Hey, I figured if I was going to ask someone questions about why they collect the things they collect, it’s only fair I should be honest about my own collections. The entertainment center we have has the glass cabinets/shelves on each side for displays. On the one side from top to bottom it goes: 1. Cherished Teddy Bears; 2. NASCAR collectibles (diecast, pictures, etc.); 3. Diecast Armor & Aircraft models (so the boys can look at them); 4. LEGOS and miscellaneous toys. [;)]
My wife has quite a few of those Cherished Teddies, I like the Christmas themed ones. David, you,re not looking for any are you? She has some older ones that she wants to find new homes for.
Does touring various Buffets and “all you can eat” restaurants count as a hobby?
Man, I don’t know where you guys find the time. I’m struggling to find time for my main hobby (models) as it is. I can’t really complain though, because my 14 month old boy is really the focus of most of my time (other than work). I will say that I have lots of ‘interests’, but since I don’t really spend much time on them, I wouldn’t count them as hobbies:
- RC planes are fascinating to me. My father-in-law is BIG into it and I enjoy every chance I can get to go out to the field with him. I’m flying a bit on the buddy-box, but don’t really have anything of my own to crash yet…
- I have a ‘dream’ of buying an old muscle car and fixing it up. Pretty big aspirations for a guy that struggles to figure out a crescent wrench. I’m planning to “fix” the brakes on my 87 honda civic this weekend. We’ll find out if my dreams are destined to be nightmares…
- I do play a little guitar (mostly acoustic, but some electric) in my church band. I’ve taken a bit of a breather recently though, and am letting some of the younger talent show their stuff…
- how can I forget the ‘forums’. It’s really turned into a rewarding hobby in itself… even if it does take away from actual building time.
Cheers…
Murray
Other than modeling only other extra curricular thing I do is volunteer firefighting. With running 25 - 40 calls a month plus training that soaks up all the extra time and sleeping time I have. Do like to get in some fishing here and ther but thanks to a doped up guy driving on my side of the road, I did’nt get much of that in this summer, allthough sitting around with nothing to do is what got back to building again.
when i aint on the forums or mutilating modelkits i have a 1957 series one landrover that i am restoring. i am also doing a running restoration on a 1961 series two landrover. i was doing a 1987 saab 900 for myself but i gave that to my son and we are doing it up together. i also have an old honda CB125 that i am going to have to get some work done on so i can use it next year. other than that i read and am also into photography but all i seem to take pics of now are landrovers and aircraft , and i also collect diecast aircraft and cars. Greg
What a fun topic! I love woodworking and build furniture. I’m an avid pistol and military rifle shooter and collector when the budget allows. I collect 1/18 scale diecast muscle cars and like to dabble in real muscle cars from time to time. I collect comic books off and on and like Iron Man comics the best. [8D]
Well, lets see… I’m soon going to get back into indoor climbing and start using my mountainbike again (what? In Holland??? Its flat! I know, but it gets muddy…). I also do some CG 3D modelling, PC games (hate consoles with a passion) mainly combat sims and basicly any kind of digital imagery I can do. I traded riding stupidly fast motorcycles (saw 165 miles per hour and the damn thing was still accelerating!) in for driving stupidly slow Land Rovers. Besides modelling, my Land Rover takes up most of my time. I also do some creative writing, mainly sci-fi. Here’s an excerpt (sp?) from something I just started. Its an old draft, because the latest version is on my work pc at the office:
The rain pattered down on the small fluorescent tarpaulin tent, giving the occupants the impression they were sitting under a rather large bowl of rice crispies. The rounder, older man unscrewed the top of his thermos flask and poured himself and his young companion a cup of tea. The two watched in the silent disinterest only civil servants have as the downpour happily washed the trench they had just (disinterestedly,) finished digging full of mud, water and pedestrians. Any normal person would get rather miffed about their hard work being ruined like this, but these weren’t normal people, these were people who worked for the council! The tall young lad took the tea and nodded thankfully, then stared doe-eyed out into the grim dampness of it all, wondering what to peel the back off and stick onto his Ford Escort next. The new road through the centre of town they had just recently dug up (again), had just as recently been laid down to cater for the amount of traffic (momentarily diverted) that was predicted to come from the new motorway (which was also being dug up… Also again). He watched the as the street slowly transformed into what resembled a huge bathtub, with their trench being the plug hole. A ridiculously brightly coloured beach ball floated lazily past. It was, after all, summertime. Sticking out like charisma and personality at an accountants convention its offensive brightness contrasted with the solemn grey surroundings that seemed to be condescending its frightful lack of manners as it slowly disappeared around the back of the bus stop. This was lost on the men from the council. These men were on a mission. These men were here in the name of efficiency.
Ehh… What else. I’m horribly forgetful. Ah yes, sci-fi movies and their parafinalia… I get up to lots of stuff, really. Rarely bored. And when I am it means I should be sleeping.
Just a couple …
Collecting Canadian decimal coins, started with some old cents I inherited when I was a kid, and is getting serious now.
Building a 1:1 scale aircraft in the garage, when I can kick my son’s trucks out long enough to set a few rivets.
Playing competitive darts (recruiting ad: Do you like to drink and throw things?)
Woodworking. Whenever my wife wants something I make it for her. Latest is bedroom furniture.
In my quiet time I like to read. for some reason my tastes divide between times at home and times away on business. At home I read history, away I read mysteries with lots of gratuitous sex and violence.
Treasurer of my church.
I help my sons with their RC aircraft, started a club in my town.
Oh yeah, I research future modelling projects. Sometimes build them too!
Bruce
A wise man once said if you want something done, give it to a busy person.
My only collections other than unbuilt kits are Navy hats. You know, the hats with the ships name and hull number the crews wear. I have just about every ship the Navy has sailed in the last hundred years. Strange collection for a former Army to have i know.My other hobbies include recreational shooting, reading (history mainly), and making sure my Heineken importer never goes out of business. And as a side note toGregers, in the States we call people with more than two non-working vehicles in their yards or garages, rednecks. Welcome to the fold.
i go Airsofting(a bit like paintballing but with 1/1 scale models of guns fireing full auto)
i like PC,Xbox<PS2 and gamecube games
and collect Zippos
military gear and hats
As the handle implies, I fish. Lots. Mostly for bass. I also rebuild/repair and collect fishing reels and do some custom crankbait painting. (I clearcoat them with Future, of course[:p]) I try to tie flies but they turn out looking more like lintballs strapped to a fishhook. -and as if this already dosen’t look like HistoryInScale’s post, my wife is also a Girl Scout troop leader. Which is odd considering that she screams everytime she sees a cricket.
Or a lintball.
-fish
Hey Caveman I have a few of the airsoft guns…older ones though made in the 80’s…real nice H&K MP5 look alike! Hey Fish my wifes the same way…will put a worm on…will put a live bull minnow on but lord dont tell her to touch a cricket! I collect some old/antique/unique tackle also…latest find was a “Heddon Glass Pike Buster”…
Chris
The only other real hobbies I have are Warhammer (which can technically be linked to models), sports cards (Football and Baseball), and computers. I’ve always had a policy: no more than one vice to a customer, please. I guess my wife and kids could be considered a hobby, too.
demono69
Trains!
I have always modelled both trains and military, I just view them as large dioramas with moving models!
The only other thing I do that could even vaguely be seen as a hobby is excercise, I don’t have time for much else!!
Shermanfreak, you’re just too much my friend… LOL…
As far as I’m concerned, I do not really collect any stuff but I do buy and read graphic novels (comic strips, the Belgian or French way), and I do some face/body painting, including with my airbrushes, as well as henna.
Domi
Too many to list…but here are a few:
Computer gaming (mainly flight sims)
Playing Drums (14 years now)
Painting (watercolors)
Writing
Historyinscale i used to get the old model kits of guns then they started making them fire and so on
now they use electric motors and gas and i go room clearing and drive on special land rovers up the houses for CQB training
WOW , there are alot of real interesting hobbys here. Sounds like many will have more to talk about at the Convention than modeling. I really like the sound of “body painting” 
Ofcourse, Id probably be getting slapped quite a bit if I tried that 
Ive also been wanting to get into restoring some kind of old car, but living in a dinky apartment makes it a little hard. Does anyone do car graphics painting? Like pictures? I was really wanting to try that, but Im not sure what kind of paints to use , or sealers. Does anyone know?
I do Warhammer (hey demono, which armies do you have? I have Dwarf and Khemri and do 40k as well) nature photography, astronomy, play music (guitar, banjo, piano and cello, mostly) and do R/C planes and boats (I guess this counts as modeling but it’s very different from plastic) and railroading (same comment).
My father (also a very talented modeler of wooden ships) said I need to cut my hobbies down to about 50-60.[:0][^][:D]