Bill-

I don't really put a dollar value on my hobbies, but I do put a time value on them. Dollars are easier to count and attach an intrinsic value to, so I do a rough mental conversion. Time wasn't such a valued commodity when I started building model airplanes at age 10 or 12. It was endlessly available then, or so it seemed. Now some 5 decades later, it doesn't seem as limitlessly available to me as it was then, so I budget it - not rigidly by any means, but in some general proportion to the satisfaction the activity gives me in return.

Roger on not trying to turn the tables on you with any measure of what you value as compared to what I value, in hobby pursuits or otherwise. I don't know what proportion of your model hobby time is spent building vs. flying, but whatever it is it's your thing so just do it and there is no reason on earth why I would find any fault with that. For me, I have personal.........issue I guess, not a problem but more a challenge that is right on topic for this thread - diversity. I want to have a go at flying everything that can be made to fly. Building everything would mean I wouldn't have time to fly everything, or as practical matter, anything. The ARF model I mentioned is an icon in that aspect of model flying referred to as 3D. That's a current interest for me, to experience the stretched-out flight envelope they are capable of, as no 1:1 scale aircraft is. As a popular personality in the 3D flying arena put it, "fly it like you stole it." I understand what he means by that and like the idea. I probably would not fly it with that inferred kind of abandon after putting a lot of hours into building it.

Well built ARFs have their place for me. YMMV, and apparently does by a large margin. I'm OK with that and hope you are too.

Abel