Quoted from Redwizard000:Aviation.
Starting to dip my toe in.... Makes pinball look super cheap!
(Topic ID: 304541)
Quoted from Dayhuff:32 years ago I spent $100 for my main guitar that I play every day. I've gotten more enjoyment out it then anything else, the most twang for the pluck if you will.......LOL.
John
On the other hand....Gear Aquisition Syndrome for us guitar players is real. It can get pretty pricy especially if you are electric. Gotta spend as much on an amp as you do on your guitar. don't forget 100-$500 pedals....need lots of them. Oh, and then you need to go all analog for obvious reasons, LOL! more pedals.
The acoustic side is quite a bit cheaper, but like different pinball machines, each acoustic guitar has it's own flavor. definitely need more than one.
Don't even get me started on woodworking tools.....
Both my arcade and pin hobbies are self-funded, having bought broken, fixed, and re-sold for more to fund the hobby.
In the winter I enjoy ice fishing; some of the equipment used there can cost a bit. Luckily I've used my pin and arcade hobby money to fund that too.
Lloyd's right though, I don't really put a price on my hobbies, they are a source of decompression for me. When they stress me out (vector monitors!) I just walk away for a while until the spark returns.
Lately I find myself in a holding pattern of sorts, not really looking to upgrade or add much any more, just doing a lot of trading to keep the collection fresh. I have been able to get to the point now where I only deal with fully working stuff now, which is nice. (or I pay someone else to fix it!)
Cedarburg, WI
Would really love to get into FPV RC Planes, but have no idea where to start or what is "good".
Board games, and bourbon barrel aged beer typically only get expensive in winter. I typically spend more on beer during "stout season" than the rest of the year combined.
Otherwise I have been collecting World Paper currency since I was a kid, and now its at a point where the pieces to add price are outpacing the fun of the hunt. Though, I will never stop looking for my holy grail piece and if I ever find it price probably will be no object.
Quoted from kermit24:Starting to dip my toe in.... Makes pinball look super cheap!
Welcome to the club. Bring money.
Quoted from Medisinyl:[quoted image]
I think if he's in hell, the collection would be Xfiles, SF2, stern rolling stones, and hobbit.
Quoted from orangestorm87:Would really love to get into FPV RC Planes, but have no idea where to start or what is "good".
Board games, and bourbon barrel aged beer typically only get expensive in winter. I typically spend more on beer during "stout season" than the rest of the year combined.
Otherwise I have been collecting World Paper currency since I was a kid, and now its at a point where the pieces to add price are outpacing the fun of the hunt. Though, I will never stop looking for my holy grail piece and if I ever find it price probably will be no object.
Ok. I've got to ask: what is your "holy grail piece"?
Quoted from Deez:Been kind of burned out with pinball recently. The crazy high prices and flippers and shortages have kinda driven me out. I've decided to start cashing out and picking up a new hobby.
[quoted image]
Feel free and PM me if you decide to move on from Flash Gordon.
Quoted from CaptainNeo:I think if he's in hell, the collection would be Xfiles, SF2, stern rolling stones, and hobbit.
The joke was someone obsessively buying expensive pinball machines, letting essential needs burn around them, but it's okay...because they have pinball machines 
Drinking from the cup of Deeproot in the next frame is up for interpretation.
Quoted from daveyvandy:It's a 1917 fully restored Hamburg Steinway Model A Grand. Not to bad for being over 100 years old
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Looks awesome.
My violin may be older (between 120 and 140 years old) 
but for sure less expensive.
Quoted from Daditude:Ok. I've got to ask: what is your "holy grail piece"?
Long story short, an exact serial number match of my "oversized" US National Bank Note from Ripon, WI. AKA The real one.
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Long Story, I have what is known as a US National Bank Note from my home town of Ripon, WI. These were real US currency that were issued to banks across the US. Many people collect these, and some of the weird named towns such as Blue Ball, PA command a higher premium.
Now why the National Bank Note pictured is my Holy Grail / White Whale is because its oversized. Normal "large sized" notes are a bit bigger than the currency issued by the USA today. Mine as you can see is over a foot in size. Now mine is like all other notes in every other way. Has a serial number, is double sided, etc.
Where it gets interesting is my Great Grandfather was a Vice President at Ripon State Bank around the time National Bank Notes were issued. I was gifted this oversized note from my grandmother who can't remember where she got it, but thinks it was from Great Grandad's stuff.
Every expert/currency collector I have talked to has never seen an oversized one like mine and can not think of any reason to have one or why mine exists. Leading theory is mine is a blown up copy of the original note from like the 70's, that was used by the bank to advertise savings bonds or something.
I have gotten access to the US National Bank note registry and my serial number is not present. That just means its not been entered by a collector or sold at auction. I was even put in touch with the so called US National Bank Note expert, who has the largest collection of them. He says if he has any that are not on the registry he does not add them because he does not want people to know what he has. After hearing my story he checked his private record and he does not have it, but said even if he did he would never sell it to me.
So I may not be buying as much as I used to, but I still go to currency shows and ask every dealer if they have any. I can see never finding it, but its the hunt that is the most fun.
Quoted from orangestorm87:Long story short, an exact serial number match of my "oversized" US National Bank Note from Ripon, WI
[quoted image]
[quoted image]
Long Story, I have what is known as a US National Bank Note from my home town of Ripon, WI. These were real US currency that were issued to banks across the US. Many people collect these, and some of the weird named towns such as Blue Ball, PA command a higher premium.
Now why the National Bank Note pictured is my Holy Grail / White Whale is because its oversized. Normal "large sized" notes are a bit bigger than the currency issued by the USA today. Mine as you can see is over a foot in size. Now mine is like all other notes in every other way. Has a serial number, is double sided, etc.
Where it gets interesting is my Great Grandfather was a Vice President at Ripon State Bank around the time National Bank Notes were issued. I was gifted this oversized note from my grandmother who can't remember where she got it, but thinks it was from Great Grandad's stuff.
Every expert/currency collector I have talked to has never seen an oversized one like mine and can not think of any reason to have one. Leading theory this mine is a blown up copy of the original note from like the 70's, that was used by the bank to advertise savings bonds or something.
I have gotten access to the US National Bank note registry and my serial number is not present. That just means its not been entered by a collector or sold at auction. I was even put in touch with the so called US National Bank Note expert, who has the largest collection of them. He says if he has any that are not on the registry he does not add them because he does not want people to know what he has. After hearing my story he checked his private record and he does not have it, but said even if he did he would never sell it to me.
So I may not be buying as much as I used to, but I still go to currency shows and ask every dealer if they have any. I can see never finding it, but its the hunt that is the most fun.
I collected Nationals from The First National Bank of Tustin when I lived in Tustin California. The remains of the old bank building were only a couple blocks from where I lived and I’ve always taken an interest in local history from the places I’ve lived. Had a dozen or so notes from the bank, mostly small sized, but I did have two large sized notes (which are rare). Sold the collection at auction when I moved to Arizona.
Quoted from orangestorm87:By your username you must have some other exciting numismatic pieces.
Pretty much every day.
It’s what I do for a living.
I am a pilot and own a Piper Saratoga 6 seater aircraft... you want to talk about expensive LOL. I just upgraded my avionics, and had my annual inspection done. Let's just say I'm not buying any more machines for awhile LOL.
Quoted from Deez:Been kind of burned out with pinball recently. The crazy high prices and flippers and shortages have kinda driven me out. I've decided to start cashing out and picking up a new hobby.
[quoted image]
Nice. I've got a lot of hours in cessnas, did most of my flight training in one. Here's my plane. Finishing my IFR rating next month if all goes well.
Crazy thing is, if I pull the rear seats I can fit a pinball back there and it's still within the weight/balance limitations of the aircraft. I want to do it sometime for the hell of it.
img (2) (resized).jpgQuoted from Deez:Been kind of burned out with pinball recently. The crazy high prices and flippers and shortages have kinda driven me out. I've decided to start cashing out and picking up a new hobby.
[quoted image]
Nice. Do you buy that 152 (or 150)? The prices of Cessnas has gone in the same pattern as pinball recently. I'm thinking of joining a local club instead of buying.
Quoted from Coindork:Pretty much every day.
It’s what I do for a living.
Well then I got to ask, have any Large Sized US Nationals from Ripon, WI? 
Quoted from jake35:I am a pilot and own a Piper Saratoga 6 seater aircraft... you want to talk about expensive LOL. I just upgraded my avionics, and had my annual inspection done. Let's just say I'm not buying any more machines for awhile LOL.
That's my dream plane. Eventually I plan on getting one. Either that or a Bonanza but I really want something that I can actually use to take my family on trips.
Quoted from kermit24:Nice. Do you buy that 152 (or 150)? The prices of Cessnas has gone in the same pattern as pinball recently. I'm thinking of joining a local club instead of buying.
That's a 172; it's kinda hard to tell from the front. It is a rental from the club. I really want to buy one but when you join the club they only charge 90/hr wet which I think is pretty comparable to ownership minus the flexibility. I've been scouring the web for plane but have decided to cool it for awhile until I end up getting my PPL and then deciding what I want to do then. I also built a simulator to help practice using MSFS 20 and xplane 11 and cut down on total hours.
Since others shared photos…this is what I spend a good chunk of my free time working on. The violin is from Mirecourt, between 1870 and 1900. The bow is German from the early 1900s.
I found the bow first. It’s been repaired and nothing special per se, but it’s really well balanced and quite comfortable. The violin I found after a year and a half of trying out different instruments. The luthier let me take it for home trial and I never took it back. I played it in his shop for all of two minutes and knew I had the right instrument. I then spent the drive home trying to figure out how I was going to convince my wife I should spend that much money on a wooden box.
I don’t subject it to direct sun like this when not using it.
10126139-6251-4BDD-85BA-6196535548CC (resized).jpegVery little of my "earned" income goes into my pinball hobby, just hotel and food/gas $ for the 2 shows I attend every year, MGC and Expo. The money I spend buying or restoring games comes from buying/selling other games, so it's just a trade off. I've probably dropped $3k on a couple playfields, plastics, a backglass and parts this year. I was fortunate to get into the hobby early enough that my collection would pay for itself a few times over if i were to sell today.
Contrary to what some others have said about classic cars being money pits, I've owned a few over the years and have never lost money on one.
I started playing guitar when I was 11 or 12, and played in bands all around Detroit into my 30s (i'm 57 now). Like some have said - you CAN go bananas upgrading rigs/guitars/amps, but i never fell into that trap. I bought a Marshall amp at 19 (a 1977 100w JMP), and still have it today. One acoustic 12 string (still have it). I've owned 3 electric guitars, 2 of which I still have. I went through a few pedals when I was younger, but my entire rig throughout my heavy playing years consisted of my Kramer guitars (still have both), a Boss DS-1 distortion pedal (still have it) and a Boss digital delay (misplaced) - that was it. So I've basically spent around 2 grand on my music gear in 40 years. Not a bad return. And the amp is worth 3 times what I paid for it.
Quoted from orangestorm87:Well then I got to ask, have any Large Sized US Nationals from Ripon, WI?
Lol, nope.
Quoted from daveyvandy:It's a 1917 fully restored Hamburg Steinway Model A Grand. Not to bad for being over 100 years old
[quoted image][quoted image][quoted image]
Nice! Coincidentally, I take lessons with a guy in New Orleans that has an incredibly similar piano. He just had it restored this year, I’ll have to find out the model/year of his, I know it’s 100+ years old. The ivory keys blow my mind, they’re beautiful.
I've got too many hobbies.
1. Pinball and arcade/pinball related test/repair equipment.
2. Cars -- I don't have multiples as I'd just go broke, but I keep a 911 which is my favorite sports car of all-time.
3. Guitars and amps -- way too many of both of these.
4. Hi-Fi Audio and Vinyl collecting
5. Camera/filmmaking gear -- my degree is in film production and even though I don't work in production as much as I used to, I still love playing with camera gear and having nice equipment for the projects I do take on.
I definitely have more asset than anything in my toys, but you only live once, and I enjoy all of it.
Not me . If you were to collect ex wives would be costly . Bonus overlay . If the wives had boomarang kids even more so !!
Shane
Quoted from Redwizard000:Aviation.
Oh my. When "pop-pop" on takeoff turns into an 8 AMU repair job, and you think about what you could have purchased for that instead, it can hurt.
0419211905 (resized).jpgI'll play (opinions strictly based on prior experiences) -
...active hobbies:
CLASSIC CARS - yes, huge endless money pit, especially the nut & bolt restorations. Locating a reputable Bodyman (and one less than $100. per hour) is difficult. Constant up-keep/maintenance. Stressful every time you drive on a public highway, fearing the texting teenager is going to T-bone your vehicle. Choosing early-morning weekend drives or in caravans, is the only safe option.
HARLEY's - Authentic H/D stuff is crazy in pricing, custom wheels, paint, seat, etc. Fear of today's distracted Motorist and injury has suppressed much of my riding. Nice garage candy though!
R/C GIANT-SCALE AIRPLANES - insane expenditure, especially when the $12K turbine jet flies into the ground and NOTHING is salvageable, yet remains my #1 hobby.
PINBALL - lease expensive, and enjoyable. Today's machines are built for longevity and in my opinion, offer much more entertainment value than early versions.
...inactive hobbies and glad they're in my past:
SALT WATER AQUARIUMS/REEF SYSTEMS - enjoyable, especially the bigger systems. Nice home decor and conversion piece with family and guests. Huge consumption of time in maintenance and again, crazy expensive. Frustrating also, as the animal's die for no reason, sometimes within hours of purchase.
RV's/TRAVEL TRAILERS- another enjoyable experience, but briefly. Crazy expensive to operate, storage fees, deterioration and depreciation, constant rising costs with RV lots, insurances and the never-ending maintenance. Geez, every time out there's a system failure and breakdown; common occurrences. Any, and I mean any, repairs are major bucks, especially in nowhere USA! Choose nice hotels, you'll be happier.
BOATS- same as above. Hire a charter. Best thing I ever did!
Affordability of hobbies: no drinking (well, minimal), drugs, clubs/strip bars or gambling. Oh, a marketable, stable occupation and that occupational 'niche' is crucial. Also if capable, always try to perform services yourself, such as repairing your household appliances, cutting grass, vehicle repairs, tax preparation, etc. Keep cars for ten years.
Quoted from investingdad:Since others shared photos…this is what I spend a good chunk of my free time working on. The violin is from Mirecourt, between 1870 and 1900. The bow is German from the early 1900s.
I found the bow first. It’s been repaired and nothing special per se, but it’s really well balanced and quite comfortable. The violin I found after a year and a half of trying out different instruments. The luthier let me take it for home trial and I never took it back. I played it in his shop for all of two minutes and knew I had the right instrument. I then spent the drive home trying to figure out how I was going to convince my wife I should spend that much money on a wooden box.
I don’t subject it to direct sun like this when not using it.[quoted image]
I give you the bodak violin. Made by distant relatives.
https://maestronet.com/forum/index.php?/topic/217232-michael-bodak-violin/
Been into Astronomy for past few decades. It can and has been an expensive hobby. You always want a bigger scope so you start out small and then keep buying bigger. Than add on all the eyepieces, addl electronic equipment, cases, etc. Don’t care about the cost as it brings enjoyment. Pinball and golf to keep it diversified.
0CAB8DCD-E59F-4A1E-A69D-0C9410C4DC43 (resized).jpegPast hobbies:
Comic books and collectibles were relatively cheap though possibly as much space if not more than pinball machines.
Coin op machines - use to run them - down to a few and have migrated away from them with the exception of one or two.
First edition books - was expensive and then as the market started dropping out got rid of some books, donated others to people who still collected.
Still collected:
Firearms - highly addictive and fun but ammunition is not cheap these days. They retain value but have stopped buying them because like pins, they tend to breed like rabbits.
Again it boils down to if it brings you joy and all things are being equal stay with it. If costs start to get crazy and impact enjoyment, well then the hobby just isn't fun anymore and maybe time to change hobbies 
.
Staying married to the same person for over 30 years has helped - costs of raising a family do cut into hobby spending though
Quoted from dyopp21:I used to have a reef aquarium about 25 years ago. Berlin system. Would love to see a pic of your setup!
Sure! I built the stand myself. I’m currently getting setup for coral. I’ve been in the hobby since the early 90s and still do things mostly Berlin style.
5DCB45D3-6F0F-408F-AF4F-686C8B1E7387.jpeg494AAB61-1C20-44DB-BB03-43954B78E9E5.jpeg37C66284-2973-4AF6-8B54-8245E669DA14.jpegA1AB173E-A562-426B-87CF-A953DB158071.jpeg6C6BC408-8CF5-47CB-9215-7560CC08EE42.jpeg685EE203-72FD-4F44-ACD6-381DEC0CA99C.jpeg2E24AD32-5E01-4D45-88F6-B6F88B333A14.jpeg
I had a 250gal Reef tank. Talk about a money pit. All of it...the setup/stocking/utilities.....kind of miss it but always talk myself out of doing it again.
Another Hobby of mine with ups and downs, Geology, Paleontology and Meteorites.
Much is packed, but some of my favorites are a rare piece of Dinosaur skin, Baby Mammoth Tusks,
My first Geode, age 11, Trilobites, Opals, Mineral Specimans, etc.
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1 week later
Quoted from gliebig:I had a 250gal Reef tank. Talk about a money pit. All of it...the setup/stocking/utilities.....kind of miss it but always talk myself out of doing it again.
Same here! But I have an added deterrent from ever doing it again. Here is video of mine from back in the late 90's, before and after a pump went boom inside of it.
I was sick.
After a few days a lot of the corals came back and I was able to get it all cleaned up and sell it.
Quoted from pinball2020:Staying married to the same person for over 30 years has helped - costs of raising a family do cut into hobby spending though
We were able to drastically cut the toy budget down once we got new appliances...
20211120_101513 (resized).jpgQuoted from cottonm4:1) Pinball machine. Buy the pin, perhaps for a premium price. And then play play play play.
Owning a game is not a requirement of the hobby. Pinball's popularity took off during the great depression. Pinball is easily the cheapest hobby of the ones you listed.
3 weeks later
Quoted from The_Director:I've got too many hobbies.
1. Pinball and arcade/pinball related test/repair equipment.
2. Cars -- I don't have multiples as I'd just go broke, but I keep a 911 which is my favorite sports car of all-time.
3. Guitars and amps -- way too many of both of these.
4. Hi-Fi Audio and Vinyl collecting
5. Camera/filmmaking gear -- my degree is in film production and even though I don't work in production as much as I used to, I still love playing with camera gear and having nice equipment for the projects I do take on.
I definitely have more asset than anything in my toys, but you only live once, and I enjoy all of it.
I think I was the guy that pushed you away from boxsters. 
Next year I'm going back to gardening on a few acres.
Usually it's around $500 an acre for flower seed and I'm guessing a good used tractor will set me back an easy 25K, but fun factor on a tractor is far more enjoyable than a new Elvira.
Pinball is the ONLY hobby I've ever made money at. In fact its completely
financed itself. The reason is I learned early on how to restore them.
Including board work.
Other hobbies;
classic (mostly Brit) sports cars; lotta fun but money pit in the extreme
ham radio; my longest running hobby (53 years) and the least expensive
but all of the good points of pinball and classic cars (buying beat up
equipment, once very desierable, then restoring & using).
Steve
Quoted from bluespin:6) Marriage?
Marriage, as a hobby, has the worst bang for the buck!
Crosscountry skiing - equipment lasts for decades. Trail passes are free or low cost. Good exercise/fresh air/gets one out of the house. Cost: cheap
Photography/art - Self-funding through print sales and licensing unless I added in all travel costs. I resist excessive gear collecting. Camera bodies lose value but lenses tend to retain 70% of their value on the used market. Good excuse to travel. Cost: profit center (at least the way I do it)
Model railroading - money pit. Always too many accessories, models, details to buy. Layouts are never done and we seem to move every seven years so everything gets dismantled. Like pinball restoration, lots of skills involved - electronics, mechanical, woodworking, painting etc. Not very social as you show off the layout once to guests and then that's it. Cost: Can get very expensive
Pinball restoration - Lots of hours (play fun), can be expensive as that $200 machine gets a new backglass, LEDs, parts etc. Lots of skill development potential. Lots of socializing potential as guest play, we have college friends who are also in the hobby, recently met a fellow pinsider one town over. Compared to model railroading, relatively easy to sell off the self-contained machines or move them to another house. Cost: breakeven
Golf - bought some cheap clubs as we live in a golf community. I'll get there eventually but the game never really appealed to me. Maybe Pickle Ball is in our future. Cost: cheap if the clubs sit in the garage
My wife keeps busy quilting and gardening which don't really cost all that much. Even if she buys a $200 precut kit, it provides hours and hours of entertainment and there is a finished, self-contained, usable object at the end. Costs: cheap
She also got into mixology and collects cocktail ingredients. She mixes up a new cocktail for us every Friday Night. Cost: cheaper than going out for drinks
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