* 28% (99) – No.
* 23% (81) – Yes, a little.
* 21% (74) – Yes, moderately.
* 27% (96) – Yes, a lot.
Total Votes: 350
I left this poll running for quite some time, because the global situation just seems to have been getting constantly worse this year. Here in New Zealand we’re partially insulated from the sub-prime meltdown by having a simpler banking system, different legislation around mortgages and a high interest rate – which gives our Reserve Bank a fair amount of room to cut rates in an attempt to stimulate our flagging economy.
However trust me it’s still looking pretty grim on our little island in the Pacific so my hobby spending this year has been almost nil as we struggle to pay the mortgage, the other bills, and keep our two boys in daycare/school etc. It seems I’m not alone judging from the results of the poll with less than a third of you stating your hobby spending hasn’t changed at all, while the rest of the voters have reduced their spending by some amount, almost a third of you by a lot.
The game company and figure manufacturers out there must really be feeling the pinch I imagine. Particularly since prices for casting metals have been increasing at the same time. Putting your prices up while your customers are already reducing their hobby spend is a pretty bad place to be in for niche businesses. Tabletop Gaming News regularly features price increase notices from various quarters, and I wonder if we’ll start seeing indie manufacturers closing their doors. I certainly hope not since indie figures really inject a lot of life into this hobby.
Continuing with the doom and gloom, I suffer from mild depression and have noticed that periodically it effects my enjoyment of gaming. Normally I’m a pretty relaxed gamer, having fun in a game as long as it’s close thing regardless of the outcome. However I find if I’m down I seem to devolve into more a win-at-all costs power gamer with a side order of rules lawyer. I dislike gaming at all when I’m in this state of mind, simply because I don’t extract any pleasure from the game itself and usually just end up offending my opponents by being a ‘whiny little bitch’ (their words). In fact I’ve started making a conscious choice not to game when I’m feeling like this because it’s just easier on everybody.
So this next poll we’re running is to do with power gaming – are you a win-at-all-costs kinda gamer or not? Come on fess up!
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I wonder what percentage of the ‘still spend alot’ crowd are free from bills and either spend their parents money or work for 100% disposable income. I cant imagine any other way for hobby spending to say the same in these dark times…
I dont know what I am going to do when my paints start running out or my brushes finaly give out…
even my other hobbies are suffering, I have had to build a continuity tester because I lost my multi meter, my soldering iron has a tip thats about 10mm diametre making it almost impossable to solder anything well and certainly impossable on small places.
Despite the cut in living costs and pay rise when I moved from Auckland I am actually no better off financially. And less happy for being 600Km away from my friends and regular gamming nights. Its only my Partner and Kids that bring a smile to these grey times.
I’m spending a lot less lately, but I think that’s more down to general Poor Student Syndrome (TM) than anything else.
Sounds like you’re doing it hard there Dustan. I haven’t bought any paints or brushes for several years now either, getting by on my current collection and from paint donated to the cause by other friends abandoning the hobby (thanks Griff)! I thought you had some gaming mates down south? We at least still get regular gaming evenings in.
I also find I don’t have a heck of a lot of time to get hobby work in these days either with two kids in the house, and well a house and garden that I’m supposed to be maintaining.
Its not all doom and gloom, The Police came knocking on my door the other day… it was my old buddy steve with whom I used to game with. Hes still in the hobby so I’ll definately be picking up a few more games…
Babies/Toddlers are quite expensive when compared to the non-nappie clad versions. and if it wasnt for the monopoly on the power supply down here it wouldnt be as bad. My consuption of power has improved but I am still paying 50-100 more a month than when I was in Auckland with a broken hot water cylinder and using electric heaters.
Here’s a question though, will the Games Workshop increase in the price of metal minis change things? Or just make everyone play all plastic space marine armies…
It thought everyone already plays space marines, Either that or I need to find more players. I guess they wouldnt sell many copies if the box set came with Tau and imp Guard.
No, almost everyone plays Space Marines, or Chaos Marines in this town.
Be good if someone would, y’know, assemble and paint them.
I stopped playing my Imperial Guard when the damn dirty Tau arrived on the battlefield. They always seemed to have better guns than the Imperial Guard and fielded vehicles that were almost impossible for your average Guardsman to hit. Mind you they were a little short on template weapons which has always been the Guard’s strength…so maybe I should dust them off again.
Ancient thread resurrection but… I find it intriguing why this “economic crisis” should change anyone’s hobby spending.
Surely your wages and outgoings haven’t changed significantly, and if you own a car your fuel spend is almost half what it was in the middle of 2008. If you are re-fixing a mortgage in the next few months you should have a spare few dollars each month too.
I asked the question because to me hobby spending counts as a ‘luxury’.
This poll was running through the record petrol price hikes in NZ and corresponding staples price increases too from memory. When you’ve got to pay more for milk, bread and transport…toys seem less important.