# Most expensive hobby



## OKLAHOMAN (Jan 21, 2014)

What is your most expensive hobby? Some here think pen turning is but others have much more expensive hobby's. What's yours?
I'll start it off. I've had Street rods and or Muscle cars for the last 30 years, right now I have a 1965 Chevelle and am building a 1936 Chevy two door sedan into a street rod, pen turning is cheap compared.


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## Turned Around (Jan 21, 2014)

I hear that. My 1948 DeSoto project was fun but expensive. Wouldn't mind doing it again though.


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## wood-of-1kind (Jan 21, 2014)

My most expensive "hobby" is having a "wife" : )


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## Tom D (Jan 21, 2014)

wood-of-1kind said:


> My most expensive "hobby" is having a "wife" : )


 

Thats not a hobby, it's a life changing event


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## Jim Burr (Jan 21, 2014)

Some of my R/C planes can get a bit pricey. Thinking of building a drone and renting it to the NSA.


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## carlmorrell (Jan 21, 2014)

I road raced motorcycles for several years.  1992 was crazy, 18 venues on the east coast.  After it was done, let's just say I accumulated a little debt.  I decided to get out from under it by selling some stock.   If you look at today's value of the stock I sold, 1992 cost me over $100,000.


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## Carl Fisher (Jan 21, 2014)

Mine was r/c racing for a very long time.  Cycling is probably currently my most expensive hobby if you include all of my bikes, plus the kids mountain bikes and all the support gear.  Although I'm not certain it really qualifies as a hobby.


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## walshjp17 (Jan 21, 2014)

My 2005 BMW Z4.  Paid it off, but now I have to maintain it!


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## mredburn (Jan 21, 2014)

If you think having a wife is an expensive hobby, you wouldnt want to have a girl friend and a wife!:biggrin: Now that gets to  be expensive.

However my most expensive hobby was Trap shooting. Between the trap leagues, money shoots, practice rounds and registered ATA  targets, I averaged a thousand rounds a week for almost 3 years straight. I reloaded most of my shells. I went through so many I didnt even bother to box them. Just dumped them into 5 gallon buckets and hauled them that way. you can get more than 400 shells in a 5 gallon bucket.


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## Magicbob (Jan 21, 2014)

Competitive shooting gets a little pricey, as do Harley-Davidsons, but Momma and the Grandkids takes the cake.


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## Whaler (Jan 21, 2014)

My addiction to firearms and photographic gear way overshadows pen turning.


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## jsolie (Jan 21, 2014)

Whaler said:


> My addiction to firearms and photographic gear way overshadows pen turning.



True that.  "L" lenses, nice 1911s and custom AR-15s can really run ya...


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## Parshooter11 (Jan 21, 2014)

Our Harley!! Not sure if it's the bike and hardware...or the clothes and wife's jewelry that makes it more expensive!!!


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## Rchan63 (Jan 21, 2014)

My most expensive hobby was my 120 gal saltwater reef tank and another 30gal reef tank in my office. Money going in with almost nothing in return.


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## Donovan (Jan 21, 2014)

I have a few. Cars and more cars. I have two Lumina,s one super charged and the other waiting for a S/C. Bussy with an AC Cobra and two Lotus 7's. I build giant scale planes and then the photography of course go with that. Canon D5 Mk 111 plus a lot of L lenses. All this is much more expensive than the wife

Donovan


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## lorbay (Jan 21, 2014)

Well I would have to think that my woodturning in general has been my most expensive hobby. Scuba Diving was up there but this has way surpassed that.

Lin.


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## MichaelD (Jan 21, 2014)

Roy, I'm  kinda like you.  I've always had some kind of car around.  Have one now as a matter of fact.  Sold my '62 Corvette in 2006 and got double what I paid for it but only half what I had in it.  Same story with my '62 T-bird.


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## ttpenman (Jan 21, 2014)

Been thru old cars (only have 2 left), RC planes, helos and cars, and lately Model Railroading.  And I still keep buying pen stuff even though sales have been pretty flat.  Keep hoping.

My hobbies all seem to go -- spend a ton of money, have some fun, then have problems I had little patience for, then give them up.  Done this too many times.

Jeff in northern Wisconsin


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## Mike Powell (Jan 21, 2014)

I think my most expensive hobby has been wheelin.  I was stationed in Utah, and had a 93 Jeep YJ.  Lifted, 2 sets of wheels, all of the spare equipment, spare, parts, and so on.  Then when I moved to Tx, I gave it up for Harleys.


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## Jim Smith (Jan 21, 2014)

My two most expensive hobbies are fly fishing and wood working.  Since I have all the fishing gear I'll ever need for fly fishing, that leaves wood working and pen building as my most expensive hobby.  That said, I've recently gotten into keeping snakes as pets, something I did when I was a kid.  While I am very conservative in that I only have three snakes, the expenses aren't too bad.  However, for people who get addicted to this hobby, it can be VERY expensive.  Some of the people on the websites I visit will pay well over $10,000 for a single snake with the highest amount I've ever heard of is $100,000,000 for a blue eyed albino python; the only  one ever found in the wild.  He uses it for breeding purposes and sells the offspring for $50,000+ to people who have more money than sense. 

Jim Smith


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## saver (Jan 21, 2014)

Mine is ornamental turning. I have 2 ornamental rose engine lathes


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## CabinetMaker (Jan 21, 2014)

Horses.  Without a doubt.  Hay is very expensive, around $12.00 per bale and I use a little over a bale a day.  Tack, vets, trailers, trucks to pull trailers, more tack, grain, farriers and so it goes.  So what makes such an expensive hobby worth it?  "I love you Daddy!"


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## reddwil (Jan 21, 2014)

Probally my most expensive would be my hunting. Between all the firearms, different gear and travel cost, it gets on up there. Then there's the taxidermy bill every year, but we won't discuss that in case my wife see's this


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## saver (Jan 21, 2014)

Mine is ornamental turning. I have two ornamental turning rose engine lathes.


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## MarkD (Jan 21, 2014)

My most expensive hobby is whichever one my wife likes the most :biggrin:


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## Boz (Jan 21, 2014)

Auto Racing.  By far the most expensive thing I have ever done.  50 grand for a motor and you need a couple.  A grand for a set of tires and you need a couple of sets for a weekend.  Then you have the truck, the trailer, tools, travel expenses, food, and entry fees.  Eighty bucks for a quart of racing brake fluid and you have to bleed the brakes after each on track session. If the car is involved in an accident replacement parts are a big expense.  The only way to make a small fortune in racing is to start with a large one.


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## Cmiles1985 (Jan 21, 2014)

Mine was by far the automobile. I bought a brand new 2007 Saturn Ion Redline thinking how much fun it would be. Speeding tickets, supercharger/engine/cooling/programming modifications, tires, brakes, more tickets, track entry fees, license reinstatement, inability to secure a decent job with my driving record, etc added up over time. Now days I agree with MarkD. If my wife finds interest in it, I go WAY overboard on buying stuff (same thing goes for my boys).


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## tbroye (Jan 21, 2014)

What ever my current hobby is.  Tend to go over board.  Had aquariums, vintage midget race car (still have that) Woodworking, Pen turning, Indy 500 memorabilia, which in includes a very large collection of 1:18 die cast indy cars historical documents and pictures.  Built model cars until carpel tunnel got to bad,  Got rid of Aquariums, and in process of getting rid of model stuff.  Still woodworking and pen turning tools will keep them until I get to old.


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## monophoto (Jan 21, 2014)

All adult hobbies are expensive!


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## PenMan1 (Jan 21, 2014)

Airplanes, Boats and chasing women.

Had to give 'em all up. As the old saying goes, it you fly or float, it's cheaper to lease.


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## watchman7 (Jan 21, 2014)

I used to do a lot of Bass Fishing. Had the whole rigged-up boat and lots of expensive equipment. Had to give it up because of serious back problems. Should have just burned hundred dollar bills on the front lawn. Now it is the grandchildren. You would not believe how much a full week at Disney World with Park Hopper tickets and a deluxe dining plan costs. Much more fun though and great memories.


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## mredburn (Jan 21, 2014)

PenMan1 said:


> Airplanes, Boats and chasing women.
> 
> Had to give 'em all up. As the old saying goes, it you fly or float, it's cheaper to lease.



Same for Women, Andy.


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## InvisibleMan (Jan 21, 2014)

Flying.  I had to give it up when the kids started showing up.  It became difficult to justify punching holes in the sky for $120/hour when college funds needed filling.  I'm hoping to get back into it someday.


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## Richard Gibson (Jan 21, 2014)

Music- Currently own a Ovation 6-string guitar, Ovation 12-string guitar, Washburn electric bass & amp, bag of electronic gear, and a Masterworks 16/15c hammer dulcimer & stand.


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## firewhatfire (Jan 21, 2014)

My buddy has a $70,000 bass boat filled $20,000 worth of equipment and 50 gallon gas tank he fills 2 times a week.

Penturning is cheap.


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## BayouPenturner (Jan 21, 2014)

pen turning is my most expensive hobby,


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## Lenny (Jan 21, 2014)

From what I've witnessed I would have to cast my vote for boats. Having horses would be right there too. I avoid both!

Penturning seems to be a self-sustaining hobby for me.


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## Cmiles1985 (Jan 21, 2014)

Boats likely take the cake. After all, the word "boat" is merely an acronym for "Bring On Another Thousand"


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## Smitty37 (Jan 21, 2014)

*Horse Racing*

Did some Standardbred (Harness) racing/breeding in the late 60s early 70s  - got my first horse as a gift.  Don't take it up unless your pockets are real deep.

Also boating, I had a 24 foot off-shore boat.$35.000 for the boat, about $2000 in fishing and other stuff on the boat, $1200 insurance and a 105 gallon fuel tank and you could empty it in one day if you went out far enough.  I never went out more than 40 miles myself but do that in 4 foot seas and a small boat and you find out what it means to be bounced around like a cork.  Kept the boat for 3 years and dropped about $100K.


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## mark james (Jan 21, 2014)

Rchan63 said:


> My most expensive hobby was my 120 gal saltwater reef tank and another 30gal reef tank in my office. Money going in with almost nothing in return.



Had a saltwater tank for almost 16 yrs.  Even transported it (with the stupid fish) from NJ to OH...   Once bought a tiny, tiny,  1" surgeon fish (it was EVIL  ).  It tore all my 5"-6": fish to pieces within minutes... No kidding, I couldn't get the net in time to scoop it up before I had a... graveyard... (sushi...).

Very few problems in all the years until,...  went on vacation with a 1 week automatic feeder all prepped...  had a power outage...  a very smelly mess!  :at-wits-end:


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## mark james (Jan 21, 2014)

Lenny said:


> From what I've witnessed I would have to cast my vote for boats. Having horses would be right there too. I avoid both!
> 
> Penturning seems to be a self-sustaining hobby for me.



Boats, horses, wives...  No further comment!


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## scottsheapens (Jan 21, 2014)

Used to play golf at a country club in Marietta, Ga.  That cost a bit all year. Now I have two grandsons, a boat and pen turning.  Turning is cheap compared to boats, grandsons and golf. More relaxing too....although I love those grandsons.


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## wildbill23c (Jan 21, 2014)

My most expensive hobby until I lost my job a few years ago :frown: was guns, at one point I had about 30 of them not exactly cheap ones either...and about 20,000 rounds of assorted ammunition to feed them all.  Well then my job loss and the hobby came to an abrupt end and had to sell everything I had to at least try and survive till I found another job.  Well the job I have now gets me about $7-800 a month so nothing very good.  However, its allowed me to find a much cheaper hobby in pen turning LOL.  Hey I still get to play with bullets...bullet pens that is.  :biggrin:


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## bobleibo (Jan 22, 2014)

wood-of-1kind said:


> My most expensive "hobby" is having a "wife" : )


 

Having a wife is pennies compared to getting rid of one! 

I like sports cars and she told me either the cars go or she does. I still have the cars.


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## Neil (Jan 22, 2014)

I love the old cars, I built an 67AC 427 Cobra, next project a 53 F-100, currently  a 61 Falcon wagon, what Fun, Future builds 56 Ford Panel van. But yes it is a very costly hobby,and we all could have a lot worse hobbies


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## wouldentu2? (Jan 22, 2014)

Tom D said:


> wood-of-1kind said:
> 
> 
> > My most expensive "hobby" is having a "wife" : )
> ...



Depends how many you have had.


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## alankulwicki7 (Jan 22, 2014)

Let's see here: woodturning, old cars, dirt biking, fishing, etc. They are all expensive so I just have to spend my money wisely. 

Here's a pic of my 69 Fairlane Cobra.


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## TerryBlanchard (Jan 22, 2014)

My 1953 Cushman Spring Barrel complete restoration is far more expensive.


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## Penl8the (Jan 22, 2014)

After reading all the hobbies mentioned here, my hobbies - golfing, golf club making, and pen turning don't sound that bad.


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## Mike Powell (Jan 22, 2014)

TerryBlanchard said:


> My 1953 Cushman Spring Barrel complete restoration is far more expensive.


 
Cushman's are awesome....


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## Smitty37 (Jan 22, 2014)

Penl8the said:


> After reading all the hobbies mentioned here, my hobbies - *golfing*, golf club making, and pen turning don't sound that bad.


Guess that depends on how often and where you golf. The best course in this area has green fees approaching $100 a round (of course they can join the club at $15000 a year and play free). A couple of my golfing friends take golf trips once or twice a year and spend a week or so playing on some pretty expensive courses - and of course the trip expenses ain't too cheap either.


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## Smitty37 (Jan 22, 2014)

*Horse Racing ....*

Horse racing, particularily stakes racing is called the sport of kings, because only kings could afford it.  Well now kings can't afford it only rich folks can.

I had some Standardbreds (and they don't cost as much as thoroughbreds) in the late sixties and early seventies.  Just breeding a mare to a decent stallion cost a couple of thousand dollars, then when the foal was born you had to feed it and care for it for 2 years before you could think about racing.  Of Course you had 'yearling nominations' due before you had any idea whether or not you could get the horse to the races at all. You would usually nominate to about 20/25 races.  Then you had 2 or 3 sustaining payments many of which you had to make even if you thought the horse might not race until it was a 3 year old.

You also had to pay a trainer to break and train the animal to get it ready to race usually 7 or 8 months worth even if the horse didn't make it to the races - more if it did.  If you got to the races you had to transport the horse from track to track to get in the stakes races and had to put up a starting fee.  Of course you had to have a driver (usually but not always the trainer).  And you had vet bills, shoeing bills, equipment repairs and new equipment....the list goes on and on.  Now if you had a great horse you could win enough to make a profit but most owners (at least 75/80 percent) lost money every year.

My wife's step father had a horse that won $22,000 one year (early 70s) and still lost money on it.


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## PenMan1 (Jan 22, 2014)

NOPE, It's not boats (which is an abbreviation for "break out another thousand, sucker). It's Planes. 

BUT, boats is in 3rd place for most expensive hobby, right behind airplanes and women


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## LouF (Jan 22, 2014)

Competitive shooting IDPA & USPSA


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## gmcnut (Feb 9, 2014)

My GMC (Get More Cash) Motorhome from 1977. Like the one in Billy Murray's "Stripes" movie.


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## Gary Beasley (Feb 9, 2014)

My photography was getting pretty expensive but I might match it soon with my woodworking.


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## fisher (Feb 9, 2014)

Running my 60 dt viking on the gulf for offshore catching .I live on it for the summer month's.The fuel is the worst @ 3k gallon diesel.I don't let it get down to 1k gallon at a time less expensive that way ,and invite friend's to share the fuel and have a good time fishing.Stay out day's at a time.


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## commercialbuilder (Feb 9, 2014)

Competitive bass fishing


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## Smitty37 (Feb 9, 2014)

commercialbuilder said:


> Competitive bass fishing


 Yea, my nephew does that.  It can run a couple of pence. Especially when you decide you need the fastest boat in the world to compete.


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## Haynie (Feb 9, 2014)

Large format film photography far surpasses pen turning.

I used to run a boat repair shop.  A guy came in, we diagnosed the problem, he said "Boat does mean Break out another thousand".  My response, "In that case the minimum will be 3.5 boats  If you're lucky."  I don't own a boat BECAUSE I worked on them.


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## Gary Beasley (Feb 9, 2014)

Haynie said:


> Large format film photography far surpasses pen turning.


 
That's fer sure, though I've found Medium format and high end digital will eat your lunch compared to what a LF camera will. Buying film for it is another story. I have a freezer full of 4x5 film to shoot someday.


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## LeeR (Feb 9, 2014)

Richard Gibson said:


> Music- Currently own a Ovation 6-string guitar, Ovation 12-string guitar, Washburn electric bass & amp, bag of electronic gear, and a Masterworks 16/15c hammer dulcimer & stand.



What -- no Gibson?!


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## fisher (Feb 9, 2014)

My other hobby 
2013 Goldwing 1800 Fully decked out


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## SDB777 (Feb 9, 2014)

Chainsaws and saw milling...to keep everyone in inexpensive awesome timber!!!

Probably have $6K invested in chainsaws and sawmilling stuff....never mind the other things to make blanks.  Makes my head hurt thinking about it.  I should have just gone into gardening.






Scott (gonna make a bikesaw next) B


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## EBorraga (Feb 9, 2014)

I spent all my money on Women, Whisky, and Racing. The rest I just Blew!!

My expensive hobby is racing. Right now I have 2 dirt late models, 2 open wheel figure 8 cars, and a dragster. Money adds up quickly. Luckily we have a very generous sponsor that helps pay the bills.


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## dartman (Feb 9, 2014)

My most expensive hobby is a 1965 dodge dart gt I have had for 21 years.Right now I have the interior out so i can weld in new floor pans.I also want to repaint all the interior sheet metal.My second most expensive hobby would be a toss up ether pen/wood turning or model cars.


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## Smitty37 (Feb 9, 2014)

EBorraga said:


> I spent all my money on Women, Whisky, and Racing. The rest I just Blew!!
> 
> My expensive hobby is racing. Right now I have 2 dirt late models, 2 open wheel figure 8 cars, and a dragster. Money adds up quickly. Luckily we have a very generous sponsor that helps pay the bills.


Hmmm, methinks there is a slight contradiction here. If you spent it all, what was left to "blow" ?:biggrin::biggrin:


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## LouF (Feb 9, 2014)

Smitty37 said:


> EBorraga said:
> 
> 
> > I spent all my money on Women, Whisky, and Racing. The rest I just Blew!!
> ...


:laugh:


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## fisher (Feb 9, 2014)

Disposable money's.


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## OKLAHOMAN (Feb 9, 2014)

Tomorrow I'll get the total for the paint and body mods on the '36 chevy and just hoping it's under $10,000.00


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## rthines (Feb 9, 2014)

Photography .... Good glass is expensive!


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## Smitty37 (Feb 9, 2014)

I still think it has to be boats, race horses, race cars.


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## Pitoon (Feb 10, 2014)

........just trying to stay a live

Pitoon


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## sbwertz (Feb 10, 2014)

Breeding, raising, training and showing draft horses.  A horse is a hole in the backyard in which to pour money!


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## fisher (Feb 10, 2014)

Smitty37 said:


> I still think it has to be boats, race horses, race cars.




Boat 
Bust Out Another Thousand!!


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## Mack C. (Feb 10, 2014)

wood-of-1kind said:


> My most expensive "hobby" is having a "wife" : )


I need your wife's email addy! I'll copy that answer to her for you!:biggrin:


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## WHSKYrvr1 (Feb 10, 2014)

Jim Burr said:


> Some of my R/C planes can get a bit pricey. Thinking of building a drone and renting it to the NSA.


 
Don't forget the cost of batteries when fly electric.

Boating can be an expensive one too.  Remember what boat stands for...Break Out Another Thousand.


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## Haynie (Feb 10, 2014)

Gary Beasley said:


> Haynie said:
> 
> 
> > Large format film photography far surpasses pen turning.
> ...



Tell me about it.  The only thing keeping me away from a Hasselblad is the price of the glass.  I have and use a pretty decent digital camera but there is something missing when I use it.  Hard to explain.  Just like I prefer to read paper books not e-books. I can't tolerate sitting in front of a computer screen to work on the images either.  Someday I will have a darkroom again.  I love the smell of fixer in the morning.


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## EBorraga (Feb 10, 2014)

OKLAHOMAN said:


> Tomorrow I'll get the total for the paint and body mods on the '36 chevy and just hoping it's under $10,000.00


 
Got to love HotRod's!! $10,000 for paint. Most of it Labor, but i'd be scared to drive the damn thing. Hopefully you're going with triple black :biggrin:


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