I have seen many pics of some THR member's gun collections. Many are very expensive and have multiple firearms over $1000 a piece. This leaves to wonder how you can afford all those toys. So, how large is your collection and how do you finance your hobby (how do you make your money)? Thanks.
What do you do?
- Thread starter kennyboy
- Start date
- Status
Bruce333
Member
I'm sure glad I don't know what you look like! There are some visual images I just don't need to imagine!
Even if you don't have a high-paying job, you can still get a decent amount of disposable income by following four rules:
1. Don't get a lady friend -- they'll bleed you dry.
2. Don't have kids. For reason, see #1.
3. Don't go into debt. You'll end up spending more money in the long run.
4. Use coupons and buy cheap stuff. The less you spend on food, rent, etc. the more you have for ammo!
1. Don't get a lady friend -- they'll bleed you dry.
2. Don't have kids. For reason, see #1.
3. Don't go into debt. You'll end up spending more money in the long run.
4. Use coupons and buy cheap stuff. The less you spend on food, rent, etc. the more you have for ammo!
Kali Endgame
member
I just moved to Nevada from California and my wages stayed the same. Right now I have little debt and my take-home is much higher than my expenses. But I am looking to buy a house out here and things will change.
I'm in the fabrication side of the world.
I'm in the fabrication side of the world.
M2 Carbine
member
I'm a retired helicopter pilot.
I never made anywhere near "good money" but my Wife and I managed well and mostly we could buy about anything we wanted.
The very first thing people should work to wards is being able to pay cash for everything, except maybe the house.
A person can buy a lot of guns with the finance money they are throwing in the toilet every month.
In about the last 30 years I've paid cash for everything, cars, trucks, motorcycles, even airplanes.
Can you imagine how much real cash that put in my pocket in saved finance charges?
I never made anywhere near "good money" but my Wife and I managed well and mostly we could buy about anything we wanted.
The very first thing people should work to wards is being able to pay cash for everything, except maybe the house.
A person can buy a lot of guns with the finance money they are throwing in the toilet every month.
In about the last 30 years I've paid cash for everything, cars, trucks, motorcycles, even airplanes.
Can you imagine how much real cash that put in my pocket in saved finance charges?
cowboybobb693
Member
Biker. You,my brother are a sick puppy!!!!. I've read some of your other posts and that Is NOT the usual way you describe yourself.
I, on the other hand TRULY am an Addonis that will don a loin cloth at the drop of a hat to purchase a new weapon.
But to get back on track,I'm an old ,fat retired guy and save up my pennies(and borrow from the wife) if I REALLY NEED that new pistol.
But most of my weapons are old and functional,like me.
I, on the other hand TRULY am an Addonis that will don a loin cloth at the drop of a hat to purchase a new weapon.
But to get back on track,I'm an old ,fat retired guy and save up my pennies(and borrow from the wife) if I REALLY NEED that new pistol.
But most of my weapons are old and functional,like me.
Last edited:
bumm
Member
I have a pretty good crop of collectable safe queens I inherited from my late father, but I tend to actually SHOOT a very few guns, so I don't feel the need for a steady supply of new ones. I reload for my .45, and also have a .22 conversion unit, so shooting isn't too expensive.
As far as what I do for a living, I don't want to talk about it.
Marty
OH, and while I'm not in too bad a shape, a big "autopsy scar" right up the middle of my stomach left over from colon cancer last Summer ruined my chances for employment as a male stripper.
As far as what I do for a living, I don't want to talk about it.
Marty
OH, and while I'm not in too bad a shape, a big "autopsy scar" right up the middle of my stomach left over from colon cancer last Summer ruined my chances for employment as a male stripper.
outofbattery
Member
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2004
- Messages
- 874
I sadly and stupidly listened to much of the hype over how bad MA is for gun owners and went gun-less without even attempting to get a license for 5 years.In the past 3 I've made up for it and bought around 40 firearms so on average,a little over one per month.Some of them were close to gimmes like $50 .22's and a few milsurps but about a dozen FAL/AR/HK/FN tacticool thingies and another ~16-18 SIG/Glock/Walther/Beretta/S&W autos as well.I'm not married and have no kids- that's the really big one and don't have a car payment as I drive a 10 year old truck so what some people use to pay for crumb-munchers or a new car,I use on guns and motorcycles.I don't set a budget and don't plan out purchases but I also only go to gun shops maybe every 8 weeks but I'll make the trips worthwhile.Seriously,a couple shop owners smile when they see me come in with " the look" as they know they'll get their light bill paid for the day-makes them happy,makes me happy.
Another one for me is that I don't drink or smoke so that's ~$150 ( based upon a pack a day and casual drinking) a month towards ammo
Another one for me is that I don't drink or smoke so that's ~$150 ( based upon a pack a day and casual drinking) a month towards ammo
I'm a welder and really can't afford this hobby. But after 34 yrs of being a gun nut I've had some nice guns. First gun I bought was a 8mm 98 mauser for under 20 bucks.99 Savage in 308 for 80.00. Contender 44mag 125.00 each barrel cost 50.00 5mm,30 carbine,30 30 and 22 mag. M70 bull barrel 243 180.00 but the Weaver K10 cost 200.00. While my friends were buying 8 tracks and skiing I was hunting and collecting guns.I went to school in SLC and during the 70s they had great gun stores.
OK Kennyboy what do you do?
OK Kennyboy what do you do?
TexasRifleman
Moderator Emeritus
You'll likely not get many direct answers as yours is a bit of a personal question.
I'll tell you that in my case TIME is the key. I've been buying guns since 1984 when I turned 18 and I've only sold one (a Smith 4506).
My collection includes a couple of NFA items so that skews the price somewhat. I didn't pay what they are currently worth, they were bought before the Bad Day.
The advice to pay CASH for guns and never finance is VERY sound.
The most important thing if you want to have money for guns or any hobby you love is
DON'T FEED YOUR EGO.
It's OK that you drive a used car, it's OK that you don't have the latest plasma technology for the Super Bowl party. What others think of what you drive and what your house looks like doesn't really matter. You will go broke trying to impress others.
I'll tell you that in my case TIME is the key. I've been buying guns since 1984 when I turned 18 and I've only sold one (a Smith 4506).
My collection includes a couple of NFA items so that skews the price somewhat. I didn't pay what they are currently worth, they were bought before the Bad Day.
The advice to pay CASH for guns and never finance is VERY sound.
The most important thing if you want to have money for guns or any hobby you love is
DON'T FEED YOUR EGO.
It's OK that you drive a used car, it's OK that you don't have the latest plasma technology for the Super Bowl party. What others think of what you drive and what your house looks like doesn't really matter. You will go broke trying to impress others.
plexreticle
Member
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2006
- Messages
- 1,240
Amen TexasGI, many people are in severe dept tryin to keep up with the Jones'
sammy
Member
I try and keep everyday expenses as low as possible. I had new cars, but find more satisfaction in driving my old 66 Chevy pickup. Cost me $3000, the insurance is dirt cheap and my drive to work is minimal so gas is not much of a concern. I save mostly for ammo to feed my hungry guns. Looks like mailorder ammo will soon be a thing of the past here. It does not help the wife dressing our 2 year old in $50.00 outfits but that is her hobby.
Ric
Member
I'm a Locomotive Engineer.
When I see a gun I just can't do without, I take a couple of extra trains.
When I see a gun I just can't do without, I take a couple of extra trains.
rbernie
Contributing Member
Remember the story about the guy who started bartering with a paper clip and wound up with a house?
There's a lesson in there.
There's a lesson in there.
Rembrandt
Member
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2003
- Messages
- 4,657
Picked up another $2K handgun yesterday....no I'm not wealthy, just an average working guy. So how do I do it?
- Been married for 33 years (never paid alimony, lawyers, or child support)
- Don't smoke
- Don't drink
- Work as much overtime as I want.
- Kids are all educated, grown, and on their own.
- Make extra money restoring & painting Corvettes
- Rental property income
- Drive a pickup with 170,000 miles
- Been married for 33 years (never paid alimony, lawyers, or child support)
- Don't smoke
- Don't drink
- Work as much overtime as I want.
- Kids are all educated, grown, and on their own.
- Make extra money restoring & painting Corvettes
- Rental property income
- Drive a pickup with 170,000 miles
DougW
Member
I tend to agree with Smellvin, with a few exceptions:
I got married and have kids. (I missed that one on the list of requirments.)
Married for nearly 30 years, and the kids are self sufficent (Thanks US Army).
I did not really get to start on getting "stuff" until the kids left home. THAT was a good raise in Income. And I try hard to buy low, and if I sell, sell high, to replinish the inventory or my collection. I don't play golf often, don't have a bass boat, don't snow ski, and don't shoot often enough.
I got married and have kids. (I missed that one on the list of requirments.)
Married for nearly 30 years, and the kids are self sufficent (Thanks US Army).
I did not really get to start on getting "stuff" until the kids left home. THAT was a good raise in Income. And I try hard to buy low, and if I sell, sell high, to replinish the inventory or my collection. I don't play golf often, don't have a bass boat, don't snow ski, and don't shoot often enough.
XavierBreath
Member
There is some good advice here. I'll toss in the best financial advice I ever got.
It's not about how much money you make, but what you do with the money you make.
Read that again.
First, prevent or stop the financial hemmorhage. Don't do stupid things like getting a DWI, or worse, getting married to a woman you can't stand and having her children. Avoid credit cards. Buy yourself a used car and just drive it. Use it for transportation, not an extension of your ego. Resist the marketing campaigns out there designed to get your earnings. Avoid the shiny toys in the marketplace while you are young. Understand what an asset is, and what a liability is. An asset makes you money. Period. A car and a house are not assets unless you are actively making money off of them.
Do not, I repeat, do not get into debt. Interest rates absolutely kill your potential to make money, unless you are the lender. Pay cash when you can. Give yourself at least a third of your earnings in savings, and when you have enough, contact a qualified financial advisor and invest it wisely. Take your proceeds and reinvest them, using your own knowledge of your particular sector of industry. Do this for about ten years. Do not work for money. Make your money work for you. Instead of working for money, work for knowledge and business associations that you can then use to make more money.
To increase your earnings, get a decent marketable education, but also build a diversified knowledge base. The education will open doors, but the diversified knowledge base will keep you inside the building. Learn about investment. Instead of eating pizza and watching DVDs, spend six hours a week, divided up however you like, studying, really studying, investment. If you must watch a DVD, rent Will Smith's "In Pursuit of Happiness". Then sell your DVD player and TV at the local pawn shop. They drain your time, and that is your most precious resource. Go to morningstar.com, motleyfool.com, and other similar sites and read. Do this now. Educate yourself. If you are young, you have the one advantage older folks do not. You have time. Time builds returns much better than principal.
Take night classes on finance. Finance is treated like a taboo subject in the US. People are ashamed to admit they don't know how to make money. Ask people who are wealthy how they got there. Few people ask, and the funny thing is, most wealthy people want to share the knowledge they gained over the years. Offer to work a few hours at night as an unpaid intern for a set amount of time in return for knowledge.
My job is that of a registered nurse. I have a military background as well. I make my money off real estate, and investment, mainly in pharmaceuticals and defense. More recently, I am looking towards orthopaedic prosthetic and hospital equipment design and modalities.
Too often, in our society, we gauge who we are on what we have. That is ignorant. Who we are is in our character, not in our bank account. Give me an honest man with good character, and I can teach him how to be very well off in a decade, if he will listen. Give me a crook or an arrogant fool, and I can never do it.
Now about my guns, how do I afford them? I get available, surplus cash generated from my efforts and I buy them.
It's not about how much money you make, but what you do with the money you make.
Read that again.
First, prevent or stop the financial hemmorhage. Don't do stupid things like getting a DWI, or worse, getting married to a woman you can't stand and having her children. Avoid credit cards. Buy yourself a used car and just drive it. Use it for transportation, not an extension of your ego. Resist the marketing campaigns out there designed to get your earnings. Avoid the shiny toys in the marketplace while you are young. Understand what an asset is, and what a liability is. An asset makes you money. Period. A car and a house are not assets unless you are actively making money off of them.
Do not, I repeat, do not get into debt. Interest rates absolutely kill your potential to make money, unless you are the lender. Pay cash when you can. Give yourself at least a third of your earnings in savings, and when you have enough, contact a qualified financial advisor and invest it wisely. Take your proceeds and reinvest them, using your own knowledge of your particular sector of industry. Do this for about ten years. Do not work for money. Make your money work for you. Instead of working for money, work for knowledge and business associations that you can then use to make more money.
To increase your earnings, get a decent marketable education, but also build a diversified knowledge base. The education will open doors, but the diversified knowledge base will keep you inside the building. Learn about investment. Instead of eating pizza and watching DVDs, spend six hours a week, divided up however you like, studying, really studying, investment. If you must watch a DVD, rent Will Smith's "In Pursuit of Happiness". Then sell your DVD player and TV at the local pawn shop. They drain your time, and that is your most precious resource. Go to morningstar.com, motleyfool.com, and other similar sites and read. Do this now. Educate yourself. If you are young, you have the one advantage older folks do not. You have time. Time builds returns much better than principal.
Take night classes on finance. Finance is treated like a taboo subject in the US. People are ashamed to admit they don't know how to make money. Ask people who are wealthy how they got there. Few people ask, and the funny thing is, most wealthy people want to share the knowledge they gained over the years. Offer to work a few hours at night as an unpaid intern for a set amount of time in return for knowledge.
My job is that of a registered nurse. I have a military background as well. I make my money off real estate, and investment, mainly in pharmaceuticals and defense. More recently, I am looking towards orthopaedic prosthetic and hospital equipment design and modalities.
Too often, in our society, we gauge who we are on what we have. That is ignorant. Who we are is in our character, not in our bank account. Give me an honest man with good character, and I can teach him how to be very well off in a decade, if he will listen. Give me a crook or an arrogant fool, and I can never do it.
Now about my guns, how do I afford them? I get available, surplus cash generated from my efforts and I buy them.
CajunBass
Member
My wife and I don't have a lot of guns, but the last few years, we've picked up a couple a year. We do this mostly by skipping on giving each other "big" presents for birthdays, anniversaries, even at Christmas. Then our "big" gift to each other has been to each "give" one another a gun when we get our income tax refunds back.
It helps that she enjoys shooting as much as I do. Maybe more.
I also work three jobs.
It helps that she enjoys shooting as much as I do. Maybe more.
I also work three jobs.
oneshooter
Member
I'm 56yrs OLD and have been collecting since I was 10 and recieved my first REAL rifle (I still have that rifle and my 8yr old shoots it!) My current career path (28yrs) is as a pipe fabricator, before that it was govt. service(8yrs). I currently have 3 safes and looking at buying a forth.
Oneshooter
Livin in Texas
PS Working 50-70 hr weekly gives me a LITTLE extra cash!
Oneshooter
Livin in Texas
PS Working 50-70 hr weekly gives me a LITTLE extra cash!
Neo-Luddite
Member
Gun Nuts (generally) waste less on BS trinkets and baubles. Or, they just make bank in their careers .
A well-off gun nut might have a Lincoln Navigator or Land Rover---
but they will still refer to it as 'the truck'
.A well-off gun nut might have a Lincoln Navigator or Land Rover---
but they will still refer to it as 'the truck'
- Status
