[Dusty Chalk]

Actually, there was another thread just like this. It had almost the exact same title.

 

[pigmode]

My main hobby is still my Surf-Ski (kayak), which is 19' long and 18" wide with a weight of 21.5 lb. Its constructed with a vacuum bagged epoxy lay-up, and is so tippy that it only gains stability through paddling. Surf-Skis are designed for open ocean racing/paddling in rough seas. My paddle is a wing design built of carbon fiber (1.25 lb) by Olympian Greg Barton.

 

[kelly]

I see girlfriends as being somewhat like an alarm clock. First you spend money, then you spend time setting and adjusting them and you have to check with them every night just to make sure they're ok. And for what? Just so they can yell at you and annoy the hell out of you the moment you get comfortable.

Girlfriend maintenance does deduct a lot of time and money from my other hobbies. Those things include primarily (these days) comics and film/home theater.

I also spend a great deal of time taking out my frustrations on fellow HeadFiers on IRC and on the board. This may not seem a full blown hobby to you but I remind you to look at my post count and then consider that I read everything before posting and that I read very slowly. I'm trying to start the Tom Clancy series now and am reminded of just how slow I read.

 

[raymondlin]

HiFi audio is cheap compare to photograpahy, at least you can get decent sound from a pair of HD580 with a JMT amp. To get a half decent setup you need a proper SLR camera, Tripod, Flash, lenses (A very deep hole where the cash goes) and flims (another hole where the cash goes).

But the result sometimes are worth it, check this out. it's my folder in www.photo.net

http://www.photo.net/photodb/user?user_id=447306

DVDs and movies are another cash burner too, 120 DVDs at $20 each comes to about $2400 ! and that's assumming it's all single disc. But I have 4 buffy boxsets, 2 Angel boxsets, The Godfather Boxsets, and X-files Boxsets!

 

[dougli]

Ah yes...hobbies...those pursuits that help preserve our sanity while depleting our finances...

Well nothing really new or unusual with me:

dirt bikes ripping up the woods
gunfire peppering the targets
muscle cars sucking down the petrol
knives in my pockets and on my belt
drumming alone or in a band

(never all at the same time)

 

[Matthew-Spaltro]

Comics books. Batman and Daredevil. Women

 

[millerdog]

Try astronomy.
I got like two large invested for just a nice beginners set up. The thing is I still can't see a damn thing!
Well I can, but it's like low fi. Top quality refractors may cost as much as your hifi systems. It's like music...you keep wanting more, more, more....
It's worse than photography for everything is aperture! I can't even fathom what a 150mm flourite apo refractor would cost me.
Yes, there are reflectors, but good mirrors cost bucks too.
Yeah, I can see the bands of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn.
Hmmmmm...I guess that makes it worth while!
md

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Quote:

Originally posted by raymondlin But I have 4 buffy boxsets...

Can I just call you a person? They haven't even released the second one here, yet.

 

[kelly]

Quote:

Originally posted by Dusty Chalk Can I just call you a person? They haven't even released the second one here, yet.

It comes out Tuesday here.

 

[gerG]

Ah, astronomy, what a wonderful hobby. Like audio it is mostly a solo obsession. Most people do not have the patience to dark adapt. On top of that you have to be willing to stay up late, get up very early, and freeze your butt off! If you can get past all of that it is great. It is also a hobby that is quite compatible with outdoor audio.

MD, I had to set aside the optics obsession for a while. I have an 8" catadioptric and a bunch of nice eyepieces in the closet that haven't seen starlight for years. The problem is that I am a deep sky nut. The 8" scope only makes me crazy for a light bucket. I backed off when I started designing the observatory for the 20" reflector that I wanted to build. I am saving that project for retirement. Working for a living really does get in the way of having fun.

I still have a lot of fun just dragging the 15x80 binoculars outside on clear evenings (which is about any evening around here). Next time I am in the southern hemisphere I am taking along a set of Fujinon 10x70s. They have a whole different set of stuff to look at down there! It is a really strange feeling to look up and not recognize a single constellation.


gerG

 

[fredpb]

My vote is with some others, on which is an expensive hobby......
PHOTOGRAPHY.

You can get very carried away with this. People have no idea how much this can cost.

There is continuing cost too.....film. Shoot 5 rolls of 36 exposure slides in one day and that is $75 to $100 most of the time.

Cameras? Easy $1000 for a good one. Lenses? Easy $400 or more.

Then you need to take pictures......thats travel expenses.

Want to do photos on your computers? My slide scanner was $500.

Large prints????? Can be expensive.

 

[raymondlin]

But photograhy is well worth it though, when the results are good, you don't think about the money. And if you are really good, the picutres makes money for you!

Unlike most other hobbies, you get something concrete at the end. And a hobby that you can share with everybody, you can show people of the photos you've taken and everyone can benifit from it.

 

[aeberbach]

Raymondlin - I know what you mean about the photography! Just bought a Contax T3 and a Nikon Coolscan 4000.

And then you need to pay for holidays so you have something to photograph...

 

[raymondlin]

I just bought a Canon 550ex speedlite! So I am skint, can't afford a negative scanner at them moment. Wish I have one though, that Nikon coolscan is NICE!

 

[dvw]

Photography is not just about cameras. Setting up a darkroom will cost you even more. Commercial print shop can't do custom work like burning and dodging part of the print and custom print cost a lot more.

For films, you can buy bulk film and a film loader. That should save some money.