I try to avoid the forum for the weekend and look what happens! :-)
With regards to FSM ignoring the new, incoming modelers, no, absolutely not. FSM has always catered to the broad-base of the hobby, that means the newcomer and the seasoned, grizzled veteran alike. I do believe that the average modeler is not as "average" as he once was, and that newcomers to the hobby have a much shorter learning curve than we did 30 thirty years ago.
Adding a "cost of project" list to the end of every story is not a decision I have the power to make, plain and simple. And with so many variables involved (those mentioned above), it would be problematic in my personal opinion. Many times, the authors don't include this information.
In many instances, aftermarket parts are hoarded for years and bits and pieces from multiple sets often end up in a project. I know this is the typical scenario in my builds, I'll use a part from this fret, something from the spares box, and some scratchbuilt stuff. Sometimes I'll turn a part on my lathe. For me to remember what I paid for, or where I obtained, a detail part, is nearly impossible. I can't remember what I had for lunch yesterday!! :-)
The resources section of the feature stories usually outline the components used in a project, and when a specific PE set or resin set is used, the author will usually list the specific part number in the story.
I guess the question I should ask is this,"How many of us duplicate the projects from the pages of the magazine?"
Obviously, if you read my T-34 story, for example, you'd know that I added a turned barrel and scratchbuilt panzerfaust screens using window screen and plastic stock. If you estimate that I used 2 packages of L-channel, one package of square stock, and some window screen, you'd guess somewhere between $5 and $7. I added telephone wire to the engine, and that was leftover from the construction of my house! Other than that, the model was built OOB.
But in the literal sense, I have hundreds of pieces of styrene and brass stock laying around, and the window screen was a scrap from a $2 replacement from a local hardware store. Chances are we've all got a screen that needs replacement somewhere in our homes! I saved the scraps and used them on my model. Does it help the reader to know that I didn't pay for the window screen?
I guess my point is, what do I include in the cost of the project? My Chopper II, my lathe, the weathering powders, the paint, and the airbrush and compressor? What items do we all take for granted we have, and do we include the consumables like paint and glue? I happen to categorize styrene and brass into that category as well.
What I hope happens, is that modelers read the article, get a general idea of what went into the project, and adapt it to their skills and resources.
I should also comment that I rarely jump into a project of any sort (modeling or otherwise) without doing additional research first. For me, that's just part of the process, and sometimes, it's more enjoyable than actually building the model!
Jeff