What to do, what to do?? (too many hobbies rant)

[Anonymous]

I've just really begun to work on my layout (20x17) when it all hits... beautiful early fall weather, sub 90* temps, no rain.... Problem is... I"m biting the R/C airplanes bug again. Seems every winter I go trains, every spring I go Jeeps, summer is kayaking, and fall is r/c planes.

My brother is about to move in with me, and he'll be paying rent for about 6 months or so while he gets a place on his own, so my wife and I have that extra money coming in. However, she wants to use the money for a new bed (our bed is over 15 years old and she has back problems, so a bed is priority). Plus, we have property taxes due end of September and late December. Either way, with the extra money, we'll be able to do alot more, which means a little more money for my hobbies!

What do I do? What do I do? Do I buy a new r/c plane and go flying while the weather is nice? Do I keep chugging away and buying kits off ebay and slowly put the railroad together? Do I put the money into my Jeep? (fall leaves are coming, and the wife's gonna want to go camping and riding the trails in the Jeep come October.) The most up front gratification would come from the r/c planes (I know how to fly, just need a new plane, crashed my last one). The most long term gratification would come from the railroad. The most daily gratification would come from the Jeep modifications. lol

Too many hobbies, too little money/time. lol How do the rest of ya'll manage your hobbies, cause I know I'm not the only one out there that has 20 bazillion hobbies taking up my spare time. lol

[Anonymous]

My hobbies are easy: Model Trains, Virutal model trains, railfanning (pictures), this forum, and beginning live steam. For me it's. Trains, trains, and more trains.
Big Boy 4005 might know, he has done a lot of hobbies.

[Big_Boy_4005]

James, I don't do a lot of hobbies, I just do one, but I try to do it all the way. I gave up all other scales to specialize in 3 rail O, which was where I had the most money invested. I gave up the HO and N more than 20 years ago.

The 2 rail O experience came when I joined a club that I had had my eye on since I was about 12 years old. By the time I joined I was in my mid 20's. The club had just moved to a new home, and was building a new layout. The thing is I never bought any equipment to run on the club layout. The reason I joined was, I didn't have a place for my own layout. That eventually changed, and I ended up leaving that club when we moved to a new house in the burbs.

I gave the live steam club a try when we moved a second time, and it was only 15 minutes away. Still never bought any equipment. Payed dues at both clubs, but that wasn't a very big expense, compared to buying trains. Especially the live steam, as you are finding out.

Jshrade, what to do indeed. I've never really been faced with the multiple hobby kind of decision, except as it applies to choosing what to do within model railroading.

On the other hand I have had friends who have tried the trains and RC cars or planes. It's kind of a summer winter thing. Eventually they gave up the trains, and built planes during the winter and flew during the summer. It really depends on what you like.

My advice is to pick ONE and stick to it as long as it makes you happy. You will go farther, and get more enjoyment if you focus, rather than being scattered.

James, you're young. Investigate as many as you can, then choose. Even if you have unlimited funds, you won't have unlimited time.

[Anonymous]

Oh there's no way I can pick just one. I've always been interested in a thousand things at once. Bartending, Jeeps, gardening, kayaking, camping, hiking, trains, model railroading, r/c planes, video games. My wife sometimes wonders when I ever have time for her. lol I do like the summer/winter thing though. Just need to decide which for when. Model railroading will definitely be a winter hobby (indoors). Jeeps and r/c planes will most likely be summer and fall. Kayaking will work perfect for Spring and early summer. This might work afterall. lol

[grandeman]

As another member with many hobbies, I feel your pain.

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jshrade

Oh there's no way I can pick just one. I've always been interested in a thousand things at once. Bartending, Jeeps, gardening, kayaking, camping, hiking, trains, model railroading, r/c planes, video games. My wife sometimes wonders when I ever have time for her. lol I do like the summer/winter thing though. Just need to decide which for when. Model railroading will definitely be a winter hobby (indoors). Jeeps and r/c planes will most likely be summer and fall. Kayaking will work perfect for Spring and early summer. This might work afterall. lol

You might want to try a garden railroad, especially if your wife likes gardening too, and you have the yard for it. It would be a great chance to do an activity together, and lessen your guilt in the process.[swg]

[Anonymous]

i feel your pain to, starting my first railroad, have a growing warhammer 40k army, and to little time to finish painting it ( just incase anyone knows what warhammer is), and i also have always bin interested in, and wanted to do, not to mention my many friends who really want me to start doing some more real rc outside of the little radioshack xmods.And i have a little side hobby of magic that some of my money goes into. oh and on top of that, for all my expensive and machure hobbies, i'm only a teenager, about to get my first job making minimum wage to fund these slowly developing hobbies. I probably won't get to do rc for awhile though. luckily warhammer is a table top game played on tables just like train tables, and i have built a warhammer table at a friends house so i got some terrain making experience from that. and i'll never be able to give up any of my wonderful hobbies, oh yeah, it doesn't help that all the new video game systems are coming out at the same time as when i'm working on all this.oh thought of another one guitar. the list goes on and on. my train layout comes first though cause i can combine two of my favorites in one package. wow untill writing this i didn't relize how many hobbies i have.
i'm goin to have to figure out a way to make this work, if it's possible

[Anonymous]

Well, ever how many replies that you get to your post is how many different opinions you will get. They all are correct from the points of view of the authors. You have to decide which one is best for you.

Like you, I have several interests. So what? It just means that you are diverse. For the last three years I have been rebuilding a '60 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, so model railroading has taken less than first priority. But, come winter when I store the Ghia (because I don't want salt on it!), I'll have time for trains again. I got the car running last fall just about in time to store it for the winter. This summer there is a local car club that has frequent cruiseins that I do once or twice a month, but that is only a Friday or Saturday evening which leaves rest of the weekend for railfanning (my son likes to do that with me). I haven't done much RR modeling this summer but will when the weather turns cold. I am also an amateur radio operator, but for me that is also a winter time activity. In fact I haven't even turned on the radio since last March, but will again come winter.

There are sometimes several months that I may not do a particular hobby - so what! I think I would get burned out on a particular hobby if that's all I did year round.

Hobbies are for your personal enjoyment and satisfaction. You have to decide for yourself what fits you. All of the view points expressed here are legitimate.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Not to pu***he model railroading thing too hard here, but that is the subject matter this forum is devoted to. Part of the beauty of model railroading is that it is not one dimensional like so many other hobbies. There are so many facets that can be involved in the creation of a complete model railroad.

Design
Drafting
Carpentry
Electrical
Electronics
Engineering
Architecture
History
Photography
Art
Scenery
Operation

I'm sure you can think of a lot more things to add to that list, but the point is that model railroading can involve a lot of other interests. It should never get boring, there are always new things to learn.

Even when you aren't learning, you are creating, and when it is done you have something to show for your time and money.

[scubaterry]

I feel for you jshrade - I just sold my Jeep wrangler. I love my trains but I also love spending a day at the rifle/pistol range keeping my eyeball keen. When the weather is nice I can spend most of the day throwing my Tomahawks/knifes/bayonets. My personal best is a 24 oz Hawk throw from 55 feet sticking a 2.5 ft round target 2 out of 3 tries. Its hard sometimes to figure what I want to do. Good thing about bad weather I can always work on the railroad. You probably never would have put Hawk throwing and MRR together heh!
Terry

[bikerraypa]

I know how you feel, my friend.

-Model Railroading, to include layout design, scenery, scratchbuilding, etc.

- R/C Airplanes, both glow and electric powered, building, modifying, etc

- R/C Monster Trucks, both glow and electric

- R/C electric speedboats

- motorcycles (2004 Suzuki LC1500 and 1973 Honda CB500) and touring

- hunting and shooting

- fishing and boating

-Civil War reenacting

plus, I have to sleep and go to work every once in a while. Sure is a good thing I have no social life!! [:p]



Ray out

[Tracklayer]

I'm a multiple hobbiest too, but model railroading is one of those I can do no matter what the weather outside is like...

Tracklayer

[dgwinup]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jshrade

Oh there's no way I can pick just one. I've always been interested in a thousand things at once. Bartending, Jeeps, gardening, kayaking, camping, hiking, trains, model railroading, r/c planes, video games. My wife sometimes wonders when I ever have time for her. lol I do like the summer/winter thing though. Just need to decide which for when. Model railroading will definitely be a winter hobby (indoors). Jeeps and r/c planes will most likely be summer and fall. Kayaking will work perfect for Spring and early summer. This might work afterall. lol

Looks like you may have worked out an answer all by yourself!

I don't believe that you have to ditch one hobby in favor of another one. Hobbies are for your entertainment and those that include your spouse make for a happier relationship.

Big Boy 4005 suggested a garden railroad. That's a great idea for three of the four seasons, depending on your climate. And if you can kayak in the spring, you can garden model then too. Both activities include your wife, and maybe your wife will get interested in model railroading over the winter season - right along with you. Sounds like a long and fulfilling relationship!

R/C planes, boats and cars and full sized Jeeps are great fun and you can include your wife in those, too.

Better charge your brother more rent. If you wife gets involved in all your hobbies, it's gonna cost ya a BUNDLE! ! ! LOL

Darrell, quiet...for now

[BRAKIE]

Well,I was racing 1/24th and 1/32nd slot cars..I have switch from those to HO slot cars..My first love is model railroading and my second love is racing slot cars.[:D]
Here is how I split my hobby dollars..Trains first slot cars second..Last night I sold my 1/24th and 1/32nd cars..I will take this money and start my HO race cars.I plan on having practice cars-for each class I will be racing in,a main competition car for each class and a backup for each primary car.

[tstage]

jshrade,

It's really a no-brainer: RC planes are limited only to good weather; MRRing is good ALL YEAR LONG! (Better return on your investment, too.) I bet no one has yet lost their DCC locomotive to the "great horizon" due to pilot error? (Maybe vertically, but not horizonally.)

Tom

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tstage

jshrade,

It's really a no-brainer: RC planes are limited only to good weather; MRRing is good ALL YEAR LONG! (Better return on your investment, too.) I bet no one has yet lost their DCC locomotive to the "great horizon" due to pilot error? (Maybe vertically, but not horizonally.)

Tom

Tom, if you are going to be that way about it, crashing trains is much cheaper than crashing planes. In most cases easier to fix too. The thing about trains is, you don't get a lifetime supply of toothpicks.[swg]

[tstage]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Big_Boy_4005
Tom, if you are going to be that way about it, crashing trains is much cheaper than crashing planes. In most cases easier to fix too. The thing about trains is, you don't get a lifetime supply of toothpicks.[swg]

BB4005,

[(-D] You got that right. [:D]

Tom

[Anonymous]

Time and money. There is never enough of eather one. The @#*& deer have almost driven all the joy out of gardening. That means I am spending less money on it but more time trying to fine something I can grow that they won't eat. The train layout has gotten the lions share of resources this year but eBay has had some books I have been looking for for a long time recently and I have had to delay getting a few model kits to pick them up. I could go back to rec.collecting.books with some nice brags thanks to those purchases. If those hobbies ever fail to fill my time I have a stamp collection I have not touched in 25 years and an 8 generation genealogy that I have only looked at to enter births and deaths for the last 9 years waiting to be worked on.

[BRAKIE]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Big_Boy_4005

QUOTE: Originally posted by tstage

jshrade,

It's really a no-brainer: RC planes are limited only to good weather; MRRing is good ALL YEAR LONG! (Better return on your investment, too.) I bet no one has yet lost their DCC locomotive to the "great horizon" due to pilot error? (Maybe vertically, but not horizonally.)

Tom

Tom, if you are going to be that way about it, crashing trains is much cheaper than crashing planes. In most cases easier to fix too. The thing about trains is, you don't get a lifetime supply of toothpicks.[swg]

Tell me that after you crash a brass engine..[:0][8][B)][}:)]

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BRAKIE

QUOTE: Originally posted by Big_Boy_4005

QUOTE: Originally posted by tstage

jshrade,

It's really a no-brainer: RC planes are limited only to good weather; MRRing is good ALL YEAR LONG! (Better return on your investment, too.) I bet no one has yet lost their DCC locomotive to the "great horizon" due to pilot error? (Maybe vertically, but not horizonally.)

Tom

Tom, if you are going to be that way about it, crashing trains is much cheaper than crashing planes. In most cases easier to fix too. The thing about trains is, you don't get a lifetime supply of toothpicks.[swg]

Tell me that after you crash a brass engine..[:0][8][B)][}:)]

Are you talking to the floor, or just cornfield? I was kind of thinking cornfield. To the floor with brass could be a total loss. For those who run brass, I hope they have safety zones on their layouts to prevent such disasters.

In all honesty, I own no brass, nor would I consider buying any. Perhaps in part for this very reason. I can barely afford plastic these days. [:0][:(][;)]

When I was about 8 years old, I had my Lionel milk car accidentally uncouple from the train on the grade at the back of my layout. At the end of the grade there was a curve. I can tell you from experience, trains don't so much fly, as plummet.

[JohnT14808]

Pick something that you and the mrs. can do together, jshrade. Believe me, it will pay off in the future.....

[Anonymous]

Well I just bought her some new jewelry for our anniversary. I'm in the clear until at least Christmas! :-D That's how I explained away the two new Walthers kits I just bought. LOL

[tatans]

Too many hobbies?? wait till you retire and find out where the time goes, there's not enough hours in the day to do all the really important stuff(hobbies) Now is the time to cultivate hobby interests, not when you are 64(it cannot and does not work ! !) Think I'm kidding?? just go to a nursing home and see how many hobbies the guy sitting staring out the window all day , you can bet he had no outside interest other than his job, good for you keep at it, do it all, beats sitting in a bar for the rest of your life.

[Train 284]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Lotus098

My hobbies are easy: Model Trains, Virutal model trains, railfanning (pictures), this forum, and beginning live steam. For me it's. Trains, trains, and more trains.

Took the words right out of my mouth!