How much for a good display? - Newbies! Read Only. No more posting. - PlanetChristmas! Forums. Read Only. We've moved to http://talk.planetchristmas.com - The Forums of PlanetChristmas have moved to http://talk.PlanetChristmas.com
Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the pictures of some displays on the site and just wonder how much you guys shell out on your displays and how often do you change them for something new.
Going "computerized" has saved me money, as my light bill is only about $100 more during the season than "normal" and is way less than if I ran that many lights (10,000-15,000) in an "always on" mode.
You'll find that most of us on PC are "bargain shoppers" and try NOT to pay full price for anything! Much of our display has been purchased/made/obtained over many years, with many things recycled so that the maximum life is eeked out of everything possible!
Beauty is totally in the eye of the beholder...if you have no imagination, all you would see up in my attic is PVC, plastic lattice, broken toys and stacks of lights...However, with a little imagination...and hard work...all that "junk" magically becomes a Christmas Carousel! A sheet of plywood or styrofoam and a little paint becomes your favorite cartoon charachters or a Navitiy scene!
That being said, in the course of the last 10 years, I can safely say that I have probably spent several hundred (ie $200-400) each year. Since much of that was "half off" (more or less) the value of my display is much more than I have spent.
How much is our display really worth??? Thats hard to say! How much joy do I get from doing it???....priceless!
Since I am retired I just figure the annual cost of the display is in lieu of green fees three times a week-since I don't play golf anyway. Plus it provides entertainment for me in the shop building, wiring, and sequencing for 5 months of the year. Then it offers entrainment and joy to those who come to view. Creating the display is near a full time hobby in our household. Each of us has a passion or diversion and for some of us it evolves around Christmas for various reasons. So what you spend, as long as it is REALLY disposable income, is in material.
____________________ Bill and Nancy Foley
Olympia, WA
ChristmasNorthwest.com
Do you want the cost I told my wife or what it really cost me?
This was my first year trying to create a large animated display. I kept a record of what the whole thing cost me. It ended up being about double of what I thought I would spend.
Most of my family and freinds would freak out if they knew how much I spent, but these are the same people that would not have a problem going out and spending $10,000+ on motorcycles and thousands on snowmobiles or ATVs. I have really wanted to buy a couple 4-wheelers for some time now but thought I would do a Christmas Display instead.
Some of us that do big displays, give up other things so we can afford to do this.
Kathy Byrd wrote: Going "computerized" has saved me money, as my light bill is only about $100 more during the season than "normal" and is way less than if I ran that many lights (10,000-15,000) in an "always on" mode.
You'll find that most of us on PC are "bargain shoppers" and try NOT to pay full price for anything! Much of our display has been purchased/made/obtained over many years, with many things recycled so that the maximum life is eeked out of everything possible!
Beauty is totally in the eye of the beholder...if you have no imagination, all you would see up in my attic is PVC, plastic lattice, broken toys and stacks of lights...However, with a little imagination...and hard work...all that "junk" magically becomes a Christmas Carousel! A sheet of plywood or styrofoam and a little paint becomes your favorite cartoon charachters or a Navitiy scene!
That being said, in the course of the last 10 years, I can safely say that I have probably spent several hundred (ie $200-400) each year. Since much of that was "half off" (more or less) the value of my display is much more than I have spent.
How much is our display really worth??? Thats hard to say! How much joy do I get from doing it???....priceless!
Peterborian wrote: Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the pictures of some displays on the site and just wonder how much you guys shell out on your displays and how often do you change them for something new.
I tell everyone it's a hobby & that I don't know how much it cost and I don't want to know. That might wreck part of the fun for me
DanV wrote: Peterborian wrote: Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the pictures of some displays on the site and just wonder how much you guys shell out on your displays and how often do you change them for something new.
I tell everyone it's a hobby & that I don't know how much it cost and I don't want to know. That might wreck part of the fun for me
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness".
:lol:
____________________ ~Kevin
And yes, that is the REAL Ecto 1.
BetterDays wrote:
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness".
:lol:
Would it be out of line if I said: "I thought hobbies were to keep us from having mental illnesses? Or is it hobbies are to help keep our mental illnesses in check?" Ah, I think I'm going to get a mental illness thinking about it so I digress....
Hi Peter, welcome. I don't really want to think about what my display has cost over the years. I've been at this a long time, 39 years--way too long. I would normally never discuss it. But you are asking a valid question that does deserve an answer. This is a year round avocation/hobby for most of us; we buy all year round when things are on sale. I hit yard, garage, and estate sales whenever I can. Being a blow mold afficiando, I would venture a guess that I have spent somewhere between $12,000 and $15,000 on them (just taking an average cost of $30 x 500 - some were considerably less, $10.00 each - some were considerably more - well over $100 each). Computer control, let's say $1,000.00 for the controllers, another $100 or so for CAT5 cable, storage building $2,500.00; lights, wireframes, extension cords, rebar, tap cubes, floods, plywood, paint, inflatables, fencing, garland, etc. another $4,000 to $5,000. For instance, today I spent $105 on 25W and c7 light bulbs and zip ties (I ran out). It does add up, and I try to change my display every year. Try to make a budget and stick with it. But figure if you shop wisely, like Kathy said, buy your stuff on sale and add bit by bit over the years, you will have a wonderful display and not hemorrage money -- you will just slowly bleed year round!
I've been in a house for 5 years now, and have simply added on to the display each year. I was lucky enough to get into computer control at a time when I had a few extra bucks lying around, which helped get me where I was.
I think the general rule of thumb for most of us is to simply start small and build from there.
Probably about 3K for me. Largest expenses: LOR controllers (128 channels), copper wire/ends for extension cords (primarily SPT-1 - 3500'), 125 amp sub-panel. Most of my lights were deep discount post Christmas sales.
I'm a 'just lights' kinda guy (no inflatables, blowmolds, wireframes, coros, etc.), but since this is year one going big, these remain possibilities for the future.
I think thematic scenes are the way I want to go (nativity, Peanuts, etc.)
Jeff in Raleigh
____________________ Jeff @ Raleigh, NC
We Have Liftoff (newbie no more)
Money can't buy happiness. Money can't buy a great Christmas display.
Each and every display has a story behind it that makes it special for someone. The lights are really a very small part of the overall decorations. Just watching all the PlanetChristmas members on the HGTV/TLC specials this year shows there is no one way to decorate, but a zillion ways to be creative, stay within the budget yet make a statement.
How much does it cost for a good display? Not near as much as you think .)
____________________ Chuck Smith at http://www.PlanetChristmas.com
Don't forget our three PlanetChristmas rules: Positive, family friendly and Christmas centric
Lots of people here in the UK do theirs for raising money for charity. How many of you do that?
Why do I do it? I like Christmas lights, maybe a little too much(ha ha!). I like computers. I like putting smiles on other peoples faces. I didn't raise money for a charity this year (barely got the display going in time for the season!) but I plan on it next year.
I guess for me the cost is a small part of the whole process. I started out at 7 years old in a gold circle store with my mom and my older brother, it was christmas time, 1st week of december and my brother was in the toy aisle going crazy over all the pretty colored trucks, models, and such.. while I was busy gazing at the boxes and boxes of Christmas Lights....
I remember at home later that night putting up the 3 tier candelabras in the windows and then sitting with my face against the picture window watching the man across the street putting up row after row of "big Lights" as I called them across and around his house, even changing his light bulbs in the the coach lamps to colored and wrapping lights around the lamp post... I wanted to badly to be out there with him, or to be that house...
that year for my Birthday(dec 11) I received a string of "Glow brights", I took them outside grabbed a cords from the garage and strung them on one little Bush in front of the house... I was the proudest kid there ever was even though no one ever understood my pride except my parents.....
I remember the joy I got from riding around on christmas eve night with my grandparents and mother gazing at the pretty lights, and always having to drive by "that house the doctor lived in" as it was done up in a spectacle...
so to me now the cost is insignifacant, knowing that I will not have children of my own, nor will i ever really stop being a kid at heart, I know that all the 1000's I spend on Christmas Lights not only give me a great deal of joy in the fact I enjoy designing, buildng, installing and running the display but also because I know at least one of those cars that pull and stop for a few minutes will have a smile on someone's face inside.
This year alone in going from static to animated I have several thousand dollars plus whatever electric bill I get, which may very well be lower since not al the lights are on at once...
-Christopher
____________________
Mommy Can I put my lights up yet?
We had someone come into our yard and turn the main breaker off to our house last night. Nothing was harmed but it caused us to realize how much money we really have sitting out in the yard accessible to the public. I try to have as many homemade elements as possible in our display to keep it as unique as possible. The upshot is that there is quite a bit of "hidden" costs you don't usually think about. Things like hardware - screws, tools (always good excuse to buy a tool!) lumber, hinges, drill bits, hooks, nails, etc etc. adds up in a big hurry. On top of that there's the cost of lights, motors, gears, cords, controllers, wireframes, blowmolds, inflatables - on and on. The other thing I don't think people take enough credit for is the labor costs they put into it. Think about how much you'd have to pay someone to do what you do each year - IF you could find someone that was able to even do the work. Our goal is to add something fun each year. I have noticed the anxiety level raises a bit each year as the display - and its value - grows each year. I'd think it's not uncommon for displays to be worth at least $10,000 or so and easily more in a lot of cases.
Last edited on Saturday December 16th, 2006 06:41 pm by Ken Knighton
Peterborian wrote:
Lots of people here in the UK do theirs for raising money for charity. How many of you do that?
I thought about doing it for a Charity this year and I am sure next year I will. I thought about this a while and this is my first year.
After thinking long and hard of why I was doing it this year (and there are a few reasons). I wanted it be a gift to the community for anybody that cared to show up. I justed wanted to say "Here you go! Enjoy" without saying something like "If you enjoyed the show, please donate to help us raise money for XXXX". I wanted no strings attached even if those strings were very worthwhile causes and would save lives. It was a Gift, not a fund raiser.
I have nothing against accepting donations and like I said, next year I plan on doing it and if it becomes popular I am sure it will continue year to year, but this year, it was just a gift. No More, No Less.
I do the display for many reasons. 1. My family loves it. 2. I like working with my hands 3. When i was a kid Christmas time was the only time my family really got together. We didn't have allot of money but my mom always decorated our living room. Between the tree and lights around the celling and entertainment center there was 3,000 to 4,000 lights. My mom would not decorate outside because she was afraid some one would steal our stuff. I lived in Philadelphia until i was 28. When i was about 20 i went and bought a bunch of lights put them up and it looked great 2 days later it was all gone or destroyed by some local kids. i Met my wife when i was 26 and moved to upstate NY 2 years later. The first year we had a couple 1000 lights 3 years ago i saw Daryl brown's display on Tech tv. Then i found Planet Christmas and the rest is history
Every year we add more and more between LOR, lights and homemade display items we average about 2,500 dollars a year. The plans for next years display our already on the drawing board.
As far as donations are concerned last year we did toys for tots and the local food bank ( no Cash ) even thou people still put money in the bin. The wife and i did not want people feeling they had to give us money. This year we just did the food bank and as of tonight we have gathered over 700 lbs. of food and 26.00 dollars. Just about everybody has a canned food item the don't want. It makes them feel good that they are helping out less fortunate people and its great for the area.
and just wonder how much you guys shell out on your displays and how often do you change them for something new.
