How much can we justify spending?

[ezdays]

Somehow I get lost in the fact that one modeler says or does things this way and someone else says or does something entirely different, and we are supposed to believe one or the other is right. There are always conflicting opinions…who cares? What possible difference does it make that someone says you should have a small switching layout, or another guy blogs that you should fill your basement with as big a layout as will fit? Should we care about what scale others model in? Should we really be concerned about how much or how little someone else spends or how elaborate or detailed their layouts are? Does it matter if our layout doesn’t look at all prototypical? Suppose we’re not as talented as others, or have some other limitation and we wind up with something less than is acceptable to some other people? Does it really matter, or should we pay attention to what others say or do and try to conform; and if we can’t, should we just put our stuff on eBay and take up knitting or finger painting?

The bottom line is, what’s right for you? How much can you afford and do you even want to spend that much? What do you want to put into a layout and get out of it? How talented are you and do you even care what others say or do, just as long as you’re pleased with what you’re doing and it doesn’t break your bank. Would you rather spend $50 and two hours on a model, or $5 and twenty hours to scratchbuild one? The way that makes you happier is the right answer.

“How much can we justify spending?” I think everyone here thinks that spending over $6,000 on one model is a bit excessive, but there is someone that will jump at the chance. Others may have to save up just to buy $10 worth of ground cover. We spend what we think is right for what we’re doing and what we can budget for it, not a penny more.

“What would you do if you had unlimited funds to spend on your railroad?” was my second question. If we did, some would buy a real railroad or a steam engine, but think about just how much time and work that would take to maintain or run it. :o I think most modelers wouldn’t spend all that they could, even with unlimited funds, but would splurge a bit and go a bit further than they would if their resources were limited.

So, I say learn from others, but emulate them only if you want to, not because someone says you should. Spend no more than you can afford, and not even that much if you reach a point that you’re happy and satisfied with what you’re doing. That's why they call this a hobby....