How do you decide what to buy next?

[Skyline2uk]

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

[Newportnobby]

I can't say as there is any method to my madness
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

[Skyline2uk]

Retirement.

The way things are going I won't ever be able to do it.

Alright for some 

[Newportnobby]

Alright for some 

Not sure all those who have worked for over 40/50 years would agree with that
We would say we've earned it

[4x2]

Two words...

EYE CANDY ! 

I am weak, so if it's shiny and mostly American (and not too expensive) - i'll buy it ! 

[Shaun Harvey]

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!   

[guest311]

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.

[Skyline2uk]

Not sure all those who have worked for over 40/50 years would agree with that

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.

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.

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. 

Skyline2uk

[OwL]

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..........

[trainsdownunder]

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..........

Very much in the same boat. I do try to sell on stuff occaissionaly to keep the funds going -  but rarely succeed. 

[Chetcombe]

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!

[silly moo]

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 

[longbridge]

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.

[Flounder]

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 

Cheers,
Flounder

[Newportnobby]

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