# Hobbies



## Smitty37 (Jun 22, 2014)

I think most of us older guys have had any number of hobbies - it would be interesting to know what all we've done....

My first hobby was collecting girl friends:biggrin:

Actually, my first real hobby was coin collecting - I started that just after getting married I collected modern coins until I had gotten all of the Lincoln Cents, Jefferson Nickels, Mercury dimes (I was one short) Washington Quarters and Franklin Halves.  In those days you could find almost everything in circulation.

Next, I bred and raised Standardbred (Trotters and Pacers) race horses for a few years but had to give that up after the 5th and 6th kids came along - I had a good job but not good enough to afford both the kids and horses.  This hobby makes pen turning look like chump change.

The third thing that was really a hobby was walking, I joined a walking organization and logged as many as 1500 miles a year for a few years.  I still walk a lot but not nearly that much.  Best thing about this was it was really affordable.

I then collected cast bank trucks...Only a couple a year but this held on for about 22 -23 years.  Again it didn't cost a lot of money but finding room for them was a problem.  At the same time I collected small cast cars - I gave these up when we moved into a mobile home and had no room.

Remodeling rooms in my house was really a hobby for me as well, I did all the work myself and truly enjoyed it - this went on for about 10 years when I ran out of rooms.

I had what some would call a hobby farm where we raised, Beef, hogs, lambs, turkeys, roasting chickens, laying chickens and kept a milk cow. We also made about 1000 bales of hay a year. I never really thought of this as a hobby because there was a lot of work.

Power boating was a hobby for a few years and to those who think this is expensive try boating where a $35K -$40K boat is just the down payment.  And, it can "drink" 100 gallons of gas in a single afternoon along with slip fees, insurance maintenance ---- of course you also wind up getting GPS, Depth finder, Fish finder, Radio, half a dozen or so rods and reels, life jackets and on and on.  Cost was about $10K per year with an Ocean Going boat.  Could have been a lot more because mine was only a 24 footer.

I also collected toy soldiers and still have a small collection of them depicting the American Revolution.

Living where we do, we also collect a lot of sea shells - this is a hobby anyone can afford.

I also made cottage furniture until I got to the point where we didn't need any more in our house.  That was fun and I suspect we have about 25 or so pieces that I made here in the house and probably another dozen or so pieces outside.

As a side to the above I like to make real and faux bird houses and we have them all over the place as well as giving dozens of them away.

I also did income tax preparation as a semi business and part hobby.  I charged for some but did some for family and friends at no charge...I never did more than about 40 a year so it wasn't a real business although it always showed a profit.

I also collected 33 1/3 records and made a couple of amplifiers for playing them , two were kits but the third one was from scratch.  Gave them up when we got to where we just didn't have room for them and my record changer broke so we had to play them one at a time.

So how about you.....


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## BSea (Jun 22, 2014)

Smitty37 said:


> I also collected 33 1/3 records and made a couple of amplifiers for playing them , two were kits but the third one was from scratch.  Gave them up when we got to where we just didn't have room for them and my record changer broke so we had to play them one at a time.
> 
> So how about you.....


Why did you stop collecting records after you got 33+  and what does 1/3 or a record look like?   . . . . . . . . . . . . . :biggrin:JK, but I wonder what the under 30 crowd think when they read that.

Probably my most expensive hobby has been scuba diving.  For awhile I was collecting vintage double hose regulators (think Sea Hunt).  I have 7 of them, and I've used all but one of them at one time or another.

I've done some coin collecting, but never have completed any sets.  For several years I'd buy the silver proof sets, but I stopped that a few years ago.  I do have a $10 roll of each state quarter.  Most are uncirculated.


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## Smitty37 (Jun 22, 2014)

BSea said:


> Smitty37 said:
> 
> 
> > I also collected 33 1/3 records and made a couple of amplifiers for playing them , two were kits but the third one was from scratch.  Gave them up when we got to where we just didn't have room for them and my record changer broke so we had to play them one at a time.
> ...


Well it's somewhere between 1/4 of a record and 1/2 of a record.......:biggrin:


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## Ambidex (Jun 22, 2014)

I'm a puppy compared to some here, but does anyone remember the bigger and slower records? I think they either were 16 1/2ths or perhaps 16 2/3rds..not making this up as my parents had a record player that would play 4 different speed records...from 78's, 45's, 33 1'3rds, and the 16 size. I believe it was an old Zenith if I remember correctly. As far as hobbies go my wife says she's never met anyone that's had a tenth of the hobbies I've had. I was taught as a child, life is short and don't regret not trying anything I found interesting. :wink:


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## TonyL (Jun 22, 2014)

1. Guitar playing
2. Aquariums

Now pen turning


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## Jim Burr (Jun 22, 2014)

Started and finished a penny collection...even the steel ones, from 1909 VBS to date. Shooting, not collecting, although that does play into it :frown:. A lot of 3-gun competitions, 500 & 1,000 yrd as well as tactical shoots...reloading comes with the package. 
Beer making is tons of fun as it goes well with my love of cooking. Milk stout, honey brown ale are a day away from the kegs. Used to do R/C planes but became kinda board. Play guitar at church as my schedule allows. Only have 3 guitars but it's a great hobby. Won't even get into the turning horor!!


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## Smitty37 (Jun 22, 2014)

Ambidex said:


> I'm a puppy compared to some here, but does anyone remember the bigger and slower records? I think they either were 16 1/2ths or perhaps 16 2/3rds..not making this up as my parents had a record player that would play 4 different speed records...from 78's, 45's, 33 1'3rds, and the 16 size. I believe it was an old Zenith if I remember correctly. As far as hobbies go my wife says she's never met anyone that's had a tenth of the hobbies I've had. I was taught as a child, life is short and don't regret not trying anything I found interesting. :wink:


 I remember record players  having a 4th speed which as you said was about 16 or 16/2/3 rpm.  The records for that were not usually music but were transcribed spoken records.  That speed was used mainly for transcribed radio programs....They are not so old, having been introduced sometime in the 1950s when you could actually buy transcribed radio programs.

33 1/3 rpm are still around and still used by some disk jockeys on radio my understanding is that the sales of 33 1/3 rpm records have been increasing and actually a lot of new album are released on them as well as cds.


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## keithlong (Jun 22, 2014)

1. Knife collecting
2. Raising beef cattle
3 Cross stitching


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## Kenny Durrant (Jun 22, 2014)

I've raised pigeons, tropical fish, parakeets, pheasants and chickens along with keeping other animals. I collect U.S. Coins and paper money as well. I hunted and fished which started collecting a few guns and a lot of pocket knives. I did taxidermy for a few years but it took too much time so it faded out. I always enjoyed working with wood so when my wife's uncle  showed me some pens he made that led to the addiction I have today. When I saw the snake skin blanks for the first time I had several skins from the taxidermy days and I became hook on casting. Now with the ideas from other pen turners I started a small stamp collection to add to my castings. Sometimes its a good reminder of the old hobbies when I cast the skins, coins,stamps and fishing flies. I also might add it all fun to me but it drives my poor wife nuts at times.


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## Bill Arnold (Jun 22, 2014)

My primary hobby is woodworking.  I've designed and built most of the furniture in our home.  In addition to furniture, I've made many smaller items as gifts, etc.  Penturning is a relatively new endeavor and has brought me to starting to try making my own acrylic blanks.

I've also enjoyed photography since I was a kid.  My grandfather did a lot of photography and had his own darkroom, so I got the bug from him.

Cooking is something I've done all my life.  I like to grill and have also been doing a lot of smoking of different meats for 20 years or so.  I'm pretty darn good in the kitchen, too!


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## southernclay (Jun 22, 2014)

Jim, 1,000 yards shooting is no joke! I've got a friend that has won at Camp Perry a few times, amazing amount of work and discipline. 

I was huge into sports card collecting. Should've sold em while they were hot. 

Made and collected southern pottery. Played the guitar a little. Like to shoot, fish, hunt and hike on occasion. 

Then 3 years ago started having kids, two 15 mos apart so stayed a little foggy until a few months ago when I got my lathe and started turning.


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## Smitty37 (Jun 22, 2014)

southernclay said:


> Jim, 1,000 yards shooting is no joke! I've got a friend that has won at Camp Perry a few times, amazing amount of work and discipline.
> 
> I was huge into sports card collecting. Should've sold em while they were hot.
> 
> ...


Tell me about that - my 4 daughters are 22 months from oldest to youngest Oct '69 to July '71.... to be fair, the youngest 2 are twins.

I did a little shooting and hunting too for about 37 years from age 12 to 49 never really thought of it as a hobby but I suppose it was. Put together a kit for a Hawkin .50 cal percussion cap muzzle loader and matching hand gun. I was a little better than a fair shot but never really got into long range shooting.  I never lived anywhere where there was a range within reasonable distance.  I had a lot of fun hunting woodchucks with my .357 Mag Ruger single action black hawk....


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## Nikitas (Jun 22, 2014)

I started collecting Hockey cards for awhile and then got into woodworking(Flat Work) I was in the CB(That's how we communicated before cell phones....hehe) world for a long time as well and then it happened....PENTURNING...And then I was really hooked......And that's about it.....


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## walshjp17 (Jun 22, 2014)

As a kid, coin and stamp collecting
While in the Navy, running (until I blew out my knees and got fat).  Ran the Marine Corps Marathon in '82 in 3:29:29.  Can't run a block now.
While the kids were young, Soccer: coaching them, playing in the over-30 league, running the local soccer club, refereeing and scheduling referees for adult leagues
Collecting small owl figurines (until we asked ourselves why?)
Cooking
Wine collecting (until I ran out of money and got drunk)
Woodturning/pens
Traveling


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## Dale Lynch (Jun 22, 2014)

I use to collect straight razors and shaving brushes.Never got too many,It gets damned expensive.


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## flyitfast (Jun 22, 2014)

For 50 years I collected paychecks, hoping to find a special one, but never did find one that was worth much............
I've also collected "gimmee" hats - close to 500. I've always loved the P-51 aircraft and have close to 60 die-cast models. Also, I've collected the complete Texaco set of die-cast corporate airplanes.
I have a lot of San Antonio Spurs souvenirs, especially the last week or so.
Mostly now, I collect tools, but my collection is far from complete!!!  Sigh!!!
gordon


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## butchf18a (Jun 22, 2014)

There's been a few, most of which I still do after 60 trips around the sun. Primary rule of life, "if bored its your own fault"

Designing, building, flying, competitive model airplanes.
Bicycle racing.
Sky diving.
Competitive aerobatics.
Photography
Backgammon (competitively but don't win all that often)
Geocaching
Wood working, jewelry boxes, backgammon boards, cribbage boards, cabinetry, marquetry, pen turning of course.
Music; percussion
Sports; Baseball, football, soccer, scuba, snorkel, run (1marathon but never again) mostly 5k's now
Competitive darts
Learned to fly, U.S. Marine fighter pilot, airlines, now fly private corporate jet (sitting in paris at the moment)

Somewhere in there I've managed to travel to all 50 states, over 30 countries, every continent except Antarctica. Most importantly raised two sons with same woman for 33 years. Guess by now I should be tired. I was once asked why I don't slow down? Frankly I Don't have the time.


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## skiprat (Jun 22, 2014)

My wife says I've been collecting crap for years....

My most prized collection is the full set of Asterix and Obelix story annuals. Took me years to get them all....I love them. I even have several of the books without the comic pictures in them.


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## Jim Burr (Jun 22, 2014)

southernclay said:


> Jim, 1,000 yards shooting is no joke! I've got a friend that has won at Camp Perry a few times, amazing amount of work and discipline.


 
Thanks Warren...it's fun to go shoot...tons of stress depending on the day...3 gun makes the BP climb the wall!! 1000yd...well, just take a deep breath, set the bipod and wait for the round to release...and then work on guitar stuff. Work to have fun!!


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## maxwell_smart007 (Jun 22, 2014)

if you live in an oft frozen wasteland, you need money to have a hobby...so I don't really have many!


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## sbell111 (Jun 22, 2014)

Geocaching, although since the kids arrived, I haven't given much time to it.


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## Jim Smith (Jun 22, 2014)

As a kid, I collected coins for a number of years and still have those collections kicking around somewhere. Since then, I've gotten into stamp collecting and raising show rabbits (also rabbits for meat), jogging and working out.  At the present, I enjoy, gardening, woodworking (including pen turning), building custom fishing rods (mainly fly rods), fly tying, fly fishing, and I also have five Honduran Milk Snakes that I keep as pets and plan to breed next year.  I have been accused of having the hobby of collecting hobbies.  

Jim Smith


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## gimpy (Jun 22, 2014)

Right out of high school, I became a volunteer fire fighter for for 30 years.....
at the age of 24, I got married and tried that for 20 years, didn't work out.....
remarried and on my 13th year of my 2nd marriage, working out much better.....
Making wine, still have 80 gallon ready to rack and bottle,
retired at age 50........
been turning wood and flat work ever since..........
Not sure what I want to be when I grow up........


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## Holz Mechaniker (Jun 22, 2014)

in my youth, Plastic model building, mostly cars and war birds
then deer Hunting, Black Powder Rifles and Archery.
Joined the Military in '91 (Signed up couple of days after the first wave of Operation Desert Storm.) Shortly after got into Paintball. played that for a couple of years after leaving the Army.  Then back into Archery; Field and 3-D. then concentrated in making Custom Wood Arrows and English Longbows. No money in that so I got a chance to follow a dream in Stand Up Comedy.  Car died so I sold off most of my arrow building tools bought a lathe and that is pretty much it.


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## Jim Burr (Jun 22, 2014)

gimpy said:


> Making wine, still have 80 gallon ready to rack and bottle,
> retired at age 50........
> been turning wood and flat work ever since..........
> Not sure what I want to be when I grow up........



Sir!! We need to chat! 12 gallons of beer with 5 in the bucket tomorrow!!


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## dwarmbrodt (Jun 22, 2014)

Building custom spinning and fly rods. Right now gluing up some birch bark for a grip. May wrap a guide or two tonight....


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## Fireengines (Jun 22, 2014)

I collect model fire apparatus, helicopters, and large scale construction equipment.


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## Smitty37 (Jun 22, 2014)

Nikitas said:


> I started collecting Hockey cards for awhile and then got into woodworking(Flat Work) I was in the CB(That's how we communicated before cell phones....hehe) world for a long time as well and then it happened....PENTURNING...And then I was really hooked......And that's about it.....


About the timeI was ready to get a cb the bottom fell out of that .....


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## kingkeyman (Jun 22, 2014)

I raced motocross untill I was 38, I repaired guitars for several years. I used to restore shopsmiths, I still have 4. I have a 64 Catalina convertible that I love to drive and tinker with, I guess that's a hobby. I really miss the motocross, but at 46, I can't deal with more broken bones.


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## Smitty37 (Jun 22, 2014)

kingkeyman said:


> I raced motocross untill I was 38, I repaired guitars for several years. I used to restore shopsmiths, I still have 4. *I have a 64 Catalina convertible* that I love to drive and tinker with, I guess that's a hobby. I really miss the motocross, but at 46, I can't deal with more broken bones.


I had a 65 Bonneville Convertible for about 15 years (from 86 to 2001)....loved to drive that car.


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## BSea (Jun 23, 2014)

Fireengines said:


> I collect model fire apparatus, helicopters, and large scale construction equipment.


I have got to show my wife these pictures.  She thinks hobbies are to hidden away. Well, my hobbies anyway.


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## mredburn (Jun 23, 2014)

for relaxation I umpire Little League baseball and softball.


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## Smitty37 (Jun 23, 2014)

mredburn said:


> for relaxation I umpire Little League baseball and softball.


Oh! I didn't know you were blind:biggrin:


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## mredburn (Jun 23, 2014)

there is nothing more rewarding than calling a child "Out" and then telling them to quit crying and " get off my field!"


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## mredburn (Jun 23, 2014)

Oh and then everyone thanks you for doing it!:biggrin::biggrin:
I enjoy it so much I did 4 tournament games saturday and 2 Sunday and will do the championship game tonight for the 9-11 year old softball Allstars games.


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## raar25 (Jun 23, 2014)

Woodworking
Exercise
Archery
Politics especially debating for gun control
Motorcycle riding
Martial Arts


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## southernclay (Jun 23, 2014)

mredburn said:


> there is nothing more rewarding than calling a child "Out" and then telling them to quit crying and " get off my field!"


 
 I was thinking you were crazy for enjoying having parents yell at you for relaxation....now I get it :biggrin:


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## studioseven (Jun 23, 2014)

In no particlar order:

Running
Raquetball
Woodworking
Gardening
Collect banks
Collect Beer Steins
Collect Duck Decoys
Bicycling - Long Distance
Photography

It's too long a list because I don't have time for all of them

Seven


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## Dalecamino (Jun 24, 2014)

I used to collect Persimmons and, Black Berries:biggrin:


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## OKLAHOMAN (Jun 24, 2014)

Look at my avatar!!!, I have had and built in the last 30 years into a street rod a 1928 Dodge 4 Dr sedan, 29 ford 2 dr sedan,32 ford roadster,48 Ford coupe,41Chevy Coupe, and am in the process of building the 36 2 door Chevy sedan in my avatar. I also now have a 65 Chevelle, had a 72 Hurst Olds, 65 Mustang convertible,56 Ford Crown Victoria. 
All the rods except the roadster had 350 Chevy motors, automatic transmissions and air. The car I regret selling the most was the 29 Ford 2 Dr. sedan, no the 72 Hurst, no the 32 roadster:biggrin:
The 36 Chevy will be the last, just getting to old and stiff towork on them and have to send most work out to be done, plus just don't have the room anymore when we moved into town and I gave up my 30x50 shop.


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## nativewooder (Jun 24, 2014)

My hobbies consisted of custom rod building for a few years until Dale Clemens passed and my independent suppliers began to run out of closed up factories.  Built everything from ocean trolling rods to freshwater fly rods until the government began taxing everyone's casual extra money.  Then, as I took up playing golf in the shade off the course, it seemed like I needed custom golf clubs so I bought all the equipment and books from Maltby and thought I was back in school.  It took a lot of experimentation but I finally built myself a set of clubs that don't slice (with the help of a few hundred tips)!  Still have all the equipment from both if anyone is interested.  And my custom clubs are buried under a lot of wood dust!  Woodturning is what I started learning in 2002 or thereabouts and am now retiring little by little.


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## avbill (Jun 24, 2014)

Stamp collection has a complete united nation collection mint.  Have the first two US stamps also!   

I hybridized African Violets.  and grew  Bonsai 

Collected old cameras.   For every camera I still have film for it.  8 x 10 to miniature spy cameras. 

And a collection of fine wine.  :wink:

Indian Head pennies


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## Krash (Jun 24, 2014)

Smitty37 said:


> I think most of us older guys have had any number of hobbies - it would be interesting to know what all we've done....
> 
> My first hobby was collecting girl friends:biggrin:
> 
> ...


 

Wow LeRoy. Quite a list of hobbies.

You gotta be either 3 people or 300 years old!


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## mredburn (Jun 24, 2014)

That or he doesnt watch  lot of tv


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## Smitty37 (Jun 24, 2014)

mredburn said:


> That or he doesnt watch  lot of tv


 You nailed it.  I was never a huge TV fan.  Of course Commercial TV broadcasting did't happen until 1939,,,then WWII interfered with it until after the war.  The first TV in our house came when I was in 8th grade.  I had seen it before (my brother had TV about 2 years before anyone else in the family) but not very often.  When we first got it I watched quite a bit - but TV was not a 24 hour a day thing, in fact none of the channels at that time broadcast more than 7 or 8 hours a day. 

During high school I found girls to be both more interesting and more fun than anything on TV so I spent my time chasing them around.  During the summer months there was baseball, swimming, summer jobs etc. no time.

After high school I joined the Navy and didn't really have much access to TV - on the ship there was 1 TV and 200 to 250 people so nobody watched much - at sea it was turned off.  

When I got out of the Navy, for 2 years I lived in a furnished room with no TV and at that time most of the bars didn't have TV's either, they wanted people to play the juke box.  

Then I got married and we got a TV but I was working nights so I was at work when all of the good TV shows were on.

I was also an avid reader so even when TV was on I would often read and play records instead of turning on the TV.

Now, I would rather play 'free cell' on my computer than watch ads for drugs and for lawyers who want to sue the drug companies.  I think on the commercial channels now they have almost 50% of the time going to ads and I just don't feel I need that.  Our TV goes on in the morning for 3 hours and is back ground where we will be listening but not watching - it shuts off automatically after 3 hours.  It then might get turned on after supper, but maybe not.  If Helen is reading a book it stays off.  Helen does watch a couple of shows now and then but mostly if we watch we go to a movie channel that runs commercials only between the movies.

In short, I can live very happily without TV - I do listen to talk radio when in my truck and sometimes in the house.  We do have a CD player and listen to music and not and then we do put on a music channel on the TV.

My favorite all time TV Show was Hee Haw.

I should also say we "Pulled the plug" for 8 years when the wind blew out antenna off the roof and cable was not available.  We just unhooked the TV set, bought a player and now and then watched a rented movie.


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## sbwertz (Jun 24, 2014)

Oh my...in 71 years I've had quite a few.  The first one was collection bottle caps. I was about 6 and carried them around in the little red suitcase from my erector set.

Collected coins for a while, gave them all to my daughter when she married.  I bred, raised, trained and showed both hunter jumpers and Belgian heavy draft horses. I still teach jumping and English riding to 4H groups, but don't have horses any more.

Years ago I got into fabric painting (remember Tri-Chem?)  Gardening and sewing for many years.  Target archery, first with a recurve and later with a compound.  Trap shooting, rifle and pistol shooting, cooking (wrote and published a cookbook,) computer programming, (still have a computer consulting business, although I am supposed to be retired.)  photography (I was a horse show photographer... and did some weddings, for my sins.)

And now, wood turning.  I let several of my hobbies turn into businesses...photography, computer programming, horses...) and I am determined not to let that happen to pen turning. I want to be able to go out and turn whatever pleases me on any given day.  I don't want to have to say "Oh, crap.  I have to turn fifty pens by Friday."  When it becomes a business, it ceases to be fun.


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## Haynie (Jun 24, 2014)

Film photography, collecting large format film cameras, wood working, reading, Welding pen turning.

I don't have a lot of time for anything these days, but I still think of them as hobbies.


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## PR_Princess (Jun 30, 2014)

mredburn said:


> That or he doesnt watch  lot of tv



What is this...."TV" you speak of??? 


BTW Great thread Smitty!


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## ashaw (Jun 30, 2014)

Mine was coins and stamps, then pens and ham radio.  Finally auto racing first was drag racing then dirt oval tracks.  I raced until the late 90's when I put a sprint car into barrel rolls over the catch fence.


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## Smitty37 (Jun 30, 2014)

PR_Princess said:


> mredburn said:
> 
> 
> > That or he doesnt watch  lot of tv
> ...


 Dawn, TV is that little box with a screen that you used to fall asleep in front of....before you started falling asleep in front of your computer screen.


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## edman2 (Jul 1, 2014)

Well, let's see:
wedding photography
collecting pin and ink drawings
depression era glassware (about 600 pieces)
deer hunting
and a few minor others prior to penturning.


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## Holz Mechaniker (Jul 1, 2014)

Smitty37 said:


> PR_Princess said:
> 
> 
> > mredburn said:
> ...



Ahhhhh but at one time while asleep in front of the TV, you'd be awakened by the Star Spangled Banner, then the white noise of a snowy screen


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## Smitty37 (Jul 1, 2014)

Holz Mechaniker said:


> Smitty37 said:
> 
> 
> > PR_Princess said:
> ...


I remember that Well.  In fact, I can remember when even during the day there we times when no program would be on any of the 3 channels we used to get.


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## sbwertz (Jul 1, 2014)

You forgot the test pattern on the screen!


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## Smitty37 (Jul 1, 2014)

sbwertz said:


> You forgot the test pattern on the screen!


That came later - what I first remember is the blank screen because the channels actually stopped transmitting when they weren't actually broadcasting a show.  Later on, because they had more problems when they turned the transmissions on/off rather than leaving them 'broadcasting' and because TV set users could not tell if their set was working when the station wasn't broad casting, and because adjusting the picture was a fine art that was much easier with the test pattern they started transmitting the test patterns when no shows were being sent out.


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## Spencer2112 (Jul 1, 2014)

Current
1. Penturning (duh)
2. Disc golf
3. Motorcycle rides with son who is autistic  He has been on 16k of the 17k miles on the bike

Prior
Coin collecting (still have it)
Antenna ball collecting ( about 400), got to build racks to display them.


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## Smitty37 (Jul 2, 2014)

Spencer2112 said:


> Current
> 1. Penturning (duh)
> 2. *Disc golf*
> 3. Motorcycle rides with son who is autistic  He has been on 16k of the 17k miles on the bike
> ...


That is harder than it looks isn't it?


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## sbell111 (Jul 2, 2014)

Smitty37 said:


> Spencer2112 said:
> 
> 
> > Current
> ...


I tried it once back in college because my roommate thought it was the best thing ever.  I found that I couldn't throw a frisbee straight for the life of me.


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## sbell111 (Jul 2, 2014)

Smitty37 said:


> PR_Princess said:
> 
> 
> > mredburn said:
> ...


Been there, done that.  I've now moved on to the iPad.  I cannot tell you how many times that I've woke up in the middle of the night with my iPad on my lap.  The junk that I posted in my dreams was gold, I bet.


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## Sandsini (Jul 2, 2014)

I've been interested in crazy stuff all my life. As a frustrated musician, I have (tried) to play everything from guitar, bass, banjo, drums, flute, clarinet, violin and even bagpipes... never particularly good at any of them. When I purchased my lathe and other penmaking equipment, I finally let go of my drum set and now have no instruments at all. I told my wife it was time to let go, it was only a vanity.

In the past I have collected books (mostly first edition and first appearance Phillip K. Dick) and Swiss watches (had to stop because I couldn't afford it anymore!) and brewed ale. 

I have also been a lifelong car nut, having raced and restored many, many cars. Mostly European sports models. I currently feel privileged to own an 87 Porsche Turbo that I just took on a central California Coast run with some other car guys (what a joy that car is to drive).

Now it appears that Penturning, so far, is the only pastime that I feel equals my love for automobiles. I am obsessed with it, and eager for my skillset to grow as I turn each new pen.

Cheers,


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## Rick_G (Jul 2, 2014)

Coin collecting
Stamp collecting
electronics
ham radio
computers both building and writing some of my software
Handgun competition
Woodworking started with flatwork now doing turning as well


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## znachman (Jul 2, 2014)

Astronomy, Building telescopes,Mosaic,StainedGlass,Flightsimulator and more :wink:


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## Pete275 (Jul 2, 2014)

Wow what a great thread Smitty! I collected stamps as a kid along with marbles, I still have all of the marbles. Two of my buddies and I had a modified Camaro we ran on the strip for a while till it broke the bank.  Playing music (or playing at it) has always been part of my list, these days its the guitar. I collect interesting post cards from all over the world and of course woodturning and I dabble in flat work. And I bet as think about this thread I'll remember more!

Wayne


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## nanosec12 (Jul 2, 2014)

Pete275 said:


> I still have all of the marbles


 

Unfortunately, I lost all of my marbles a long time ago....


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## Smitty37 (Jul 2, 2014)

Pete275 said:


> Wow what a great thread Smitty! I collected stamps as a kid along with marbles, I still have all of the marbles. Two of my buddies and I had a modified Camaro we ran on the strip for a while till it broke the bank.  Playing music (or playing at it) has always been part of my list, these days its the guitar. I collect interesting post cards from all over the world and of course woodturning and I dabble in flat work. And I bet as think about this thread I'll remember more!
> 
> Wayne


Well you added one to mine...marbles.  I had a large collection from when I was a kid many "shooters" and I was particularily fond of clear marbles that had an air bubble or bubbles.


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## Rockytime (Jul 3, 2014)

My first hobby was stamp collecting then I graduated to a Daizy BB gun. Shooting sparrows in a grain elevator was fun sport. Photography was a big thing with me from my high school days through most of my adult years. Made many trips chasing trains around the country and taking 35mm slides. I was also an avid model railroader for nearly 40 years. I am a hobby machinist with a fairly complete shop and now I have graduated to pen turning. What pleasure, I get to buy more machinery. My wife wonders when and how I will get rid of all my stuff. I don't plan to. She can dispose of it upon my demise which I hope is not too soon. Oh, I forgot, I spend as much time as I can on my CanAm and riding with friends.


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## Smitty37 (Jul 3, 2014)

*Hey?*

You hit another one for me.  I did model railroading for a few years - with 6 kids though, it just took up too much space and we had to let it go to make room for other things (like beds).


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## Mike Powell (Jul 3, 2014)

I'm a tinkerer.  
In my twenty years in the air force, I'm on car number 28/29.  I've had a 79 cameo z28 that ran 11s, a 68 mustang coupe, just to name a couple. 
I did a stent in Utah where I was really into jeeps, and rockcrawling.
I collect guns and knives.  Nothing special just like them all
I also collect antique decanters I have a fewfrom the twenties. 
Now it's penturning, which lately had been more of a job than a hobby.


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## Sub Vet 10 (Jul 11, 2014)

I'm one that if I had all the sports cards I had as a kid I would be set. 

I also spent way too many E-2 paychecks on CD's and guitar gear right before everything went Digital. 
Books- cooking/grilling (signed ones included), Clancy, Tolkien, Coontz, etc

Still have a bit of Sports and Navy memorabilia and ballcaps.

Had a suped up 89 Mustang that took a Ford Ranger, doing 65, broadside.

What I have and know about firearms scares most people. (It's Uncle Sam's fault I'm a numbers/ballistics nerd)

Would like to get back into geocaching, with the babies growing up. 

Right now I collect kits and frequent flyer miles. Their accumulations are  inversely proportional. 

Far too many interests, not enough time/money.


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