How big has your investment been in Astronomy.

StarGazing (Alex) · #1 13-01-2010, 10:40 PM

I am sitting inside on a cloudy night in Melbourne looking through this great web site and could not stop thinking about how much I have spent in total minus sales over three years with my wonderful hobby............ Total $9500 and counting folks ....... Gotta love hobbies

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What's your investment been fellow astronomers ?????

Cheers Alex. Thanks for reading.

erick (Eric) · #2 13-01-2010, 10:58 PM

Time? - considerable. $s? - not telling (but not very much)

Hagar (Doug) · #3 14-01-2010, 07:24 AM

Not telling, if the minister for finance found out I would be speaking with a much higher pitched voice for sure.

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #4 14-01-2010, 07:38 AM

I've spent plenty, but would I do it again? Of course! Hobbies are what I work for. They're my release, and at the end of the day they are the things that I love to do and which keep me sane. Why wouldn't I spend necessary funds on them?

My next door neighbour thinks that it's more important to pour money into the garden or house than a silly hobby like "astrology". That's his prerogative! I disagree.

gbeal · #5 14-01-2010, 07:55 AM

Man, what sort of answers are you going to scratch up here?
I have spent heaps, but agree with Chris, it is what I do.
The up-side (or so I tell myself) is that if I cash up today I will likely realise almost all of my investment.
Show me a fizz boat or golf club membership that does that.
Each to their own.
Gary

spacezebra (Petra) · #6 14-01-2010, 07:59 AM

Ditto! but not about the "higher pitched voice" thing! I think that if my secret slush fund (did I say that out loud) was found it would be seized for other things like trebuchets!

Cheers Petra d.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hagar

Not telling, if the minister for finance found out I would be speaking with a much higher pitched voice for sure.

Louwai (Bryan) · #7 14-01-2010, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hagar

Not telling, if the minister for finance found out I would be speaking with a much higher pitched voice for sure.

I suppose there are some rewards from a marraige breakup. I don't have to worry about it.....

I think she'd faint if she knew how much of 'her' money I'd spent.

I could have bought 2 new bikes & got change from my Astro budget.....

If I include the SDM 20" (to arrive any day now) I guess I'm close to $50k

AlexN · #8 14-01-2010, 08:55 AM

Heaps...

Spent $34332
Sold $17699
Total $16632

This does not include miscellaneous items like extenders/barlows/reticule ep's rings/dovetails, USB adapters/hubs, cables etc... Thats just Scopes/mounts/cameras.

Would I do it again, Yes, but probably smarter if I had my time again.... I would still invest similar money, although perhaps not gone through 3 mounts, 10 scopes and 7 cameras...

astro_nutt · #9 14-01-2010, 09:19 AM

I've spent enough for what I need...(but I can dream about what i'd love to have!!)...but for what i've spent...the travelling to dark sky sites, dining gourmet, trying out the lastest equipment for the first time, observing and discovering the weird and wonderful in the night sky, meeting up with good friends and making new ones then taking the memories home with me....priceless!!!

mithrandir (Andrew) · #10 14-01-2010, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hagar

Not telling, if the minister for finance found out I would be speaking with a much higher pitched voice for sure.

Ditto. From time to time I get asked and probably forget to include a few things. We have separate accounts and I get stuff delivered to the office.

For instance, last week's "waste of money" was a complete set of "The Night Sky Observer's Guide".

Barrykgerdes · #11 14-01-2010, 09:42 AM

Probably close to $50000. At a quick count of major items $38000 (over $3000 each)

Baz

erick (Eric) · #12 14-01-2010, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mithrandir

For instance, last week's "waste of money" was a complete set of "The Night Sky Observer's Guide".

Now I've bought #3, I just have to buy #s 1 & 2 as well

Still cheaper than having ocean yacht racing as a hobby! In fact, even a basic motor boat!

multiweb (Marc) · #13 14-01-2010, 10:17 AM

Still well under $10k for me in 3yrs. Only bought what I needed at the time, mostly second hand and always make the most of what I've got. I spend money in other places not just this hobby.

h0ughy (David) · #14 14-01-2010, 10:19 AM

well,

i have a few toys, and the new observatory so around 50K

Lester · #15 14-01-2010, 10:21 AM

I have spent under $50,000.00 since 1970 in this great hobby, so just over $1,000.00 per year. Have enjoyed every year of it, with technological changes; mainly from film to digital, and auto tracking mounts.

Believe what you like, but the truth is; you cannot take your money with you. So enjoy. I have and will continue to.

All the best.

el_draco (Rom) · #16 14-01-2010, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spacezebra

Ditto! but not about the "higher pitched voice" thing! I think that if my secret slush fund (did I say that out loud) was found it would be seized for other things like trebuchets!

Cheers Petra d.

I've got a Treb.... built it myself. Lots of fun.

As for the amount I have spent on equipment, over a life time?
Hard to say. Thats about 10 scopes including a 29" newt, LX200, various refractors and my current set-up.

If I bought each one cash... my wife would shoot me.. protecting my scopes... but like most folks, I've built up over time. If I had to replace what I have now, could not do it in a pink fit.

Have I had value for money? Yep X 50

Astronomy has shaped my life, kept me sane at times... put it all in perspective, and is now doing the same for my children

Rom

DiamondDust (Ingrid) · #17 14-01-2010, 12:26 PM

OMG

! I've only just started and currently only spent $1500. Must admit I have spent a fair bit on golf too. Mmmm, now I come to think of it, hubby spent WAY more on the boat BEFORE I got my scope. I've got some catching up to do.........see ya, off to the shops

Hagar (Doug) · #18 14-01-2010, 01:17 PM

To be honest I have probably spent well over $40K over the years but a lot of the items have been recycled to second hand buyers. I have over time bought a lot of equipment which was of no value to the direction I chose to persue. My current inventory is around the $25k level but I still have a few things to buy before I retire.
Like a lot here I have a running away from home account which pays for the majority of my gear and I am fairly lucky with my choise of partner as she much prefers me buying astro gear than sitting in the pub at night and is usually fairly supportive of my requirements.

tonybarry (Tony) · #19 14-01-2010, 01:36 PM

I did the sums as part of the insurance inventory. Came to about 6k over about three years, with reasonable resale value (say 50%) if required. The Mrs reckoned it was heaps better than either the pub, the casino, or the local house of illicit pleasures. So she supports the research, even if she seldom comes out for a romantic night with the goto humming and the mozzies biting and me muttering strange things like "where's the bahtinov mask?"

I have a buddy who does fishing. His boat alone cost 28k, and his latest reel and rod assembly over 1.5k ... with such comparisons I think it's a very modest hobby, and great fun to boot.

Regards,
Tony Barry

SkyViking (Rolf) · #20 14-01-2010, 01:56 PM

I think it's one of the cheaper hobbies actually. You can get some awesome results from very modest equipment. In 20 years I have until now spent just about $10k in total. That's for 4 telescopes (3 to 10 inches), a Losmandy G11 and 2 complete observatories (moved house so had to build another...)
However I'm currently saving for an SBIG and considering a C14 instead of my current 10" Newtonian so the grand total is definitely creeping upwards

Oh, and just bought my first decent eyepiece the other day, Televue Nagler 16mm T5.