) has been pseudo supportive lol. Some things she is ok with, some she kind of questions. Oddly enough, I was telling her about the 501st and she mentioned that it sounds like a great group (due to the charitable portions). She gave me the green light to craft/buy some armor and try to join up! Unfortunately, finances in LA dictate that I have to wait (ie: SAVE UP!!) to purchase the goods..
) Am I giving up. NO! I will get it, and I will get it at a fair price. 
The rules of cheep prop collecting. (some of this may have already be covered. )
Rule 1, Don't buy anything you can make, unless it is worth it to you to save the time and effort, or just plain can't make it.
Rule 2. Learn to look ate EVERYTHING as more then "What it is". You will learn to never look at a single item the same again. EVERYTHING can be more then what you are told it is used for. Maybe you want a Han Solo blaster Fl.ash hider. Sure you could spend $100. on the latest most accurate run ever, of you could make one out of a $1. funnel, and some caps off of pop bottles. That kind of thing.
Rules 3. The thrift store, and junk yards are your friends. Yes, they are at times gross and nasty, but they are a gold mind for people like us.
Rule 4. Buy resin kit's! As a general rule. Finished licensed props are the most expensive, by far. The next expensive is unlicensed finished metal props, then unfinished metal props, then finished metal props, and finally, at the very bottom, and most inexpensive, is the unfinished props you finish and assemble yourself.
Rule 5. If it's not a listens prop WEIGHT! I can't tell you how many runs I have seen, that made me say "OH GOD WAY DO I HAVE TO BE SOOOOO PORE, I WANT ONE SO BAD" However, without fail, that prop that was $400. in a run last year, comes up for grabs in a "For Sale thread" or over looked auction for way, way, less. I have never paid more then $150. for a lightsaber, many of them way, way, less, and almost all the ones I own, started life priced at over $300. Some unlicensed stuff goes up in price, but most does not.
Rule 6. Be nice, help others, and do your best to be part of the community. You would be surprised what the folks around here will do for you, if you do for them.
Rule 7. No mater how tempting it is, you must never buy from "Recasters", it is not allowed (for some reason) around here. Yes, they offer the item's at the prices you may feel the original seller should have priced the items at. Yes because of that, you could get that prop you have always wanted, for a price you can actually pay. Yes, All we do around here, is recast props, weather it be buy rebiulding someone else's work we see on screen, or buy actually recasting screen used props, and offering them up to each other, like there are not industry professionals on these forums. You simply must never buy them.
Rule 8. Learn who here does work, worth your money. There are a lot of folk around here that think they are hot @%$%. They offer a lot of stuff, and really hi prices. (i'm not saying they aren't "Fair" prices" I'm just saying they ask you for a lot of monay.) Some of them produce items that are outstanding, and worth far more then they ask for them. Others produce absolute junk, that will make you mad that you lost money on. The real problem is no-one talks about it. Get something great, and they all post "WOW this is a great item, so glad I got it, thank you" get complete junk ,and they all post "WOW this is a great item, so glad I got it, thank you".
Rule 9. Many here will tell you that ebay and sites like it, are the devil. But sometimes. You can get what you want there for way less, and the quality varies just as much as it does here. The trick is, new runs, and hot items, will usually sell for more on ebay, in witch case it is usually cheaper to by here. If you have friends here, or can find someone clearing out their stuff, and want it to go to a "good home", you will do better here, if you can beat the hoard of other nerds here looking for the same thing, that is. However, if you have the time, and keep your eyes open. If you learn to look for the listings, with miss spellings, and folks that don't know waht they have, so the list them wrong, you can get great stuff cheep. Like years ago, there was this widow selling off there husbands stuff. She listed an MR Battle Damaged Mal saber. She gave it the wrong name and said "Light Sabre" Instead of "lightsaber" In the description she said it was a resin saber, even though it was metal. It sold for less then $20. I didn't get it, because I feel bad enough constantly buying from folk that have fallen on hard times, but taking from a widow, to save a buck, at the time. seamed to low down, for me. I would probly do it now. :lol (Hey she should have learned about what she was selling before she sold it. :b)
Rule 10. Learn to live with inaccuracy. Unless you make it yourself, the cheeper the prop, often the more inaccurate it is. But keep in mind that, yes there will be those RUDE enough to walk right up to you, either on the boards, or at conventions, and tell you that it's not 100% accurrate, those same people would do it to the real prop. No really. There are folk here, that can't wait to tell you what is off about what you have, but some of them could have the real deal in front of them and they would still say it. One guy here said he was going to make the most accurrrate Anakin saber ever, out of titanium. Say what? Titanium? The screen used one was aluminum, get over it. Just know it really says way more then about those folks then it does about you. Ever notice that the folk that walk up to you at cons, and say this, an that about your costume, are usually not wearing one? HM, interesting don't you tink.
Rule 11. (and I kind of already said this.) Be nice. (God this one is hard for me, with jerks making a big deal about my selling, and acting like children, but it must be done) Be nice, ask nice. Just because the rest of the work has lost there manors does not mean you have too. If your kind, giving, and good to others around here, it will get you far.
Rule 12. Be persistent. If you ask about something once, in the real world, or here, and folks don't answer, or say no, don't just give up, and go eat a pizza. Stick with it. Don't be rude about it, but keep looking for what you want. I just spend a whole day, a couple days ago, looking all over for something, that I have been looking for, for over 5 years, did I get it..........Nope, still looking. (even though someone here promised me he would send me one 4 years ago, along with some other stuff he owed me from years before that.
Rule 13. (this one isn't really anything to worry about) Don't let this place make you a jerk. There are truly a ton of great folk here, but there are those that aren't as well. I used to be a much comer, nicer, person, before I came here 10 years ago. But after dealing with certain people for so long, I find, I'm way pushier, and angrier then I used to be. I find myself saying things that I would have never dreamed of saying to another person 10 years ago. Don't get me wrong there is no other forum I would rather be on. There are great, generous, kind, thoughtful, folks here, but like with any group of people there there are also, those that are Rude, Childish, hatefull, selfish, awful people too. Why do I bring this up? Because as a pore prop collector, in a world of hi priced props, you are going to get stepped on more then the richer collectors. It is a bad economy for all of us, but many folks here forget that, and forget to make room for the rest of us. Can't afford to get in on run, fine, say so, and well there are those that will rip you a new one, for doing so. It all really makes me wish that they would add a "Broke A$$ pore" section of the forum. A section were those without the means to do it up big, can buy sell, trade, and talk freely about cheep, maybe not so accurate props. Hey lets face it, if they did, all those folks that bash us for being pore, would PM us to death, trying to get the deals we would offer, but cause no-one, rich or pore, should pay too much for anything. :lol
Hope this helps.
The rules of cheep prop collecting. (some of this may have already be covered. )
Rule 1, Don't buy anything you can make, unless it is worth it to you to save the time and effort, or just plain can't make it.
Rule 2. Learn to look ate EVERYTHING as more then "What it is". You will learn to never look at a single item the same again. EVERYTHING can be more then what you are told it is used for. Maybe you want a Han Solo blaster Fl.ash hider. Sure you could spend $100. on the latest most accurate run ever, of you could make one out of a $1. funnel, and some caps off of pop bottles. That kind of thing.
Rules 3. The thrift store, and junk yards are your friends. Yes, they are at times gross and nasty, but they are a gold mind for people like us.
Rule 4. Buy resin kit's! As a general rule. Finished licensed props are the most expensive, by far. The next expensive is unlicensed finished metal props, then unfinished metal props, then finished metal props, and finally, at the very bottom, and most inexpensive, is the unfinished props you finish and assemble yourself.
Rule 5. If it's not a listens prop WEIGHT! I can't tell you how many runs I have seen, that made me say "OH GOD WAY DO I HAVE TO BE SOOOOO PORE, I WANT ONE SO BAD" However, without fail, that prop that was $400. in a run last year, comes up for grabs in a "For Sale thread" or over looked auction for way, way, less. I have never paid more then $150. for a lightsaber, many of them way, way, less, and almost all the ones I own, started life priced at over $300. Some unlicensed stuff goes up in price, but most does not.
Rule 6. Be nice, help others, and do your best to be part of the community. You would be surprised what the folks around here will do for you, if you do for them.
Rule 7. No mater how tempting it is, you must never buy from "Recasters", it is not allowed (for some reason) around here. Yes, they offer the item's at the prices you may feel the original seller should have priced the items at. Yes because of that, you could get that prop you have always wanted, for a price you can actually pay. Yes, All we do around here, is recast props, weather it be buy rebiulding someone else's work we see on screen, or buy actually recasting screen used props, and offering them up to each other, like there are not industry professionals on these forums. You simply must never buy them.
Rule 8. Learn who here does work, worth your money. There are a lot of folk around here that think they are hot @%$%. They offer a lot of stuff, and really hi prices. (i'm not saying they aren't "Fair" prices" I'm just saying they ask you for a lot of monay.) Some of them produce items that are outstanding, and worth far more then they ask for them. Others produce absolute junk, that will make you mad that you lost money on. The real problem is no-one talks about it. Get something great, and they all post "WOW this is a great item, so glad I got it, thank you" get complete junk ,and they all post "WOW this is a great item, so glad I got it, thank you".
Rule 9. Many here will tell you that ebay and sites like it, are the devil. But sometimes. You can get what you want there for way less, and the quality varies just as much as it does here. The trick is, new runs, and hot items, will usually sell for more on ebay, in witch case it is usually cheaper to by here. If you have friends here, or can find someone clearing out their stuff, and want it to go to a "good home", you will do better here, if you can beat the hoard of other nerds here looking for the same thing, that is. However, if you have the time, and keep your eyes open. If you learn to look for the listings, with miss spellings, and folks that don't know waht they have, so the list them wrong, you can get great stuff cheep. Like years ago, there was this widow selling off there husbands stuff. She listed an MR Battle Damaged Mal saber. She gave it the wrong name and said "Light Sabre" Instead of "lightsaber" In the description she said it was a resin saber, even though it was metal. It sold for less then $20. I didn't get it, because I feel bad enough constantly buying from folk that have fallen on hard times, but taking from a widow, to save a buck, at the time. seamed to low down, for me. I would probly do it now. :lol (Hey she should have learned about what she was selling before she sold it. :b)
Rule 10. Learn to live with inaccuracy. Unless you make it yourself, the cheeper the prop, often the more inaccurate it is. But keep in mind that, yes there will be those RUDE enough to walk right up to you, either on the boards, or at conventions, and tell you that it's not 100% accurrate, those same people would do it to the real prop. No really. There are folk here, that can't wait to tell you what is off about what you have, but some of them could have the real deal in front of them and they would still say it. One guy here said he was going to make the most accurrrate Anakin saber ever, out of titanium. Say what? Titanium? The screen used one was aluminum, get over it. Just know it really says way more then about those folks then it does about you. Ever notice that the folk that walk up to you at cons, and say this, an that about your costume, are usually not wearing one? HM, interesting don't you tink.
Rule 11. (and I kind of already said this.) Be nice. (God this one is hard for me, with jerks making a big deal about my selling, and acting like children, but it must be done) Be nice, ask nice. Just because the rest of the work has lost there manors does not mean you have too. If your kind, giving, and good to others around here, it will get you far.
Rule 12. Be persistent. If you ask about something once, in the real world, or here, and folks don't answer, or say no, don't just give up, and go eat a pizza. Stick with it. Don't be rude about it, but keep looking for what you want. I just spend a whole day, a couple days ago, looking all over for something, that I have been looking for, for over 5 years, did I get it..........Nope, still looking. (even though someone here promised me he would send me one 4 years ago, along with some other stuff he owed me from years before that.
Rule 13. (this one isn't really anything to worry about) Don't let this place make you a jerk. There are truly a ton of great folk here, but there are those that aren't as well. I used to be a much comer, nicer, person, before I came here 10 years ago. But after dealing with certain people for so long, I find, I'm way pushier, and angrier then I used to be. I find myself saying things that I would have never dreamed of saying to another person 10 years ago. Don't get me wrong there is no other forum I would rather be on. There are great, generous, kind, thoughtful, folks here, but like with any group of people there there are also, those that are Rude, Childish, hatefull, selfish, awful people too. Why do I bring this up? Because as a pore prop collector, in a world of hi priced props, you are going to get stepped on more then the richer collectors. It is a bad economy for all of us, but many folks here forget that, and forget to make room for the rest of us. Can't afford to get in on run, fine, say so, and well there are those that will rip you a new one, for doing so. It all really makes me wish that they would add a "Broke A$$ pore" section of the forum. A section were those without the means to do it up big, can buy sell, trade, and talk freely about cheep, maybe not so accurate props. Hey lets face it, if they did, all those folks that bash us for being pore, would PM us to death, trying to get the deals we would offer, but cause no-one, rich or pore, should pay too much for anything. :lol
Hope this helps.
