The topic about how the economy affects our hobby is a frequent topic between plastic scale modelers. We’ve seen the costs of our hobby rise, especially kit prices. But it doesn’t necessarily mean it is too expensive of a hobby to participate in.Let me share an example with you of how affordable it can still be.
I’ve been looking at a certain 1:48 scale model kit produced by Tamiya. It is not a new release but a subject that I find interesting. This kit carries a MSRP of $47.00.
Online the kit price on average was $35.75 after comparing prices at five of the well known online stores. On top of this you would have to add shipping and handling, which would push the price closer to being $40.00. If I were ordering more than just one item and I had no other options for sourcing this kit, I would consider it a Deal.
I visited my local and distant hobby shops, the kit is marked at either full retail or with an everyday low price (10% discount) of $42.30. Add in my “Club” 20% discount and the price drops to $33.84. A savings of $13.16 which I call a Deal that offsets the costs of the paints necessary to complete the project (that is if you don’t already have the paint on hand). If you are the type with a sharp pencil and calculate everything, this is a Deal because you were probably out shopping anyway…it wasn’t a special trip.
A trek into the local Hobby Lobby finds the kit marked at full retail of $47.00, but being frugal and aware that Hobby Lobby routinely publishes a 40% off discount coupon, and I keep one in my wallet for “emergencies” such as this, the price becomes $28.20. Still a little pricey for those on a really tight budget, but a Good Deal never the less. Again not everyone has this retailer available to them so it may or may not be a factor for comparison.
Now for the Steal of a Deal. I have been putting off getting this kit why, because even at the Good Deal price of $28.20 I could not justify making the purchase. It was a conscious decision to only purchase it if I could find it at a steal of a deal. Fortunately I found such a steal. I purchase the kit from a fellow modeler at a recent club meeting who was thinning down his collection. So instead of paying $47.00, $33.84, $28.20 I paid….get ready…$10.00! Almost a 79% savings off the full retail price! The only thing better would have been getting it for free.
The problem now was to resist purchasing all of the Tamiya kits he was selling that ranged in retail from $30-$50 for $10.00 each…I could have gone broke saving money and grew my stash significantly in the process! Fortunately I had a momentary period of self control, a light cash load in my wallet, plus I wasn’t the one who drove that night…otherwise things might have been different. 
I didn’t factor in any of the applicable sales taxes, which would adjust the final purchase price paid. But it proves that this hobby is still affordable and membership in a local modeling club has its benefits and rewards! It also pays to shop and compare pricing when shopping for a particular model kit. What you save on the purchase of the kit(s) allows you to invest into accessories, tools, and supplies. In the end you win, you’ve saved money and can still participate in a fantastic and rewarding hobby. Too expensive of a hobby…nonsense, to quote Yogi Bear “you have to be smarter than the average Bear.”
Happy and Affordable Plastic Scale Modeling!
Shortly after publishing my post I received an notification of unsubscribing from a reader with this comment:
i’m sorry, but i don’t find your writing inspiring. today’s squawkbox is a joke. just because you got lucky in finding a kit for $10.00, doesn’t make this hobby affordable.
To that I reply: Sorry you feel that way, but it wasn’t one kit, it was more like a couple of dozen that I had a choice of. I only purchased one. It is a matter of perspective. I can spend as much or as little as I want on this hobby yet still enjoy it. I don’t have to spend another dime on kits, all I need is the occasional bottle of paint, I can still enjoy this hobby building the kits I have in my stash (that I purchased back when this hobby was “affordable”
) or rebuilding the ones that exist in my collection. As with most folks, you’re probably paying out more for your cable TV, Internet access and other optional services of convenience than you do for the hobby you enjoyed. But hey, it’s to each his own. Best of luck at what ever affordable hobby you choose to pursue.
Gerald,
I don’t find your writing inspiring, I find it to be factual, informative and, at times, humorous. (inspiring is that Tamiya kit!)
Today’s Squawkbox was the latter, but not a joke. The point was well made and true, who amoung us that is in a local club hasn’t either gotten a deal or given one to fellow modeler?
Affordable? If you are graced with LHS like mine, YOU BET! Not only do we get a 10% for being a member of the local club, we get a 10% on special orders that the owner reduces further for us.
Lucky in finding a kit that inexpensive? Sure! Good on ya!
Keep writing and I’ll keep reading and chuckling along with you.
You, too, huh? I bought the Czech Model “Round Engine” Shrike for $10 from that same fellow modeler. I don’t know if I have another one in the basement or not. Since my inline version went to the 440th, I’ve wanted to do the other scheme–blue and yellow. No only did I not want to pay full price for this kit having already built a similar one, this is the first one available that I’ve seen for a long time.
Don, I was just penning another blog post in response but it probably won’t accomplish anything so I deleted it. It was going to be titled “If Modeling Was A Vice.” I was going to touch on the cost of some of man’s more favorite “pleasures.” If you changed modeling from a hobby to a vice, there would be no discussion about the cost of it. Models would be in the same light as Single Malt Scotches, Whiskey, Cigarettes and Fine Cigars…only less hazardous to ones health. Which would make them one of the vices with lesser consequences.
Celebrities would be showing their builds as bling bling in their cribs…everyone would want them. LOL
Al you are probably one of the most perfect examples to use. You are a retiree and yet you are actively involved in this hobby. It keeps you occupied through the year as a hobby should. You are prudent with your expenditures and continue to get as much from this hobby as anyone I know. You are living proof that this hobby can be rewarding on many fronts. Thanks for being a positive example and role model. I’ve learned a lot over the years from you.
I agree with you Steve. We can spend a lot of money or we can spend what we can afford. If a bargain is found then it would only bve fair to share it with others. It’ a lot like ebay.com there are some batgain and there are some items that only those with the bucks can afford. it is what your billfold will allow you to buy. I tell a lot of people that my hobby keeps me out of the local extablishments and I have something to show for my efforts.
My only desire is to have a Hobby Lobby here in Montana.
Tony,
Yeah, when I was stationed in Montana, there were some comforts I missed too. But the Big Sky made up for it in other ways. Hunting was another hobby some found expensive…but for us it was an affordable way to put meat in the freezer.
Who’s this Steve your talking to? Must be the abundant fresh air and elevation in Montana.
I think this issue points out an important split in the hobby. For those of us who are “well-connected” with online buy/sell forums, local club sales, and store “member” discounts, yes, there are still deals to be had. But I argue that these deals only come from modelers who have amassed such a collection that they are willing to part with many kits for far less than what their market value is. Maybe they take the hit because they are generous to their fellow modelers, need to get rid of them quick, or have just lost interest in the subject and will take any kind of cash for it.
However, for the pure novice who is spending his dollars on strictly retail-priced new (and re-released) kits, the costs now are growing higher and higher. Unless they are “in the know”, this hobby is pricing them out of the market.
I appreciate your conveyance of the fact that good deals are always worth waiting and watching for, but one only needs to look at the latest MSRP list from Trumpeter to see that for any new releases, the costs have skyrocketed lately. Perhaps your column should have focused on deals that can be had from the older generation of modelers who are selling off their stashes!
I think that much of the argued “value” of previously released kits simply comes from modelers who are buying from one stash only to sell it to another. When it comes to new & retail items, our dollars are purchasing far, far less these days.
There are still a great number of manufacturer producing quality kits both new and older re-releases that are at a suitable price point for the novice and those modelers on a budget. I want a new car, the car I want is beyond my means, does this mean I go without a car? No, it does limit me to purchase what I can afford though. One has to be an educated consumer these days to survive in anything one purchases to get the best bang for ones buck.
Just as with plastic models there are kits that I want to purchase that are just too expensive, so I look at other offerings which are priced at prices I can afford or simply do without until I can save up to make the purchase.
Trumpeter is riding high both in price and popularity…the two are connected at the consumer. As long as consumers are willing to pay the price they set, they’ll continue to meet their goals. Without price competition there are no limitations on what they can charge except for the mood of the consumer. Apparently the mood is good enough still to charge $189.00 Retail for that Lightning. Gasoline prices dropped radically after demand curtained and it still continues to flow at a profit for the producers. The same thing can happen in this case too.
Like I mentioned in my reply to Don, if modeling was a Vice, cost wouldn’t be a consideration. As a society sometimes our spending priorities are skewed. You can’t imagine how many people thought I was goofy not having a home phone line. Why spend the $40+ dollars a month for when I have a cell on my person. I wasn’t home most the time anyway. That $40 a month was damn useful elsewhere in the budget!
Everyone has different priorities in life…including what and where they choose to spend their money. Like the lady visiting her chiropractor said when the doctor recommended she get shoes that fit better so she wouldn’t need his services as often…”I can’t afford better shoes!” She explained.
“Everyone has different priorities in life…including what and where they choose to spend their money. Like the lady visiting her chiropractor said when the doctor recommended she get shoes that fit better so she wouldn’t need his services as often…”I can’t afford better shoes!” She explained.”
ROTFLMBO :>) That just about covers it Gerald. Love it!
Paddy
Well; as a retired 30 yr CMSgt USAF, my response to the unsubscribing individual, would be one of the following two ‘Falcon Codes’, #131 & or #104 !
Gerald:
I really enjoy your blog. Its sort of like going to a club meeting. Lots of times you learn good stuff like building techniques but some time you just shoot the breeze. That’s ok too.
Brad
I try to keep a good mix. At times there needs to be topics that aren’t necessarily interesting to some but need saying none the less. As far as tips go, well it plays into the Watch One, Do One, Teach One process of learning.
Speaking of Model Club…I gotta scoot, ours is tonight!
I think the hobby has actually stayed about the same in terms of cost, or, if anything, only increased marginally in cost.
I just came across an ad for Hobbyland in a 1991 issue of FSM. I logged onto e-Hobbyland (they still have the same phone number, too!) and compared prices for the exact same kits (some Monogram, Testors, and Hasegawa). In some cases, current prices outpaced inflation by quite a bit but in most cases the price in 1991 was only a few dollars less than prices today adjusted for inflation.
In other cases, the price today is actually LOWER than in 1991. The same issue has a Squadron add for Emhar’s 1/72 Fury for $6. The current Squadron price for the same kit is $9, about 50 cents under what the price “should” be after adjusting for inflation.
We have our local IPMS club meeting at a HobbyTown USA. There were some vast differences in pricing between kits. The newer release were pricey, but those same kits I built as a youngster were still reasonably priced…usually under $20.00. There were also several of the 1:32 21st Century Toys kits which were priced at $13.00. I’ve built these and they are a very affordable kit that makes into a nice model. Some skill they make into great models.