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Wrong thread for the GW rant, but I agree that it can be a super positive hobby in someone's life.

my father is an avid bass fisherman. goes to tournaments, etc.

His bassboat alone costs more than any number of armies I may own in my life. (over 15k for it) One of his fishing rods cost over a $100 without the reel (another 60 easy) he owns several (competitively they rig each rod with a different style of bait to cover any possible situation)

would he be shamed for being wasteful? of course not. yet his spending on his hobby puts him well out of my league in costs, and yet its really not a survival thing, we would just fish with nets or live bait if need be.

The average gun collector spends thousands annually on guns/ammo.

So how much is my army in comparison? well the painting side is more expensive for me due to the airbrush rig and paint sets I've aquired, but I also lend out my skills to others for trade/money so that will become zero sum in time. Much of my Ork army was aquired this way I've spent somewhere close to 600 bucks with the rest aquired in paintwork and tourney winnings. so between actual models and art supplies i've spent close to 1k. Compare to most peoples hobbies and its a drop in the bucket.

When people look at me for my odd habit, i just laugh. owning an AK may be nice for you, but all you can do with it is tell people you have one and shoot it a few times a year, compare that to something I can enjoy every week.

Paitryn wrote:
my father is an avid bass fisherman. goes to tournaments, etc.

His bassboat alone costs more than any number of armies I may own in my life. (over 15k for it) One of his fishing rods cost over a $100 without the reel (another 60 easy) he owns several (competitively they rig each rod with a different style of bait to cover any possible situation)

would he be shamed for being wasteful? of course not. yet his spending on his hobby puts him well out of my league in costs, and yet its really not a survival thing, we would just fish with nets or live bait if need be.

The average gun collector spends thousands annually on guns/ammo.

So how much is my army in comparison? well the painting side is more expensive for me due to the airbrush rig and paint sets I've aquired, but I also lend out my skills to others for trade/money so that will become zero sum in time. Much of my Ork army was aquired this way I've spent somewhere close to 600 bucks with the rest aquired in paintwork and tourney winnings. so between actual models and art supplies i've spent close to 1k. Compare to most peoples hobbies and its a drop in the bucket.

When people look at me for my odd habit, i just laugh. owning an AK may be nice for you, but all you can do with it is tell people you have one and shoot it a few times a year, compare that to something I can enjoy every week.

We can paint every night, and at worst we're called lazy and antisocial. If an AK owner cleaned his gun every night, people would start to worry.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Ok, so, some exposition here. Im giddy about the new tau release, so im kinda sharing it. I have some 40k friends on FB so when i got the riptide ordered i posted that i got it. I posted a link and pic to the model to show my 40k friends.
But my cousin saw it. Now my cousin is married, struggling(not really, he still has plenty of money,just not for the things he) with two young girls. He saw it, clicked the link and saw the price. He is now shaming me for spending "85$ on plastic crap" and gloating about it. Im not gloating, i just wanted my friends to see what i got.
I tried to explain to him even more what it was for like how i use it for a game where I use my other models, but know he is just being mean saying things like
"y'know my girls will never be able to afford this" or things like "Why dont you put it in savings(as a note, i put 100$ in savings each month)" and even how i should be focused on school.
Its starting a grind me, i dont like being shamed for my hobby.
So i have to wonder. Does anyone else ever get shamed for playing 40k? or feel guilty? Sometimes i do.

I am a grad student in California, a state where post-grad students have an employment rate less than 50%, and even lower within their desired field. I earn barely enough money to buy a box once every month or two (at least it gives me tons of time to paint the models). If ANYONE ever bothered to lecture me on how I spent the money I earned, I will slap them. It's my money, I'll spend it how I bloody spend it. If your poor cousin with kids decides to lecture you, tell him to shove it. If it was money he gave you, fine, he can nag at you. If it ain't, tell him to go blow it.

Even with the price increases in 40k over the recent years, they are still a better investment than most other items you could be buying. A 40k army will last you a decade before the majority of models are phased out in utility, and I know a couple folks that still run some pewter IG valhallans and such; the models themselves will last you three times longer than a laptop, five times longer than an iPhone, and still be cheaper than both. Utility-wise, a hobby is the best stress relief. You get to relax and game once a week or so, take some stress off; it's cheaper than beer or cigarettes over the long run and better than visiting a headshrinker who tells you you have issues. The fact you have friends on FB to share this kind of stress relief with... tell your cousin to mind his own business and keep his poorness to himself. I don't shove my poor people problems down my 40k friends throats; I keep my jealousy that they can all buy their full Tau armies on release date to myself, and instead I just paint my models better and enjoy what I do.

My hobbies are cheap compared to some of the people I know, and I am very glad to point it out to them and how fething nerdy they are for their hobby investments when they try to claim that I'm a nerd for mine.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Ok, so, some exposition here. Im giddy about the new tau release, so im kinda sharing it. I have some 40k friends on FB so when i got the riptide ordered i posted that i got it. I posted a link and pic to the model to show my 40k friends.
But my cousin saw it. Now my cousin is married, struggling(not really, he still has plenty of money,just not for the things he) with two young girls. He saw it, clicked the link and saw the price. He is now shaming me for spending "85$ on plastic crap" and gloating about it. Im not gloating, i just wanted my friends to see what i got.
I tried to explain to him even more what it was for like how i use it for a game where I use my other models, but know he is just being mean saying things like
"y'know my girls will never be able to afford this" or things like "Why dont you put it in savings(as a note, i put 100$ in savings each month)" and even how i should be focused on school.
Its starting a grind me, i dont like being shamed for my hobby.
So i have to wonder. Does anyone else ever get shamed for playing 40k? or feel guilty? Sometimes i do.

Ask him if he wants some haterade to go with that jelly sandwich.

gak yeah. im 14 and just about everyone at school "hates me" (im a fat midget)
ive had models stomped ( a particularly painful example is a termie sergeant that is now a grey smudge)
ive had my box of models hung on the flag pole (multiple times)
I even had a book thrown on top of a building (although that was halo), also a second book was stolen months ago and I haven't got it back yet. the one the roof got rained on and now resides in a garbage truck.

My brother tried to give me grief over my 40k hobby. I turned around and asked him how much of HIS money he had put into his kids soccer coaching hobby this year alone? He responded with an itemized list of around 600$+. New practice balls, practice nets, goals (his son just moved to a size 5 ball this year) jerseys, practice jerseys, uniforms, bags.....etc. I am sure you get the picture. I then compared the lifetime of his spending, a few, two, three years max, to the expected lifespan of my 40k collection....5+. Around the same amount spent, none of mine was from essential money, as a matter of fact, 75% of mine was from Overtime and the other 25% was from recycled cans LOL. His.....our mom had to help him with gas for a month cause he overspent. After that, I started ignoring anyone who voices their opinion. I just tell them, opinions are like rear ends, everyone has one. Glad to see yours is that big!! Now excuse me please, I need to go paint my plastic toy army men, so I can try to beat my 10 year old this week on the table.

Great thread--thanks for the read guys.

To be honest everything I wanted to say has already been said.

For the most part I don't advertise my participation in the hobby.

The majority of people out there have zero interest in models and can't understand that it can be quite an expensive hobby.

I usually do my 40k gaming after work and bring my KR bag with me... its a bit bigger than my usual laptop messenger bag so coworkers ask what's in it. I don't go into details - I just say it has some models in it that have a tabletop game associated with it.

I've only had a few people say it was a bit crazy to spend this kind of money on little plastic soldiers, but it doesn't take much to make them quiet down.

You drop $1000-2000 on an army and it = countless hours painting, modelling, and gaming.

There are plenty of people out there who drop that same amount of money every year on a new gaming pc or others who don't mind paying $300 for a pair of jeans. When you bring things into perspective, most people realize they spend crazy amounts of money on things that bring them much less joy.

funny thing, had some tyranids (gene stealers and gaunts) at school and got in trouble for having "satanic" looking toys. the deputy confiscated them, called my mother, and told me that the devil is not funny. when I told her I was atheist she looked like she was going to slap me. when my mum got there, the deputy asked if she was satanic (shes catholic) and when asked why showed my mother the models. my mum looked at them, all clutched in the deputies hand. then looked at me. then the deputy. and then began giggling realy loudly. it was AWESOME!
I got suspended and mum bought me ice-cream for not calling the women a stupid....(don't ask why). best trip to the office in my life.

the shrouded lord wrote:
funny thing, had some tyranids (gene stealers and gaunts) at school and got in trouble for having "satanic" looking toys. the deputy confiscated them, called my mother, and told me that the devil is not funny. when I told her I was atheist she looked like she was going to slap me. when my mum got there, the deputy asked if she was satanic (shes catholic) and when asked why showed my mother the models. my mum looked at them, all clutched in the deputies hand. then looked at me. then the deputy. and then began giggling realy loudly. it was AWESOME!
I got suspended and mum bought me ice-cream for not calling the women a stupid....(don't ask why). best trip to the office in my life.

Even if they were satanic, shouldn't that be covered under the whole freedom of religious expression in schools thing?

I've had a couple of people talk about the whole money thing, I just ask them how much they spend on alcohol/cigarettes/sport stuff/etc. and they shut up real fast.

I don't try and justify me or my wife's spending habits to normal people.

If they think I'm a nutjob hiding away in my soviet doom fortress then so be it.

No, but I don't bother talking about gaming to non-nerds anyway. They don't care, and I don't care for their opinions about it.

Your cousin sounds like my grandmother, bitter and jealous. I never listen to what she says either. The hell. Just one bar night is easily a battlewagon or more, or a few days worth of food max.

All my non-wargaming friends know that I play, collect and paint "Toy Soldiers". Nobody gives a damn if I'm perfectly honest.

Most of my friends spend ~£100 a month on make-up anyway, they couldn't really have a go at my hobby spending habits even if they wanted to

If people do look down on my hobby (of which there have been more than plenty) my general response is for them to stick things where there is little solar resonance. That's basically what it comes down to, some people are asshats and instead of getting hung-up over it, I choose to ignore them.

Iranna.

I've had models neglected by people who I know when they come into the FLGS when I'm playing a game. They don't understand that it is my hobby which I enjoy doing - not theirs. I'm not interested in super violent xbox games that involve gunning people down for the fun of it - but I don't go to their house and scratch their discs or break their controllers. Tabletop gaming is one of the best hobbies I have ever invested in, in my opinion, they are missing out!

2013 is my wife and I's first year of gaming/40k and we've probably spent close to $1500 on it (And with the Nid codex coming Im sure that figure is going up)

But what we've gotten is a fun hobby we both love that we can play at home with our toddler running around in the same room as us. Pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

"Plastic crap"? Heresy!

At high school there was a bit of a stigma associated with playing 40k, but nothing too serious (I'm a sufficiently well-rounded individual to get along with most social groups, as is most of my playing group), and most of that was due to the price of the models. Funnily enough, the most flak came from a bloke who spent several thousand on two or three bicycles for road racing. He seemed to think that because 40k isn't a sport, we were wasting our money. What he didn't take into account was that we derived as much pleasure from discussing Space Marines and Orks as he did from discussing carbon fibre bike frames.

At university, I've had no grief whatsoever regarding 40k, and this is while living in a residential college with models displayed on shelves, and painting with the door open for anyone who walks past to see. Most people are astounded that I can even paint that sort of detail (I'm only at a reasonable tabletop standard), and are generally impressed by the artwork and fluff if they ask enough questions for me to show them a codex. The hardest part is trying to explain how the game works, I end up at the old "It's like chess... but way more in-depth" standby. A few people say that they used to play as kids. I just joke that I haven't grown up yet. There certainly isn't shame involved at any point.

People spend their (ideally spare) money on whatever ultimately pointless activity keeps them happy for hours at a time. I don't pretend that playing 40k will achieve anything beyond my own happiness (and that of my opponents and the local club, I guess), but that doesn't worry me in the slightest. As has been stated, buying models is a one-off investment for a lifetime's usage (barring tournament fees, but that's no real hardship compared to what other interests charge), making 40k relatively cheap.

I'd rather buy a couple of Heldrakes, a Valkyrie or two, and some Heavy Weapons Teams than the latest iPhone, put it that way. Other people would take the iPhone... but at least my models would still be cool two years down the line .

 Rysaer wrote:
My response to most of these: Feth Off.

That is the best response you could give in a case like this: It's your money; You earned it; You decide on how to spend it!

And I am too mature to start making up reasons to why it's "not that much".
Because Warhammer is expensive and it is a lot of money, but it is my money.
I pay my bills, I buy my food and at the end of the money the spare cash goes to the pub and to my hobbies.

Tell him he's a financial idiot for putting $100 in savings a month and that is why he is struggling. That money should be invested in something with an interest rate above .1%.

Your cousin sounds like a self righteous a**hole

Another hotsauceman1 "Help me deal with this person I have an incredibly insignificant problem with"-thread.

Just explain to him that it's you that spends the money on Riptides, and not him. That doesn't seem to be clear to the guy.

Good luck to you both.

People made fun of me for playing with toy miniatures. I usually just smile, sarcastic laugh, and keep doing what im doing. To each their own. Although sometimes a good Feth off really does the soul good.

Do not let anyone, and i mean anyone shame you for doing something you enjoy! everyone has a hobby that helps them feel better have fun hang with friends. my mom has given me a hard time about how much my models cost and i pointed out to her that her stamping/card making collection has costed her around $1500-2000 most people have spent more on their hobbies then they realize. as long as you are not going overboard with it and causing yourself financial debt or something like that, there is NO shame in playing 40k or how much you spend on it. If your friends make fun of you and treat you like crap for spending $ on something you enjoy, get new friends. I am a about as nerdy as can be, I speak some japanese, watch anime, collect comics, play DnD and im in the army as a medical lab tech and beleive me everyone in the army rags oneachother (usually in a fun way) and even they don't give me a hard time for spending $ on my hobbies.

My honest opinion is that he is jealous and bitter that he can't afford or doesn't have the time to dedicate to a hobby any more since he had a kid.

If he really gave a crap about what you do with your money, he'd already know you put money away each month for savings.

I just tell people I paint in my spare time.

It makes me sound artsy and intelligent.

When meeting with friends or, for a better effect, with family members or, bonus points, his wife / fiancee / girlfriend, get you two in a heated discussion if he brings it up and then, when both of you are angry, yell "Still better than the 60$ you gave that fething whore Stacy (or w/e name) 2 years ago (or whatever period of time since he's together with his better half) to [vulgar expresison for a blowjob]!" Then look baffled first, make a scared + sad face and quietly tell you're sorry for bringing this up.

If you manage to pull this off in a believable way, you won.

 Ma55ter_fett wrote:
I just tell people I paint in my spare time.

It makes me sound artsy and intelligent.

This. People usually think that's pretty neat.

Well I find that within my group of peers, there are not many people who play the game, and because of that if I ever talked about it it would come across a bit nerdy.

I may not talk about it much, but at home this is what dominates my spare time and I see it as a good thing. Most of my friends just play video games like COD and shootem' up games, but the way I see it is that I do the same just in real life and it is much, much cooler with so much about it to discover

Just explain to your cousin that what he is saying is offensive and that you are allowed to have a hobby and have the right to share it with people. If he hassles you anymore just ignore him

Bha, I wish my cousin was like that.

In my case its my freaking parents. most of my family can't seem to respect any hobby other then their own.


Best method I silenced them so far is asking them "what is the name of the game", then after they didn't know I said "and as you dont have a clue about it-you just lost the right for an opinion."
All is temporary though, they keep harassing after a while.

At least my friends are cool with it, ranging from "whatever man, seems silly." to "awesome"

Ask him how much that new set of golf clubs are.