If playing with the time machine might as well have some good evil fun at the expense of a couple of sacred hobby cows and make some hamburgers .
Invest Everything in the US stock market in 1984. Use maximum margin. Use the resulting billions to do the following:
A) Buy, Decapitate & Reorganize
Buy Testor's. Immediate decapitation strike against company's incompetent leadership team.
Buy Monogram Immediate decapitation strike against company's incompetent leadership team.
Buy Revell Immediate decapitation strike against company's incompetent leadership team.
Buy AMT Immediate decapitation strike against company's incompetent leadership team.
Fuse a new company together from these carcasses under Japanese style management that practices Zaizen and 5S. Americans that take issue with business philosophy are warned and then fired on the spot if resistance continues.
B) Scored Earth Policy
Total Absolute Destruction of IPMS/USA. Reform from the ashes an organization along the lines of IPMS/UK & AMPS. From what I've seen IPMS/USA inadvertently did more damage to the hobby in the USA than anything else. The hobby thrives in Europe and the Pacific Rim compared to the USA. Areas that are basically free of IPMS/USA influences and taint.
On a serious note now that folks dandruff is all up :)
My Priorty List For Best Spent Hobby Dolllar
SAFETY GEAR - Safety glasses, gloves, high quality respirator with correct high quality filters rated by your government’s lab testing, whole house fan etc, - what’s needed to ensure safe healthy well ventilated model environment. These are the most important items one will buy for the hobby.
- The basic bible of all afv modeling guide books. First purchase
Modeling Tanks and Military Vehicles
by Sheperd Paine
You’ll out grow it 
It’s a relic by today’s standard.
That’s the whole point - it will help you grow and help you learn HOW to grow skills That’s the key part.
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Very High Quality Basic Hobby Hand Tools - Tamiya Basic File set, Tamiya PE file, Meng or Godhand part cutters or equivalent, #11 & #15 scalpel blades, metal hobby handle for blades with antiroll heavy nut. Quality wet/dry sanding paper 400, 600, 800 etc. Equivalent sanding sticks. Medical grade iris tweezers, pin vise, drill bits, metal straight edge, 5.5 k lights, High Quality Liquid Cement (Testor’s, Tamiya & Mr Hobby) High quality putty (Molak Stucco Putty, Tamiya Basic, red Bondo Glaze Putty), high quality working fine point paint brush for Liquid Cement & Putty application. Several empty metal altoids mint boxes. Good assortment of Red Sable paint brushes and some cheaper good quality paint brushes.
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Hobby Furniture - a good chair & decent desk/work table are critical. You’ll not enjoy working if your miserable in the work area. A standard desk is about 28 to 29 inches high - this is far too low for long sessions if your taller than about 5ft 8 inches. My desk sits on four milk crates to raise work surface to 35 inches high.
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High Quality Airbrush & Electrical Tools - appropriate airbrush for current skill level typically Paasche H or VL or equivalent of preferred brand. Compressor, Spray Booth, UK MiniCraft/Proxxton or equivalent rotary tool. High torque low RPM. Dremel generally sucks by comparison having low torque and high rpm.
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Hobby Chemicals & misc
High quality - Liquid Cement, craft/hobby paints, gloss coat, flat coat, thinners, super glue(s), accelerator, debonder, pipettes, small mix cups, white glue, decal setting solutions, oil paints, naptha, pastel chalk
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One model kit to build
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Bookshelf to display finished work
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Starter stash - the ten kits you can’t live without. That should remain the working limit of the stash size.
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Storage/transport totes for model shows or club meetings
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Reference books 
. Just buy a few of the very best as most are of marginal value.
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Decal sheets & aftermarket parts purchase only for immediate project or the ten kits in the stash.
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Fluff - products of convenience
Pigments, premixed washes - avoid as it's easy to make one's own.