How do you guys afford these 500 and 600 dollar lights i mean for g@wds sake where do you guys come up with the money.....do you sell your women and children to honduran slave traders (no offence to hondurans).....please someone explain...or buy me one
was that out loud
This type of question comes up from time to time. One thing to keep in mind is that this hobby is actually less expensive than other hobbies. Also, not everyone on CPF has lights in the $500 - $600 range. Personally, I don't use DX or KD. But many CPFers do. You can get lights that are bright as Hell and dirt cheap, if you're willing to sacrifice quality; and sometimes wait a long time for your order to ship.
There are other ways to save money. Many CPFers have put together very nice collections by buying from other CPFers, over at the MarketPlace. Can't afford a new Surefire model? Head on over to the MarketPlace, and you might be able to snag a like-new Surefire at a good price. That's what I did, when I needed Surefire parts to assemble a Leef-bodied M4. Found a Seller who was parting out his M4. I snagged everything I needed, someone else got the M4 barrel. I saved a sweet chunk of money on that deal.
The flip side is, if you buy an expensive light and you don't end up using it, you can sell it to another CPFer. You can use the money from that sale to finance your next purchase of an expensive light. This is why you see a lot of sales threads for Surefire lights and parts. Sellers know that Surefires sell. Especially since Surefire refuses to allow their Authorized Dealers to discount. That makes the MarketPlace one of the best places to both sell and buy Surefire products. Naturally, other brands can be sold to finance future purchases as well.
Another good thing about the MarketPlace is that you can get in on promotional events that various Distributors and Companies host for new flashlight models. I was one of ten lucky CPFers who got an Olight M20 Warrior at 50% off, thanks to a promotional event held by Olight and Battery Junction. (I have to admit, that was a sweet deal).
Some CPFers go for quality over quantity. They might not have a lot of lights or buy new lights often, but the ones they do have tend to be more expensive.
On a personal note, I save up money for future purchases. My job is only barely decent, at best. I don't make a lot of money. But I put aside a bit for my flashlight budget after each check gets put in the bank, and after the bills are paid off for the month. Set some money aside for savings. And the rest is Mad Money. A big chunk of which gets used for new lights. To be honest, since I don't have a wife or kids to take care of; I have more Mad Money to spend on lights than someone with a similar job and a family.
When it comes to Birthday's and Christmas, I normally get money from my relatives and friends; instead of actual presents. Used my holiday money this past January to buy a Surefire M6. But I do tend to draw the line on full-blown custom lights. Just not in my budget.
As you can see, there are plenty of ways of getting some of the more expensive models out there. Sometimes you just have to wait until you can save up for one that you
really want. And check the MarketPlace often.
Hope this helps.
