Point of Stopped Buying

I am at the point where I realized that I am not going to build all of these rockets. Anybody else there?

Never give up! Never surrender!

If you're breathing, and not on a ventilator... Never say die!!!

I’m know you’re not alone. I quit buying a few years ago. No more build piles, only more rockets than common sense. Now I only buy motors and parts for rebuilds.

I keep buying stuff, but surely I'll have room to build any time now! :-D

Had to put myself on restriction, except to replenish the consumables. Rockets are not consumables; well hopefully not.....

I stopped a year or two ago. No time to build much, and running out of storage space.

cwbullet said:

I am at the point where I realized that I am not going to build all of these rockets. Anybody else there?

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I’m right there with you Chuck. Don’t get the build pile.

cwbullet said:

I am at the point where I realized that I am not going to build all of these rockets. Anybody else there?

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That is the point when you become a collector!

My build pile also needs building down, so I've also stopped buying kits. Except this one, 'cause it's really cool. Oh, and I haven't unpacked the build pile and need something to work on, so just one more. And that one; it's in a good cause. And...

Yeah, every time I move it becomes very clear just how many boxes and totes are dedicated to rocketry stuff. I really don't need to buy anything until I build some of the (many totes full) of kits in storage. But of course, I still manage to bring home free ones and bargains, and impulse buys from trips to NARAM and other big launches...

My problem is my built pile. I picked up a few larger kits lately and its hard to store them. The LOC 5.5" Sandhawk is almost 10 feet tall!

Buy one, build it before buying another. Been a year since I bought a rocket, well, minus the Sat V for July. Never been a "build pile" guy.

I envy you in some ways, not in others. There are loads of kits on my wishlist, but kits are rarer here in the UK. I 'window shop' on the web for kits all the time, but my actual building focuses on scratchbuilding, adapting and repairing. I've never done a cost analysis, but commonsense would say scratchbuilding is more costly per rocket than kits, but because it's slower, it spreads the cost also. I also don't like having rockets hanging around that I haven't flown, so given the (in)frequency I make it to launches, that also puts a brake on things.

To keep this a hobby (and not an obsession), I imposed a 5 unbuilt kit/project limit on myself. This helps keep things manageable and uncluttered for my apartment life.

When I bought the estes Mercury-Atlas a couple weeks ago, I had to start working on my 4" Phoenix (from secret santa....2017).
Current queue: Estes Pro series Patriot, Star Orbiter, 38mm AT G-force, Astron Explorer, Masters series Merc-Atlas
That list has to be built down before I can get to a couple HPR scratch projects I have in mind.

That way I have something to work on when I can, and no backlogged burden of 'gotta get around to these'! It's the right decision for my personality, and the last thing I want to do is turn my hobby into an obligation

timbucktoo said:

I’m know you’re not alone. I quit buying a few years ago. No more build piles, only more rockets than common sense. Now I only buy motors and parts for rebuilds.

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Ditto.. rockets was last year. Lego & stained glass were also last year. R/C planes was a few years ago, as well as paper models. Plastic models are making a bit of a comeback, at least interest-wise. I have a lot to build / keep me entertained over the next few years (decades?!!)

Now, its to save my pennies, and buy only the things I absolutely need to continue; glue, the odd bit for a build or repair, motors, glow fuel, lead (solder) & foil, beer, scotch, those expensive European.. cookies..

Tim51 said:

I've never done a cost analysis, but commonsense would say scratchbuilding is more costly per rocket than kits, but because it's slower, it spreads the cost also.

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I suppose that depends on what you mean by scratchbuilding. If you purchase all the parts that in a kit, then maybe you're right. But when I scratch build, the only thing I tend to buy is tubes, balsa, and glue, and maybe a nosecone or two. I almost always make my own centering rings, fins, transitions, and have even made my own nose cones. The less you buy and the more you make yourself, the more you save. Even at that, I literally have two large boxes of tubes that someone gave me once because they heard that a) I did scratchbuilds, and b) that I did launches with scouts. So, if I choose to build based on that size tube, my costs are really small.

Tim51 said:

There are loads of kits on my wishlist, but kits are rarer here in the UK. I 'window shop' on the web for kits all the time...

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What about a bu.lk order? Get some friends together, order ten or so kits from a US based vendor, and split the shipping. If the order form on the website doesn't show a combined shipping savings, call them up and see if they'll work with you; I bet someone will. Of course, that doesn't help with the infequency of launches.

Nytrunner said:

To keep this a hobby (and not an obsession), I imposed a 5 unbuilt kit/project limit on myself. This helps keep things manageable and uncluttered for my apartment life.

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I doff my cap to you. You obviously have more will power (in this area) than several of us combined.

My pile of rocket kits stops me from buying more. Now if I could stop buying plastic scale kits and boardgames...

"The difference between collecting and hoarding is a display case".

My build pile is currently 1 kit and enough parts for roughly 3 scratchbuilds. Storage is already my #1 nemesis (even with only a modest LPR collection), with build time close behind. There are a whole heck of a lot of kits I'd love to build if I could. Instead, for the moment, I must content myself with only about three long leisurely builds per year. At that pace, having a large build pile is obviously pointless, and I strictly limit myself from accumulating one.

I'm actually starting to consider which rockets to get rid of, or a at least to demote to more... offline storage, I guess you'd call it, to make room for more. Once I get down to my scratchbuilds though that's gonna get very hard to stomach.

If my current constraints are ever removed, I'd expect my willpower to dissolve.

Another thing that stops me from buying now, is the cost of things.

R/C plane kits are rare these days, and are fetching some big bucks. Ditto with a few rocket kits.

I don't have a build pile but I do have a couple of rockets waiting to be painted once the weather warms up enough. An AMW FiberMax that I built last year, and my 4” Frenzy XL which has been sanded down and is waiting for it's second complete repaint.

I find that the more i launch, the more i lose, the more i can buy to build, launch, lose, and repeat.

Peartree said:

I suppose that depends on what you mean by scratchbuilding. If you purchase all the parts that in a kit, then maybe you're right. But when I scratch build, the only thing I tend to buy is tubes, balsa, and glue, and maybe a nosecone or two. I almost always make my own centering rings, fins, transitions, and have even made my own nose cones. The less you buy and the more you make yourself, the more you save. Even at that, I literally have two large boxes of tubes that someone gave me once because they heard that a) I did scratchbuilds, and b) that I did launches with scouts. So, if I choose to build based on that size tube, my costs are really small.

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Yes fair point. As I said I've never actually done a cost analysis, but I get my CRs and fins custom laser cut, and buy my NCs, so over time it adds up

jqavins said:

What about a bu.lk order? Get some friends together, order ten or so kits from a US based vendor, and split the shipping. If the order form on the website doesn't show a combined shipping savings, call them up and see if they'll work with you; I bet someone will. Of course, that doesn't help with the infequency of launches.

I doff my cap to you. You obviously have more will power (in this area) than several of us combined.

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Yes we do occasionally club together for bulk orders for electronics sometimes, but for kits and parts we also want to support our vendor, who imports what he can sell (motors of all sizes, smaller kits, bigger 'loose' components, NCs etc). It's an economy of scale issue, plus not wishing to completely undercut a sole supplier in a situation where if we did, no one would be able to buy anything..

Tim51 said:

Yes we do occasionally club together for bulk orders for electronics sometimes, but for kits and parts we also want to support our vendor...

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Makes sense. Maybe bring bulk requests to your local vendor all at once, so he can save per unit on shipping.

neil_w said:

...my #1 nemesis...

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https://jonrocket.com/store/products/nemesis-model-rocket/cat-1_38_2_6

I think the Nemesis is out of stock now, I got their last one to add to my build pile. Very unique molded nose cone with integrated canards and bubble canopy, same as on the Star Rider.

Oh, wait, what were we talking about?

I declared a moritorium on any new purchases last year. Sort went overboard with 2 Black Somedays in a row. Wildman/LOC/Mad Cow/Estes.........I sorta overbought. I'm thigh deep in kits from 1/2A to just short of a L3 project, and have enough 'repair parts' and 'scratch build supplies' for probably two dozen more LP/MP/HP rockets.

Top that off with a visceral NEED to win any auction for any hardware that's on Evil Bay......and I'm a behind the power curve with curbing my addictions.

I've stopped buying two of anything that interests me (one to build, one to stash as backup) but I still have far too many kits and really too many built rockets already. Which isn't stopping me from starting two more just last night.

At some point I'm going to have to thin both herds....but I haven't got there just yet.

And yet I keep buying them...

I have thought of a self-imposed rule on chronology. I should probably build them in the order that I bought them, instead of buiding the newer ones before older. Thought about it--not implemented...