use car primers for undercoating, and have never had a single problem doing so, these are half the price of GW's.
For tools simply avoid anything that is aimed at the hobby market and buy the equivalent from ebay. Side cutters, mini files, small drill bits etc etc all seem to have a hobby tax put on them when aimed at our market.
For paint brushes, buy the best you can afford. This one I'd advise not to scrimp on. (I used to to my detriment) GW's brushes aren't bad but ideally go for Windsor & Newton.

 Skinflint Games wrote:
1/72 homemade conversions, papercraft vehicles and scenery made from stuff fished out of the recycling bin. You might be surprised.. https://skinflintgames.wordpress.com/cheaphammer/

I second papercraft! Plus, it can be a fun hobby on its own!

http://www.warseer.com/forums/showthread.php?14215-Scratchbuilt-Armored-Company-Blog-(Paper)&highlight=Paper+armored+company