Like a few others I've always had an interest in science, astronomy and archaeology in particular. Was never able to afford a decent telescope, way down the list with a growing family, until one day a friend who ran the recycling at the local tip came up with a 60mm x 1000mm refractor and an equatorial mount. Cost me $10
It was incomplete, no tripod and knobs missing off the mount. I made most of the missing bits and cobbled up an "eyepiece" from a 8mm projector lens. First look at Saturn and Jupiter and I was hooked.
I used that scope for 20 years and only parted with it 18 months ago.