So here is a good post for Beginners.
RC is kinda of an expensive hobby once you pay field dues, AMA membership, field equipment, planes, parts, etc. I look at the prices of planes and parts needed to build up and go wow gotta wait because that is more then I want to spend etc.

How do you guys cut your cost and save money in this hobby?
Where do you find your deals?
How can you get your parts and planes cheaper then the standard online prices?
Any other hints or secrets to save money?

I would like to hear anything you have. I know this hobby would cost more then others and I know I have to spend some money but it seems in some of these forums you guys get deals on engines, kits, etc and I want to know how you do it and pass that info on to the guys just starting out to help us along.

Thanks fliers</p>

A good source of deals is used equipment from modelers who are selling out or estate sales. Really good deals at swap fest can be had, but the timing has to be right as good deals at those are jumped on quickly.

Some of the best buys are routed through our club newsletter guy who sends out an email to club members of things others wish to sell. If your area has such, you will want to get on that email listing and may have to become a club member to enjoy.

I'll give an example. A month ago was a listing of someone who had prepared to get into hobby but had chosen to sell out. A clean trainer, with engine, with radio, with flight box, starter and all that was needed for a beginner sold for $200 and had cost more than $450.

Be patient and be informed are my two suggestions.

Retasking non-modeling stuff to our purposes can save a lot of money. You just need to look at things in a different light. Not as they are, but what they may become.

Find out about Swap Meets and auctions in your area. The Toledo show is only 3 months away and you're within driving distance - They have a huge Swap Shop on Saturday night!

Thanks guys, we are having a swap next month that everyone is excited about so I am definitely checking that out for some deals. I got my trainer off craigslist and got a great deal for the whole set-up and the plane has been good to me. I also pay attention to other for sale places too looking for good deals. I am kicking myself because I came across a GP stick already done up for a great price and I didn't jump on it when I had the chance but hindsight is 20/20 and at the time I didn't know what I wanted to go into next.

I am just wondering at when I build my dream planes how I can save money on that to lower the cost instead of paying full retail price. I figure the community has its way to get deals too.

Another way is to be in the hobby for a while get this or get that, fly this and that, grow tried of this and that, sell this and that at the same time, to buy a bigger that

Sorry , I posted This Hobby is not Expensive at the same time You Posted Deals on RC.
They kind of go together .

When I got into planes (finally) I bought very cheap (mostly used) planes. I've got over 20 planes now and just bought my "best" most expensive one. $145 ARF so none of mine in RTF status are over about $200 and they are all electric.

I use cheap used chargers, cheap new/used batts and cheap radios and cheap electronics. All my tuff comes from Tower or HobbyKing. I'm not saying you should do this , but you asked what we do.

Probably as I grow and my models increase in size and value I will not be willing to use the cheap stuff anymore.

These are my most expensive two and the stick is ready to go except rx and batery. The 580 is NIB without any electronics.

http://www.electrifly.com/largeelectrics/gpma7500.html

http://www.electrifly.com/largeelectrics/gpma1573.html

Tower's scratch and dent sometimes has good deals. eBay also occasionally has bargains, but it requires frequent monitoring, knowing what's a good price, and being able to put in your bid within seconds of the auction end.

The very best Deals in this hobby/sport are occurring right now in this economy right under our noses. If you can only find something non local and it has to be shipped then it is not a good deal.

Now more than at any time in my direct and continuous involvement since the middle fifties has there ever been better 'deals'. These deals are called buyouts and are in two catagorys. The first are gentlemen who have passed on and left huge sometimes eclectic collections to family who often have no knowledge or desire to deal with it.

The next catagory are folks I tend to catagorize as 'flutterbugs' i.e. those who flutter in and out of their hobbies rapidly for whatever reasons.

Now another factor is simply that their are far more builder/assembler/buyers who are not flyers. These are folks who you will never see at any sort of flying spot or flying field. I beleve these folks outnumber those of us who do fly at least ten to one and like even more.

The problem is how to locate or connect with these folks when they are of a mind to sell and that is the science/art, its not easy and as a newby its nots likely you will make those connections in a short time.

I am going to continue this post in a few moments to avoid being timed out.

John

This is a continuation of my previous post.

Now here is the problem buying used as a complete newby;

First obviously you are not going to have the eye in what to look for. Now lets look at those two catagorys above. If you are looking at first listed above. Someone who has passed away and been in the hobby forever.

Its very likely most is not all the radio equipment is going to be so antiquated that it may well be illegal to use even if it is new in box. That could be a treasure to me but definately not to a brand new newby. The radio equipment even if legal could still be a hugh headache to get full functional for a newby just trying to match the many possibities of transmitter. This almost always for the newby turns into a hugh can of worms that by the time the newby acheves his flying goal has cost far more the purchasing new and he still ends up with antiquated equipment.

OK for the engines. Here agine if the individual is of the first catagory then even the engines will be very antiquated. Even if they are RC and OS they likely will be problamatical and nothing but a hindrance to the newby. In addition many will likely be old controlline engine which of course are useless to the RC newbie.

Now lets consider the airplanes. This is the catagory that the newbie can do OK on even purchasing from the first catagory (remember the long term modeler who may have passed on).

These types of buyouts often include eclectic collections very old and perhaps types of airlanes that would not be highly desirable in todays RC world but also there often are more modern types that tends to be simpler airplanes that could indeed be reparied and used by a newbie.

This of course the newbie is willing to network with other modelers who are willing to help him restore it.

Now lets talk of the second catagory of buyout (those who flutter in and out of the hobby/sport.
This as a newby is the most desireable for a newbie because airplanes/radios/engines are most likely to be appropriate for a newbie learning to fly.

The danger here is many other newbys tend to foolishly buy inappropriate aircraft for their first airplanes and this usually is or diaster they skip on to the next hobby.

So if you do such a buyout find a knowledgeable mentor to advise the best of equipment you have purchased to use for You.


I am going agine going to continue this post shortly as I am a poor typist and I do wish not to ramble on.

John

I just did an estate sale, several kits and a few ARFs, chargers and even a couple of new in box 72 meg 7 ch. radios. I would like to know where all the fellows engines went, he had a garage full of high end stuff but not an engine to be found other then a few 1/2As. The flutterbugs as John calls them are a great source of new stuff. if you are looking for entery level items. A new trainer with all support gear usually runs about $100.00. My bread and butter has always been the club auctions. You really need to know what you are doing at these sometimes but for the most part it is a good source.
Over the decades I have been given a lot of items. This is good for me but I rebuild engines so an old engine is fine as long as it's one of the high end brands and worth a rebuild. Just because somethng ooks bad doesn't mean it is though, it means it probably is. I'll tack on a photo to help. Someone gave me what he thought was a YS .91. I really needed one. He said he had never tried to start it and it looked really bad. When he handed me the box it said YS 1.20FZ!!! This was the better of the 1.20s. I Didn't even open the box, I just said my thanks. When I got home I discovered JB weld all over the case. At some point the case was cracked but someone did a repair. When I opened the engin to inspect I found the repair on the inside was perfect, just looked like hell on the outside but for a reason. After a complete check out I fired it up, it ran perfect and someone had giving it a rebuild. It's the best running YS in my YS stable. And free!! My point is, don't refuse anything offered to you. Sometimes there is a silk purse that just needs dusting off! I do a lot of trading and bartering so I don't get burnt too often but it can happen. Look at the case on the side of the YS, anyone would tell you this engine is shot and useless!! I would have never given anyone any money for it myself.

Craigslist is my best source for deals, although I have found one really great buy here on RCU. The best buys are the ads that go something like this: "several RC planes, a radio, and a whole box of accessories" with maybe a couple of fuzzy pictures. The seller often can't tell you exactly what planes and engines he has and doesn't care enough to research it for you. You can make a lowball offer based on what you can tell from the pics and about half the time they'll take it within a week or two. You can usually be confident the airframes are fine and the tools are fine. Engines may need a cleanout and new bearings but they are generally fine too. Don't expect any of the batteries to be any good and figure on 1/3 of the servos to be no good. Don't pay anything for old analog radios, but a nice computerized one can be resold.
To give an example, I offered a guy on Craigslist $150 for a lot of 3 planes and engines and a box of "tools and stuff." He said no, then came back about 6 weeks later said no one else had even showed interest and accepted. The ad had one wide angle picture of the lot spread out in his yard. I called him to arrange to meet, and he offered me his old radio for $75. I didn't need it and told him he could probably get $50-$60 on Ebay. He didn't want to bother with that so he accepted my offer of $25 for it. So for $175, I got 3 .40 size planes that needed some basic repair and covering work, a charger that he didn't even list that I sold for $50, a radio that I sold for $75 (surprised me), 3 engines including two .25's that brought $70 on Ebay and a nearly new TT .46 Pro that now resides on my Kaos, and a whole box of tires, tanks, props, fasteners and linkages that will save me probably $50 in hobby shop visits over the next few years. So now I'm about $20 ahead and have invested about 4 hours and some gas between traveling to buy the lot and listing the items I didn't need.

This is the type of photos Jester is mentioning. I had a score and posted I had items for sale and mentioned some of them a couple weeks ago. I don't try to make a profit on these items but just sell the stuff I don't want to try to break even. I passed my deal onto friends on RCU so the kits didn't go to dealers to be re-sold. Using the PM I was able to describe what I had and the prices I wanted for it. A lot of us in the hobby will do this, just pass along our good luck. Items I didn't feel were worth anything I gave out to friends. There were brand new chargers and some good TXs that would make great buddy boxes I gave out to club members. Some of the TXs were brand new with very good RXs, all 72 though. My good fortune turned into some happy people.