Failed hobbies

[mickoking]

G'day cobbers

We are all members if IIS coz we all love Astronomy. My self I have been fasinated by the universe since I was 6 and now 30 years on I am as passionate about Astronomy as ever. I have also been a keen photographer for many years and was even a professional in the pre digital years of the early ninetees.

BUT

I have attemped a few hobbies that never really stuck this is my sorry legacy.

Electric Guitar, My latest failed hobby and I still have the Maton MS 503 and Marshall amp to prove it. I love hard rock but that sadly doesn't translate into playing ability. Willing to swap guitar & amp for Apo/ Semi Apo

Surfing, 2000 was the year I started this short lived hobby/ sport. The sad thing is I really enjoyed surfing (badly) but the problem is I live too far from the coast.

Harmonica, I just have no musical talent. I can bend notes and play scales but I just cant make it play tunes. I still have my harp so maybe I will give it another shot??????

CB radio, This was a real fizzer. In my late teens all I did on the CB was abuse truckies

Gliding, tried this one in my Air Force days and I stuck with it for a while. The problem is I'm a nervous flyer and you get much more nervous when your aircraft has no engine

I would love to hear other failed hobby stories.

[Astroman (Andrew Wall)]

Failed hmmmm not sure, I have hobbies that I dont do anyore because of changing circumstances, one being Flying radio controlled aircraft, I started this when I was 12 and did it up until I met my wife, then you know what happened then.

I also do amature radio off and on, not into it like my dad is, which upsets him a bit I think, but oh well. I have my Novice ticket, was going to go for full call but Astronomy got in the way lol.

Not sure of any others.

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

LOLOL
I like this.

1. Horses- It isn't the intial purchase price of horse (at least a grand) and saddlery(another grand), it is the ongoing costs such as shoes, vet, worming, vet, feed, vet, rugs etc that really hits the back pocket. You should see how gracefully I can fall off.

2. Digital Embroidery - I bought one of those you beaut embroidery machines with a digitizer. The most fun was digitizing, converting pictures and fonts into sewing file format. I think this hobby paid for itself in the long run, as I used to embroider shirts, caps and t-shirts and sell them at the markets. The highlight of this hobby was when I was asked by an American company if they could put some of my work on a CD Rom. I lost interest not long after.

3. Gourds- This was the hobby I had just before getting a telescope. I still grow these unique vegetables, but the growing is the easy part. To craft them you need an array of woodworking tools. You need tools to carve them, cut them, woodburn them, polish them, paint them, special handtools you need to make because you can't buy them. Then I got into making Drums out of them, and so I had to source rawhide, and learn how to lace the drumhead etc. I learnt a lot.
4. GOLD!!! There's gold in them there hills. At least there was some in the creek that I found. I started off with a couple of pans and a seive, and worked my way up to a top of range metal detector. Lots of hard work, but the excitment when you come up with the goods is tremendous. I don't mind fossiking for gemstones either.

I usually experience burnout after about 2 years with most of my hobbies. But the skills you learn are with you for life.

[johnno]

Hi All,

I agree with Astroman,
I am not sure I would call some hobbies "Failed",as such,just not as persued as they once were for one reason,or another.

Not in any particular order,just as they come to mind.

1.Full call Amateur radio operator,used sometimes

2.Astronomy,mainly with Binoculars,but also telescopes,used often

3.Playing Instrumental music Shadows mainly,often (No talent whatsoever)

4.Cutting and polishing Opal,when my Arthritus lets my legs stand for a while

5. Brewing home made Beer,Bourbon,and Scotch,CONSTANTLY

6. Speedway car racing,when I was a LOT younger

7. Sex, very rarely nowadays.Well I did say for one reason or another.

8. Gold Fossicking,mainly at Nundle,Again,Arthritus has called a major slowdown,Forgot this one until I read the last reply.
Regards.
John

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Like Andrew I'm not sure that failed is the word. Some of them are still hanging in there

Orchids (Since I was 19. I had up to 1500 of them at one stage)
Minerals, crystals and geological formations (Since I was 8 and still going strong up until astronomy grabbed hold of me again ).
Bromeliads
Bonsai
Tropical fish
Pokemon cards (Used to collect with my son. I had full sets of Basic, Jungle, Fossil, Base set 2 and Team Rocket. Lots of 1st editions cards. Now worth a fortune)


And they are just the main ones

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Johnno,
Thanks for reminding me.
Hobby 4.
I was into home brewing for a while. I've still got my pot still in the shed. I made it out of an old pressure cooker, copper tubing, and a large plastic drum as the condensor.
I jammed copper scourers up the tubing to increase the reflux. It worked a treat.
I've still got 4 bottles of whisky I made in 2002, using traditional methods, ageing on french oak chips. I'm not cracking them open until they are quite a few years older.

[Jonathan]

My biggest failed hobby would have to be my RC plane. I started building it while I was recovering from a knee operation 7 years ago and got about 3/4 of the way through and have never looked at it since. It's a real waste because it cost a fair bit with the methanol motor and everything else.

Another failed hobby would have to be my collection of rocks and fossils. One day I'll sort through them all and get it organised. One day...........

[johnno]

JJJnettie,

Hi,
Thanks for reminding ME,I had forgotten about the Fossicking UNTIL,I read your Post.

Regards.
John

[barees63]

I'm a serial hobbyist (it's probably a pathology), although I move from hobby to hobby I never really lose interest, just run out of time to fit them all in..In reverse Chronological order:

Astronomy, the current obsession

Scale modelling (making an Airfix Bounty sailing ship etc), got into airbrushing for this.

R/C model aircraft, electric R/C planes started off with beginners foamie moved onto to big grunty twin engine electric, then into aerial photography then into ShockFlyer 3D models culminating with winding my own brushless motors.

Silver-smithing, got all the tools together and started making sterling silver jewellry as a result of:

Lapidary, got into collecting (and occasioally buying) gemstone rough, got a diamond rocksaw and a flat-lap grinding machine and made rather nice cabochons from local and imported stone, keen to find the time to get back into this one and the jewellry making.

Fossils, buying (and ocassionally collecting) fossils

Ancient coins, collected both high-quality and "uncleaned" Roman (and some Greek) coins, developed cleaning skills and did a bit of selling as well, established quite a nice collection of Roman silver and bronze coins.

Rocketry, started with Estes model rockets and moved up to Giant "Public Missiles" high-power rocket (too expensive at about $50 per launch).

Also, Kayaking, Golf, off-roading in the Jeep, Tropical Fish (no tank currently) etc etc..

Have I got a problem?

[iceman (Mike)]

Online gaming was my most recent hobby before astronomy. I gave it up because it took too much time and I didn't have time to play games and play astronomy

Little did I know this hobby takes up much more time than online gaming did

I've also played various sports competitively over the past 10 years (basketball and tennis mainly), but gave them up due to time, commuting to work, family etc.

My wife is into scrapbooking, and I just started doing a few pages to spend some quality time with her (ie: earn browney points!) So that's my newest hobby. Don't know how long it will last though. It's fun though

Is browsing IIS considered a hobby? Because it takes up most of my time

[Heian (Mark)]

Some of these hobbies seem to be general. I've done the Airfix models, battleships for me. When it was time to get rid of them, I made a big pool and sunk them with full honours courtesy of an air rifle. (That was fun! )
Guitar, with no talent - passed this hobby onto my daughter...
R/C boats - still have 2 under the house in storage.
Kite flying - bought a stunt kite and downloaded heaps of info on stunts and patterns and flying tips.
Karate is the latest one, comes in handy with astronomy.. (touch my scope and I can kick to the height of your head )

[acropolite (Phil)]

I'm with the others who say they pass on from hobbies and interests. My hobbies have been (and some still are).
Mororcycling including Motocross & Observed section Trails (My younger days)
4WD Off roading (Tassie used to be a great place for off road activity)
Snow Skiing (gave up when the tow queue's got too long)
Water Skiing (my back isn't strong enough anymore for this, but I still tow the kids around)
Scuba Diving (still got my gear)
R/C cars, Planes (I still have a Helicopter which hasn't flown...maybe this year!!.)
Electronics and computing (still dabble)
Surfing (briefly in my late teens, not much success then)
Windsurfing, & wave sailing (still got all my gear but haven't used it for 5 years but I will again). Oddly I was better at wavesailing than most of my old surfing mates.. almost identical skills, I guess I just didn't put in enough effort with the surfboard, once I had a sail and boom in my hands everything just clicked.
Sailing (small dinghys)
Snooker & Eightball (Got an old full sized table at home)
Woodwork & Metalwork (didn't get to do this at school but really enjoy working with my hands)
Fishing (incl fly fishing) & Boating (Still got the boat & regularly fish)
Astronomy (which I've always been interested in but only took up this year)
Photography (most of my good shots have been accidental....)
Flying (still have a full private pilots licence but sold my 1/3 share in a plane..far too expensive to maintain)
Table Tennis (HRH Liz & myself play regularly @ home.
I've never played competitive sports.

[captain3081]

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

LOLOL

I usually experience burnout after about 2 years with most of my hobbies. But the skills you learn are with you for life.

I felt guilty about splashing out on hobbies and losing interest after a while.

I feel better now knowing that there are bigger freaks than me!

Thanks for the therapy everyone!

[iceman (Mike)]

Oh thanks Phil, I forgot photography.

My new hobby is wannabe photographer. My wife is very happy (yeh right) that this could turn into a new expensive obsession

[h0ughy (David)]

well now, what have I been into,

lets see

-golf (finished with a handicap of 8)
- waveski (skin cancer put pay to this one)
- baseball (played on and off for years, now RSI put pay to it, darn IIS and games.LOL)
- basketball - too serious for me
- cricket - saturday arvo hit and giggle, was great fun playing in city and suburban comp - again skin cancer stopped this one
- Squash - left it in juniors at A grade after breaking cartliage in wrist
- sailing - liked it but without too much skill let it go - again skincancer a major deterrant
- rally cars - this was great, do it at night and when you had a mishap very expensive. got to see some great skies though in the forest stages when not driving.
- computers - still ongoing - was sick of being ripped off by shops so I did my Network management diploma, helps pay for my current and long term habbit, astronomy.


there have benn other stuff but cannot remember them off hand now

[ving (David)]

well this thread makes me feel better about myself

so we are talking about previous hobbies huh.
in no order...

*online gaming: never made the trasition to broadband so i gave up when everyone else did go to broadband. but man it was good!

*photography: it comes, it goes.... it seems to be back again for a while

* R/C cars: left quite some years back. i just lost interest.

*mountain biking: no heres a story! I still do this from time to time and really enjoy myself when i do, but alas i am getting lazy now.... I used to race (semi-pro) but that was about 15 years ago. I still really enjoy this tho, my level of fitness just isnt the same

*snorkelling: only did this for a while with a friend who I have lost touch with.

*bodyboarding: it broke about 5 years ago and i didnt replace it... i wasnt any good but it was fun.

*bonsai: I have made more bonsais than you can poke a stick at, the only one still alive is one i gave my mother... I have the black thumb of death! Cheryl has started doing bonsai now, but she cant keep the buggers alive either...

*herpetology: Its started in my late teens and ended some time in my late 20s. I was a member of the syd herpetological soc based at syd uni and had friends who were into it too.

*fossils: collecting..... very short lived. A friend of mine was driving home from work and noticed after rain that there had been a big land slide in the kangaroo valley region. we went there to see if we could find anything (he is so into indiana jones ) we found heaps of fossilised plants! it was great. we planed on a return trip and now 2 years later we have all but forgotten about it.

so basically this leaves me with photography, mountainbiking ,skywatching (for some reason i cant bring myself to call myself an astronomer), and my family.

[slice of heaven]

I don't know if I can list them all, so I'll stick to the ones I liked the best
Model Rockets and fishing while a kid in the 60's

Fishing and hand gliding during the 70's, a large powerline was erected across the cliffs at our favourite cliffs, so travelling time eventually killed the hand gliding. One of the best buzzes you can have.

Late 70's..early 80's Street Legal drag racing @ Adelaide International...13.6 sec @ 118mph for the 1/4 mile in a 6cyl EH Holden. Loved it, the concept was dropped by A.I.R. and came to an end.

80's...Fishing... R/C cars and planes... the planes were fun , preferred gliders to power but enjoyed both. Cars were great.. best finish was 8th in Stock off road at the State Champs against a field of Factory/Retail sponsored drivers. Still race the cars against the kids now.

90's...First telescope purchased....Fishing

Now... Still fishing... Still looking up... but now I get more into whatever the kids are interested in rather than my own interests....

[Robert_T]

Hi All, some interesting trends in here. Fishing seems a big one. I just keep recycling old hobbies - this is my fourth Astronomy phase over 30 years

My wife once suggested I was only attracted to hobbies that involved some form of phallic symbols... guitar, fishing (poles), fencing (swords) astronomy (scopes), megalithic monuments (big standing stone thingies in europe) etc... hmmm, maybe she had a point

hey mickoking good to see another blues harpist out there, haven't touched mine for a couple of years now.

cheers,

[Striker (Tony)]

I dont consider it as hobbies failed..more so hobbies conquered...lol

My list would be longer then my 2005 purchased items list.

But similar to Mike's....really big for online gaming until I woke up to my self.
Loved all the radio controlled hobbies like cars and yachts..also have my marine coral aquarium still to conquer this.

I am preapaired to say I failed in radio control tanks...that lasted about 2 months....then astronomy come along.

I think hobbies are a must...I will continue having fun hobbies untill the day I die....keeps me from going OLD like say 40....lol

[beren]

When i was younger WW11 modelling,cricket,skateboarding and electronics , then cars/ windsurfing/snorkelling/boxing-muay thai/golf/soccer/fishing{only caught 3 minnows with a $600 rod and reel} and my three big ones surfing/bodyboarding, photography and 4wdriving that come and go depending on the missus ....when I can I like bushwalking/hiking while taking notes and pics of new plants/insects/birds i come across and i would like to try rock climbing { }