Budgeting Beysics

Hey Bladers! I haven't been making posts here in a while due to being busy outside of the blog. I'm still going to continue with this and see where it goes, as I liked presenting ideas and receiving feedback from those who read. However, it looks like Burst is nearing its end with Sparking though we are not sure if that's truly the case yet. Once Burst ends, I do intend to continue the blog if I have ideas for it, and I might even switch up topics to maybe cover older beyblade incarnations or shift to another product, but I'll inform you if/when it comes to that. Additionally, as we are well into Beyblade Burst Sparking, I will be going through some of my older posts and making updates as I see necessary, so feel free to take a look and leave a comment if you want me to cover anything or respond directly to a question you may have related to the post. Once again, thanks to those that continue to provide their support and I hope you continue to enjoy my blog. 

       One of the reasons I find beyblade enjoyable is due to it being accessible for almost any price range. Collectors can invest in the long term and build their way up from starters to rare editions of their beys and have multiple copies for playing with some and showcasing others. More competitive players can find forums and secondary markets to find the best molds possible, and can also invest in multiple copies to test these molds on their own. While there are ways to dive into the market for players with the money to spend, beyblade is fairly cheap to get into and invest in the long term. 

Seriously though, most anime bladers have mastered the art of the budget

What is Budgeting?

In the simplest terms, budgeting means that you have set aside a specific amount of money to spend for a specific expense. Budgeting is a necessity for most people since you want to get the most value for whatever you choose to invest in and make sure that you have money for other needs or wants you may have. I would personally define that value as getting the most enjoyment out of the game as possible with the budget you have given yourself. In broader terms, however, I'm going to give the average monetary budget a range starting from roughly 50-100$ USD, which you can convert into your respective currency. This is roughly the amount I would say is needed to get into the game from scratch, buying either two beyblades to battle with, two launchers, and a beystadium, or a starter set that comes with all the items previously stated. 

        Just because you operate on a budget doesn't mean you are locked out of playing competitively either. More recent sets include a higher quality of parts that make it very easy to assemble competitive combos on a budget, and the secondary market also tends to have most beys in stock at reasonable prices aside from rare or limited items.

        After that, if you want to further invest in the game it would be around 10-20$ for each bey or part you want, saving more for buying certain sets.  For casual play, you can also choose to just stay with the basics if you're on the fence about investing further into the game, or get extra beys as you like so long as it's within the budget you've given yourself. Your budget can also vary beyond this for several reasons which are completely fine. I'm giving this estimate from my experience with the game, and the advice I'll give is still applicable beyond this range so use it to your discretion.

Tip #1: Generally avoid beys that rely on being kept in a certain condition/Keeping your parts in good condition

For budget purposes, you would want to avoid having to re-buy certain beys or parts that have worn down beyond an optimal or usable condition. Therefore, getting beys that don't need to be kept in mint condition or have to get to a certain stage of wear for optimal use lets you save money in the long runs since you'll be able to focus more on expanding the collection with new parts over repeats more often. This one generally applies to parts that use rubber since it wears down faster than any other material, but it also applies to parts made of POM since it will wear down as well. Concerning types, that would take out a lot of attack options since most use rubber tips to cover the stadium quickly. However more recent rubber molds are made of a harder material that doesn't wear out as quickly, so it's possible to keep it for longer if you maintain it well. 

    To save on money you can minimize how often you use those parts so that you can keep using them over a longer period of time. That also applies to any part in general since it's when you use the bey that it will begin to wear down. Keeping your parts separate when you aren't using them also helps them last longer, and organizing them in a container will help you have a spot to use outside of your stadium maintaining its condition as well. 

Tip #2: Focus around beys that will improve your existing collection

While there are a variety of parts to consider for testing and making interesting combos, on a budget you're probably not going to be able to try anything and everything, and thus whenever you want to add to your collection, it's important to consider what will either make what you already have better or make up for weaknesses your current collection has. Firstly, this doesn't mean you can't choose something you genuinely want even if it doesn't synergize with what you already own. If you like something then, by all means, go for it, it's your money after all and therefore you have the final say. 

    But as an example, let's say that you're starting with Brave Valkyrie and Rage Longinus and that you want to add some more beys after losing to a friend who was able to make Perfect Phoenix from both Revive and Dead Phoenix. Since it was a defense type that beat your attack types, one option is to consider purchasing a stamina type as an attempt to directly counter the combo or use heavier parts to increase the impact of your attack types. Obtaining Glide Ragnaruk would allow you to experiment with both options since the wheel disk is the heaviest in the game which you can use with 1S on either of the beys you already own, while with Revolve you can test stamina based combos as well. Thinking critically about what you purchase based on what you already have can help you make decisions that will satisfy you in the long run, while also ensuring that you develop a good pool of parts that will let you build more successful combos. 

Tip #3: Outline reasonable goals for yourself and your collection

One of the most important things for developing any hobby is to find motivation for it beyond your initial interest. To that end and for the sake of a budget, having a set of goals you want to accomplish can go a long way to finding more enjoyment with what you currently have to avoid the temptation of going outside your budget to constantly look for something new. These goals should also be manageable for yourself and your current collection so that you will have a more positive outlook towards accomplishing these goals, and reflecting on what you have learned to do since you started investing in the game.

       Goals for yourself would be things like developing techniques and figuring out customization options with your current collection and don't require anything beyond what you have currently to apply what you've learned, and you can apply these goals in the long term based on however you build your collection from there. Goals for your collection would again be something like identifying shortcomings in your collection, or for fun trying to collect based on a theme like color or materials. This goes a long way not just for beyblade, but any hobby you choose to get into. Setting these goals either in a list or as milestones as you start getting into the hobby can help make it more enjoyable as it lets you more clearly track your progress in the game. 

Budgeting is quite fun and rewarding once you figure out how to go about it since you're simultaneously finding a way to do the things you enjoy and also manage your money to do other things as well. Whether it's going to be a long term plan to stay invested in a hobby at a reasonable price, or a stepping stone until you've earned enough to spend more liberally, learning how to operate on a budget is a good skill to pick up at some point, and with these tips and other ideas you may have or may encounter, I hope you'll be able to enjoy the game at whatever price range fancies you.

 

Just remember to have a good time doing it