a Lot of things effect cost and time. Can you use cheaper items and still get the same effect? Cardboard boxes with brick pattern (from the files section) makes great walls/ buildings. A tube from carpeting (look where they are building new apartments or ask at a flooring store!) can make tunnels and caves. Sonneilon makes some WILD dioramas and he does it rather cheaply! You want a easy City? Get the Spawn alley set, the Police Academy HQ, the Ghostbusters HQ, the PTE hq, and some doll houses....that save you building time, but not money! There is NO easy answer..but if there's something SPECIFIC you're looking to create, ask around! here's a BUNCH of great articles;


http://www.joedios.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1675

http://www.joedios.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1587

http://www.joedios.com/forums/showthread.php?t=880

http://www.joedios.com/forums/showthread.php?t=457

http://www.joedios.com/forums/showthread.php?t=590

http://www.joedios.com/forums/showthread.php?t=142

http://sonneilon.blogspot.com/2006_05_01_archive.html

http://www.joedios.com/forums/showthread.php?t=133

http://www.violentfix.com/cobra/dio...io-stories.html

I'm sort of in the middle...I invest a lot of $$ in my collection, but it takes up so much room, I have to limit the size of my dios! I WISH I had a HUGE area to make a dio like the Japanese do when they make Godzilla Movies!

I know that probably didn't help, but as you delve into dios, you'll find with some subjects, there are no simple answers!!

Frank...well, I TRY to be Frank!!