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Re: [BRHSlist] Re: Stingy or not Stingy?

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Subject: Re: [BRHSlist] Re: Stingy or not Stingy?
From: Bryan Howell <tubaman21@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 1 Aug 2003 15:47:07 -0700 (PDT)
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I thought an opinion from the younger generation might
be in order here.

I am 18 years old and about to begin college.  I've
only been able to work for 2 summers, so I don't have
a lot of spending money.  I would say a good 75% of
the money I do get though, I spend on Q items, whether
it be models or books and other items on E-bay.  I
would love to buy more books and models, but cost
plays a big role.  My current quest is trying to
obtain "Trail of the Zephyrs," but I keep getting
outbid on E-bay and it goes for about $150 in stores. 
I have splurged on the models and buy P2K.  I usually
wait until they come down in price, though.  The
Zephyrs were what got me started with the Q in the
first place and I would love to have a brass
shovelnose, but I can't get that kind of money.  I
don't like to view myself as stingy because I do the
best I can for the money I have.  Once I get out of
college and start making a living, I hope to be able
to indulge in my hobby and interests more.  I just
feel its wrong to criticize others if you know nothing
about their personal situations. 

There have been some very good points made that I
totally agree with.  The bottom line is that people's
financial situations are different and there may be a
good reason for not being able to buy more things.

So am I stingy?  No.  To others, it might seem that
way.  But I do the best that I can for the dollars I
have.

Bryan J. Howell
tubaman21@yahoo.com       











--- zephyr9903 <zephyr9903@iowatelecom.net> wrote:
> On Thu, 31 Jul 2003 22:39:08 -0000, nycbqfan wrote
> 
> And Marshall reples,
> 
> <You make some good points, but I'd like to expand a
> bit on some . . . I'll 
> insert my comments at the appropriate spots, framed
> <thusly>
>   
> > 
> >  1.  Actually, my opinion of late (after being in
> this hobby 35 
> > years)  is that we have more great stuff in CB&Q
> than ever.  I can't 
> > ever  remember being in a position where I
> actually have to decide I 
> > will  buy this but not that because there is more
> available than I 
> > can  afford.  God bless the likes of Life-Like for
> the great plastic 
> >  diesels and the Heritage Steam, not to mention
> some of the brass  
> > companies that have stepped up to the plate (cost
> notwithstanding).  
> >  I think this hobby allows a price point for
> anyone.
> 
> <True, but I also think it would be good if we
> recovered and improved some 
> old skills . . . for example, if I wanted an o2
> mikado, and a brass model 
> were offered at $1200 or so, I think I'd pick up an
> Athearn from the swap-
> meet at $150 or less & whomp up a new superstructure
> from styrene sheet . . .>
> >  
> > 
> >  2.  I do agree that part of what affects what is
> bought and 
> > therefore  what can be offered is the audience. 
> I'm guessing that 
> > CB&Q  followers are not as numerous as the PRR
> group.  I also think 
> > some of  these other groups enjoy better
> participation because the 
> > railroad  was more concentrated geographically. 
> The New Haven 
> > society seems to  have a pretty good group, and
> geographically it 
> > was a small  railroad.  But it was built in an
> area of the country 
> > that had a high  population.  It's also easier to
> get a good 
> > attendance at an annual  meeting because most of
> its membership, I 
> > am guessing, live fairly  close to each other.
> 
> <As it happens, I had occasion to correspond at
> length with Marlin 
> McLaughlin, long-time officer of the NHRTIA.  He
> lived in Mobile AL, as I 
> recall.  I think on-line population density is a
> major influence . . . but so 
> is the attention the old tinplate and early scale
> model manufacturers.  
> American Flyer popularized the New Haven a lot . . .
> the popularity of the 
> Santa Fe War Bonnet has to be partly credited to
> Lionel, and a lot more 
> people became familiar with the Reading in steam
> days because of John Tyler 
> at Mantua.  Also, the amount of print-space in the
> magazines used to be 
> extremely influential . . . How much attention would
> the CMSt.P & P have 
> gotten without Bill Walthers and Al Kalmbach???? >
> >  
> >  I am continually amazed that the authors find the
> time and have the 
> >  knowledge and resources to put these books
> together.  Free plug to 
> > Ed  Derouin on his CUS book.  How the heck did you
> do it, Ed?  I 
> > can't  imagine the time commitment.  It's a
> wonderful book, too. 
> >  
> >  I think at the end of the day the free market
> rules. If people find 
> > a  product or service to be of value, they will
> buy it, if they can  
> > afford it.  If it is not of value or they cannot
> afford, they won't  
> > buy it.  Some very good things never get made or
> printed because 
> > they  are too expensive.
> >  
> >  To take it one step further, our group and any RR
> historical group 
> >  face a huge problem as the members age.  At 51
> years old, I was all 
> >  of 18 when the CB&Q went into history (1970). How
> many 25 or 30 
> > year  olds have a clue about this railroad -
> certainly none from 
> > first hand  memories. 
> 
> <I corresponded a few years ago with a Q modeler who
> was younger than the 
> BN . . . he had become interested in the Q solely
> because the redbird paint 
> scheme caught his eye at a hobby shop, but went on
> to become quite involved 
> in and proficient at modeling the CB&Q . . .>
> 
> >  Not to put too fine a point on it, but as the 
> > people with  the information and recollections
> pass on, who fills in 
> > behind them?   These may well be the good old days
> of our model 
> > train and railroad  enthusiast hobbies.
> 
> The Midwest Old Threshers steam traction engine show
> started here in Mt. 
> Pleasant in 1950.  It was organized by men who had
> grown up in the 20s and 
> 30s and ran those engines on their daddies' farms. 
> 53 years later, that 
> entire geberation is gone - and the show continues
> now in its third 
> generation of "apprentices" who can not only
> maintain and operate the 
> equipment, but who (in most cases) can still pass on
> the stories they heard 
> as they learn.  The CB&Q will live on in its
> modelers . . . who will have 
> been *our* apprentices!>  
> 
> Marshall Thayer
> Mt. Pleasant, IA
> 


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