Evening all,
I am sitting here next to beloved, doing some number crunching ref my budget for a certain big show at the end of the month.
Setting aside the merits or not of said show (I started another topic which turned into that debate!), I wonder how my fellow members decide what they will buy next?
To give you an idea of my problem, the spreadsheet (oh yes, Excel is involved) of potential purchases now runs to £1200 plus!
I am not a rich man, I have moral difficulties spending what I do on my hobby (ok, not that many difficulties ;)), so a much much smaller budget has been set aside for this show.
Of course, I doubt the traders at the show will have all the items on my list with them, so that might make life easier. However, I am interested in your choice making methods.....
Skyline2uk
I can't say as there is any method to my madness :dunce:
For locos and rolling stock I just order what comes up that I like and that will fit to my given location/era. Sometimes I have to think really hard to justify certain motive power ::)
Everything must fit (I don't use Rule 1) so buildings are bought as they come out e.g. I am waiting for the N gauge version of Metcalfe's Wayside station and Walthers Cornerstone Gravel Company buildings. I have lots of Seep point motors and sub miniature switches but will need more so I'll get them as and when. Lights will come when I am ready for them, and so on.
Luckily, everything is fairly spread out time wise so I can save each month for them. Apart from that, my project is for my retirement so I'm not in any particular hurry at the moment as I still have just over a year of earning yet :thumbsup:
Retirement.
The way things are going I won't ever be able to do it.
Alright for some :(
Quote from: Skyline2uk on November 10, 2012, 09:34:42 PM
Alright for some :(
Not sure all those who have worked for over 40/50 years would agree with that :no:
We would say we've earned it :P
Two words...
EYE CANDY ! :thumbsup:
I am weak, so if it's shiny and mostly American (and not too expensive) - i'll buy it !
I try to buy thinking of the era, (in my case Br Blue era) what might be plausible in my fantasy world (George Street) and what might be seen there if it were real. I do have some frieght stock as well as passenger stock but I try and justify its existence using tenious links such as my rail served factory. As for the amount of RTC coaches and SGT which run. I try and justify these by saying they stop over at the end of the line. When I go shopping for more models, I try and think out of the box a bit too so things are interesting to run. Having said all that I think we just have to buy what makes us happy. I'm very strict about what I buy so it all satisfies the above ideals, but having said all that I'd love to have a few EWS engines and modern rolling stock around! If you want it, BUY IT thats what I reckon!
used to be very much "oh I like that" kerching, but now I try to be much more structured (yeah right)
one thing I have learned is to try to plan what I will need and order a whole rake at a time, as so often if you decide to get some now, and the rest later, you can find they've sold out.
QuoteNot sure all those who have worked for over 40/50 years would agree with that :no:
lol Nobby I was only saying by the time I work 40/50 years the retirement age will be 110, "alright for some" means, well done you, you did your time....
....having a shocker at work at the moment so its a bit aspirational!
Right, back to the point of this thread.
Quoteone thing I have learned is to try to plan what I will need and order a whole rake at a time, as so often if you decide to get some now, and the rest later, you can find they've sold out.
Agree with this one, my HAAs and TTA's were bought in rakes. Trouble is, if I get a rake of what I fancy next (BAA, JAA or maybe silver bullets), I won't be able to afford the 58 / 56 I am after!
I feel a cost benefit analysis coming on.....no I don't, that's a shocking thing to say!
P.S. Special thanks to beloved who's only advice so far is "that looks like its been sat on" when she saw a silver bullet on the Hattons page. :confused1:
Skyline2uk
When it comes to N Gauge I have the breaking strain of a soggy Kit-Kat. :(
I just buy:
a) what I like the look of.
b) what I can afford.
c)Anything UK, US or European outline.......... :worried:
Quote from: OwL on November 10, 2012, 11:26:31 PM
When it comes to N Gauge I have the breaking strain of a soggy Kit-Kat. :(
I just buy:
a) what I like the look of.
b) what I can afford. (or not sometimes)
c)Anything UK, US or European outline.......... :worried:
Very much in the same boat. I do try to sell on stuff occaissionaly to keep the funds going - but rarely succeed. :confused1:
If it is a new release and it fits my era/location (late '60s / early 70s West Dorset) then I tend to snap it up. Who knows when it will be available again...
Unfortunately this means things tend to come in expensive waves with lulls in-between. I've just replaced all my old Farish Mk1s with the Blue Riband versions and have nothing to spend my hard earned on until the Westerns, 22s and Mk2a coaches come out. Unlike many I have not been tempted by the Blue Pullman... but if they bring out a Western Region version I will have to go for it!
I buy what appeals to me visually as my layout depicts a preserved railway so I can get away with murder. I usually sell off older versions of any loco that gets up graded by the manufacturers but I have a few locos that are favourites that I won't part with.
I have also been slowly upgrading my coaching stock as the new coaches are so good.
I will have to start saving hard as there are lots of mouthwatering new releases on the horizon. The next purchase will be a LT pannier tank. ( I like the colour ) I was told I buy locos like a girl, good thing I am one ;D
I found out over 55 years ago that money just doesn't grow on trees.
I know a bloke that would buy locomotives instead of paying his rent, when it gets to that stage its probably better to find a cheaper hobby playing Scrabble.
I have never been in a position to buy loco after loco as many people do, instead I work out how many locos I need for a particular layout and keep a couple of spares on the side.
I enjoy the challenge of making the best layout possible for as little financial outlay, this entails a fair amount of scratch building and searching the web for free kit downloads and money saving ideas.
I find it is more interesting building layouts on the cheap rather than trying to amass a huge collection of locos and other rolling stock, I guess its to each their own so do whatever turns you on.
My decisions fall into two camps...
1. Planned purchases of new releases (mostly modern image) which I budget for through savings and selling other stock. Problem here is that invariably release dates are delayed, which means I have money and am therefore susceptable to.....
2. Impulse buys, usually on ebay but also being tempted by sale items like happened this weekend at Rails.
I've tried to get better at this by remembering a question my wife asked when I saw the new Pullman earlier this year: "do you really need that?" Thing is, I don't really need it - just like the look of it. It's amazing what ends up in the collection due to the excuse of having a preserved branch line as part of my layout plan.
Finally, my ultimate decison will be fear of not being able to get hold of something in the future, so I am very weak when it comes to limited editions ;D
Cheers,
Flounder
Quote from: Chetcombe on November 11, 2012, 01:11:07 AM
I have not been tempted by the Blue Pullman... but if they bring out a Western Region version I will have to go for it!
Sadly, Mike, Farish are on record as saying they will not bring out a WR version so I have justified mine by 'creating' massive engineering works on the MR which has forced diversion through my region on its way to London. It works for me :-X
I mainly decide if the funds are in place and it looks like it might fit in with the overal plan (in my head) then ok.
There have been a few special purchases that are currently awaiting building.
Only want is the correct loco for my GWR autocoach- that may mean selling something else from the remainimg Japanese stock
Interesting question.
When I first started in N Gauge I just bought whatever I could find. This resulted in a mainly GW layout with the odd LNER item, although LNER was the main railway for Fife. I always fancied a North British layout but couldn't find the correct type of engines.
After moving to US outline it was the same. Just bought whatever to build up the stock. Now I only buy Bangor and Aroostook stock as that is my preferred railroad. Still have a number of Baltimore and Ohio stock, but everything else is being sold on or converted into BAR stock.
Now I am moving sheds and building a layout based on the Wemyss Private Railway. This layout will be as accurate as possible, and once I decide on a date period I will only buy what was used on the line, although I fear that most of the WPR engines will have to be scratchbuilt.
Alex :wave:
As stated in the other thread I only buy what fits in with the layout, so that limits my purchases somewhat. I waited ages for the Regional Class 156s to come out then bought four sets in one go to make sure I got them, likewise with the 10 Dapol 6-wheel milk tanks. Now I have all the stock I need the only purchases on the horizon are replacing older locos with newer DCC-ready ones - Class 37 in RfD will be next when it comes out, followed by 47s in NSE and Intercity (without those crap yellow cabs!) If they ever do them ;)
Paul
Quote from: 4x2 on November 10, 2012, 09:57:19 PM
Two words...
EYE CANDY ! :thumbsup:
I am weak, so if it's shiny and mostly American (and not too expensive) - i'll buy it !
LOL this is what i do!!! Apart from the Americain stuff.
As im just getting back in to the hobby Warley is going to get hammerd or should that be my wallet :hmmm: :hmmm: :hmmm:
For me i pre-order anything that suits my era (Modern/Preserved) when the catalogues come out. Then when released i make a decision on whether to purchase this item (I usually do!) This is one reason why i don't mind manufacturers delaying products, gives me more time in between purchases.
I'll admit i do get a bargain if it catches my eye (Such as my NSE 86) plus i get track, electrics and scenics as and when they are needed. This just means i have to delay the purchase of stock.
Ollie
Just proved my point to my self!!! Just seen a Kato Eurostar up for grabs.............................so i bought it :o
QuoteJust proved my point to my self!!! Just seen a Kato Eurostar up for grabs.............................so i bought it :o
iank84, if you have not had one of these / don't have one at the moment then you won't be disappointed. My one is tucked up in a box in London (it would probably circle my entire layout at the moment) but I miss seeing it run. They are a joy.
Skyline2uk
Thanks for that vote of confidence...........I was beging to wonder if i had done the right thing........ :doh:
One of my friends has a Eurostar that makes an appearance on our club layout. It is superb and flies round the sometimes dodgy track without a hiccough.
He did say that the couplings between the coaches are a bit fiddly but otherwise he is very happy with it. It is made by Kato after all.
Quote from: iank84 on November 11, 2012, 01:02:06 PM
Thanks for that vote of confidence...........I was beging to wonder if i had done the right thing........ :doh:
I bought one a month ago on eBay, it was an impulse buy because it was so ridiculously cheap. I have to replace two of the couplings and apart from that it runs very sweet.
I have a mixture of stock, British, Japanese and a load of US.
The US is what I am now concentrating on and have collected a few railroads where I can run long trains in different eras so they can be run as "specials".
cheers John.
I tend to pre=order when Dapol/GF announce their new releases.
The problem is that it seems to be necessary to buy when a loco is released because if not I will have "missec the boat".
So......we have coming up several locomotives that fit my WR 59-65 layout. So....having not bought a loco for a while I now have on order 57XX panniers(one arrived yesterday)/14XX and autocoach/ Class 22 and Western. All due (i believe) within a few months of each other.
So......a hit on the budget coming up no doubt!
QuoteThe problem is that it seems to be necessary to buy when a loco is released because if not I will have "missec the boat".
I seem to be half and half with this. The locomotives that I am interested in seem to be fairly easy to come across for a while after they are released (the 58 falls into this category). Where I worry is rolling stock.
Unlike loco's, most rolling stock items run in long rakes (with the thankful exception of the FNA) and to secure enough new wagons at a reasonable price soon after release before they get sold is sometimes a problem.
QuoteI know a bloke that would buy locomotives instead of paying his rent
Wow. Is there such a thing as N gauge addiction?!
Skyline2uk
I have to admit I only buy what I need at the time, for example at the hull show the other day I bought metcalfe cottages for the village/scenic area, 2 decoders for the 101 (now fitted and runs a treat) and some much need glue, all thats left on the needs front is a foot bridge.
After that it will be a few loco's, DMU's and some wagons.
If I can fit it in to one of 3 categories then there is a chance that I will by the loco when it comes out.
BR western 50/60's
Modern Image 2000/current (WCML if possible)
Current mainline registered Preserved. (steam and diesel)
There are always the times when a new loco comes out and I thing what can I repaint that in to to make it right hence the dutch 37, waterman 47 and Intercity 47 they became DRS 37087 + 47712 and soon to become West Coast 47826.
Alistair
I model what Bachman calls Era 8 and the start of Era 9, so I try and buy in that time frame.
I have a long list of items left so, not going to run out ideas anytime soon.
Just missed out on another NSE 121 on eBay though :(
Skyline2uk
I buy spares and repair in that well know auction site and anything that is repairable and fits in with my planned layout - late green/early BR blue in Kent - gets repaired and put to one side.
Cheap (relatively) and I have fun? fixing those that are to be put up for sale. Its cheaper than running a Land Rover but not so much use in getting to work in the frost and snow!