$3500 spending limit

[Lisa]

At the kickoff, Woody spoke of a $3500 spending limit. Does that include donations? Say home depot donates some metal, would that count into the 3500? thanks

[Winged Globe]

Yes.

Rule K3 states:

...
The “cost” of each component is counted as follows:
...
The fair market value if you buy a component at a discounted price or obtain it as a donation;

Ex.: The fair market value is the price at which a component is usually available, i.e., its typically advertised price. If you were to buy the same component from 10 different sources, what price is most representative of the 10 sources?

[DavidJ]

...and that $3500 includes labor.
If you're gonna get donations, get someone to donate a mill (or rent one for you) and build parts rather than paying a shop. The labor of team members is not counted against the total.

Further question:
If you re-use parts from last year, do they need to be included in the bill of materials? Does their original cost count against the $3500?

Another:
What is the fair market value of a part bought "used" and how would the value of a used item be counted if it was donated?

[Katie Reynolds]

Originally posted by DavidJ
Further question:
If you re-use parts from last year, do they need to be included in the bill of materials? Does their original cost count against the $3500?
M1

All custom parts and assembled mechanisms on the robot must be fabricated and/or assembled by the 2003 team after the start of the Kick-off. Mechanisms may not be reused from previous year's robots. Individual off-the-shelf components from previous year's robots may be re-used to save the cost of re-purchase of these parts.

From what it sounds like, you can re-use components (a motor, etc.) and not account for the cost of it, but you cannot use a mechanism (arm, gearbox, etc.) from last year.

I would still ask FIRST about accounting for a re-used component.

- Katie

[Jason Rudolph]

You do have to account for the cost of off the shelf items used from previous years, FIRST is just allowing you to use them in order to save internal costs of buying them once again. You still need to count them on your robot though, if it wasn't included in the kit, then it has to come out of the $3500.

[MKriegsfeld]

if you use last year's parts, you have to deduct the cost as if you were to go out and buy it new. If you buy it used, then the price you paid is deducted.