How much do you spend?

[Umbran]

The recent discussions on the pricing of RPG products has made me think...

In another thread, Mr. Dancey mentioned that the average gamer spends about $40 per month on gaming materials. $480 per year. That seems like an awful lot to me. Many of the publishing folks say that if gamers are spending that much, raising prices really won't bother us much in the long run.

However, the average is not the only meaningful statistic. That average could be skewed by a small number of people who spend a great deal of money. If this is the case, then the other side of the distribution, the large number of low-spending gamers, can be quickly lost as customers by raising prices. If the distribution is a normal one centered on the average, then this wouldn't be a great concern.

Now, of course this forum isn't the most objective sampling, but it's the most easily available. The results here would be far from conclusive, but they'd be food for thought. I'm going to make the choices with pretty fine granularity, just in case I get many responses.

So, go to your bookshelf, and take a count. How much do you spend on gaming materials each month, on average?

 

[2WS-Steve]

Numbers from ENWorld will probably be high. I think I spent close to $200 over the last month what with the flood of products like Spycraft, CoC d20, Hero 5th, Godlike, etc. I didn't even buy D&DG.

 

[Ashtal]

In Canadian funds...

I was easily spending $50/month, if not $100 on all the stuff I'm in to. But that's come to a total and complete hault as I am now neavous unemployed.

But I have no fears that once I'm working again, I'll be spending that much again.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

The PDFs from WotC bring down my average.

 

[Eryx]

After converting my £ into $ I come into the $80-$90 bracket.

But then, I do work in a gameshop and get to see everything that comes in and I find it hard to not buy what looks good to me.

 

[Thanee]

That's hard to judge for me. There are several months were I buy absolutely nothing, then sometimes I buy stuff for several hundred dollars. On average? No clue!

Bye
Thanee

 

[Holy Bovine]

Arrrgh have...to...do...math...convert...Can$...to US$....

Easily $50-60 US per month. This includes the occasional miniature too.

 

[Lady Dragon]

I buy a lot of stuff I'm afraid D&D/D20 is my passion on the other hand I've only seen 2 movies in the last year I save my money for my game books but it is getting harder and harder to get everything that I want. So I geuss I spend over $100 a month.

 

[Cyronax]

I spend an average of $21-30 a month. I usually buy the big hardbound books put out for D&D whenever they come out, so that could make that average a little higher sometimes. The only other products I usually buy are Dungeon and Dragon magazines, essential pdfs like BoEMI, and really good low to mid level adventures that meet certain requirements for my campaign world (of which I haven't seen lately).

Also don't forget that if you buy Dungeon and Dragon magazine and even one or two pdf files that you've already spent $20. It adds up. One more printed rpg product will likely put you in the average range. So I think that Mr. Dancey's figure of $40 a month is right on target.

C.I.D.

 

[Alaric_Prympax]

I polled in the $50-$60 range and this is with an employee discount on the WotC and S&SS stuff. I work in a bookstore for those of you who have not seen several of my past posts. For other companies stuff I either order online (ex. from Talon) or purchase from my local game store.