You people must be millionaires

Definitely not rich, but I did have a couple great years at work that allowed me to buy several guns I had been dreaming about since I was a young boy. I have other interests as well though, travel (for the three of us to go anywhere costs a new AR and toys) if you want to look at it with that perspective. We love to eat out at nice resturaunts, and have nice clothing. Like I said I am not rich but if you prioritize and plan you can make it happen. It also helps to have a job that doesn't have a low static income.

I'm seeing a trend here, one that my personal experience supports.

The keys to having a large/high quality battery are:
1. Get an education.
2. Take the education and get a job that pays well.
3. Avoid having ex-wives and/or child support payments.
4. Booze/tobacco or guns. Pick one.
5. Save money.

Do these, and you can have the pleasant problem of figuring out where to put that third vault...

Mike OTDP pretty well sums it up for me too. We also have saved a ton of interest by doubling up on house payments. Come to think of it I could probably get another gun if I sold this compu

Keep in mind also folks, that being a "millionaire" (i.e. household net worth of $1,000,000) isn't what it used to be. It is "comfortable"/middle class in most areas of the country. In some areas it probably doesn't even rate middle class. There are plenty of millionaires out there who wouldn't dream of buying (or would have to really adjust their finances to afford) some of the nicer toys mentioned in this thread; boats, Harleys, etc. Another part of that is going to be that self-made millionaires who got there by working a regular type job and saving, didn't get it done by blowing it on toys. Just one more aspect of the "priorities" thing.

And, I go to bars, eat out, *and* have a few guns... so you *know* I'm not a millionaire.

One Other Point-

Never, Ever trade a good, working firearm for something that you THINK
you may want now~! :banghead:

I've been there and done that, many times over. My advice now is too
THINK the whole situation through; as many times I have gone back, only
to replace the previously owned firearm. This kind'a action gets expensive
in a hurry~! And, don't rely on someone else's fantastic tales. I know
a salesperson that promotes the .300 Weatherby Magnum, like it was a
gift from GOD that will drop dead all zombie's out to 500 yards. He tells
of dropping many white-tails at these distances, and beyond. Truth of
the matter is, that most of his shots are within the 200 yard range; well
within the range of the .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, or the time
tested .30-06 Springfield~! No offense intended, as he is a great
guy as well as a good friend; but he does stretch the truth a bit~!

Most of the guns I've bought have fallen under the "right place, right time" circumstances.

I bought my Norinco SKS back in '95 for $169 and it came with a 30 round mag. If I had known what the prices would be like just in the past few months I would have bought out all those the gun store had ....

The same goes for my Plainfield M1C. I saw it on GunsAmerica, made the call, and had my wife do the rest. $525 for a police purchased gun that was test fired only.


I think that if you just keep an eye out for the stuff you want you'll find what you want at the price point you're willing to pay. The down side is you need to make sure you've got the cash onhand when you do find it.



Kris

not a millionaire.. I just have a serious problem!!!!!!!!

I'm far from a millionaire, but I will tell you with a steady job and devoting a little bit of your paycheck to your hobby...it magically grows on it's own.

Seems like every trip to the range will cost you more than golf; a rich persons leisure pursuit if ever was one. Not that I know anything about golf . . .

Click to expand...

depending on where you go golfing, fifty dollars of ammo plus a $1000 gun is a helluva lot cheaper than a day of golf plus a full set of clubs and good golf balls - and shoes, gloves, among other things... In fact, I think my dad's golf set could buy my mil-spec, tricked out AR nearly three times over i.e. pretty much 90% of my entire (small) collection.

I personally have what I feel is way too much money invested in guns for my age and yearly income. But, I still manage to pay what little bills I have to pay and have never come close to falling into debt - and I'm also patient. The good news is since I like milsurps more than anything, I don't have to worry about depreciation all too much and can always make my money back.

I own about 25 guns and ave owned close to 80 over the past two decades.

Of course I am not married, have no kids and I'm not a home owner, I also don't drive an expensive car. Other than buying guns I don't spend a lot of money on things.

I'm no where near rich. But a few years ago I racked up some considerable debt as a result of too many gun purchases in too short a time.:banghead:

Over the past year I've had to sell off a lot of my $1000+ guns to pay down my debt. If I buy new guns now I usually have to sell off a gun in order to buy a new one or put the gun on layaway and pay it off over time.

I've now vowed that I'll only buy one or two guns a year that are over $1k. Right now out of the 25 guns that I own there's only one that I paid more than $1k for.

SSssshhhhh, don't tell the wife, but I might be lining up my next purchase....

After you got your 1st gun, it's much easier to find more money

There's a friend of mine who simplified it for me with a saying of " there are the Have's and the Have not's" .

peopleperson

Your friend forgot to tell you a good percentage of the havenots can be haves if they can train themselves to work hard and save for what they want.

A tip: since you're a newer gun owner, get a .22lr to practice with...the greatly lowered ammo prices will save you a LOT.

Second tip: If you like Altoids (the minty candy), those tins can hold a LOT of .22LR ammo...this matters when you can't find cheap ammo cans anywhere. I've doubled the capacity of my ammo can when going from using the 500-rd boxes to altoid tins. Just stack the rounds where one points right, the next left, and so on...vertically as well as horizontally. It doesn't have to be perfect, but the more perfect it is, the more you can fit in....and bend the lid front in a bit to make sure it closes snug. It's also convenient to take to the range like this.

It's possible to be a low-buck shooter, you just have to have some sense about you....not going for the latest thing unless it offers value.....and saving up for the good stuff. My next upgrade may be a laser device that lets me do dry-fire target practice with my DAO 9mm pistol. If it works, I'll save a load of cash.

Just keep in there.....if I can find a way to afford shooting (and I'm unemployed), you can too. Just make every range trip as fruitful as possible.

Some people say I have a fortune tied up in guns,but it has taken me 30 years to get my modest collection together.
It is a life long pursuit.You buy some,trade for some,inherit some and some are even given to you.I guess it does add up,
but again if you account for the 30 years spent on them,it is not that bad.

You learn to be more frugal,especially with todays economy.

Don't be sad,just enjoy what you got and don't stop lusting
after the "next" aquisition.

I have been married 33 years next month. Long ago, I told the wife to simply stop her bitchin' and listen to my wisdom. Guns are currency. They are the only thing on Earth that will never diminish in worth, wether it be to kill or to save. They are universal weapons, and can be used by anyone from all walks of life. Regardless of who controls the planet, guns will always be valuable.

I collect them. I use them. I cherish them, and they give me pleasure. When I am gone, my wife and/or kids can sell them and benefit greatly. Can anyone truly think of any other hobby that will provide benefits of this magnitude?

Oh, and in keeping with the original poster's theme on being a millionaire:

Like anything else, buying guns and supporting your hobby isn't a matter of being rich; its a matter of being consistent and persistent. You've got to be focused, and know what you want and then take steps to make that happen.

Rule #1. Realize you can't have it all.

Nobody can. Nobody will. Try to gauge yourself and how you fit into this statement. Go for what you want, but realize that you can't have an M82A1 on a 10/22 budget. Start small. Start practical. Patience is your friend. Consistency over time will get the job done.

Rule #2. Pay yourself first.

You work, right? You get paid, right? Regardless of the interval in which you get your income, the most-important thing you can do is to skim your hobby money right off the top. Its the only way you can insure that your guns & ammo money will be solid. Just be sure you aren't neglecting the priorities, like family and such. There have been times when I could barely pay my bills, but I have always managed to tuck away a few bucks every week to build up towards my next gun.

Rule #3. Choose Your Poison.

Cross-examine yourself. Be honest. What other hobbies do you have? What are the other drains on your wallet? Do you really need that Starbucks every morning on the way in to work? Are you spending $10 or more every day for lunch? Do you smoke? I used to. I quit when butts became over $2 a pack. Those were the glory days, right? Friends tell me that smokes are nearly $6 a pack these days. Unbelieveable. What I am saying here is that if you scrutinize where your money is draining, you may be able to stop that leak and divert the flow towards your new hobby. See Rule #1.

So my 20 year old son is a millionaire considering that he has a rifle collection? He started when he was 17...one here, one there...

Man look at it like and investment, take care of your stuff and it won't go down much, I am new to this pistol deal and to reloading look around there are very few deals on good reloading machines, most go for almost new prices like it is better for them to be broke in or something. I research like someone with a-d-d, then handle or look at what ever it is and pick the right one for me. And remember the best argument ever is hunny I am in the basement not out drinking or running around, works like a charm. Every hobbie is expensive or there would be no market for it haha!!

I like Mike OTDP's summary, repeated below:

The keys to having a large/high quality battery are:
1. Get an education.
2. Take the education and get a job that pays well.
3. Avoid having ex-wives and/or child support payments.
4. Booze/tobacco or guns. Pick one.
5. Save money.

I suffered from #3 until this past spring when my son graduated from high school. My house is paid off as of two years ago.
You can have it all with #4 and make it work, just use moderation! I love beer.

Most of my hobbies are low money consumers, I have a life North American bird list and make two trips a year around the country looking for birds I've never seen, this typically costs me around $2000 total, only surpassed by shooting/hunting activities.
My current occupation started 23 years ago, I made $6.00 an hour, couldn't afford much. Just takes time. I had to be patient, now I can afford some things nice.