"Buy It Right Away?" Topic

With so much good stuff around in the hobby, it's the biggest cause of burnt holes in my pockets that I've ever come across!

Lesson learned on the first day of ORIGINS 08. I saw this I wanted and that I wanted and I kept saying, "eh, I'll get it tomorrow…". Well Sir, Friday came and it was all gone.

Like I said, lesson learned.

How about a "Depends" option?

I can't say I've ever lost sleep over controlling my impulse purchases.

With regard to flea markets and items that I will likely forget about (which I am prone to do in my personal life), absolutely.

Steve
cavalcadewargames.com
nycjadie.wordpress.com

I'm with Dentatus: It depends.
There are some companies with the staying power (or obstinacy) to be there when I can budget the item in; with these, I wait. There are others that I want to see have that staying power in the future; with these, I buy. And there are others that I know will only offer for a limited time, or I've encountered in moments of opportunity (like at a con); from these I buy on the spot.

If I have the money yes, seize the moment. If not then it will have to wait.

I'm very discerning these days. I am trying to paint down the lead pile not build it up! I have about 6 large projects to finish and it probably means about 3 years of painting! So I say no opinion because everyone is different but for me, no way! Stop and think about it instead.

Disagree. Though my version of the hobby is more in the plastic modeling and scenery (railroad based) so there's a fair bit more "permanency" and the ability to wait for a sale.

OTOH, some of the Polish plastic model companies, which have excellent products, seem to do things in limited runs. The Squadron on line hobby shop mails me a full colour catalog about three times a year and that's when I notice that such and such a French armoured car no longer seems to be available.
--
Tim

If I had the $$$ then I would buy it immediately if it was a good deal.
Low $$$ makes you think about whether you need it or not. Quite the bummer.

yea but like the new Space hulk game I did not have the money to get a copy but then again I dont need it I have all my old copies

It's not my policy to buy it right away, but I do anyway.

I would have to say "It Depends" on my financial situation at that moment.

It's true in some cases, but not always. Unless it really is a limited edition or a limited time offer, it is likely to be there tomorrow. It's 6 months or a year down the road you have to worry about.

Intelectually, I am pretty sure that what I want today will still be around tomorrow. The hobby seems to have reached the point where there is some stability, at least in regards to the larger players (GW, BF, OG, etc.). The smaller fellows come and go, of course, but most of them seem to be pretty stable. Thanks to the good offices of The Editor, one generally has some warning when one of them is going down, so one can buy what one needs before they go away. And it turns out that not many of them go away any more, since often someone else buys the product line and keeps producing it.

On the other hand, my emotional side still remembers the disasters of the 1970s, when companies and their product lines would just disappear without a word, and one would be left with half an army of something. These traumas of my youth are always urging me to 'get it now, it might not be available in a month', despite what my (so-called) rational mind believes.

The huge pile of unpainted lead in my closet should give you an idea of which side of my brain usually wins…

For me a limited time offer equates to I don't need it at all, even from a company that has historically had staying power. Games and the game related hobby are a tremendous investment of my time (if not my money) and I expect that investment of time and effort to pay off for a reasonable period, and not just be a flash in the pan.

Apparently my definition of 'reasonable amount of time' does not equate to the manufacturers. But a result I'm becomming much more discerning in what I purchase, and much less likely to purchase something that seems to be "self inflicted supply shortage" or from a company that has repeatedly invalidated a purchase by seemingly capricious new rules or supplements.

On the other hand I've watched lots of stuff I might have purchased just to "get around to" go by the wayside before my available money and time permitted. Things that I might still purchase if they were available but unfortunately are not.

If it's a choice between buy it now or go without, I'm increasingly likely to NOT purchase things I might otherwise have an interest in. I base this purely on the reasoning that if it's obviously not going to hold any long term worth, or merit any continuing support from the company – then why should I value it any differently?

I am often 'prudent' and wait -- only to kick myself later when the item is unavailable.

mjc

For every purchase that I regret, I have five that I wish I jumped on at the time.

I still feel deep pangs of regret when I see the word Napoleonette or Confederette.

If it is a Flea Market/Bring & Buy situation, then buy it immediately, because it will be gone. If it is just another pile of lead that you WANT, then it might be prudent to let the idea simmer for awhile and then determine whether or not you really NEED the lead.

I've tried to limit my lead purchases to items that I think I will actually paint within the current or next month. That keeps the bank account in better shape.

With something I will only need a few of, yes. If it is something I will build on (like, say, 15mm FPW line infantry) I check compatibility and alternate sources first.

I've made impulse buys I've later regretted, and I've also kicked myself for not buying things that later became unavailable. And I still spend too much…

I rarely buy right away because I tend to buy for the long haul,and if a line of figs is going away quick I probably don't want them

Area of Interest (AOI) for my main * interests?

Do I have a plan for a force in an AOI that this meets and I can afford it? Buy it now!

Do I have a plan for a force in an AOI that this meets and I can not currently afford it? Save up and buy it immediately when I can afford it.

Is this a "nice supplement" item? Not immediately.

Is this a completely new idea that adds to my AOI forces? Hold off and evaluate where it falls priority-wise.

Not an AOI? What am I thinking? Red Alert! Shields up! Evasive maneuvers!

Gracias,

Glenn

* AOI's – Main bolded, secondary italicized, and tertiary in plain script.

This includes Superheroes (certain specific figures only left to acquire,) Zorro in 25-28mm scales, WW I aircraft in 1/600th scale, a fair number of Post WW II aircraft in 1/600th scale, a very small number of 1941-1942 PTO and Modern 1:6K ships, a handful of 1/300th Sci-Fi vehicles, and specific singletons for GZG 25mm Sci-Fi figures.

I normaly force myself to slow down by only purchasing a months "stock".
Recently, the low value of the pound and some sales have encouraged me to binge and I have 6 months stock….

definitely! I have whole armies today I'd not have if I hadn't struck while the iron was hot, so to speak. Figures no longer being made, companies folding, prices rising to unaffordable levels, etc. I figure overbuying when I have money and having lots and lots of great figures ready to prep and paint gets me through times like now, when I have no job and little disposable income for hobbies.

Yes, it really depends. A lot of companies are very stable, including the smaller ones. I often buy their new releases fairly quickly, but that is more I have little self restraint than concern that the figures are going to become unavailable.

Flea market stuff? I will buy it when I see it.

The sooner you buy lead minis the better the casting tends to be. Or at least that's what I tell myself :)

A lot of regrets on flea market 'didn't buys' over the years.

Dave