Bev ... how do you handle 2 hobbies at a time? Anyways, thanks for the great tips! Hahahahaa ...

I don't even want to think what I've invested in the hobby over the years. [X(] While this is not the cheapest hobby I've done, its not the most expensive and I've never thought about how much I spend per year. When I start thinking of the more specialzed tools I've got - metal lathe, mill, even my little MicroLux table saw with accessories was over $550.00, I can see that I have a lot invested. The only problem is it's the most addictive hobby I've partaken in. I've rebuilt several cars, had the dirt bikes, and even had two full scale planes, a Beech M23 Musketeer and a Cessna C-182 Sky Lane. Comparing the expense of flying full scale to models, full scale is way more expensive - factor in airplane payment, insurance, tie-down, maintenance, flight expenses, engine overhaul fund, etc. I haven't flown full scale in quite a while - the cost of avgas (even aviation grade unleaded) has reached the point where flying for fun is just too expensive, but I fly RC any chance I get, both outdoors and indoors and I'll fly just about anything that comes my way.

Hogflyer

I've been into one too many sports, I rode motocross Semi-professionally for a while, almost got my PPL, and fly RC. In motocross, I blew my engine because one day I was furious and decided to take my anger out. Nearly $1,200 in repairs (luckily, Fox picked up most of that bill). My PPL would've cost me $4k minimum. Then that's almost 100 $/hr to fly. That's also just 45hrs of flight. With the $3.5K I've invested, I've flown WAY more than 40hrs just flying. That doesn't factor in practicing on my sim, fixing, building, etc. In fact, I fly more than 40hrs/month on my sim. That's one reason I didn't go to full-scale planes.

I voted 2-3K, but it's really about 3.5k, and that was being fairly conservative. I voted before I tallied everything up, too.

“What is your RC net worth?�



I only spend what I can afford


The fun I have ……….. Priceless

I would imagine that if most of us rated our hobby by how much we have invested into it, we would say something like holy bat you know what and pack everything into the back of a dark closet to collect dust. Also if we figured out how much we spend per year we would have the same results.

Now take these same figures and weigh them against how much pleasure we get out of building and flying these same models and for most of us, the pleasure wins. Yes, those of us that do build kits take and get a lot of pride from building a model, making it look as good as we can, and seeing if fly for the first time, as well as every other successful flight of that models life weather it is a trainer or a highly maneuverable tricked out warbird or civilian airplane.

To those that have never been behind the sticks and read this would probably say OMG that's expensive.
And those that have been behind the sticks say, I think i can fit that into my budget.

For most of us in the over 10k bracket, me included would have laughed if someone told us that we would have soo much tied up in this hobby.
For those that voted in at under 500, wait till next week.

You're kidding right......

No closet in the house would be big enough. And if all you've got would fit into the BACK of a closet, you're not really into the hobby yet.

You know your just starting to get into the hobby when your house is not large enough for all your planes & your workshop, even after removing useless things like furniture.

If your closet is not big enough for all of your planes, then how is it going to be big enough for your wife's shoes and matching purses?

Besides, If someone is going to start worrying about the dollar amounts tied to the hobby, They are going to get the big shock before the third plane. Or that is when the other half is going to tell you that the hobby is toooo expensive. If you make it past that you will have seven in the barn and the money concious part of the brain goes numb. And yes, the barn grows magically from 2 to 7 in the blink of an eye. I don't know where 3, 4, 5, and 6 came from, they were just there.

You do realize of course that once you get to number 8, your planes multiply by themselves, right?

That's why you NEVER leave a GeeBee alone in the same room with a Stryker.

Another thing for us north of the border to consider is the sudden increase in cost due to our dollar tanking in the last several months. The 27% size planes from Hangar-9 went up about 200 bucks a piece. Kits like the SSE went up from 88 to 136. So know i tell my wife...... "it's an investment honey" I Voted in the 3-4K range but i am using replacement cost not what i purchased at. If i used that number it would be about 1K less due to the recent inflation and that i buy a fair bit of stuff used. Problem for me is i have a boat and a dirt bike to so i can't use the "this is my hobby" line.[:-]

Geoff

Me and my dad tried to get into flying when I was 13, but he thought since he flew when he was my current age, he could skip the trainer. By doing so he put our stick into the ground at WOT![&o] He said it was too expensive to get another plane, and since I didn't have any financial say in it at 13 I had to give it up too. I was already landing with a buddy box when we quit. It's all good now though, I added an extra $500 to my worth this week with the order of a pz Corsair and Blade cx2!

There are definitely cheaper hobbies, but there are also more expensive hobbies. I could have a great collection and room to put it in if I sold my 65 Mustang that I've poured literally blood sweat and tears into. I've probably invested around 25K since I got it in '96, and it should bring about that much if I were to put her up for sale. That is not happening though, she was my first love so she's going nowhere.

It would be interesting to see the offspring of THAT union!

Ok, now that I have added it up at what level is someone an RC-coholic? [X(].
Is there a 12 step program for our hobby?

Hi my name is Yukonflyr and i am an RCoholic Proud of it and it ain't gonna change[&:]

If you were not in the hobby and came over to my house, you would swear that I have a problem, No doubt.

What is the price of fun? entertainment?

I think a good calculation is Dollar/fun = Value. When your spending lots of $$$ and getting lots of fun back, well then it really does not matter what you
spend or have spent if you have something to show for it and or fond memories.....

Actually spending money buying parts, tools, engines planes ect is part of the fun!

Spend lots / be happy / have lots of fun!

Disclaimer: I got this line from Minnflyer, but it's so appropriate I couldn't help but to borrow it!!!

Anytime your wife complains about the cost simply tell her this.

When I was single I had a lot of women and just one plane, now that I'm married I have one women and a lot of planes. Which one do you want me to do???

Ken

I was giddy when I hit the complete order button on my stuff this week![sm=bananahead.gif]

Well, I got into this hobby thinking i would do it on the cheap. Spent $300 on a trainer, (Arrow 5+ years ago) and roughly $50 on flight line gear. Until recently the only real investment I had added was fuel, and the occasional $10 for repair parts.

Add in a DX6i TX RX combo my wife let me have last summer.

Then this fellow came along and sent me a bunch of stuff for SPADS. You see I was looking for a really cheap way to conitinue, because I am far more broke than I was the first go around. I was whining about the cost and he got tired of hearing it. Since I was interested in SPADs anyhow, he knew I'd be hooked.. One engine and two planes worth of corro donations later. (Oh and a fuel tank from another source that would not let me buy it). Down to the hobby store to get servos and an RX for the third plane, my second spad... So now I am into it for better than $950 including the replacement motor for my trainer that I bought 5+ years ago when I ruined the first one.

Looking to pick up more servos and possibly a 4th RX this tax season.

My wife must really love me..

Ken ... that always works ... hahahahaaha ... its either planes or women ... the wives always make the right choice!

For some reason I've been avoiding this thread. I haven't read a single post, nor do I really want to. Not sure if it has to do with avoiding the reality of how much I've spent in the past several months, or if it's the thought of this getting competitive.

Regardless, I'm about half way through building my 69" Yak. I'm to the point where I get to set it on the kitchen floor and walk around it and admire it. It's a beautiful plane, and honestly the experience of putting it together, picking out the best gear (for me) to fill it with, and the anticipation of the maiden flight is truly priceless.

I don't know exactly what I have laying around, but I know I have a Venus II and a 120AX combo that I absolutely love to fly, and I have this plane that I am really enjoying myself with.

You really can't put a price on this stuff. I had just so much fun, and still am, in my first year of RC flying. More fun than I could have possibly expected. This kind of enjoyment has no price tag.