Most hobbies will cost people money in one way or another. If you paint, you'll pay for paints, canvas, brushes, etc. If you ski or play golf, you'll spend lots on equipment. Many of us here are just hobbiests, not professional graphic artists. Some of us use our images professionally, but I think the majority of us do it just for fun. I bought Vicki and Mike just because I knew they would make much better images than the stock figures that come with Poser. It's well worth the money. And, as Lether-guy said, you can start with the version 1 Mike and Vicki (they're very inexpensive now) and move up later. You'll love them. Melanie