Your collecting spending in 2018

[edd_jedi]

I'm not sure if anybody else does this, but I keep a spreadsheet of everything I buy which gives me a total of how much I spend each year. Interestingly, after rising every year from 2012-2017, I spent almost 30% less in 2018 than I did the year before.

I think there are a few reasons - firstly as you may have seen I had a baby, which hit both my time and funds also I unfollowed a lot of the Facebook groups so I think I bought drastically less on FB last year than I did the previous few years. Most of my buying was on 'evilbay'. And finally I think the relative failure of Solo and the lack of any other fims has calmed the frenzy of the previous few years. Maybe uncertainty around Brexit has had an effect too?

So if you track your spending, did you spend more or less than the previous year(s) in 2018? And if so why do you think that was?

 

[Davaider]

I think a big factor to spending less is finishing off your run. I.E if you go for the 12 back run you will get several of the "easy" 1s then the others will take time and hence you will be spending less and being patient to complete the run.

 

[Clarkspie&chips]

I think a big factor to spending less is finishing off your run. I.E if you go for the 12 back run you will get several of the "easy" 1s then the others will take time and hence you will be spending less and being patient to complete the run.

Actually I think I spent more in 2018 than any other year because I was finishing runs off and the hard pieces ended up costing much more than I was hoping for.

 

[theforceuk]

I pretty much spent the same as the previous years, although I may have spent more if I had a better year. Saying that both my children are starting to do loads of activities which drains the Star Wars fund and that is only going to get worse as they get older.

I'm self employed and have certainly noticed a slow down in spending over the last 12 months. I put it down to the uncertainty of Brexit, the quicker they sort it out the better for my sector.

 

[Robstyley]

I haven't spent much last year cos I haven't had much spare cash, although I did buy a Yak Face which was a big one for me. I think I've made more in sales than I've spent. I don't keep records, I find it a bit anal and it would take the fun out of it. Knowing what you paid for something five years ago doesn't change what you can sell it for today. It's not something I really think about.

 

[TheJabbaWookie]

I got back into collecting in 2016. 2016 was spent finishing off the loose run minus last 17. 2017 was collecting the last 17, and dipping my toe in the Spanish market, so was seriously more expensive than 2016. :?

I thought 2018 would be quieter and cheaper but I bought a VCJ and Blue Snag and started an offerless 20/21 Back run, so I spent much more than I bargained for. :shock:

I reckon it would of been more expensive if I'd tried to do that in 2017 when I feel prices were at a peak as a result of hype surrounding the successful TFA movie and the 40th anniversary celebrations. Prices are definitely coming down.

 

[Pomse2001]

I know I spend less, we try save money so we can move :lol:

 

[Hothrebel]

Spent too much last year and will probably do the same this years, heyho money is for spending

 

[lejackal]

I have tracked a few purchases just to demonstrate that you can still collect on a modest budget but haven't kept a note of everything in and out.
I know I have bought less overall and have sold a fair bit though.

 

[Ruby2511]

I spent a few quid, most of the purchases from Ebay, only really started collecting full on in 2018.

Keeping tabs on spending every year sounds a good idea and something I am going to adopt

 

[walkie]

Haha, I've do the same thing by keeping a spreadsheet of all my buys/sales. Last year I was down by 501.6% on my spends thanks to selling off the last of my MOC's, but overall 2018 was quiet on the new purchases front.

 

[Wreck-It Ralph]

I spent significantly less in 2018 but that was not out of choice it was simply down to the fact I could not find what I wanted to buy.

I also keep a spreadsheet of what I spend but then I feel guilty when I spend too much, sometimes ignorance is bliss.

As said in previous posts once your sets/runs start to complete then there is less for you to buy so you should spend less. Unfortunately the pieces you don't have are usually the rarer items and they can be significantly more expensive so you buy less but pay more for it which means you end up in the same position.

 

[Mini99]

I too keep a list of prices of what I paid and sold items items for, and I keep my Portfolio's upto date in SWTracker which also helps.
Keeping lists helps me rationalise everything.
I spent more in 2018, but I knew I would as I was determined to finish of a POTF run.
But 2019 will be different :? as there is no longer any agenda and I've strated selling off items that I don't like and only bought as it was part of a run.

 

[apack7229]

I screencap all my eBay purchases on my phone and save them to a folder so I know what I've spent. It also lets me know when I bought it and what came with what.

 

[SOJ]

Just been through my vintage eBay purchases from 2017 and 2018. 2017 over £2.5k and last year only £180!!! Bought a MOC or 2 on Facebook over the course of last year but these were always upgrades and funded by for the most part the sale of something else. War chest for celebration is coming along nicely.

 

[spoons]

I've been keeping a spreadsheet since June 2007 - the grand total is a bit scary :shock:

But this and last year were about the same, I try and keep my spending within a budget. If I make a big purchase I sell things off to off set it.

Sold a lot in the last few weeks and net spend is only £50 since October - that has to be a record for me

 

[Taffius]

I screencap all my eBay purchases on my phone and save them to a folder so I know what I've spent. It also lets me know when I bought it and what came with what.

Thats a handy way of recording data apack. I must check my vintage spreadsheet to find out what I've spent although I should think its less than I spent on modern thats not recorded.

 

[jared007]

I track all my collection in Star Wars Tracker of course I spent very little in 2018, being very similar to 2017. This is mainly because I've managed to get everything I planned to go after. My last real focused buying was about 10 MOCs split over late 2017 to early 2018. Just to get a bit of MOC cardback variations - the figures inside weren't that important.

 

[apack7229]

Thats a handy way of recording data apack. I must check my vintage spreadsheet to find out what I've spent although I should think its less than I spent on modern thats not recorded.

It is a handy way to check what you've paid and how far down the rabbit hole you've gone. :lol: