Kit Acquisition--Informal Poll Round 2

wbill76

1) How much $ total (ballpark estimate) do you spend on the hobby in a given year? This would potentially encompass not just kits but related supplies, references/books, etc.  

2) How much in "time" do you devote to the hobby in that same period? (Think about it in terms of hours per week X 52 weeks in a year...or whatever math is easiest!)  

3) If you died today, who would get your stash?

 

1. Probably only about $200-250 per year, but that includes magazines and books. I don't buy many kits, so paint, glue, sand paper and the such is a big portion. KIts probably being the least of it anymore.

2. Oyyyyy, this is tough one. I go in spurts. Since I was laid off, I've gotten much more time in. On average I'll say maybe 5 hours a week? Doesn't seem like much, but I might work 3 hours one day and skip 4 days. Really hard to tell, but since I'm completing maybe 3-4 kits a year, that's a ballpark. I'm slow and get easily unmotivated.

3. Ah, who would get my modest stash? I told the old lady to sell it on ebay, but I know her, she's too lazy. Perhaps I could make a "suggested" list of members to donate them to. So be nice.

I like your Manny-like deep questions Bill. Keep them coming.

1) I'd say an average of $225 (no, not because it's close to $229).

2) Oddly, I think an average of 260 hours/year based on a current average of 5 hours/week.

3) I would let my brother pick over what he wanted and have the rest of the stash, references, and other useable items donated to my club to dispose of as they saw fit.

wbill76

1) How much $ total (ballpark estimate) do you spend on the hobby in a given year? This would potentially encompass not just kits but related supplies, references/books, etc.

Probably around $2,000 per year.  

2) How much in "time" do you devote to the hobby in that same period? (Think about it in terms of hours per week X 52 weeks in a year...or whatever math is easiest!)  

Hard to estimate, but maybe around 200 hours.

3) If you died today, who would get your stash?

Probably my youngest brother, but don't tell him that...  

Mark

1) How much $ total (ballpark estimate) do you spend on the hobby in a given year? This would potentially encompass not just kits but related supplies, references/books, etc.  

Probably around $500 a year.  It's creeping up.

2) How much in "time" do you devote to the hobby in that same period? (Think about it in terms of hours per week X 52 weeks in a year...or whatever math is easiest!)  

I think I average about 5 hours a week, so about 260 hours per year.

3) If you died today, who would get your stash? 

My wife would probably offer it all to my modelling buddies.  Nobody else in the family is interested in modelling.

Paul

1) How much $ total (ballpark estimate) do you spend on the hobby in a given year? This would potentially encompass not just kits but related supplies, references/books, etc.

I came back to this hobby in last December. So far, $1,200 on kits, $300 on books, and $1,000 on equipment (paints included). I thought this hobby would be cheap!

2) How much in "time" do you devote to the hobby in that same period? (Think about it in terms of hours per week X 52 weeks in a year...or whatever math is easiest!)

Actually building & painting time per week is probably 2 hours.  Reading relevant books and doing research takes up more time and is as much fun.  I'm reading "Winter War" and this book is an amazing piece of work.  

1) How much $ total (ballpark estimate) do you spend on the hobby in a given year? This would potentially encompass not just kits but related supplies, references/books, etc.  

$10k

2) How much in "time" do you devote to the hobby in that same period? (Think about it in terms of hours per week X 52 weeks in a year...or whatever math is easiest!)  

800-1,000

3) If you died today, who would get your stash?

Sassy

OK Bill...I will bite

1 - In total somewhere around $500 to $3000. This includes traveling to shows, some overnight stays plus all model supplies, tools, items for the studio.....everything related to styrene. (for all you guys who go to shows, and do other hobby related items...you need to consider the total cost)

Overall a small portion is on kits compared to everything else!!

2 - Generally 8 to 16 hours a week...depending! In general I would say with shows and other hobby work, around 750 hours/year. (same with the hours!!)

Thus a dirt cheap average entertainment value of ~ $1.50 - 2.25/hour

3 - My hobby is accounted for in my will. The built models and a small allowance for display is left to the local American Legion post. The contents of my studio and my stash is left to a fellow modeler.

The wife gets everything else!!

Rounds Complete!!

1)I have a budget of £100 a month, but i usually excepe that by a few pounds. So i would estimate about £1,500 a year.

2) for me it varies. Currently i only build when i am in barracks, i don't do anything at home. Which means i don't buld when i am off work. So on a week when i am in camp, providing i am in the right frame of mind, i can be modelling for upto 5 or 6 hours a night, 4 nights a week.

3) E-bay probably.

1. I say $200, much less than I used to spend.
2. Less than 10 hours a week. World of Warcraft has cut into my modeling time.
3. My wife, then ultimately eBay, although she too is unmotivated to sell the stuff. My wife's motto is "I can't/don't know how" as in "I can't take photos, I don't know how to upload them, I can't list them". She has a ton of stuff she wants to sell on eBay but wants my help (i.e. do it for her).

I am still waiting for my prize.  Am afraid Manny stole it once again...

1. First two years returning to hobby after 25 years break... I had to get everything!!!  Airbrush set, compressor, workbench, airbrush booth and lots of tools along with kits I would say $4000.  From now on $500-$1000 as long as I keep my stash under control. 

There are always aftermarkets for my current stash... aluminum barrels, tracks and upgrade sets.   For example, I shopped at a great model shop here in New Orleans yesterday while I am on vacation... I didn't buy a kit but spent $70 on upgrade and zimm sets.  Well, my wife was with me...

2. About ten hours a week if I am lucky!

3. Well, if I die because I accidentally cut the artery with my modeling knife, Manny can have them if he promises to look after my wife. Probably my boys if they are ever interested.  If not, I told my wife to contact somebody at the veteran hospitals. 

Interesting questions Bill. It has been only recently that I attempted to quantify the value of my obsession hobby...it was enlightening to see how low the $/hr ratio was, and completely removed all guilty feelings about indulging myself in it.

1. Including books, tools and accessories I'd guestimate about $600-$1000...I only purchase 3-5 kits per year, but I go nuts researching things and adding-to or upgrading the work bench.
2. Actual build hours would average about 5 hrs/week. If I include research reading and time on model websites that at least doubles.
3. My youngest son, who has followed me into the hobby...and in many ways is surpassing me already.

Cheers,

Hi Bill,
I guess that building up the tools box is to be seen as an investment.

1.) Non consumables is probably up to $ 1000 in cost, maybe worth 30% of that if resold.
The yearly average is easy, I have all the cost on one credit card, spend is fairly steady around $1000/ year.
That is including 2 subscriptions, books, kits and consumables but excluding tools. 

2.) 800 hours

3.) I have a deal with my LHS and my wife, he resells all of it and the money goes to the homeless.

Very Best Regards
Johan 

1) Around $2000/yr. Usually, when I buy a kit, I will also buy 'some' AM along with it. For example, Eduard masks and sometimes 'zoom'. True details tires. Some resin AM. I can easily rack up over a $100 per kit, since I have been focusing on 1/32 in recent times.. Then there's the paint, supplies, etc. I'm pretty removed from the bar scene, etc. these days. So yeah I do save a lot of money with this hobby. I also do other hobbies, such as leatherwork (which sometimes use the very same tools and paints, AB and booth, etc.)

2) 400 hours and increasing.

3) I have no friends, kids, or relatives that appreciate modelling. I'd most likely donate my stash to FSM folks, and/or prefereably someone centered towards teaching their kids, or kids in general, the intrigue of this.

It's interesting to see the variations, keep the answers coming guys! I suppose I should answer my own questions as well for the purposes of consistency.

1) How much $ total (ballpark estimate) do you spend on the hobby in a given year? This would potentially encompass not just kits but related supplies, references/books, etc.

My spending in the early years easily topped $1500 a year as I built up a reference library and the kit and AM stash. Now that the stash is "established" and my pace of building has slowed down, I've found that I'm still spending annually on the hobby but a diminshed rate. I would estimate that I now spend somewhere in the neighborhood of $300-$500 per year tops.

2) How much in "time" do you devote to the hobby in that same period? (Think about it in terms of hours per week X 52 weeks in a year...or whatever math is easiest!)

I used to spend a good 15 hours per week building and another 10-15 on forums and such but now I would say I spend probably 3-5 hours a week on building and probably another 5 hours a week on forums.   

3) If you died today, who would get your stash?

I will admit to have never given this much thought. Seeing some of the answers that others have posted have given me some ideas though. At the moment it's covered under the default statement in my will that says "everything goes to the wife".

My two million cents:

1)  I'm holding at around $1,500/yr. I do try and combine hobby travel with vacations (AMPS show in KC and family vacation as an example) but most of the money goes to AM and references. I tend to buy older, less expensive kits, and so far haven't done any hobby-only trips.

2)  If I'm lucky, I average around 6 hours per week, so say 300 in a good year.

3)  I don't really have any "in-person" modeling friends, and a rather small stash, but if I check out today, my wife will be on this forum looking for suggestions......so ya'll be nice.

1) How much $ total (ballpark estimate) do you spend on the hobby in a given year? This would potentially encompass not just kits but related supplies, references/books, etc.

I'd say around $1000-$1500

2) How much in "time" do you devote to the hobby in that same period? (Think about it in terms of hours per week X 52 weeks in a year...or whatever math is easiest!)

Just a guess but i'd say 800

3) If you died today, who would get your stash?

I'd have my wife send my stuff to the Wounded Warrior Program or send them to the troops that are deployed.

Sorry Bill, I missed your first round so I'll help out here:

bufflehead

Honestly, I truly believe that if the kits from my stash were to be posthumously donated to my fellow forum members those kits would be built with more care and thought and feeling than anyone else who might get them. 

On a side note:  As for my completed models, if none of my family or friends values them as a momento for themselves, then I'd like them to be donated to an LHS for display.  Except the sucky ones...those should be put in a pile, doused with Testors enamel thinner and set on fire!

My thoughts exactly. My wife is too lazy to sell them on ebay. I suppose she could put an ad on Craigslist and see where that goes, but I would probably prefer them to go to my modeling brothers in the forum.

I like the idea of torching finished builds to relive our days of youth.

1. Aprox. $800.00/yr. Yet, my cost is dwindling as I have nearly every kit I want or can build complete with AM. All the tools I need and a healthy supply of paint, thinner, glue, putty etc... Thus, the lion's share of my expenditures goes to reference books and material.

2. Approx. 500 hrs/yr. Bottom line, nowhere near enough.

3. Upon passing my kits and associated supplies are to be donated through IPMS' Support Your Troops program so that they may find their way into the hands of brave men and women serving in combat zones.

                        Regards, Joe