TRAIN MODELING ISN'T EXACTLY THE CHEAPEST HOBBY AROUND BUT YOU CAN SAVE A TON OF MONEY IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING. IN ADDITION TO AVOIDING COMMON BEGINNER MISTAKES THAT DRAIN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER AS WELL. IF YOU PLAY IT SMART YOU CAN DRASTICALLY CUT DOWN ON THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU WOULD OTHERWISE END UP SPENDING ON THIS EXCITING HOBBY.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO BECOME A TRAIN MODELER YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET USED TO OPERATING ON A BUDGET IF YOU'RE NOT RICH. THIS CAN BE HARDER THAN YOU'D IMAGINE IF YOU ARE AN IMPULSE BUYER, ESPECIALLY SINCE GREAT DEALS ON MODEL TRAINS AND ACCESSORIES CAN BE FOUND WITH EASE IF YOU KNOW WHERE TO LOOK. BUILDING A MODEL TRAIN SET REQUIRED PATIENCE AND DISCIPLINE; ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO HOW MUCH YOU'RE SPENDING.
EACH MONTH YOU SHOULD ALLOT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY TO SPEND ON YOUR HOBBY. NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, EVEN IF YOU FIND A “ONCE IN A LIFETIME DEAL” DON'T GO OVER YOUR BUDGET. INCREDIBLE DEALS COME AND GO ALL THE TIME, YOU'LL FIND ANOTHER DOWN THE ROAD WHEN YOU CAN AFFORD IT. FOR THE TIME BEING, JUST STICK TO YOUR BUDGET BECAUSE ONCE YOU BREAK YOUR BUDGET YOU'LL BE TEMPTED TO DO SO AGAIN AND AGAIN.
IF YOU'RE JUST STARTING OUT AND CREATE AN SIMPLE TRAIN DISPLAY AND FIND THAT YOU WISH TO UPGRADE IT TO SOMETHING A BIT MORE FANCY DON'T FORGET THAT YOUR CAN SELL PARTS THAT YOU NO LONGER NEED. THE PARTS THAT YOU NO LONGER NEED MAY HAVE NO USE TO YOU BUT THEY MIGHT BE EXACTLY WHAT ANOTHER TRAIN MODELER IS LOOKING FOR.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF SITES ONLINE WHERE TRAIN MODELING ENTHUSIASTS MEET TO TRADE AND SELL PARTS AND RESOURCES WITH ONE ANOTHER. THESE PLACES OFFER A FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE WHERE YOU CAN SEARCH FOR PARTS YOU NEED, GET TIPS ON VARIOUS MODELING TECHNIQUES, AND GENERALLY SHARE THE EXPERIENCE OF TRAIN MODELING WITH OTHERS. THIS ALLOWS YOU TO GET RID OF UNWANTED PARTS AND PIECES AND ACQUIRE THE ONES YOU NEED, OFTEN TIMES AT A BARGAIN PRICE.
YOU CAN ALSO UNLOAD UNWANTED PARTS ON AUCTION SITES SUCH AS EBAY AS WELL AS FIND MANY GREAT UPGRADES AND ACCESSORIES AT ULTRA-LOW PRICES. IN SOME CASES YOU CAN EVEN FIND ENTIRE TRAIN DISPLAYS WHICH YOU CAN BREAKDOWN AND USE TO RAPIDLY BUILD UP YOUR OWN DISPLAY.
JUST REMEMBER THAT WHEN A PART OF YOUR TRAIN DISPLAY BECOMES OBSOLETE THERE IS PROBABLY SOMEONE OUT THERE WHO COULD USE IT AND WOULD BE WILLING TO PAY OR TRADE FOR IT.
GETTING INTO TRAIN MODELING DOES NOT START WITH PURCHASING A STARTER TRAIN SET, OR EVEN WITH BUILDING OR PURCHASING A WORK BENCH: TRAIN MODELING SHOULD ALWAYS START WITH RESEARCH. THE REASON FOR THIS IS THAT AS A BEGINNER YOU MAY THINK YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT BUT, DUE TO LIMITED KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE, YOU MAY REALIZE LATER ON THAT THE MODEL TRAIN SET YOU PURCHASES ISN'T THE ONE YOU REALLY WANT. THIS HOBBY REWARDS CAREFUL PLANNING MORE SO THAN IMPULSIVE CREATION AND EXPANSION, AT LEAST FINANCIALLY SPEAKING ANYWAY.
THERE ARE MANY, MANY DIFFERENT OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU WHEN YOU FIRST GET STARTED WITH MODEL TRAINS. IN FACT, IT CAN BE POSSIBLE TO SUFFER FROM “INFORMATION OVERLOAD” WHILE YOU RESEARCH WHAT KIND OF SET YOU WANT AND WHAT KIND OF DISPLAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BUILD. STAY FOCUSED AND CONCENTRATE ON DEVELOPING A CLEAR IDEA OF EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT TO CREATE SO THAT YOU DON'T END UP HAVING TO SPEND MONEY TO REPLACE ITEMS THAT YOU BOUGHT HASTILY.
BE OPEN TO NEW IDEAS AS YOU DO YOUR RESEARCH. JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU MAY WANT TO GET A CERTAIN TYPE OF TRAIN DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU MAY NOT SEE ANOTHER THAT YOU LIKE BETTER. THE MORE OPTIONS YOU EXPOSE YOURSELF TO THE BETTER IDEA YOU'LL HAVE OF WHAT YOU REALLY WANT. FOR EXAMPLE, IT WOULD DO NO GOOD TO BUY A STEAM TRAIN SET ONLY TO DISCOVER LATER THAT YOU REALLY WANT DIESEL.
C 6 WILL ACTUALLY GIVE YOU A HUGE LIST OF MODEL TRAIN MANUFACTURERS SO THAT YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AROUND. THIS WILL HELP YOU TO GET AN IDEA OF WHAT KIND OF TRAIN SET YOU WANT AND WHAT TYPE OF DISPLAY YOU'D LIKE TO BUILD.
WHEN PURCHASING MODEL TRAINS AND ACCESSORIES YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHO YOU BUY FROM AND WHO YOU TRUST WHEN IT COMES TO BUYING ADVICE. WHILE THERE ARE VERY FEW PEOPLE WHO WOULD INTENTIONALLY MISLEAD YOU, THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT MODEL TRAINS THAT SELL PARTS AND ACCESSORIES.
THIS INCLUDES STORE CLERKS AT HOBBY SHOPS WHO MAY NOT HAVE A STRONG GRASP ON THE ART OF TRAIN MODELING. IF THEY DON'T HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE HOBBY, THEN CHANCES ARE THEY AREN'T IN ANY POSITION TO ADVISE YOU ON WHAT YOU BUY FOR YOUR DISPLAY.
YOU ALSO NEED TO BE CAREFUL WHEN BUYING MODEL TRAIN PARTS AND ACCESSORIES OFF OF SITES LIKE EBAY. IN SOME CASES THE SELLER MAY BE A FELLOW TRAIN MODELER WHO UNDERSTANDS THE HOBBY WHILE IN OTHER CASES IT MAY BE A RELATIVE OF A DECEASED TRAIN MODELER SELLING OFF PARTS, A MOTHER SELLING HER SON'S SET AFTER HE LEFT FOR COLLEGE, OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE.
AUCTIONS FOR MODEL TRAIN PARTS AND ACCESSORIES BEING SOLD BY PEOPLE WITH NO UNDERSTANDING OF THE HOBBY CAN OFTEN TIMES BE IDENTIFIED BY VAGUE WORDING OR A “YOU GET WHAT YOU SEE” TYPE OF LISTING WITH A PICTURE. IF SOMEONE REFERS TO THE MODEL TRAIN AS “SMALL” INSTEAD OF LISTING ITS ACTUAL SCALE, CHANCES ARE THEY DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE HOBBY.
THE PROBLEM HERE LIES IN THE FACT THAT EVEN IF THERE ARE PICTURES IT CAN BE VERY HARD TO TELL WHAT YOU'RE GETTING, ESPECIALLY IN RELATION TO SCALE. IF YOU COME ACROSS AN AUCTION LIKE THIS THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, MESSAGE THE SELLER AND ASK FOR SPECIFIC INFO REGARDING WHAT IT IT HE/SHE IS SELLING. THIS WILL HELP TO ENSURE THAT YOU DON'T MAKE A HUGE PURCHASING MISTAKE AND WASTE A LOT OF MONEY.
IN A WORST CASE SCENARIO, IF YOU BUY SOMETHING THAT TURNS OUT TO BE NOT WHAT YOU EXPECTED, YOU CAN ALWAYS RE-LIST FOR SALE. YOU CAN ALSO TRY AND SELL IT ON A MODEL TRAIN ENTHUSIASTS SITE AS WELL. WHO KNOWS, YOU MAY EVEN TURN A PROFIT!