I finally took the time to actually sit down and count all of my N scale locos and rolling stock, and to estimate their value as closely as possible in the event I were to sell them all off. I have 7 steam locos, 15 diesel locos, 29 passenger cars and 195 pieces of rolling stock - all collected and bought in just the past couple of years, and all in like brand new condition…
As some of you might already know, I’m real down on myself right now for letting myself get out of control with my spending on this stuff, and have vowed not to buy anything else for one full year beginning January 1st 2007. I have more important things to spend my money on (but it sure has been fun…).
While I havent given up buying anything completely, I am making a concerted effort to work through all of the kits I purchased last year, it was my first year back in MR since I was a kid and I did buy more than I ‘should’ to fulfill my grandeous plans of what I was going to build as a layout.
I realised I had about 20 unbuilt structure kits and my plans were changing, so, I have decided to build the stuff I have, try and gain some experience on them and then revisit the planning stages when I am sure of the space I will be utilising (I have bought 2 houses in the past year and am now looking at a third which I will hopefully move into in Jan), so a 2’x8’ diorama will display the kits I am building now with a mainline and a few sidings for industries.
So yup, I kind know where you are coming from but hey, at least we realised what was going on before we spent the mortgage money on a bigboy… or did you do that already??? [;)]
No…I have more then a mere $4,000.00 worth in HO and N Scale ( roughly $10,000.00 combined) and I plan to buy more BUT,ONLY the items I need.You see if I didn’t spend the money on the hobby I would find something else to spend it on.[:O][:D]
I wonder if I really want to know, around $35,000.00 value but I only spent a couple thousand on the stuff, tend to buy cheaply ( got about 25 atlas billboard reefers in ho I been collecting but only spent an average of $10.00 a car).
[#ditto] I have a box of boxcars and engines that need finishing too! I have the 4G figure beat tho…when I was a semi-pro RC driver I had about 15G plus invested in that! I’m just glad I had sponsors and sold most of it off!
I wanted to keep track of everything since I got back into the hobby, so I set up an Excel spread sheet to log in all sorts of data: Manufacture, road name, road number, part number, brief description, COST, etc. I’ve also included all tools and such. I’ll print out the list when out shopping at the LHS (or have the screen up when on the net) so I don’t buy something I already have (it’s had to keep track of every single item from memory). It has really helped me from impulse buying and to keep my “excessive/compulsive” disorder in check. LOL That being said I’m at 12k… gads…
You know…I really have NO IDEA and have never added it all up. However, I have to think that I most likely spent close, if not more than 4K just putting the Trainroom together (removing windows, wiring, insulation, new ceiling, backshop, paintshop, lighting for both the shops and the pike, benchwork and a furnace).
With that said, I’m afraid to start adding up the totals for the locos and rolling stock, not to mention the structures, figures, detail parts and scenicing materials on the shelf…to the amount that rivals the LHS.
If for no other reason, it is probably smart to have an inventory with cost up to date and probably at more than one location as your insurance will likely not cover these things if you do not have proof of your collection. Never know when that might be needed.
I know exactly how you feel…couple of hundred here and there and they all add up at the end…I have spent way too much on hobbies…besides trains I also collect die-cast commercial jets in the 1/400 and 1/500 scale and let me tell you, that’s even more additctive and pretty much a bottomless pit…there is this other forum which they actually have a database of all the planes available and you can enter what you have and kee your collection on their website and I think there should be one for trains although unlike those, most train stuff prob not worth much after a while…
I really hate to put an exact figure to what I spent on my hobbies…I now cut out a couple of them like RC in the 1/10 scale…I got rid of most of them to fund my trains now but to-date, I probably have close to 1000 planes I think and they average about $30 each (conservative estimate) and I think I have dumped about $3000-$4000 into trains so far especially I just bought a whole bunch of DCC stuff and just upgraded to DCC and I expect that’s going to add up when I have DCC up and running…
My wife’s been pretty supportive but I know she rather me put those money aside or our child’s education…I think once everything settles down that will control itself I hope…our daughtor is still young but I think oviously the cost of raising a child will increase as she grows so I will have to control myself then…
There is an old saying that if you want to have fun it’s gonna cost you…i’m willing to bet that since 1977, i’ve spent over $40,000 on 6 different layouts in this hobby. But it’s fun, makes me happy, and to a degree I don’t mind spending the money on it.
I’m not going to go out and max out the credit cards all at one time , but i will spend money if I think i’ll need it someday and the price is right. What i do is look for good deals even if it’s not going to go on the layout for years. There are many places to find good deals so that you don’t have to spend retail prices on your MRR items. I’ll look thru Trainworld ads, go to an LHS and check out the specials and deals on consignment items, Walthers supplimental mailer catalog, the internet to compare prices from one dealer to the next dealer, trainshows, and even have found stuff in estate and garage sales at dirt cheap prices (some folks don’t realize what they have that they are selling) , and occasionally from e-bay.
I hope this works out for you, but I know i could never make a promise to myself like that because I enjoy the hobby too much to do without for that long…chuck
$4000 and counting… Ya mean on just trains??? [8D] Looks like you guys are gearing up on New Years Resolutioins. Hmmmmm a chapter in a book by Dr. Phil, Trains Without Guilt.
This is a very interesting thread. I have been back in the hobby now for about two years. However, my endeavors have been limited to collecting various Tools, Supplies, Literature, Kits, a couple of Locomotives and a few peices of Rolling Stock with the idea i would use these purchases eventually when I build my attic empire. The attic empire requires a great deal of expenditures to even get the room ready for a layout. While the attic awaits I have built one one diorama and am starting another larger 30" x 60".
I guess at this point I am an armchair modeler and in so doing I have set up a Spreadsheet similar to what someone has posted earlier keeping track of all expenditures. My thought in doing so was to run my model railroad like a real railroad. I have also kept a journal specifically for the Model Railroad to keep track of ideas etc., The total to date is somewhere around $3,000.00, which is quie shocking when I look at what has been amassed thus far. Although disappointed in not being able to start the attic empire, I am having fun with the other aspects of the hobby.
Afterall, it is all about having fun, no matter how much is spent. Right?
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not getting out of the hobby, just shutting down my spending on anything train related for one full year. I need a new computer and several other items that I’ve been puting off for too long…
I’m easily over 4000 dollars just in locomotives over the last couple years so don’t feel to bad. I’m not sure how much I’ve spent on rolling stock but it is easily over 4000 dollars. I’m done buying for awhile only because I don’t need anymore. I’m sure I’ll still pick up the odd car here and there but not like I was early on. To be honest its a very inexpensive hobby once you build up a nice fleet of cars and loco’s.
GUB says"While the attic awaits I have built one one diorama and am starting another larger 30" x 60".
I’m not sure this isn’t a way to go. I really like to build stuff and dioramas would let a person build a number of unrelated things not associated with a layout. Ian Rice hints pretty strongly at that with his small layouts book
Kalmbach, the guy’s from the UK and is a real artist at small layout design. He also has a book out on larger layouts too. The one on small layouts has quite a bit of stuff on sector plates and turntables ETC.