Is Games Workshop’s Warhammer hobby, really an expensive hobby when you compare it to some of the more mainstream pursuits out there?
Like any hobby really, Warhammer is as expensive as you want it to be. Sure Warhammer has some expensive models out there. GW and Forge World certainly have been turning up the heat prices here lately with Titanicus and the new Forge World distribution here in the States.
Warhammer: Is it Really an Expensive Hobby?
But let’s take a look at some top hobbies in America and see how the prices compare to getting into Warhammer.
Golfing
Heres some model prices coming from Golf Advisor.
Of course, prices vary depending on where you go. But on average, let’s say you Golf once a week for an entire year. The entrance fee is $50 per person. Right away you’ve gone up to $200 a month. That equals out to about $2500 a year. That can only go up when you start considering buying your own Golf equipment and renting a Golf Cart.
Just like Warhammer models, there are about a thousand different Golf Clubs. You can get a set starting a $75 and they only go up from there.
Golfing is definitely expensive with most of the cost paying for a membership at a Golf Course. One upside that Warhammer has over Golf is that you get to keep the models you invested your money in to.
Building Model planes & Trains
Model trains are an age-old hobby that people still devote their time to. It’s more expensive than you might think. Take a look at this train coming from Model Train Stuff.
One single train car for $400 dollars. That could get you a Titanicus game and then some!
To get into model trains, we still need to build a table, set the track, paint the scenery, and throw in some other train carts before we can say we started the hobby. (You see where we’re going with this).
Model train tracks are going to be another big chunk out of your wallet. Of course, you can make the track as big or as small as you want it. But two curved pieces are going for $8+. Imagine filling a 4X6 table with a railroad track network.
Trading Card Games
Trading card games are a different animal. There are actually two approaches to this hobby. You can look at the meta and see what’s being played in the top decks and go online to buy every single card. Or you can go in blind, buy a few packs, and throw a deck together.
If you go online and buy each card you want, you can expect to pay a premium $$$. But, you’ll have exactly what you wanted and it’ll be able to go against other decks in a tournament setting.
If you go into a store and buy packs, there’s a chance you could pull a rare card that’s actually worth some money but after how many packs? Plus, you don’t even know if it’s a card you even need. Chances are, you’ll be able to build a deck after a few packs but it won’t be anywhere near competitive.
The market for Trading Cards is a wild one as well. Prices skyrocket and plummet every week. It all depends on what the pros play and if a new deck comes out that uses a unique card that no one thought was useful. There have been cards in Magic The Gathering that have gone from .25 Cents to $30 overnight. Take a look at Goblin Lore for example.
From Card Kingdom:
This card could be found in common bulk boxes in hobby stores everywhere. Then a player began using it in a new top deck and the price skyrocketed to $25.
Hobbies are for Fun
At the end of the day, hobbies are meant to be fun and enjoyable. Like we’ve said before, they’re as expensive as you want them to be. Reading a book is a hobby and the only cost you have to worry about is the book. You could even go fishing on a Sunday afternoon and only spend a few bucks for fishing supplies.
Warhammer has been under fire lately as being too expensive to get in to. It’s an expensive hobby but it’s definitely not the MOST expensive. You could easily get a nice building block for your army off of a website like eBay. It just takes a little digging if your wallet is tight.
What do you think about Warhammer as a hobby? Did the cost of the game deter you for a while? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group.
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About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4. If you like what he writes and want to contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
