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Thread: It's pretty expensive

  1. #1

    Default It's pretty expensive

    I followed the "noob" threads and added the parts to my cart accordingly for my first saber.
    I ended up with a 185US$ cart + 50US$ shipping (France), with no sound and cheap basic electronic.

    I don't wanna sound like a beggar, but considering this whole stuff is "home made" (soldering, drilling, etc..) it's really expensive.
    For almost half price I can get a FX lightsaber by Hasbro with sounds, it's really accurate, it has warranty and I can't make a mistake.

    I like the idea of building your unique light saber, but the price just holds you back.
    For 50US$, using yellow box plans and drilling and soldering around, I can get something similar if not better than the parts sold in this shop.

    How can a simple metal tube of 7" with a hole drilled in it can be 26US$ ?!

    That's some pretty greedy margin if you ask me.

    PS: I'm not a troll, I love the idea of building your unique light saber. Some members have made beautiful pieces (checked the pics in the other threads), but the price ... geez.

  2. #2

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    yes its true that some of them are odd prices, but they are because these are HAND made, tim pours his being into these pieces for us, he is willing to talk to you, to give advice and point you to those who have been helpful before. And 185? my first was 225$, these things aren't just toys, these are beautiful pieces of art that we all cherish and will "carry" (for some of is it never leaves our sides unless being used) the rest of our lives, and i'm already looking into making a 600$ staff piece that is completely custom, these things are the closest we will ever get to being true jedi flying through the cosmos bringing peace and balance. And for me 600$ to hold something that came from your mind and your heart, and to do battle against the dark side of the force, is a price far below what i would spend.
    Keelah-Se'lai

  3. #3

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    This isn't a cheap hobby, and it's also not for the faint of heart. The shop's prices are really reasonable, when you factor in the price of material, tools to mill and machine it, knowledge of the safe use of those tools, and an amazingly quick turn around time from order to door. Yes, you can build a hardware saber (BTW the Shop sells a lot of that stuff too) or work in PVC and cut up that FX for the sound card... Lots of people do, and have, and got started that way. Or keep the FX as is. Or go buy a mill and taps and bits and drill presses and safety gear and a large space to work in and to securely store all that stuff. Yes, sabers can be expensive. But there is nothing like the joy in the build, the gleam in the eye and maniacal giggling from firing up your first (and twelfth) saber you build. Bluntly, get over it or find another way...

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by CS67700 View Post
    I followed the "noob" threads and added the parts to my cart accordingly for my first saber.
    I ended up with a 185US$ cart + 50US$ shipping (France), with no sound and cheap basic electronic.
    That's pretty cheap for a an entire fully functional stunt saber.

    Quote Originally Posted by CS67700 View Post
    I don't wanna sound like a beggar, but considering this whole stuff is "home made" (soldering, drilling, etc..) it's really expensive.
    For almost half price I can get a FX lightsaber by Hasbro with sounds, it's really accurate, it has warranty and I can't make a mistake.
    FX lightsabers can be problematic after a few years (or days) of use. LED's in the string can go out, I have an Anakin 2005 hilt that just one day "got quiet." Accuracy is debatable on some of the hilts.

    Quote Originally Posted by CS67700 View Post
    I like the idea of building your unique light saber, but the price just holds you back.
    For 50US$, using yellow box plans and drilling and soldering around, I can get something similar if not better than the parts sold in this shop.

    How can a simple metal tube of 7" with a hole drilled in it can be 26US$ ?!

    That's some pretty greedy margin if you ask me.
    You will NOT get better "parts" than sold from the store straight out of a place like Ace or Home Depot. For instance, the 7 inch part you mentioned, you have 2 CNC cut female threads a switch hole, an inner diameter cut and an outside finish cut, without chuck marks, tooling chatter and an even surface finish. That there in itself is worth 26 dollars.

    The big yellow box has been around for ~11 years now without much of any updates to their price lists they have on their designs. I've built my first saber (Kyle Katarn hardware) from stuff I learned from there in 2004, it's still one of my favorite hilts I have. However, If you are serious about getting into this hobby, defiantly save up for parts from the store, it's well worth it in the long run.

    Think of it like this: It's your birthday, would you rather have a bottle of boone's farm or cristal?

  5. #5

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    Um...wow. "Margin"? Do you somehow think that Tim just crazily marks up the cost of making these pieces just because he's in it for the money? Have you considered that that "cost" is much more than the price of the aluminum; its the cost of labor going into making the whole "Modular Hilt System", as well as the fact that Tim uses expensive machinery to do just that? If you want to see expensive, try going to a local machine shop and ask them to custom machine ONE custom saber hilt. THAT will get astronomical real quick.Yes, it can be a large amount of money no matter how you slice it, but to question the prices themselves, and actually insinuate that Tim is marking up prices because he is "greedy"? That goes beyond griping innocently about being in an expensive hobby, that's blaming other people for something they have actually worked hard to whittle down, based purely on ignorance. At least do your research first before calling someone greedy on the internet.
    "Oh, I'm afraid the deflector shield will be quite operational when your friends arrive"-Darth Sidious

  6. #6

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    Yeah, this is an expensive hobby when everything you are working with is hand made and high quality. My saber cost me nearly $700 once all the custom machining and powder coating and PC sound was added. It was worth every penny because, I designed it myself , Tim did beautiful work on it, and it's a one of a kind. As far as the prices of parts in the store, these are not parts picked up from the hardware store. Each part is hand crafted by Tim in high quality Aluminum. I can completely understand if money is tight, and you'd rather do a cheap hardware store hilt, and that's cool. However, you will not produce a better looking saber at a cheaper cost with off the shelf parts, and to think you can when you've never even held a TCSS saber in your own hands is frankly naive. And to call Tim greedy couldn't be farther from the truth. The making of these parts requires a lot of time, energy, and metal working tools that are not cheap. You are not just paying for the part itself, but also for the time and workmanship that produces the part. If all that is not worth it to you, or not within your budget, then by all means get a Hasbro, or build your own. But you need to drop these misconceptions you have about TCSS.

  7. #7
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    Default

    you want a ripoff hobby i play warhammer, 118$ for a pice of pretty resin. now thats a rip off,forgrworld is better priced then gw. dont get me started onthis rant. the saber parts are of exceptional quality.

    ok i an freaking my phone turfed all my apps. sorry.


    trolololololollllololoidhpc

  8. #8

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    Yep it can be a spendy hobby, no more so than My Eldar, and Dark Eldar Armies that have been sitting for 3 years in a box. (I really suck at WH ) or collecting "beenie babies" or tiny glass dogs, or Stamps, now there's a spendy "hobby". But its just that a hobby, not a business.
    So if you look of it in terms of buying $185 worth of parts for a "one time" build, or even a one time in six month to a year build then the cost is really nothing more than a "speed bump".
    Especially when you consider what you would be doing with your "one time" effort. Dueling? Cons? Cosplay? That one hilt could last you years before you do an upgrade, or build a new one
    A little insight for you, don't get a swelled head (like the guy writing this ) thinking you can build and sell this hobby as a side business. Its more worth your time and effort building something unique for you, that is yours and yours alone (like a Jedi or Sith would). If you end up with a small collection, then that is cool in its own right
    To boil it down, Hobby=Something for you to do, for your enjoyment, cost in that regard could mean nothing. When it becomes something that you buy and sell, is when "spendy" and "pretty expensive" are terms that you use to equate profit and loss.
    Trust me on this. Tim does Outstanding work, every penny you spend is worth it. Knowing you have the means because someone (Tim) has taken the time and effort to make a system (MHS) so multifascited that literally ANYTHING can be done from your imagination....
    that's priceless.
    If all else fails, check out doing some sink tube builds. Its a little less expensive, just as much fun. As well as a good starter for some one new
    MTFBWY

  9. #9

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    I feel that Tim has the best shop on this nich of a hobby. His price for parts and alike is fine for what he brings to us. I can drop 600+ on parts and knowing I'll have a product that will last. I do my own powder coating but I know Tim will custom any piece and it will turn out pefect. Also the R&D that goes into making the products that he offers takes time and well thought out plans to insure that all meshes pefectly. Also his partnership with Erv from Plecter Labs has been a huge step forward with the original PC and now we are up to the 2.0. I dont mind paying for this type of commitment to our hobby. So if you think this pricy try building a predator suit or a Vader
    Sith Happens

  10. #10

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    I have nothing else to add to this conversation that somebody else hasn't already stated, but wanted to chime in with my support and appreciation of the work Tim does as well. This is the man's full time business, and let's be honest: there's not *that* many saber-smiths out there in the world. It's not like he can charge ten-cents over cost on MHS pieces and make a living doing it. For the quality, quick turnaround times, and sheer variety of parts (which is honestly growing faster than I can keep up), I think his prices are WAY more than fair!
    Boring conversation anyway...

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