How do you afford this hobby?

[CAndrewNelson]

Patience. Pure and simple.

I have often waited for years for just the right prop or costume piece. I also swore off the hobby for over a decade, contenting myself to admire the collections of others.

But as someone who works professionally in film and television as an actor, visual effects artist, and animator, I am blessed enough to have the opportunity to wear costumes and handle props on set while working on an actual production. I guess it doesn't get much more screen accurate than that! :lol Of course, I don't get to take them home with me for keeps except on extremely rare occasions (and with permission from the production, not by thievery). I spent 12 years officially portraying Darth Vader for Lucasfilm (the Special Edition, Rebel Assault II, commercials, TV appearances, print ads, etc.) and wore Dave Prowse's original costume for many of those years before the company comissioned replicas for me to wear. It's amazing how many people believe I got to keep that costume. (Every single piece of the 17-piece costume went right back to Skywalker Ranch when I was done shooting.) So being around the real deal makes it easier not to overspend on my collection.

Other ways I afford the hobby are by keeping my collection small and tapping my talented industry colleagues to help me create the items I'm looking for. Calling in favors as it were. It also helps to keep a sharp eye open for a bargain.

I think this type of collecting is a bit like owning classic autos. You start with what you can afford, you work on it to improve it, sell it and trade up until you have what you truly always wanted.

(Speaking of classic cars, anyone interested in a 1952 Packard?)


-----Drew

 

[kialna]

I actually don't.

 

[yoopees]

I put money on the "side." I'm thankful that my fiance (soon to be wife) encourages me to do stuff on the side. I only pick up like 1 or 2 projects and devote my spare time on it when i can. I don't do like 10 bajillion projects and end up in debt to my eye balls. Just a steady pace and such is good. If you don't have a job and/or having a hard time affording, it's best to situate yourself before "wasting" money on "crap"

 

[jediscout]

Keep in mind, some of us have been carefully collecting, trading, creating for years--decades even. If you start building a collection in the 80s, 20 + years later, you'll have an impressive looking set-up. I think sometimes people see 'amount' and think 'loads of $$' when in fact much of it comes down to planning, patience, friends 'in industry' & selection. Of course having $$ helps--it lets you buy stuff--whether it's art supplies and tools, contracting with a machine shop or pursuing licensed replicas. If you don't have the cash to spend, you don't have it.

I don't know how guys who seem to collect everything do it, though. I keep my collection growth contained to only lightsabers--not figures, ships, comics, statues, games, dishware, plush items, posters--but there are guys out there who do that. I'm not sure how those folks do it. That seems like a life commitment.

 

[yoopees]

Keep in mind, some of us have been carefully collecting, trading, creating for years--decades even. If you start building a collection in the 80s, 20 + years later, you'll have an impressive looking set-up. I think sometimes people see 'amount' and think 'loads of $$' when in fact much of it comes down to planning, patience, friends 'in industry' & selection. Of course having $$ helps--it lets you buy stuff--whether it's art supplies and tools, contracting with a machine shop or pursuing licensed replicas. If you don't have the cash to spend, you don't have it.

I don't know how guys who seem to collect everything do it, though. I keep my collection growth contained to only lightsabers--not figures, ships, comics, statues, games, dishware, plush items, posters--but there are guys out there who do that. I'm not sure how those folks do it. That seems like a life commitment.

I agree, I've heard stories where people would eat instant noodles for months because they spent majority of their $$ on (insert hobby). It's one thing to collect, but never...NEVER put your health on the line.

Yes, there will be times when that certain figure/item goes away, but it isn't the end of the world, you can always wait and it will pop up again. It may take months, but if you're an avid searcher, it's out there.

 

[Jedi2016]

My collection has come and gone over the years, and some of the pieces fetched me a lot more than I paid for them. A few bad deals here and there, I've lost money, sure.

Nowadays, I'm more of a lurker here, only stepping up to purchase something rare or special, and it's carefully arranged around my current finances. I also haven't bought much of anything that's really (and I mean really) expensive lately. A couple hundred bucks here and there, maybe once or twice a year. Not too difficult.

 

[Tan Djarka]

First, I stopped putting money into my 401k. Okay, that's actually because everything I put in disappeared almost as quickly as it went in. I never gained anything by contributing!

Since I literally cannot afford this hobby, at least in the fashion that some seem to enjoy it, I try to build as much as I can myself. And what I can't do, I build anyway, badly.

Also, patience is a valuable tool for aquiring the things that you reall want. In 2002 I decided I wanted an Obi ANH. After nearly a decade of refining my fabrication skills and, more recently, aquiring some machined parts, I may well be done.

 

[zanderwitaz]

blood and semen.

 

[Lucky Nm Slevin]

blood and semen.

Haha. Honestly though patience is good and not jumping on the first thing you see to buy. Although I do admit that there are certain genres that I can never say no to.

 

[Blackbirdcd]

It's a balance. I make a reasonably good living as a software/UI Designer, which has provided me a certain amount of freedom to enjoy my hobby. Not enough to acquire rare props or models used on-screen, I tend to find items that suit my tastes and feed my interest in building / finishing them.

But I also enjoy eating so there's rarely a time when I'll go hungry on favor of buying a neat item.

 

[NormanF]

I was paying down credit cards, but now that I'm getting into this I am paying them off at a slower rate. I'm just starting and my plan is to build stuff I am interested in and do it in a way that I can make resin copies to sell to other people that might be interested in them also. The thing I don't understand is how people come up with their prices. Some of them just blow my mind.

 

[Black Knight]

I work a lot...save...do without...sell things I don't deem necessary lol. My two weaknesses are Gremlins and Michael Myers Masks. Affording it is manageable, explaining to someone, especially a girlfriend, that you just spent enough money to make two car payments on a mask or Mogwai is the difficult part. Hey, I work hard and my bills are usually paid ahead of schedule. This is what I choose to spend the leftover on and it makes me smile. I just think its hilarious that my girlfriend is actually jealous of Gizmo. LOL

 

[nonner242]

I dont...I fake it.
I dont know which hobby is worse for me.
Models......Prop Guns.....Classic Video Games.....Other Sci Fi Junk.
Time to rethink my past 25 years.

 

[OptimusWang]

It's a balance. I make a reasonably good living as a software/UI Designer, which has provided me a certain amount of freedom to enjoy my hobby.

What's up fellow UI buddy? :cool

Generally speaking, instead of buying expensive props I buy quality tools that allow me to quickly make whatever I'm into. For example, when I built a Master Chief suit last year I bought a CraftRobo that allowed me to pep the entire thing a few hours a night in less than a week. I have all the respect in the world for guys that build on a shoestring budget (I think the trashcan iron man might be my favorite), but with my job I just don't have the time for that.

:words:

Norm! Welcome to the madness, man

 

[propmainiac]

I could easily go broke with this hobby, but the things I want most Ive been building. Allways wanted a E-11 and after I saw a website by Darkidesithlord on youtube I decided to build it. Didnt have a lot of money or time but little by little I worked on it. Learned a lot about propbuilding in the process. In the end I had a hand built prop I could be proud of. Cost less than 100 dollars in supplies. Working on a pulse rifle now. Sold some other collectibles to finance the build. Trying to make most of my parts but I have spent money on tools. Just pick what you want and work towards it.

 

[greatwazoo42]

I had to tone things way down. I used to collect Doctor Who, Star Wars, Star Trek, and generally any other prop that caught my eye. Now I'm mainly down to the occational sonic screwdriver and just helping others with the details, images and data I've accumulated over the couple of decades I've been enjoying this hobby. I think I enjoy helping people to bring replicas into existence so others can have them more than I do owning copies myself.

As for how I afford it now; most of the time I can't. I've a family, a home and a couple of cars to keep running. The rare occations I do have side money I may sneak in a little something here or there but my days of dropping a big wad of cash on a prop replica are on hold if not gone.

 

[OdiWan72]

Well...

Back the days, where I switched from toy collecting to props, I spent quite an amount of my monthly paycheck on props an -parts. All those who also have been here since the early days still know how much a graflex used to go for on ebay :cry (hell even heilands, King Sols and other flashes fetched quite a bit of $ on ebay).

Being in the hobby for more than a decade now, allowed me to stock up on a few items and enables me to either trade or sell items from my collection to fund other stuff. Doesn´t work all the time, but most of my prop related purchases over the last year(s) were funded through $ I was having in my paypal account

This doesn´t include buying tools, mold making materials etc. :rolleyes

Markus

 

[IeatherfaceIX]

Brad (jedifyfe) has a whole 'how to' on this topic. Excellent read.

As for me, it's simply a matter of less meaning more.







.

Less kids in the house, more for me :lol

Lol, thats right. lol