Texas Pete posted:
I also fail to see the harm in taking a sabbatical from any hobby, because chances are you'll come back to it refreshed and eager to start anew.
Pete
Good point pete..when i get back from florida for the winter i cant wait to run my own layout.
Maybe if you paid me enough I would.....
PJB posted:p51 posted:Patrick1544 posted:Wouldn't leave the hobby. Just won't buy anything I really don't need.
This, I think, is the key to truly enjoying any hobby.
Agree.
Once again, I am amazed that this incredibly silly (to keep it polite) thread has gotten so much traction. ...
Peter
And yet, here we are. I suppose what is indicated is that some folks found the topic interesting or intriguing and decided to contribute to the conversation, notwithstanding how silly it may appear to you, sir.
So, here I go, adding another snip-it of needless perspective and musing...
Participation in this hobby need not solely be a function of price. Perhaps, our involvement moves along in stages. First comes the "Acquisition Stage," when we aggressively buy all - or nearly all - the dreams we needed from earlier in our lives. Second comes, for many, the "Layout Building Stage," or Model Building Stage, when our creativity shines and is endlessly sated and re-stimulated. Apparently, this phase can go on forever, as can the "Closet/Bunker Filling Stage". Then, may appear the "Sit-back-and-enjoy-it-all Stage, when we stop or slow down the acquisitions and the building, and we sit down, look it all over and say to ourselves, "I did this!" And then we smile for a long time, still involved and present in the hobby, albeit it in a different way. Eh?
Oh, and we talk on forums about our hobby, too, keeping us connected to a whole world - literally - of other like-minded people who enjoy our company and our musings, if when they are seen as silly by some. Eh? Huh?
FrankM.
The only thing that would make me leave the hobby, barring catastrophic life changes, would be loss of interest. Changes to things like pricing, quality, availability, etc. would only change the way I pursue the hobby, if they changed anything at all. As long as the interest and the ability remains, I'm in.
Andy
mwb posted:Maybe if you paid me enough I would.....
Let me guess... "Enough to buy your own short-line." 
How many engineers can dance on the head of a pin?
Moonson posted:PJB posted:p51 posted:Patrick1544 posted:Wouldn't leave the hobby. Just won't buy anything I really don't need.
This, I think, is the key to truly enjoying any hobby.
Agree.
Once again, I am amazed that this incredibly silly (to keep it polite) thread has gotten so much traction. ...
Peter
And yet, here we are. I suppose what is indicated is that some folks found the topic interesting or intriguing and decided to contribute to the conversation, notwithstanding how silly it may appear to you, sir.
So, here I go, adding another snip-it of needless perspective and musing...
Taking an excerpt from my post out of context and using it as a springboard for yet another superfluous post - good one!
To the remainder of your post - yes, a testament to how many people have way too much time on their hands or are micro-thinkers, or both.
I already own enough O scale equipment to keep me going for the next ten years with no major purchases. If fire, flood, earthquake or divorce (again) caused me to have to replace everything I would have to consider going to HO.
The product availability with HO is so much greater and the cost per unit is so much lower I would have to consider it. Also the amount of layout that can be placed in a given area is greater.
At the present time I am happy with what I have and am not planning on many new purchases. $70.00 for new rolling stock and $1,000.00 for an engine are my price points if I decide to buy anything else.
Douglas
I would not leave the hobby, but I would change how I go about the hobby. The price would only effect when or if I buy a locomotive, but I would not quit the hobby. If your talking price ranges I wouldn't buy a Legacy engine if it was much over $1500 (currently have none due to switching back to O gauge). For cars it depends on the operating features (operating couplers lights ....). For non operating cars not much more the $50 - $70.
John
Texas Pete posted:Price is only an excuse for leaving. The underlying reason may not be known even to the person who is giving it up, but the probability is one way or another they're just not having fun anymore. That is one of the dangers in obsessing.
True. I know of a guy who is earning just over minimum wage, yet is very slowly restoring the remains of WW2 light bomber, one piece at a time (it's a long story how he got it, but the folks who restore them to fly all decided it wasn't worth the expense to do so, so he got a great deal on the hulk of the plane, which is mostly all there).
He's even managed to get one of the engines running, all totally under the radar of most plane fans.
I also know of a guy who also lacks finances, who has a heavyweight baggage car and he's doing the same thing; keeping a low profile and slowly restoring it a part at a time.
Both guys are doing what you'd expect to be wealthy people's work for next to no cost.
In 2004 I purchased a K-line NYC mikado for 400 bucks new. Puffing smoke railsounds 4.0. I later added added K Line cruise for 60 bucks. Now 12 years later is was thinking I would like a new mikado with DCS, fan driven smoke unit, better sounds, etc, etc. MTH has one shipping this summer for 1000 bucks. Really a small mike for a grand.
I won't be leaving the hobby over these prices, I just won't be buying new.
Adriatic posted:mwb posted:Maybe if you paid me enough I would.....
Let me guess... "Enough to buy your own short-line."
You offering?
MWB, I promise, "If I can ever afford it, I'll at least share"
Who else might put up with my vintage Bowie in a cab
But you not modeling, not so cool...so no cash offers 
PJB posted:Taking an excerpt from my post out of context and using it as a springboard for yet another superfluous post - good one!
To the remainder of your post - yes, a testament to how many people have way too much time on their hands or are micro-thinkers, or both.
Do you feel "better" now?
Pete
Thanks, Pete.
Frank
PJB posted:Moonson posted:PJB posted:p51 posted:Patrick1544 posted:Wouldn't leave the hobby. Just won't buy anything I really don't need.
This, I think, is the key to truly enjoying any hobby.
Agree.
Once again, I am amazed that this incredibly silly (to keep it polite) thread has gotten so much traction. ...
Peter
And yet, here we are. I suppose what is indicated is that some folks found the topic interesting or intriguing and decided to contribute to the conversation, notwithstanding how silly it may appear to you, sir.
So, here I go, adding another snip-it of needless perspective and musing...
Taking an excerpt from my post out of context and using it as a springboard ...
Actually, that is not true. I edited for an excerpt of your essay that was pertinent to the point I intended making, which took exception to your condescending use of the word "silly," mocking other voices on the thread who voiced their perspectives. There was no need to repeat your entire statement. There was nothing underhanded or malicious in my editing, as you seem to imply. I simply disagreed with you (shocking?) and , quoting you, gave you my reason for taking exception to that part and tone of your self-important statement, sir.
FrankM.
Price points have never meant that much to me. I always buy the previous generation, or a few generations removed, after the new stuff comes out. The older stuff is always cheaper, plus I enjoy repairing/rebuilding/modifying older locomotives and rolling stock.
Now that the original PS-1 MTH F-3 units are finally appearing at decent prices, I have been acquiring them and converting them to TMCC with products from Electric Railroad. Several years ago, I did the same with PS-1 steam engines, but that well has been drying up.
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