Is the economy hurting your hobby?


W

West Virginia Midland Man

Member
So how badly is the economy hurting your ability to participate in the hobby? Can you still enjoy it the way you were used to before the economic downturn? Can you still enjoy the hobby at all?
 
hurt it, it's killed it stone dead. I have been building a temporary layout for the boys but i cant justify buying anything at all, including timber, the wife would hang me if i did. i lost my job 11 months ago and have only managed to find bits and pieces in the way of work. At present i have a firefighter job but that only pays about $9000 in dollar terms, i'm in the UK BTW
 
Fortunately I'm at the point where I no longer have a house mortgage and no car payments. I'm also semi retired with a moderate retirement income but still working to supplement it. Day to day basic expenses seem to go up and up almost by the month and there are the unplanned expenses that pop up when you own a home and a couple of cars. All of which means that although I have no huge monthly payment obligations I still have to watch my money as does everyone else. So when I visit the LHS for some really needed supplies I also have to resist the urge to do any of what my wife calls recreational shopping, buying things just because you want to buy something.
So yes, to some extent the present economy influences my hobby expenditures more than it used to.

This hobby may be easier to enjoy on a very tight budget than most others. A lot of inexpensive options are available to us like basic scenery or scratchbuilding structures to name two. Unlike a boat or a special interest vehicle or ( shudder ) an airplane we don't have to pay for special and mandatory insurance on our hobby either. All hobbies are as expensive as you want to make them. Ours is at least under our control in many ways.
 
I pretty much started the hobby in this economy, so it can't really be hurt by it.

What hurts my hobby is lack of time, being a full time college student with little space, and even less free time now. Hopefully I can finish some projects and be an armchair modeler, but have to free up some time first.
 
West Virginia Midland Man said:
So how badly is the economy hurting your ability to participate in the hobby? Can you still enjoy it the way you were used to before the economic downturn? Can you still enjoy the hobby at all?
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It wasn't the economy that did it, it was my back. Some of the pieces decided it was time to break off and hang out with other parts in my body, forcing me to retire. At the time of work at my previous job there was enough to do considering it was half based in small medical parts. Overtime was cut for some but the company didn't lose anything from it. Even my boss told me if I ever get any better to come back whenever.
 
Well I'm fortunate that my job has 2 facets, one is infrastructure work (sewer and watermain renewals/replacement) or development work (new subdivision construction) so if the economy kills development, it boosts infrastructure or vice versa. So the economy has luckily done little to my income.
 
With these high gas prices,it has.I've had to cut back on buying trains to buy gas.I don't own an SUV or truck,fortunately.
 
I only get paid around $150 every two weeks from my lovely job. :rolleyes: My school schedule is hectic enough being a high school junior, then throw band and track on top of that. My other hobby uses alot of gas so most of my money goes towards gas, and when I go places to hang out with friends. So I spend very little time, and money on the hobby right now.
 
When the economy was worse I got better buys on EBay, but, basically the economy hasn't hurt my hobby. I'm retired & want to work, but know there's no jobs. I try to buy all my train stuff at train shows & advertise in my local shopping guide in the wanted section for train stuff. I buy very little on line or hobby shops. Just the basics like couplers & such. I've only got 1 vehicle now & I own everything else. No payments.
 
tomustang said:
It wasn't the economy that did it, it was my back. Some of the pieces decided it was time to break off and hang out with other parts in my body, forcing me to retire. At the time of work at my previous job there was enough to do considering it was half based in small medical parts. Overtime was cut for some but the company didn't lose anything from it. Even my boss told me if I ever get any better to come back whenever.
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I hear that. My ticker decided to take a crap on me and beat irregularly, coupled with high blood pressure. The BP is under control now, but the heart does its own thing. Sometimes, it's fine, other times, it hurts. Disability doesn't pay much, so the economy is killing me. I am always seeing things here and there which I'd like to have, but I can't afford because the money ends before the month.
 
Steve B said:
hurt it, it's killed it stone dead. I have been building a temporary layout for the boys but i cant justify buying anything at all, including timber, the wife would hang me if i did. i lost my job 11 months ago and have only managed to find bits and pieces in the way of work. At present i have a firefighter job but that only pays about $9000 in dollar terms, i'm in the UK BTW
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Same boat here, got layed off from my job in 10/9/09 9 days from my 13th year in the county. Now I'm on unemployement until my Lawn service takes off. Any extra cash is going to advertisement and equipment.
 
I have to thank the good Lord that with all the hard times and stories of things happening around the nation my family and I have been very blessed.

I just got back into the hobby and have spent a bunch on getting all the stuff to build my table. I had to start from scratch as all I had was some old Tyco trains, rolling stock, and a ton of old brass track. Wood, track, tools, tools and more tools.

I am pacing myself however. Just went to a train show today in the DC area and resisted. I ended up walking out with only buying my son some more HO Thomas Engines. I'm not hurting for extra money right now, but I do still try to get a good deal. Everything I came across today that I wanted to buy I have seen priced cheaper online. Lots of nice cheap rolling stock though; plastic wheels and horn hook couplers. (Having to avoid this stuff out of habit)

Other then getting some ballast and ground cover in the near future, I have a few things on my radar right now. Im still working on the table so all in good time. :cool:

#1 A DCC starter system
#2 A new DCC engine or two (I just want some nice sound)
#3 Some decent rolling stock (pretty sure the Tyco stuff isnt even worth the upgrades it needs)
#4 Airbrushing kit and compressor and all the goodies that go with it for weathering

Anyway yeah, other then the 401k and investments taking it in the pooper things are good.

Derek
 
been lucky so far. Dodged a few bullets this winter, job looks to be back on track but a small bump in the road can change that. All I have is a House payment and a small CC bill that is soon the be gone with the tax return. No car payments for the last 8 years. Been able to buy some ebay stuff and locos below normal costs model at the same time so all is good. I need construction to pick up so the old Mack can get to running the road on weekends. I could get half a weeks pay from 2 short days in the truck doing odd ball moves. and emergency runs
 
Well, life is strange. I had all my SEP and 401k money fully invested in the market during the go-go years of the 90's and made a lot of money. I've also always lived with no debt. On January 2, 2000, I just knew the market had peaked and went all to cash and bonds. Things were good until my late wife got leukemia and died in 2004. In 2005, I decided the California real estate maket had peaked. I sold out near the top, bought a motorhome, and got out of California before the state imploded. Traveled for a while, met my second love here in Alabama, and bought a much nicer house for half of what my California house sold for. I have a basement with enough room for a decent little layout, something I didn't have in California.

I live off my investments and my colossal Social Security check :rolleyes: so my spending is directly related to how thing go in the markets. As long as I have enough to meet my family's needs, with a good reserve, I can use the surplus to do what I want. When the market tanks, I have to cut back on everything until I can get my portfolio rebalanced. I've been able to add to my collection some this year as the market has recovered. With the market down over 600 points in the last three days, and Obama flapping his yap about all the thieves on Wall Street and the bad bankers, I have to start cutting back again until I know which way we're headed. To some extent, my spending is ruled by who Obama decides to hate tomorrow. :mad:
 
I noticed on my last trip over to Pennsylvania, that the economy downturn had affected two of the model stores I,d visited on my previous visits. Genes Trains, just outside Altoona had to downsize his store by 50%,with the other half of the store being walled off, to make a separate business.
Another store, Dicks Train store, up close to the Norfolk Southern loco shops in Altoona, had to cut his opening hours, he now opens from 4 pm, rather than 9am.
My own modelling has,nt been affected too much luckily.
Ron
 
Well after getting laid off and being unemployed for the first time ever, it reallly sucks. Not much more you can say about that....had a fews prospect last week and I am just hoping and praying something will shake loose. I am going bonkers here.
 
Yes and no. I don't have a layout yet but I do buy from time to time for the day that I do take the plunge. That day seems to be getting closer but the layout is getting smaller. I've been unemployed for the last 6 weeks but the boss keeps telling me the contract up in Boone should release any day now. The good part is my unemployment check is the same as my regular pay thanks to a GOOD job last year that put my average pay up. I did buy some cars from a train store that is going under yesterday. I have a post here in the HO section of how my wife is going to kill me when she sees the receipt. I've spent the last 6 weeks clearing out the basement so I could make a layout and had planned for a 10'x13' room. Unfortunately the room vanished to store boxes. Now I'm down to a 4x8 sheet of plywood. My 4 year old grandson is the driving force now so I WILL have a layout....I will have a layout...I will have a layout..........:confused::rolleyes::D
 
Lots of issues caused from the Economy. Glad to see most are hanging in there.
It realy is sad out there right now. I always look at the glass as being half full but its become very clear that blue collar jobs are vanishing at rate that will or have already harmed everyone. The sad part is we have no one to blame but ourselves. A few commity boards or silver spoon hippies have pushed, For the better or worse, to get what they want instead of looking at what is best for all. We Have allowed these people to brainwash people and allow the EPA, Banks, Elected officals, to restrct progress to the point that the avg small buisness owner has to consider what is it worth to grow in America or just pawn the job off to China where his progress moves faster and makes him or her money. I see it in Trucking and its very real. Im lucky to have a full time job and worked very hard to buy my own truck and trailer to work part time to make a little extra. what bothers me is that I have in found my way around alot of little bumps in the road to keep moving forward, but now Im starting to see bumps that wont be worth going around or over. With trucking I blame EPA and immigration issues that have forced most of us out. ok rant off ...sorry!!!

Trent
 
Not having a full time job right now is hurting me more than anything. I have actually ended up having to sell off some of my engines to pay for other things. The only nice thing about that is, they can all be re-made later on.
 
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