OK fellas, I'm sure you guys have all heard of (or know of) the survivalist types who are convinced we are headed for some king of political doom. They stockpile food, guns, ammo, etc.
While I can agree that everyone needs to be prepared for something that may happen, I happen to be in a little bit of a different survival mode. I've been Stockpiling RC equipment. Now before you roll your eyes, just here me out.

We all know that our economy is in the toilet and it's getting worse by the day. Despite what our scummy government tells us, we are looking at Jimmy Carter style inflation and massive devaluation of our dollar against foreign currency. You guys know what I'm talking about too. When you look at out buy/sell forum you can see that prices are down but no one is buying when you compare sales 2 years ago. Our RC items have jumped 20-30% in cost over the last 1-2 years because of our weak dollar.
Our hobby is one of luxury. For someone who is in financial survival mode, the RC hobby tends to go on the back burner or is gone altogether. I've been there before where I've had to take a break from the hobby to focus on finances. It's not fun when you don't have enough money for repair parts and fuel.

For the last year I have been "stock-piling" Servos, Radios, Saito engines, balsa, built parts etc. I even have two adjust-O-jigs for wing building. I'm doing so because when you consider the massive inflation and devalued dollar, the cost of RC equipment is going to double in the next couple of years.

Currently, I have enough high end JR & Hitec Servos for 6 additional GS planes. A half dozen Saito motors of various sizes, 3 radios, building tools, and a couple of cases of balsa I've been stockpiling. I hit every every swap meet I can so that I can purchase building materials, monokote, parts, etc for a little as I can.
I for one am terrified of what's in store for our economy but I for one want to be sure that I have enough stockpiles of RC stuff so that I can spend my Sunday doing the one thing I love dearly, and that's building/flying!

I'm curious to know if anyone else shares my sentiments.

OK, so that is what I have been doin......I thought I was just being my regular compulsive obsesive hoarding RC guy......now I can blame it on the economy. I did nt see you say anything about hoarding fuel.........kinda blows your theory out the water, but I wont tell the wife fess up man, your just looking for someone else to share in our misery.

Well, we most likely are headed for a financial melt-down ... and I think you guys can expect a whole lot more than that.

Google Cloward-Pivens to get some idea of what your president is up to. The New World Order is communist and it's coming to America.

Not that we Europeans are sailing off into a rosy sunset! I get the distinct feeling that "toy aeroplanes" will be way down my list of priorities in the years to come.



Should I be wearing a tin-foil hat?

It's all over 12/23/2012 anyways, I know I saw it in a movie

stock piling will help you some but you will need to buy new stuff anyway.
I got a new high end radio because of fear of inflation and intend to buy some more servos, now to sell my 72mhz Rx's for pennies doesnt make much sense maybe to keep them.
I grew up in an economical crisis - bad inflation you have some money but you just cannot spend it on toys.
the whole idea of raising customs, prices and devaluation of our dollar is to protect the local industry from foreign cheap exports to the US.
yes in inflation the prices of used stuff also sky rocketing....
what I'm doing is thinking going electric and for sure not investing in any new glow stuff motors or airplanes, for me gas or electric from now on.
Dont worry who wants to fly airplanes will find a way to do it - my CL planes were covered with supermarket plastic bags.

Ok guys, we need to discuss this issue without getting politics involved. RCU's policy does not allow political commentary here in our forums.

Ken

Forget teh tinfoil hat. The only way to ground out the ultraprotonic rays from the alien mother ship is tinfoil in the shoes. I thought everybody knew that.

My main concern is balsa prices. Gonna get worse. Guess somebody will figure a substitute. Like back when we had that factory explosion and supply of nitromethane ws cut off. Ran on nitroethane for a while but it worked OK.

RCers exhibit a tremendous amount of talent for armchair engineering so we will figure out a way. And if we get less dependant on ARFs made by some CHinese dude with a hot glue gun, maybe not a bad thing. Seriously, do we really need Kathy Lee's kids to assemble our planes?

Tom

There is nothing wrong with laying things in as a hedge against possible harder times. I'm doing it but not because I fear the liberals or conservatives will bust the economy but because I'm knocking on the door of retirement when mad money will almost certainly be less. Like others have mentioned, I'm doing it mostly at good buy opportunities and with some discipline to obtain only stuff that fits into my established interest area though others might choose to get trading bargains out of their interest area or expand their interest via a bargain.

its kind of a good point , because in lets say 5 years everything will be at least 30 percent more expensive

I keep a regular 'forest' of balsawood, ply, veneers and hardwood stockpiled! I also have a bunch of brass sheet, aluminum sheet and music wire handy! I have quite a nice supply of kits on hand. I will, at least, be able to build the structures.

I just love to see the "reasons" other use to explain their "R/C Hoarding". I think I might use this "investment/inflation" scheme to explain to my wife why I need the new motor for the new Giant Corsair that is in the box on top of the P-47 NIB, Spitfire NIB, and others in my garage. I also like the "Stockpiling for retirement day" idea. Maybe I can get all the other stuff I need/want for my pile of R?C Stuff in the garage

Mr moderator...please don't stop this thread as there may be more quality "Reasons to buy more R/C stuff" that could be used on the wife in the future)

Original poster here guys... Yes, I forgot to mention Fuel...
I currently have 4 cases of glow sitting in my cool garage. I'm working on more of the stuff. Right now I'm haggling with a fellow over buying enough SIG Balsa to build a dozen or so planes.
I have enough plane hardware for a couple dozen planes as well too.
In addition to all the balsa, etc. I also have been stockpiling depron and blue foam insulation to build foamies.
I'm not into the 33% and larger planes, just 60, 90, and 120 size so I should be OK with what I have.

Prices have already increased 30 % in the last two years. Saito prices went through the roof last year alone. Saito had to drop their prices in a promo just so they could move some inventory.
I for one have NO PROBLEM getting rid of planes. Saito engines are sacred to me so those never leave my stockpile.

ha , i knew my figuring was wrong. im looking for a 1.20 engine now for my project, and id likeA Good O S FOur stroke
, but they are pricing them out of exsistance new 414.00 , FORGET ABOUT IT!!! , IN LIKE YOU SAY 2 YEARS THEYLL BE 600 DOLLARS
i think japan is having a massive inflationary problem.

I was forced out of the shooting sports due to cost. Odd thing is none of the items in shooting was an import. Everything was made right here in the USA. I still have my guns and shooting personals but the cost of a clay target??? Gun clubs went nuts on how much they thought they should get for a round of trap or skeet. Had to get a mortgage on the farm to buy a hunting ticket. Nothing imported. A lot of reasons were sited for all the costs from season to season, all of them BS.
I gave it up and went full time hobby RC, I don't really stock pile and I'm sure not going to hoard. I have engines and gear aplenty. Wood I buy in bulk from Lone Star, I always double my orders when I build a new plane and buy wood. Fuel I buy when I see it on sale and I buy as much as I can. When fuel went up in price I went back to gas power, you aren't forced to buy glow, there are other ways to go. My glow planes got flown but not as much as in the past. Other then electronics most of the RC items I use are made right here, I do keep a supply on hand but I'm not going to worry about things enough to go out and start hoarding. I'm not going to blame any one political leader for the bind the world is in today, it's world wide, not just USA. I have been around long enough to know things will work out in time. Sometimes people just get silly over things, I guess I'm just not one of them? If things get bad enough that I can't afford my toys then like shooting I can put them aside. Something else will always come up for the better. Besides, how bad can things get in the two years we have left??

I'll be honest...

I buy RC stuff simply because I want it.

I'm just getting back into this hobby and was wanting to get a trainer kit to build but now I want to buy 3 or 4 kits straight away just so I can have them sitting there waiting until I'm ready to build them! Luckily my wife will stop me doing that otherwise I would go broke in a hurry! If I could stockpile, I probably would!!!

Kits are another thing all together. As fast as they are being discontinued if there is a kit you may want to build down the road you better get it while you can. Chances are it isn't going to be cut when you are ready to build it.

My closest relative saw all the planes in my garage, and found out about the layers of kits in the attic. She said I can't die first.


Dave Olson