"Can you get rich in this hobby?" Topic

While there may not be any millionaires, there is certainly some money to be made in our miniature wargaming hobby for those who have the creative energy, talents, spare cash, or other inclinations to get involved. In your opinion, where is the most money being made?

(a) designing and sculpting miniatures.
(b) manufacturing miniatures.
(c) operating a retail store selling wargaming miniatures/rules/etc.
(d) painting miniatures on commission.
(e) writing rule books.
(f) publishing magazines related to the hobby.
(g) writing articles of interest to wargamers.
(h) running websites (like TMP) of interest to wargamers.
(i) ______________________________ (something else)

link

Perfect

i would be surprised if there were any people all of the industry who were making more than $250 USDk+/year, at any level. And the few people who are making any "real" money are those at the very top of GW/Battlefront. Its very niche.

The Beast Rampant's Link:

not a chance, working for less than min wage is not every ones cup of tea!

Since no one else has said it yet, I will;

The best way to make a small fortune in this hobby is to begin with a large fortune.

I wonder this, too. There are so many new small companies opening, and with all the start-up costs of molds, advertisements, etc. it seems like a long road to breaking even.

Ha ha, well after doing taxes today I can certainly attest that it is not C. Years 1-3 are always the hardest.

As a book shop owner said to me once "it's a nice way to be poor"

If you're fast and good you can make a living doing commission painting.

But rich?

If you want to be a Millionaire, start with a billion dollars and launch a new airline. Richard Branson

I would guess it's similar to owning a miniatures wargame company.
Doubt anyone made a fortune.

This is a small hobby, and the hobbyists themselves are not necessarily wealthy. If you want to be rich feeding a hobby, sell video games. Or yachts.

I've actually tried a couple off the list. Painting figures pays less per hour than admin work or the lowest level of analysis. An a monthly article in a glossy might cover the expenses of attending two cons a year. Might.

B, C and F require a serious--like buying a house--financial investment. Some people see a return on that investment. Many don't.

The others mostly won't lose you money, but notice how few people seem to have made a living at it. I think the people who have made a living out of writing rules could meet in one room--a very small room. More like a utility closet, really.

Guys, it's a hobby. And loving your hobby doesn't mean you know how to run a retail business, a manufacturing firm or a publishing house. Support the people who do, but don't EVER put more money into the hobby than you can afford to lose.

If you can make money from it, it will be at best pocket money, maybe a lower end monthly wage. Unless you can build up an operation like Wayland Games, Warlord, Battlefront, or pre-Ansell GW.

Rich? Probably not unless you can do it on the scale of GW.

You can make a modest living though if you want to.

"If you wan to take a million dollars out of the gaming industry, start with two million and stop when you get down to one." – Lou Zocchi

Thanks, Mike! PERFECT!

I asked my friend who owned a hobby/games store what he would do if he won a million dollars. He said, "Put it into the business until it ran out."

My own example deters me from considering this question. I have probably spent more on storage than on buying hobby items at retail.

(I) – Open a pizza parlor next to Hcon.

The only way I can think of to be "rich" from our hobby is to open a hobby web store, then steal people's credit card info and run fraudulent charges from my new home in Argentina.

I've bought a 3d printer and paid for a cruise. It's a great gig for supporting my habit…er…hobby…butmortgage and college for the kids, no.

I know three people who make a very good living from the hobby but I wouldn't class any of them rich. I suspect there are a few others but like most hobbies surely the motivation behind wanting to run a business to supply hobbyists is enjoyment and pure interest rather than trying to make money from it.

The only way is to include lottery tickets in budget.

Just like how to get rich in any other domain.

j. Work really hard at it and recognize that the business of a hobby isn't the hobby, it's business.

And, just like any other domain, sustained superior performance is the entry argument, not the guarantee.

Have a monopoly on the pizza-by-the-slice and nacho concession at every game convention in the country. Guaranteed to make you rich.

I know a few people who make some money from the hobby. They tells me it gives them some money to put back into the hobby but it's not enough money to make a living from. I guess there is a top few who might but I reckon it can't be many?

I know several people who make a living from the hobby (and I used to) but you wouldn't call any of them 'rich'.

It certainly ain't E) …..

John T