How Do You Fund Your Hobby? (1 Viewer)

[gk5717]

Curious as to how everyone funds this hobby addiction. I guess this is more geared towards married collectors.
Heres my method. I,m retired. My wife and I both receive social security plus a few other pension checks each month. From that income, every month I get X number of dollars for whatever I want to spend it on, no questions. Likewise my wife gets the same amount for whatever she wants.
I also supplement my buying by selling off items.
When I retired from my regular job and started receiving a pension, that,s what we lived on, I found another full time job that I worked for 9 years, and while working that I put extra dollars away for spending on my hobby when I fully retired. I currently have used half of that, turns out not for my hobbies but for home improvements and a convertable!
Just wonder how others handle spending money on this and other hobbies without world war 3 breaking out at home.
Gary

 

[waynepoo]

Curious as to how everyone funds this hobby addiction. I guess this is more geared towards married collectors.
Heres my method. I,m retired. My wife and I both receive social security plus a few other pension checks each month. From that income, every month I get X number of dollars for whatever I want to spend it on, no questions. Likewise my wife gets the same amount for whatever she wants.
I also supplement my buying by selling off items.
When I retired from my regular job and started receiving a pension, that,s what we lived on, I found another full time job that I worked for 9 years, and while working that I put extra dollars away for spending on my hobby when I fully retired. I currently have used half of that, turns out not for my hobbies but for home improvements and a convertable!
Just wonder how others handle spending money on this and other hobbies without world war 3 breaking out at home.
Gary

Bank robbery was my first funding attempt but there was no money in it so I tried working for a living and went without food, power and water and that didn't work either. But seriously it is hard to fund this hobby if you are not working or retired, I find it hard to do even being single and getting a good wage so don't know how some do it but it helps to give up smoking, drinking and women.:wink2:
Wayne.

 

[Napoleon1er]

Don't smoke, can't drink, and the toy soldiers cancel out the women! Unfortunately, I am also a student, so my only income is gifts, odd jobs, and soon to be ROTC. For now, I fund my collecting by babysitting, tutoring, and manual labor. I also buy and sell figures and antiques, as well as make and sell scenic pieces and dioramas.

 

[Obee]

I'm lucky enough to have painting skills that other collectors require, many who are members of this Forum, so the bulk of my purchases are funded by that.

The downside is that I have a LOAD of casting for my collection that I only mamage to do on rare occasions for myself, but still I'm managing to build quite a nice collection of NAPOLEONICS from K&C, John Jenkins and Thomas Gunn, so its all worthwhile.

I'm almost retired, so then I'll have much more time to do what I love, painting toy soldiers

John

 

[MapleLeaf]

Unfortunately the funding don't go as far
I'm still working so it's easy (really ??)
Also what helps make decisions is space
Don't drink ,don't smoke really helps the war budget.
That's me

 

[Deitz]

I am going to give up eating. {sm4}
Brian

 

[wayne556517]

Alot of dead animals help me,and winning on the live ones.........................:wink2:

 

[REDCAP1959]

Im semi retired with a military pension but I also work part time and I set aside so much per month for my hobby usually about a 100 euro. I use to go to the London Toy soldier show a couple of times a year but I have reduced this to just going in December. I collect WW1 and the Boxer rebellion in gloss plus anything Victoriana. I usually decide at the beginning of the month what I am going to buy normally avoiding items that are too expensive such as vehicles. I have only taken up this hobby in the last three years or so. It was the Del prado ranges that got me into the hobby and I have all the ranges that were available some 350 figures. But glossies are my true love and even with a limited budget I have managed to accumulate another 150 or so figures plus a few buildings. I think the secret on a limited budget like myself is just to concentrate on a couple of periods and to buy what is available at the moment. I like soldiers of the world, sarum, asset, ats, tommy atkins and K&C buildings. I have all the toy soldier and toy soldier collector magazines with the exception of two issues of each and all course these are full of toy soldiers that I would to have but are outside my budget. Also of course I don't tell my wife how much I spend that why I have been happily married for 25 years lol. Regards Peter {sm4}

 

[johnnybach]

I paint my own from castings - or repair and paint broken Toy Soldiers. Castings frequently cost around half of the price and sometimes far less than painted versions(where some manufacturers give the purchaser this option - though many don't!). Broken, damaged or just play-worn Toy Soldiers may be found at Shows, Swap-meets, Car Boot Sales or even some Market Trader stalls - and are frequently very inexpensive - and even sometimes for free (buy one - get one free^&grin).

As I've been retired for a while - this gives me a wonderful, creative hobby - and as I have the time to put into painting - allows me to fund my hobby from my pocket-money. I once worked out that my hobby cost me around £2 (GB pounds) per day - so less than an average smoker spends I suppose.............and less than the average price of a pint of beer from the Pub. So.......as I don't smoke.......easy enough to fund. (Note I didn't say anything about beer)

If I had to buy what I consider the highly expensive painted versions offered by some of the more popular manufacturers though - I quite simply wouldn't be in the hobby at all. jb

 

[wayne556517]

I'm lucky enough to have painting skills that other collectors require, many who are members of this Forum, so the bulk of my purchases are funded by that.

The downside is that I have a LOAD of casting for my collection that I only mamage to do on rare occasions for myself, but still I'm managing to build quite a nice collection of NAPOLEONICS from K&C, John Jenkins and Thomas Gunn, so its all worthwhile.

I'm almost retired, so then I'll have much more time to do what I love, painting toy soldiers

John

I will keep you busy mate don't worry.

 

[villagehorse]

Bury my head in the sand, worked out you are a long dead, so go for it. {sm4}, Robin.

 

[VIRIATO]

Bank robbery was my first funding attempt but there was no money in it so I tried working for a living and went without food, power and water and that didn't work either. But seriously it is hard to fund this hobby if you are not working or retired, I find it hard to do even being single and getting a good wage so don't know how some do it but it helps to give up smoking, drinking and women.:wink2:
Wayne.

I don't smoke and I don't drink... Concerning women my wife gets all my attention (and deservedly so)..:wink2:. I really didn't have to give up on any of the 3^&grin... So it's all good:wink2:^&grin!


Paulo

 

[Rob]

I sell off in laws to the slave trade. I tend to get more cash for sister in laws than other elderly in laws, so I 'll sell a sis in law if I want a tank and an elderly father in law if I just want a two figure set. Of course once they have sold on ebay I can then sell their property, pets ,friends etc. Its a kind of self funding arrangement that also cuts down on the need to buy Christmas presents.

Ok ok, I do overtime

Rob

 

[jazzeum]

I steal from the rich and give to the poor collector: me! {eek3}

 

[lancer]

Wife and I both retired so funds are fixed and unfortunately costs are not. As a result of EVERYTHING else going up but my pension, I am losing ground, rapidly, on what I can spend on this hobby. I know my hobby spending peaked in 2011, but is down about 60% (by my records of hobby money over the last 2 years), and continues to decline. This means I have cut out all but WW1 airplanes at this point. My wife and I each get a certain amount each month to spend from our budget, as many of you do, so there is no real problem about what money goes where. But, as I said, that hobby money keeps shrinking as prices increase. Kind of a losing proposition. -- Al

 

[zulucollector]

I allocate 25% of my monthly salary to toy soldiers. Plus i also look for Britains items for resale ebay and estate sales. Now saying all that it never goes far enough as there is always new or retired items that catch my eyes plus curios to display them.

 

[Currahee Chris]

I budgeted $200-300 a month a few years ago. Now it's maybe $150. kind of funny as my interest has waned in this hobby, my wife seems to be really enthusiastic to the point of really letting me break the levee open. Pretty enviable position to be in.

Ive reached the stage where space considerations and life circumstances are taking over.

 

[mikemiller1955]

lately...I have been very lucky...

I have sold off some dozen or so full size dioramas in the last month...at the San Antonio show mostly...

and also another dozen or so buildings/diorama props I built (on Ebay)...

so right now...the cash is rolling in...which has really put me in a unique position as opposed to me just taking money out of my bank account...

but I'm down to less than 1/2 dozen dioramas and another 1/2 dozen structures...

still selling them on Ebay...but they won't last forever...

but thoroughly enjoying selling these pieces and using the $$$$ to finance my purchases...

I will still keep building and selling...as long as there is a small niche of people interested...

so that's been really helping...

 

[Currahee Chris]

and also another dozen or so buildings/diorama props I built (on Ebay)...

Of which I am the proud owner of one (a Barzso repaint) and CANNOT wait to position my Figarti Abrams column rolling by it!! {sm3}

 

[Harper (aka Spitfrnd)]

By working.