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Ok now I might be getting in trouble here but i recently had a wake up call. I love D&D and won't be giving it up soon but I look back at my collection and realize I might have gone overboard. When my partner looked at me and told me how much I was actually spending on D&d a month it was ridiculous. Seriously on top of all my subscriptions which add up to about $ $60 a month I spend an additional $300 a month on minis, tiles and books. I literally have a complete set of every mini set so far and enough doubles to fill 18 office boxes. I have every 3.5 book ever printed a whole shelf of OGL stuff. I literally went straight from work on a payday to the gaming shop. Has anyone else experienced this am I an isolated case?
I spend about thirty or forty bucks a month. The stuff beside my name.
Now and then I order a few modules or something else.
This is why I don't buy minis.
...enough doubles to fill 18 office boxes...
Jumpin' jiminy.
Yes, you are addicted.
Your partner is right. That's baaaaad.
That's not like if you were spending money each month on make-up, manicure, pedicure, hair salon, clothes, shoes, Macy's sales, Crate & Barrel or anything else.
;)
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Ok now I might be getting in trouble here but i recently had a wake up call. I love D&D and won't be giving it up soon but I look back at my collection and realize I might have gone overboard. When my partner looked at me and told me how much I was actually spending on D&d a month it was ridiculous. Seriously on top of all my subscriptions which add up to about $ $60 a month I spend an additional $300 a month on minis, tiles and books. I literally have a complete set of every mini set so far and enough doubles to fill 18 office boxes. I have every 3.5 book ever printed a whole shelf of OGL stuff. I literally went straight from work on a payday to the gaming shop. Has anyone else experienced this am I an isolated case?
I am at least as bad as you are. I have most of those things and I have boxes and boxes of Dwarven Forge Pieces. I am actually considering selling my Dwarven Forge stuff (at least most of it) and some of the 3.0 and 3.5 books I never use. I will never get to play all the stuff I have. There is not that much time left in my life...
CEO
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You should see my wall of bookshelves full of gaming products, some of which I have never even cracked open! I also have all the D&D minis, all of the D&D books from OD&D through 3.5, a bunch of OGL books, over 1,000 lead minis (most of which aren't even painted), and enough other gaming ephemera to choke a horse! And you know what? I love it. Buying gaming stuff makes me happy, so why not indulge? If your hobby makes it so you don't have money to eat or send your kids to school or something else equally important, then you need to take a look at it. But if you set a budget for yourself and use that to make yourself happy, what is the problem?
-Lisa
This is why I don't buy minis.
I should say 'anymore'.
Also, I need to go through and see what I have for selling to Paizo.
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You're in the right business, Lisa. And I agree. A budget for one's gaming hobby is a great way to go. For non-collectors, the old attitude used to be, "I picked up this book because I leafed through it and felt inspired, and got some ideas for the next game." Now-a-days, the attitude seems to be, "PAIZO produces high quality stuff. I'd like to own it all because they support the game I play, and make the best stuff in the business."
This reminds me of my relationship to rock music (and other genres too). If I like the "sound" of the artist, I'm likely to buy everything they make. My ultimate example is Sting, who's "sound" with the Police or in his solo career has brought me to buy everything he's ever made. I don't consider myself an official collector, but see nothing wrong with buying it all.
One exception: I believe in using discretion to avoid the temptation of purchasing 4e. Not supporting it will send a strong signal that gamers everywhere think that customer service still matters, that this community rejects being mistreated, and that we will support the Open Game License not the GSL.
And to the OP's question, I'd rather not discuss my addiction to PAIZO and PRPG.
Above the quieting noise of the smoke-filled hall a lone standing figure clears his throat and speaks... "Hello, my name is Pax and I am a Paizonian."
In unison, seated in metal chairs, sipping miniature styrofoam cups, the crowd spiritedly says... "Welcome, Pax."
... the store owner is one of my players and the game takes place there..... well.....
The pusher.... <guitar riff>.
Lightweight! My brother has 20 years worth of rpg books, PC games, DVDs, VHS tapes, comics, CCGs, and ephemera arranged in boxes and shelves space-mongering about 90% of his 10x18 room. Sometimes there's a 8" path beaten through it to access one of the 3 computers in this cardboard jungle and he usually has LoS to the TV. He recently expanded into my old room. Oddly though, it's now stacked ceiling high with empty boxes, depleted shakers of parmesean, and bundles of Dr. Pepper bottles.
He's single.
If you find yourself shoplifting gaming product to keep up your habit, because you have no income due to being fired for calling in sick too often in order to game, and then dodging security and police to drag your swag back to the cardboard box in the vacant lot where you stay because you lost your apartment for not paying rent...
...yeah, you're probably addicted.
If you find yourself shoplifting gaming product to keep up your habit, because you have no income due to being fired for calling in sick too often in order to game, and then dodging security and police to drag your swag back to the cardboard box in the vacant lot where you stay because you lost your apartment for not paying rent...
...yeah, you're probably addicted.
Ouch! I hope that that has NOT happened to anyone!
Yeah...set a budget (most of mine goes to Paizo) and you should be fine. Ask yourself "Do I really need X? Why am I getting this?" That usually helps me out, plus taking a really serious look at the quality of said item.
Of course...I don't buy minis. I suppose that helps also. :)
To be honest, PfRPG is part of my 12 step program. If I can just stay away from WotC 4.0 books it means I don't have a problem. I don't need another edition that basically does the same thing. Must... be... strong...
EDIT: I already failed with Dungeons of Dread. I said I would quit with DDM 2.0, but the little guys were so cool! It started with one rare, then two, now I am only missing four rares.
Now I'm curious....how many people out there consider themselves completionists? I have the rabid collector gene, and I try to restrain myself with, "Okay, I'm just gonna collect two or three product lines..." but I fight to hold back ebay "must get all 2nd edition dungeons and dragons," urges. Unfortunately with my 55-60 hour work week, I can't begin to devour the back log of reading material I accumulate. Instead, much of my rpg enjoyment is derived from collecting books, scanning through them, and reading bits and pieces of what interests me. I would love to play, but pbp seems hollow to me and none of my friends have any interest in the subject. I married a woman who has never seen any of the Star Wars movies....not even the originials....because they look "goofy." Heresy. How many people collect and don't play? How many people collect but can't read everything they collect?
I used to spend about £30-£50 a month on D&D until Dragon and Dungeon Magazines ended and then I lost just interest. I cant stand the onlne stuff. I bought the last few 3.5 Forgotten Realms books like 'Grand History' and that was about it.
Also our group hasn't been able to get together for a game in months so that hasn't helped. :(
I think I might have all the 3.5 books barring about four or something. I looked at Elder Evils a few weeks ago and couldn't even be bothered.
Really thinking about this....350 bucks or so a month for a hobby is a slight bit excessive however.... because I work in the automotive industry I have numerous friends who spend at least that a month on their cars between bolt-ons and gas spent driving to car shows. My wife spends a few hundred a month on designer labels she almost never wears....pocket books....boots.... Everything depends on your disposable income. Are your attending to the other things in your life? If the hobby makes you happy, and you're not gambling at the dog track burdened with false hopes of knocking out the long shot trifecta, so you can win big and buy a few case loads of minis, I say enjoy.
I am a completionist. But I do it by product line or set. So I don't need all the WotC environmental books (Frostburn, Sandstorm, etc.), unless I get one. Then I need them all! I actually turn free things down or give things away because I am afraid I will want to find the complete set. Also I try to find a reason to not start new set (like 4e).
Reference costs. I think I am relatively mild because I do not have other expensive hobbies. No car stuff, no season football tickets, no cigarettes, no beer or alcohol.
Wait, I do have a problem. I don't know who will get my stuff when I die. My daughter does not like monsters. I worry about my stuff finding a home. And I am only 42!
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Now I'm curious....how many people out there consider themselves completionists? I have the rabid collector gene, and I try to restrain myself with, "Okay, I'm just gonna collect two or three product lines..." but I fight to hold back ebay "must get all 2nd edition dungeons and dragons," urges. Unfortunately with my 55-60 hour work week, I can't begin to devour the back log of reading material I accumulate. Instead, much of my rpg enjoyment is derived from collecting books, scanning through them, and reading bits and pieces of what interests me. I would love to play, but pbp seems hollow to me and none of my friends have any interest in the subject. I married a woman who has never seen any of the Star Wars movies....not even the originials....because they look "goofy." Heresy. How many people collect and don't play? How many people collect but can't read everything they collect?
I am a also a completionist.
I did this over the past couple of years. I do not have everything 1st and 2nd edition that I could find on ebay but I did pick up most of it to include the L3 module. I think all I am missing from those days is some of the Planescape stuff and Dark Sun stuff. I have not gone after all the rule books (2nd edition) but I do have all of the core books for all the editions (except 4e). And also have a lot of books that I have not and probably will never read.
I also have all the miniatures and then some. I love the new D&D miniatures. Like Lisa I had hundreds of metal miniatures that I had never painted. I dumped them after the new plastic pre-painted ones came out. I love having a miniature for every situation.
I have most of my books and modules in plastic crates in the garage. Storage is getting to be a bit of a problem.
Of course none of this includes my fiction books, music, computer games, etc.
The worst part is if I don't go and get more I get this empty depressed feeling. Seriously it happens.
Bingo. That's the key element of a growing addiction. The money issue is more of a side effect than the main problem.
Maybe try to focus on the other gaming-related activities in your life that make you happy, involve interacting with other people, and that don't involve buying more stuff. Like taking the time to read/use the stuff you've already got, or chatting/gaming with your group more often.
If your friend the store-keeper tends to "show" you the latest and greatest gaming books, supplies, etc., maybe let them know you're not buying that stuff for awhile, but you'll still be a good "friend of the store" (give recommendations, bring newcomers, buy snacks, etc.).
No offense to anybody, but asking the close-knit community of folks here if you buy too much gaming stuff is like asking the other regulars at a bar if you have a drinking problem. Really hard to get an objective answer for that here...
Talk it over with your partner & your gaming buddies - they can surely help you get a handle on things better than we can.
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I'm not a completionist. Well, I am a bit with Pathfinder, but I don't go out and buy the Pathfinder companion and related stuff, mainly because my budget's stretched enough (the actual subscription was a gift from a friend).
What I do have are shelves of homebrew stuff. Seriously, about three paper boxes full of just notes, character sheets, maps, sketches, the works. I hae a fair amount of Dragon and Dungeon magazines as well.
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Oh yeah, I forgot. My laptop's hard drive is approximately 1/3 full of PDF files of D&D books. Duh.
I am a also a completionist.
I have most of my books and modules in plastic crates in the garage. Storage is getting to be a bit of a problem.
The GARAGE?!?! Good god man...humidity....environmental factors...bizarre insect species...you need climate controlled safety! When I first started dating my wife, I hid most of my collection in my apartment's walk in closet. I've found, unfortunately, girls don't respond well to my book habit. Now that we're married and I am entrenched, I devoted one bedroom of my three bedroom home to what my non-gamer buddies refer to as my "shrine." I buy magazine boards and bags, seal in all my 1st ed and 2nd ed stuff, and file it away in comic book style storage boxes. Then I built several rows of shelves in the closet.... plenty of space. All my current books are organized in two seven feet high by 5 feet long book cases with glass doors. Can't stand dust. I already laid down the law with the wife...we only have room for one kid and that's it....books are going nowhere...nowhere...more kids, means bigger house. Hopefully she doesn't read this....