# How expensive is your hobby? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 29, 2025, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-expensive-is-your-hobby/1026139 "2025-12-29T12:55:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-expensive-is-your-hobby/1026139/201 "2026-01-06T13:59:55Z")
Scrappers might grab it, but we are on a fairly busy road and tons of people see our curb before the junk man. I sometimes check my cameras to see what happened to whatever, and it’s not unusual to see a sedan pull over and two ladies put whatever into the trunk and head off. And if it’s something good it disappears instantly (e.g. a tool box with tools and a sign saying “free to a good home”) ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-expensive-is-your-hobby/1026139/202 "2026-01-06T14:14:23Z")
Yeah I know some of the stuff I give away gets scrapped or the person who grabs it turns around and sells it. I’m ok with that. Then there was the guy who got my nice gas furnace when I switched to a heat pump. He literally teared up with gratitude because his old one was about to die. Similarly with my washer and dryer. The old lady who got it told me that she had never owned a set in her life prior to that. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-expensive-is-your-hobby/1026139/203 "2026-01-06T14:38:44Z")
Do yourself a favor and don’t get into coin collecting. It starts out innocently enough, trying to get one Lincoln penny from each year. Then you want to get each mint mark from each year. Then you buy one of those little folios to smoosh your pennies into. Then nickels. Then dimes. Then quarters. Then comes the day when you find that one wheat penny in change, and suddenly, like Pokemon, you’ve gotta catch ‘em all. There aren’t enough wheat pennies still in circulation to satisfy that voracious coin folio, so you think, “Okay, I’ll visit my local coin dealership and see if they have any wheat pennies for sale.” You get in the store and look at the displays, and … oh my. Look at ‘em all. Some are cheap, but most … aren’t. By the time you’ve realized what happened, you’ve gotten the fancier coin _albums_ to display your babies in, and you’re starting to round off your collection of 1800’s half-cent coins. Sometimes you keep the price of each purchase down to double-digits, but only sometimes. … _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-expensive-is-your-hobby/1026139/204 "2026-01-06T18:59:21Z")
Musical instruments are shockingly expensive, no way around it. I’ve played bass for about 30 years, and used to have really nice instruments (Spector, Neuser, Alembic etc.) that I switched sometimes, keeping the bass money in closed circulation without affecting my general finances. I’d still like to buy nice basses, but that bass money is long gone, and when the poorest, firewood worthy Chinese basses cost about 300 e, decent starter instruments start at about 700 e, and desirable basses stand at 1000 - 6000 euros, I just can’t play (heh). Even buying second-hand, really good deals are no more, it seems. I play lefty, but that doesn’t really affect the cost, only availability and selection. I now play a 20-yo. Music Man copy, which has its issues (weak all-maple neck, mediocre fretwork, huge weight etc.), but I don’t know if I’ll ever have a chance to upgrade. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-expensive-is-your-hobby/1026139/205 "2026-01-06T19:48:47Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Maybe a needy family snags a free functioning washer / dryer. And maybe some scrapper gets $20 worth of steel and a bunch of trash parts to landfill. No way to know which. “Someone gets free thing” and “Someone busting their hump gets $20 and stuff gets partially recycled” both sound like wins to me. I’ve never seen a scrapper who didn’t look like he could use twenty bucks. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-expensive-is-your-hobby/1026139/206 "2026-01-06T21:18:41Z")
Axe throwing. I looked up how much I paid to axe throwing venues last year and the total is $691. I throw in a league that costs around $150 for 8 weeks, 4 seasons per year. I also threw at a couple other venues last year in areas that I visited. Axes have a wild range in price depending on what the thrower wants and how much they want to spend. I have more than enough axes at the moment as I inherited a bucket full of them when my local venue closed down. The last axe I bought is $49 on Amazon. Expensive axes could be $200. If I were throwing at home, I’d have to buy wood for the targets. I do have a target that I also inherited from the above-mentioned closing venue but the motivation to set it up has thus far escaped me. Maybe this year. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-expensive-is-your-hobby/1026139/207 "2026-01-06T21:22:49Z")
Truly for me, spending money on a hobby is half the fun. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-expensive-is-your-hobby/1026139/208 "2026-01-06T21:51:26Z")
I paid $11 for my chessboard, and I can play over the board for free. I can also play online for free, on chess(dot)com, although I could pay a premium fee and unlock other features like game reviews and such. For World of Warcraft, $70-ish every couple of years for the expansion pack, $16.99 (or whatever they’re debiting my card) per month for my subscription. Cannabis - an ounce ($150 and a shit ton of taxes at the dispensary) will last me ~three weeks. Cannabis use comes with a lot of _accoutrement_; pipes can be found for less than $5, a bare-bones bong for about $30, on to several hundred or even over a thousand for more elaborate bongs. I clean my supplies with isopropyl alcohol, for which I pay $3.99 every couple of weeks. I’ll oft buy more than just flower – edibles, vapes, etc. – and those cost an absolute fortune considering how much it takes me (I’m a very heavy user) to get high. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-expensive-is-your-hobby/1026139/209 "2026-01-06T22:26:45Z")
Collecting for your hobby is a separate hobby all by itself. I do very well with both, TYVM! Happily all of my stuff is small, so it only fills one closet. This four inch piece represents an investment of about 250 dollars when the stand is counted. (Yes that is your basket on the floor. George crams himself into it every night for a pre-sleep nap.) [![Imgur](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55027966759_e6b25a72ae_b.jpg "Sky 010626") ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/191587192@N04/55027966759/in/dateposted-public/) I personally hate designs that “allow” you to pick your own colors or stitches. I want the designer to do all of that so I can’ just go into stitching trance, hyperfocused but no thoughts at all. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-expensive-is-your-hobby/1026139/210 "2026-01-06T22:38:13Z")
I have the same stitching stand! I love it! You are super talented. I’m… Let’s just say I’m still considering every project a practice piece! ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-expensive-is-your-hobby/1026139/211 "2026-01-06T22:52:57Z")
It is a great stand, isn’t it? I love how easy it is to take apart so I can travel with it. > [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Let’s just say I’m still considering every project a practice piece! I have been doing this for over 60 years. It isn’t talent, it is practice and practice makes perfect 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-expensive-is-your-hobby/1026139/212 "2026-01-06T23:59:09Z")
Quite. No disagreement from me. Honest scrapping is hardscrabble work I’m happy to support. (Vandalizing for scrap is a totally different and reprehensible business.) My point was intended to be: don’t figuratively pat yourself on your moral back for promoting reuse when it may well be recycle you’re promoting instead. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2026, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-expensive-is-your-hobby/1026139/213 "2026-01-07T01:56:33Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I’m thinking particularly of the metal scroungers. You see folks in old ragged pickups full of random bits & bobs of metal. They might grab your fully functional [whatever] solely to bust it up for whatever metal it may hold. They likely nabbed our broken water heater we left out for trash pick up. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2026, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-expensive-is-your-hobby/1026139/214 "2026-01-07T02:55:32Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > $150 and a shit ton of taxes at the dispensary Where do you live? Move to the west cost where they pay you $150 to get rid of the multitudes of excess ounces. Not really…but close. Also, where an ounce will last you three weeks, that is a years worth for me. Odd how perspective matters. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2026, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-expensive-is-your-hobby/1026139/215 "2026-01-07T07:41:13Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Cannabis - an ounce ($150 and a shit ton of taxes at the dispensary) will last me ~three weeks. Cannabis use comes with a lot of _accoutrement_; pipes can be found for less than $5, a bare-bones bong for about $30, on to several hundred or even over a thousand for more elaborate bongs. I clean my supplies with isopropyl alcohol, for which I pay $3.99 every couple of weeks. I’ll oft buy more than just flower – edibles, vapes, etc. – and those cost an absolute fortune considering how much it takes me (I’m a very heavy user) to get high. Would it be appropriate to include the costs of all the Doritos, Little Debbie snack cakes, and late night runs for JitB tacos? 😀 ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2026, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-expensive-is-your-hobby/1026139/216 "2026-01-07T11:20:25Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > My point was intended to be: don’t figuratively pat yourself on your moral back for promoting reuse when it may well be recycle you’re promoting instead. Never even considered any form of back patting. I set things out the day before trash day, so guess what happens if poor families of 8 don’t pick it up and junk men don’t get to it? Yep…the garbage men take it. I make a decent effort, and it’s out of my life. ---
**Author:** ![MacDoc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/macdoc/32/18696_2.png) [@MacDoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacDoc)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-expensive-is-your-hobby/1026139/217 "2026-01-13T20:31:54Z")
> [@3AxisCtrl](#): > > My principal hobby is soaring: flying sailplanes (aka gliders - which despite the name are distinct from hang gliders). This definitely ranks as expensive: a decent glider can cost over $100k (but they tend to hold their value well). An aerotow launch (typically one per day for an experienced pilot) is ~$65. Joining a sailplane club is likely the least cost entry into flying. My solo licence cost about $3k Cdn including 40 tows, 40 plane rentals ( various ) club membership, insurance and instructions. You do have some club duties but I joined early August and was solo in Sept and still a few weeks of good flying into October. > **[Learn to Fly Gliders | SOSA Gliding Club](https://www.sosaglidingclub.com/)** > > SOSA is Canada's premier gliding club with the largest and most modern training fleet and over 150 members. Located one hour from Downtown Toronto, Ontario we offer both beginner and advanced training programs as well as introductory experience... Now prices are up but still the least cost to a formal pilots licence that can easily transform to power ( for much much greater cost ). IF you decide to expand beyond club flights then the costs can get much higher but even clubs can arrange wave soaring adventures. > **[Cowley National Soaring Site](http://soaring.ab.ca/cowley)** > **[Invermere Soaring Centre | Glider Rides in the Canadian Rockies](https://www.canadianrockiessoaring.com/)** > > The premier commercial gliding and soaring centre in the Canadian Rockies. Book your mountain adventure today. I think the record for height for a sailplane is some 76,000 feet …yeah you read that right. > **[The Perlan Project](https://perlanproject.org/)** > > The Perlan Project is an internationally celebrated, world record setting climate and aerospace research project. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-expensive-is-your-hobby/1026139.md?page=10)