History Main / CrackIsCheaper

* Hope you're not a fan of stage productions -- plays, musicals, what have you. Especially in big cities, half-decent seats can cost $100 a pop, actually GOOD seats are more; you'll probably get suckered into buying vastly overpriced merch; and if you live in the middle of nowhere, where no musical would set foot, I really hope you don't mind paying for travel and hotels. To say nothing if you buy tickets then get snowed in (what are you talking about? I'm not bitter!)? and you know, crack is probably better for your state of mind if you get into arguments about "[actor A] is a WAY better [character X] than [actor B]!"
** And for the love of GOD don't become a fan of a famous show like The Wizard of Oz. Oz has two shows other than the original, countless merchandise (Barbie dolls, multiple DVD and VHS editions, costumes, etc.), the original books, The {{Wicked}} series, and that's just the start!

** Beyond its many unique tours and associated merchandise, which cost plenty enough on their own, CirqueDuSoleil has "resident shows" that perform in custom-built theaters in Las Vegas (''seven different shows'' there), Orlando, Tokyo, etc. And unlike the tours, only one of them has been filmed for home video as of 2010, so you have no choice but to travel far to see some of the company's best work (''{{Mystere}}'', ''"O"'', ''[=ZED=]'', etc.).

** Opera gets outrageous in a hurry. Between the different composers and performers, you can easily end up buying the same piece of work three times over, and that's just the music. If you've got any interest in actually understanding all these pretty, subsidized vowels, you're going to need performance DVDs and, of course, books. Books about the operas themselves, the history behind them, the production, the composers, the singers; you can easily blow through more cash reading about it than listening to it, at least until you hit the final frontier and actually try to see one live. Depending on where you are and what's being staged, even a decent seat at a dress rehearsal can set you back $50; for a full performance you'd better plan on dropping at least $100 if you don't want to watch the entire show standing up or wedged so far off you actually physically need opera glasses to see what's going on. As an appropriate twist, you can get said glasses off E-Bay for about five bucks.

%[[{{LEGO}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Lego.jpg]]
[[caption-width:296:[[http://mymedicatedlife.blogspot.com/2008/06/addiction.html Any time! Honest!]]]]%

<!--[[{{LEGO}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Lego.jpg]]
[[caption-width:296:[[http://mymedicatedlife.blogspot.com/2008/06/addiction.html Any time! Honest!]]]] -->

* This kinda makes it a SubvertedTrope in that employment is being turned into a hobby by MemeticMutation.

* This kinda makes it a [[SubvertedTrope]] in that employment is being turned into a hobby by MemeticMutation.

[[{{LEGO}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Lego.jpg]]
[[caption-width:296:[[http://mymedicatedlife.blogspot.com/2008/06/addiction.html Any time! Honest!]]]]

* AutoCAD, and then if you include its road-sign design/road-marking manufacture add-ons KeySIGN, KeySIGN Eire etc. (basically all the stuff covered at [http://www.keytraffic.com KEYTraffic.com] or SIGNPlot, it's expensive. That's for work purposes, by the way, despite the software's now AscendedMeme status (and general unavailability to public unless you work for British or Irish council departments).

* And if your Internet access is horrendously expensive, spending all day at Wiki/TVTropes could well become this, too.

** (OP here, [[{{Serperoth}} Serperoth]]). And we're talking about scale CAR modelling. Military? Oh you want the "Spitfire Mk. IXb Elementary Data" book? 25$. But that doesn't cover it all. WWI aircraft? HAH. I've never seen more than 2 at a store. And we've not mentioned more specialized supplies. Custom paints? 5$, shipping, and you need a mask (that's for Zero paints). Oh and decals. Tobacco decals are banned, so you have to find an older set, or a private one (not exactly cheap), if you want historical accuracy... Then there's masking tape. Various sandpapers. Polishing compounds. Varnish. Cases to hold them in. SoYeah, it's a moneysink if you're more dedicated.
* Fish keeping. Many newbies succomb to 'Multiple Tank Syndrome', where they buy a tank, realise it isn't big enough for their stock, then buy another [[{{SoYeah}} and another and another]]. My 3x2x3ft/90l tank cost �250, and that was the cheapest tank in stock, and on top of that you'll need replacement filter systems, tanks to quarantine new/sick fish, and for spawning if you breed them, plants, medication for ill fish... As for the actual fish, I bought a two-inch Clown Pleco today for �35. I once saw a Zebra Pleco sell for �200, and let's not get into the oddballs like rays and birchirs.

** And you know why we do it? Because when done right, is '''''[[CrowningMomentOfAwesome FUCKING AWESOME!]]

** In ''[[{{Pokemon}} Pokémon]]'', to even have a chance of completing the Pokédex [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo you need to buy at least 3 games]] ($70 each in Australia), and then to get the event only legendaries you have to either wait for Nintendo to do something in your country (they have around 1 per year in Australia) and find a way of getting to it, or go to the US (Or get a GameShark, or emulator with similar capabilities). Alleviated as of lately, when Nintendo started using Wifi Mystery Gifts for Pokémon handouts. And then, when you only need 5 more Pokémon, they release another 100 and a new console.

* Collecting plush toys. Dear... ''god'' is it expensive. [[TacoNinja This one]] has been an avid collector of plush toys since she was 4 or 5 and she thinks that she'd have been better off collecting solid gold paperweights. [[http://www.parapluesch.com//catalog/index.php?cPath=21&osCsid=af10bc941708cf480b920f48345fc50b You see these?]] They're 27 Pounds Sterling each. '''Each'''. Don't even get her started on ''[[{{Pokemon}} Pokémon]] plush toys or Were Bears. (Note that the price sure as hell doesn't stop her from buying the darn things, hee~).

** In ''[=~Pok�mon~=]'', to even have a chance of completing the Pok�dex [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo you need to buy at least 3 games]] ($70 each in Australia), and then to get the event only legendaries you have to either wait for Nintendo to do something in your country (they have around 1 per year in Australia) and find a way of getting to it, or go to the US (Or get a GameShark, or emulator with similar capabilities). Alleviated as of lately, when Nintendo started using Wifi Mystery Gifts for Pok�mon handouts. And then, when you only need 5 more Pok�mon, they release another 100 and a new console.

* Collecting plush toys. Dear... ''god'' is it expensive. [[TacoNinja This one]] has been an avid collector of plush toys since she was 4 or 5 and she thinks that she'd have been better off collecting solid gold paperweights. [[http://www.parapluesch.com//catalog/index.php?cPath=21&osCsid=af10bc941708cf480b920f48345fc50b You see these?]] They're 27 Pounds Sterling each. '''Each'''. Don't even get her started on ''[=~Pok�mon~=] plush toys or Were Bears. (Note that the price sure as hell doesn't stop her from buying the darn things, hee~).

*And if you are a fan of {{Takarazuka}} theater God have mercy on your wallet -- the stuff is expensive, your favorite star may have numerous dvds, articles written about her in speciality magazines, your favorite shows will have programs and what not. Add to it the shipping costs, finding a relaible seller, navigating the seller webpages in Japanese, etc... Mind you it is worth every penny but it is a preety costly one.

*Rock concerts. I'm not joking. Sure, it starts out small enough, if you're lucky the local Irish Pub will have a free cover band, though you'll probably still be expected to pick up a couple overpriced pints of Guinness (even good ol' PBR or Tecate will be overpriced). Then a local band or DJ you like will be playing at a nicer place across town, but guess what: there's a cover, often with a two-drink minimum. Then you get to semi-famous outfits at slightly larger venues, and all of a sudden, they're charging over $20, you either need to pay an exorbitant “service charge” of like $8 each if you order through ticketmaster or go all the way to the box office and pay a slightly less audacious service charge, which changes depending on whether you pay cash or credit. The tickets themselves go up depending on A) the size of the venue, B) the popularity of the band, and C) both. Then there's stadiums, music festivals (want to spend all weekend there, and get access to the VIP beer garden? Say goodbye to good food and hello to instant ramen for a month!), the endless merchandise (Oh, I like that opening band, I'll buy their $20 CD and listen to more of their stuff. Ooh, concert T-shirts!), the concert DVDs, certain bands who seem to drag out their retirement, suggesting that each tour may be the “last” time to see them (I'm looking at you, Rolling Stones), and to top it all off, after parties, often at yet another upscale bar. The good news is that in recent years some bands, like Pearl Jam, have either seen what a colossal ripoff ticketmaster is, or have their own reasons, and boycott it, but you still can't always buy tickets online there due to contractual obligations. Good luck fighting that line in front of the box office! Of course, you could always buy from scalpers, but that's essentially like taking out a mortgage to pay off your credit card.

** And if you're working in large format, instead of 25mm or 120 roll film, you can crank the prices for everything except chemistry up at least another order of magnitude (two if you're talking enlargers).

*Rock concerts. I'm not joking. Sure, it starts out small enough, if you're lucky the local Irish Pub will have a free cover band, though you'll probably still be expected to pick up a couple overpriced pints of Guinness (even good ol' PBR or Tecate will be overpriced). Then a local band or DJ you like will be playing at a nicer place across town, but guess what: there's a cover, often with a two-drink minimum. Then you get to semi-famous outfits at slightly larger venues, and all of a sudden, they're charging over $20, you either need to pay an exorbitant “service charge” of like $8 each if you order through ticketmaster or go all the way to the box office and pay a slightly less audacious service charge, which changes depending on whether you pay cash or credit. The tickets themselves go up depending on A) the size of the venue, B) the popularity of the band, and C) both. Then there's stadiums, music festivals (want to spend all weekend there, and get access to the VIP beer garden? Say goodbye to good food and hello to instant ramen for a month!), the endless merchandise (Oh, I like that opening band, I'll buy their $20 CD and listen to more of their stuff. Ooh, concert T-shirts!), the concert DVDs, certain bands who seem to drag out their retirement, suggesting that each tour may be the “last” time to see them (I'm looking at you, Rolling Stones), and to top it all off, after parties, often at yet another upscale bar. The good news is that in recent years some bands, like Pearl Jam, have either seen what a colossal ripoff ticketmaster is, or have their own reasons, and boycott it, but you still can't always buy tickets online there due to contractual obligations. Good luck fighting that line in front of the box office! Of course, you could always buy from scalpers, but that's essentially like taking out a mortgage to pay off your credit card.