SpaceMouse
Fun Lover
Hi,
When I first started this hobby I went nuts and bought a lot of things I didn't need and ended up having stuff, I'll never use. Sure I could sell the stuff on eBay, but I don't. I kept saying I would, but I would build on the layout instead.
Anyway, a few months ago, I started a personal policy of whenever, someone expressed a need for something that I had and I wasn't using, I would send it to them at my cost. I'm not rich by any means and if I really took the time to think this through, I shouldn't be in this hobby. But it has been amazing. What goes around comes around. I gave away a Proto 2K FA2/FB2 and within days I was given a 4-4-0 American Kit.
But that is not why I did it. We help each other with advice but for some reason draw the line at sharing what we have. Sometimes it is obvious that a person is struggling, either financially or because something they need is hard to find. I figure I have it and it is collecting dust...
I realize that I'm not really going to change many attitudes. Sharing is something that is just not done that much any more. But there might be some of you out there that might think about it. This is a tight little community here. If we build it the way we would like it, everyone benefits. If we trust each other, we can do things like trade things we need for stuff that others need.
But some people need to be the first to put it out there and say "I'm willing."
When I first started this hobby I went nuts and bought a lot of things I didn't need and ended up having stuff, I'll never use. Sure I could sell the stuff on eBay, but I don't. I kept saying I would, but I would build on the layout instead.
Anyway, a few months ago, I started a personal policy of whenever, someone expressed a need for something that I had and I wasn't using, I would send it to them at my cost. I'm not rich by any means and if I really took the time to think this through, I shouldn't be in this hobby. But it has been amazing. What goes around comes around. I gave away a Proto 2K FA2/FB2 and within days I was given a 4-4-0 American Kit.
But that is not why I did it. We help each other with advice but for some reason draw the line at sharing what we have. Sometimes it is obvious that a person is struggling, either financially or because something they need is hard to find. I figure I have it and it is collecting dust...
I realize that I'm not really going to change many attitudes. Sharing is something that is just not done that much any more. But there might be some of you out there that might think about it. This is a tight little community here. If we build it the way we would like it, everyone benefits. If we trust each other, we can do things like trade things we need for stuff that others need.
But some people need to be the first to put it out there and say "I'm willing."