Purchasing Lifetime Supplies

I am 52 years old, I am in pretty good shape, and I have no health issues. I am certainly not expecting to pass away anytime soon .

In the past couple of years, an interesting thing has begun to happen. I am purchasing things in “lifetime supplies” when I can.

It started with #78 drill bits, I bought 1,000 of them at once because I never wanted to buy them again.

I purchased 200 DPDT toggle switches when I had a chance to buy them in bulk. That should do it.

When it comes to power tools now, I am buying good decent quality in the hopes I never need to replace it again.

The list just goes on and on… and I have only been doing this for a short time.

Is this something normal, or is it a sign of hoarding.

No, I am not buying toilet paper or other household items like this, just durable goods, and things I used to replace fairly often.

And the hobby items… I have all the freight car kits I could ever build in a lifetime now, as well as craftsman structure kits and other items.

Is this just getting ready to retire? I might be retired already.

Is anyone else doing this?

-Kevin

I’m 63 and sometimes I chuckle at myself when I see some of the things I “thought” I was going to need sometime in the future and now realize that future is now. Still, I don’t regret having some excess on hand.

I live pretty far from most supply houses and rely mostly on Amazon, eBay, Grainger and those sorts of mail-order places. Same with railroad supplies, Walthers, MB Klein, etc.

It may be difficult to anticipate future needs but there’s another thing I consider when I purchase an item that I think I’ll need an abundance of for the layout and that is, will that item still be available when I need one again? Tenax comes to mind. Jordan Vehicles and many of the now “retired” structures and rolling stock models. Glad I got 'em when I did.

I never really know what project may pique my interest so when I get “creative” I’m glad I don’t have to wait to fill an order for, say, styrene shapes, paints, adhesives and all that kind of “stuff”.

It helps, too, to keep an eye out for price reductions from time-to-time. Recently, someone mentioned a “shortage” of Testor’s Dullcote. I bought a four-pack from Amazon back in January and the price was $18.00. So it helps to keep an inventory. Of course some things have a limited shelf-life so you have to watch that. Amazon prices will fluctuate considerably. If you keep an item in your “want list” you can check prices and buy when it is on the low side.

Yep, as far as kits and things like that I have enough to keep me busy well into my second lifetime.

Cheers, Ed

Sometimes the bulk deals are the same as buying a few extra. Even though I don’t pay retail, years ago whe I bought Sinohara code 70 rail joiners 50 packs were about 50% higher in price than 10 packs, so buy 15, get35 free.

I wonder if any of it had to do with buying power.

Since 2015 I have had plenty of disposable cash for the first time, Maybe I figured since I have the money I should just get all I will ever need.

This was not a pruposeful decision, but it may have happened without me knowing.

Now I am, trying to live frugal so I do not need to go back to work. Maybe now I am realizing I was spending on things I might not need.

I will ponder this for a while.

-Kevin

Well Kevin,

I am 62, and 25 years ago I bought a very high quality, heavy duty garden tractor that I full well expect to last the rest of my life. It was very expensive at the time. This brand is known to last 40-50 years with only basic care and maintenance. Mine still runs like new, and cleans up pretty nice…

And because they stopped making these tractors in 2002 after a 32 year run, I have stocked up on a number of wear parts.

I told the wife the day we wrote that check it would be the only tractor we would ever have to buy…she laughed…she believes me now.

I have always bought good tools, and being a professional carpenter, retired electrician, and pretty experienced hobby auto mechanic, they see a lot of use, and do wear out from time to time, but I have many hand tools and power tools that are decades old.

In the 1980’s I was a MATCO TOOLS dealer, still have tool boxes full…

I’m guilty of “keeping some inventory” on some sorts of things, drill bits, fasteners, etc. Some of it is planned, some is just the side effects of the construction business…

As a teen and young adult our family owned three Checker Marathon automobiles, every one went over 250,000 miles lasted a decade or more.

So I get it. I’m very practical like that too. Can it boarder on hoarding? Maybe, but if you have the space and money it’s not hoarding in the bad sense.

I’m so practical the last two cars we have owned were nearly identical. In 2012 we bought a FORD FLEX. It was totaled in a crash in 2015. We bought another FORD FLEX with nearly identical features and options. And for those who don’t know, the FORD FLEX has not really changed in its 11 years of production. I will be sad when I cannot buy a third one…

I have been stock piling supplies for my layout for years. Tortoise switch machines, 24v control relays, Dallee detectors, Atlas track, equipment, locos, structures. All on a car

I sure did stock up on those Shinohara rail joiners when they shut down production.

The two compartments in the upper left hold 14 of the 50 packs for code 83 rail. There are code 70 rail joiners to the right.

Along the bottom there are 20+ packs of Peco track pins.

According to my calculations, this should be all I need to build the layout.

It cost in excess of $300.00 to fill this box. That is about 20 Tortoises, these bits of metal are expensive!

-Kevin

Silly me thought you were talking about a lifetime supply of toilet paper, noodles and bottled water [(-D]

I never bought more than what I would need in the foreseeable future and I have not regretted it at all. Life sometimes wanders off in directions you did not or could not foresee. It´s better to travel through life with only a light luggage. Too much ballast slows you down when you have to run.

#78 by Bear, on Flickr

Hoarding? I wish I had more notice Radio Shack was gonna close shop. I’d have stocked up on those switches that you did, and other commodity items.

I bought a set of Harbor freight drill bits with the fractional, number and letter bits. The bigger bits are plenty good enough. But I ate a lot of the smaller, number bits. SO!

Having had great results from Norseman fractional bits, I spent good money on TWO sets of Norseman number drill bits, cuz I HATE it when I break a bit and the project depends on having it. Then I found a seller who does sell those singly. Thats good. (Those, I do not lend!)

I’ve bought “life time” supplies of some things, and used 'em up. Some others I’ll have for my life time.

Edited in: I bought a 4x8 sheet each of .040 and .060 styrene, my 2 most used sheet styrene sizes. SO nice to know I have it! I keep it behind a 4’wide cabinet where it takes up almost no space. Dan

I only stock up on Kadee #148 Couplers,knuckle springs, both sizes of Kadee washers, Intermountain metal wheels, Atlas locomotive detail parts like horns, mu hoses, cab sunvisors, various colors of paint, various sizes paint brushes, alphabet decals, various sizes of screws especially 2-56, freight car stirups and drill bits and I restock as needed since I don’t have a lifetime supply.

According to Mayo Clinic, it is not normal, and it is definitely a sign of hoarding. Here is what Mayo Clinic has to say about this disorder.

Overview

Hoarding disorder is a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them. A person with hoarding disorder experiences distress at the thought of getting rid of the items. Excessive accumulation of items, regardless of actual value, occurs.

Hoarding often creates such cramped living conditions that homes may be filled to capacity, with only narrow pathways winding through stacks of clutter. Countertops, sinks, stoves, desks, stairways and virtually all other surfaces are usually piled with stuff. And when there’s no more room inside, the clutter may spread to the garage, vehicles, yard and other storage facilities.

Hoarding ranges from mild to severe. In some cases, hoarding may not have much impact on your life, while in other cases it seriously affects your functioning on a daily basis.

People with hoarding disorder may not see it as a problem, making treatment challenging. But intensive treatment can help people with hoarding disorder understand how their beliefs and behaviors can be changed so that they can live safer, more enjoyable lives.

Symptoms

Getting and saving an excessive number of items, gradual buildup of clutter in living spaces and difficulty discarding things are usually the first signs and symptoms of hoarding disorder, which often surfaces during the teenage to early adult years.

As the person grows older, he or she typically starts acquiring things for which there is no immediate need or space. By middle age, symptoms are often severe and may be harder to treat.

<

Some people call it hoarding, to us it is known as model railroading.

[quote user=“richhotrain”]

SeeYou190

In the past couple of years, an interesting thing has begun to happen. I am purchasing things in “lifetime supplies” when I can.

Is this something normal, or is it a sign of hoarding.

According to Mayo Clinic, it is not normal, and it is definitely a sign of hoarding. Here is what Mayo Clinic has to say about this disorder.

Overview

Hoarding disorder is a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them. A person with hoarding disorder experiences distress at the thought of getting rid of the items. Excessive accumulation of items, regardless of actual value, occurs.

Hoarding often creates such cramped living conditions that homes may be filled to capacity, with only narrow pathways winding through stacks of clutter. Countertops, sinks, stoves, desks, stairways and virtually all other surfaces are usually piled with stuff. And when there’s no more room inside, the clutter may spread to the garage, vehicles, yard and other storage facilities.

Hoarding ranges from mild to severe. In some cases, hoarding may not have much impact on your life, while in other cases it seriously affects your functioning on a daily basis.

People with hoarding disorder may not see it as a problem, making treatment challenging. But intensive treatment can help people with hoarding disorder understand how their beliefs and behaviors can be changed so that they can live safer, more enjoyable lives.

Symptoms

Getting and saving an excessive number of items, gradual buildup of clutter in living spaces and difficulty discarding things are usually the first signs and symptoms of hoarding disorder, which of

While I no longer collect IPD boxcars I started collecting boxcars,covered hoppers and tank cars but,limited them to 100 boxcars, 80 covered hoppers, 60 tank cars and 50 miscellaneous cars…

I never like using the same cars over and over and over-Oh look there’s that dented Railgon again or there’s that MR&T boxcar again…

I don’t consider it hoarding since my house remains clutter free.

The only stuff I buy like that is stuff I use a lot. Early on I didn’t buy in bulk but when the hobby shops and electronic parts stores closed I did it to it.

My worst fault is patience, I have negative 100%. I hate being on HOLD for anything. As a result I buy LEDs, bulbs, connectors, resistors and capacitors in bulk.

I also stock scratch building supplies, Styrene, Basswood, K&S Brass and scenery material.

I really like the Harbor Freight Super Glue .1oz ten packs, I keep several of both regular and gel on hand. Much better tossing a .1oz tube than a shot half full bottle.

The only problem is storage, I now have six 60 drawer parts storage cabinets and need more. Keeping every thing labeled and inventoried is also very time consuming but much better than having to wait for something.

Not hoarding, just avoiding the wait prolonging my health from high blood pressure disaster.

A coupla thoughts come to mind. In no particular order . . .

If the kids need new shoes and you buy that 4 pack of covered hoppers instead, that might be a problem.

If you still have the alternate nozzle for that leaf blower you bought in 1992 and discarded in 2008, that might be a problem.

If you already have 12 leaf blowers and you buy another one at a garage sale because it cost only five bucks, that might be a problem.

For some reason that classic Twilight Zone episode with Burgess Meredith as the last man on Earth and he wanders into a library and stacks up all of the books he plans to read for the rest of his life and then he steps on his reading glasses . . . not sure how this applies, but it came to mind.

Robert

PS Like Mel, I also buy 10 packs of CA glue in little tubes, and for the same reason.

Maybe we all have a sense of insecurity in the hobby. Better buy it now at a good price in case I might NEED it later and will be stuck buying it at a higher price, or not be able to find it at all.

I don’t think drill bits are in that category. They wil likely be used up.

I used to accumulate kits, and locos, and rolling stock, and structure kits for the day that I would build that bigger layout.

I then decided that nothing I owned was all that rare or valuable, and whatever I need could be picked up on ebay pretty easily. I sold a bunch of stuff that fell into the “some day” category and kept the stuff that was in the “use now” category.

“Some day” will probably never get here.

There was a certain amount of relief to shedding stuff that wasn’t going to be used in a reasonable time frame, and the cash gneration was a nice benfit.

Now I practice just-in-time inventory methods for the layout build.

Having said that, I’m fresh out of #78 drill bits.

Hmmmm…it seems Rich’s post has brought on some defensive replies…[:-^]

Or are discussion topics getting worn and thin. [:-,]

They say that recognizing a problem is the first step to correcting it.

Congratulations Kevin, you’ve made that important first step. One small step for most of us, one giant leep for Kevin… [:-^]

Mike.

My kids always had shoes, they are grown up now. In fact, I started and finished the kid thing at a young age, I am 62, my oldest is 43, my youngest 33, so by 50, my time and money was pretty much my own.

I only have one leaf blower, because I bought a good one, in fact, only owned two in my lifetime…

Sheldon

I think genuine hoarding would be buying those 1000 #78 drill bits and then being afraid to use even one for fear it might break. Or buying a replacement immediately for one that did break.

We have all (I suspect) had the experience of intending to get around to buying some hobby supply or kit or whatever, and waiting too long and missing out, or waiting too long and now it is an expensive and rare collectible. I noticed at this February’s train show in Madison WI that one or two guys seemed to be reaching for all the same Jordan kits that I was reaching for. So a certain buy it when you see it mentality sets in.

And a buying frenzy sets in when a major manufacturer calls it quits, only to have the line revived anyway, making it look like you were hoarding.

And some people just get quirky about things. I know a guy who has this odd “thing” for Athearn 0-4-2T “Little Monsters” and he probably has over a dozen of them. He has no idea if they run or not. I guess he wanted one as a boy and was always disappointed.

It wasn’t that kind of quirk but more like bad memory: years ago I told myself I kind of casually wanted a certain kit, so I bought it at a train show and added it to the shelves for someday. I forgot I’d done that so I bought one at another train show and added it to the shelves for someday. And you guessed it, it happened a third time! And that is when I noticed the other two sitting there. I only sort of wanted it so actually buying it did not trigger a major memory in my head I guess.

But I know one guy, a model railroader and railfan, who is a genuine, clinical, hoarder. Eventually he begged for help and a group of us, wearing masks and latex gloves, agreed to try to clear out his house. It was depressing and disgusting and filthy and even though he had asked for the help he fought us every step of the way and kept going out to th