What other hobbies do you have that don’t involve collecting things?

[JayAg47]

By which I mean it doesn’t cost you money or only low initial cost. 

[JAZ Numismatics]

 l like target shooting, although I have no desire to collect guns - I just have a few choice bits of equipment. I've also kept aquariums my entire life, fresh water and marine. I used to love to hike, but since my illness and the resulting neuropathy, I can only walk about a hundred paces at a stretch. So now I sit in the woods and contemplate the meaning of life. (I'm pretty sure it's 42.)

[Phil Anthos]

I like to stand really big stones on their ends...

~ Peter 

[Roman Collector]

I was a long-distance runner for some years, but as I have gotten older and have had a heart attack, my running days are over. Now I'm a dog walker. I also play online chess and online poker. 

[JAZ Numismatics]

20 minutes ago, Roman Collector said:

I was a long-distance runner for some years, but as I have gotten older and have had a heart attack, my running days are over. Now I'm a dog walker. I also play online chess and online poker. 

I admire someone who can play chess well. I watch several chess channels on Youtube that analyze great historical games, and I'm always astonished at the tactics and combinations and sheer calculation of the great players. None of it seems to translate into my own games though, lol. It's definitely more of a spectator sport for me.

Edited November 23, 2024 by JAZ Numismatics

[JAZ Numismatics]

1 hour ago, Phil Anthos said:

I like to stand really big stones on their ends...

~ Peter 

Petehenge!

[kirispupis]

I like writing and photography. For photography, I'm primarily a wildlife photographer, but also do a few landscapes and travel. Here are some photos from the last week or so.

In terms of writing, I have two novels out and have been working on three others for some time. Below is a completely self-serving plug for my own books. 🙂

 

[ewomack]

I mostly read a great variety of books, but mostly non-fiction (history, philosophy, technology, and many others). Depending on the book, the initial cost has remained pretty low. I consider myself more of a reader than a collector, though the room I read in may make people think otherwise. I had a very short spurt of collecting first edition books, but my interest in that faded pretty quickly. I want to read books, not keep them in glass cases.

Some years ago, I also used to draw cartoons and post them on the web. This led to two of my cartoons getting published in books. I also used to receive requests from people to use them in online magazines (the online version of Psychology Today used them for a while), blogs, science fairs, public speeches, etc. I was surprised that people emailed me asking for permission. I sometimes wonder how many people didn't. In any case, I stopping doing it for various reasons. Did I make any money? I don't think I made a cent, but it was personally satisfying creating things that other people considered useful.

Apart from that, I tried to build a high powered model rocket. I'm still not done. It will stand almost 6 feet high when completed, assuming that ever happens. I did launch a number of low powered rockets (the wood and cardboard ones available in hobby shops). Some people collect vintage model rocket kits. I never did.

[ambr0zie]

Table tennis! 

This was one of my major hobbies as a child/teen. Unfortunately, I grew un in a very small town and a bad economic period in my part of the world + school was the only priority, so I never joined a club.

After leaving for college and moving completely in my new town, I rarely played. And only casually, perhaps 15 times in the last 20 years. 

Re-started this summmer, joined a club and enjoying every moment, especially since I have honorable results. 

Money - debatable. As a hobby purely for fun, you can play with the cheapest paddle found in hypermarkets, low cost sports stores. But if you are heading for pro play, things change abruptly. It is not a VERY expensive sport, but I have been buying several blades/rubbers to find the perfect match for me. Drawing the line - not exactly cheap. 

[wuntbedruv]

Boat fishing. There is nothing finer, in my eyes, than to spend a day out in the summer drifting the banks for Bass or Turbot or anchored for bigger stuff. I will always maintain, if I may be vulgar, that fishing for black Bream on light tackle is the most fun one can have with clothes on.

I shan't bore you with images of captures or dinners resulting, so here are some tranquil sunsets and landscapes. While fishing is in part about fish, it's also about appreciating nature and seeing wonderful things.

[airhead1983]

Reptiles!

The initial cost for the setups is fairly expensive, but, the maintenance and feeding costs are quite a bit cheaper.

My brother plays video games. 😎

Erin

[Parthicus]

I do a lot of reading, and I am something of a movie buff,  but I don't exactly consider them hobbies.  They're just... activities that I enjoy doing in my leisure time.  I am somewhat serious about birdwatching, which I do call a "hobby", and it doesn't involve collecting (except in the abstract sense of "collecting" new species that I've never seen).  Inexpensive... my binoculars cost $300 (but they've lasted many years), and I have a few guidebooks that don't cost very much.  But if you want to, you can easily spend thousands of dollars on guided birdwatching trips to just about anywhere on the planet that birds are found (that is, anywhere on the planet where humans can survive).  Here's a few bird photos I've taken over the years:

 

 

 

[expat]

My other hobby is painting. I got into it when I left the army and had difficulty adjusting back to civilian life. It is a major relaxation creating something from your mind and seeing it come to reality.

Here are a few

Jetty at sunset

Rainy day

[panzerman]

Great posts!

I love when I unemployed (Winter) to take my Rottie for 10 km walks/ do weightlifting (keep in shape)

I really love snowmobiling/ but last few Winters really sucked/ never enough snow to groom trails or open them,

I also love seeing nature/ many times walking dog/ I see Snowy owls/ Brush Wolves (Coyotes) Pileated Woodpeckers....

Also love classic corvettes/ just got this pristine/ everything new 58.

[ela126]

3 hours ago, panzerman said:

58.

Holy crap, this is porn. Outstanding.

im not a classic car guy but i have a 2009 370z I baby and love. Not close to this but oh man, that certainly beat any coin, what a beauty..

Edited November 24, 2024 by ela126

[ela126]

I always have to be doing something. I do many things; model airplanes (gas and electric) 17th century maps, running (90-95 minute half marathons) and now biking, and home brewing. (These days mostly raising young kids though)

just befor kids, and after home brewing for years, I wanted to see if I bought make a still by hand off Liquor production (turns out, with amazing amounts of effort, I could). Not only many the still by hand but distilled 145 proof liquor from it with consistency. Frankly one of the most impressive things I’ve done in life (no plans whatsoever), I literally jumped for joy.

these days it’s ancient coins and peloton.

Edited November 24, 2024 by ela126

[thejewk]

I make electronic music and I play medieval and baroque music on the recorder family of instruments.  Electronic music is my focus of recent years, although that doesn't fit with the low cost criteria, as I have spent a considerable amount of money to get a setup with which I can be quick and comfortable.

I read a lot too, usually some history and fiction at the same time.  Over the last few years I have read quite a lot of what tends to be classified as 'Weird fiction', authors like Thomas Ligotti, Jeff Vandermeer, HP Lovecraft, Ramsey Campbell, etc.

[Qcumbor]

I combine travels and photography. I admire @kirispupis and @Parthicus' skills at photographing though !

Some pics from my trip to Portugal last february :

 

Q

 

[JAZ Numismatics]

6 hours ago, ela126 said:

I always have to be doing something. I do many things; model airplanes (gas and electric) 17th century maps, running (90-95 minute half marathons) and now biking, and home brewing. (These days mostly raising young kids though)

just befor kids, and after home brewing for years, I wanted to see if I bought make a still by hand off Liquor production (turns out, with amazing amounts of effort, I could). Not only many the still by hand but distilled 145 proof liquor from it with consistency. Frankly one of the most impressive things I’ve done in life (no plans whatsoever), I literally jumped for joy.

these days it’s ancient coins and peloton.

Well we know who the moonshiner in the group is now. That's important information!

[red_spork]

Like @JAZ Numismatics I enjoy target shooting. Even shot a few long range competitions when I lived in Colorado though more recently I've been working on pistol skills and haven't been shooting long range much since it's just a lot of work - I load my own custom ammo, etc and it takes a few days of prep for a single range day.

I'm also big into local history particularly since moving back to Kentucky and buying an old(180+ year) house. I recently joined the local historical society and have been spending a lot of time studying local history and the history of my family and my wife's. Much of my family has been in the area since the revolutionary war, as has much of my wife's family so it's interesting seeing how the history of our families interect with the overall history of the region and the towns around us. I had studied some of this prior while we lived further away but now that I'm so close that in some cases I can go for a walk at lunch and see the place an ancestor of mine lived 150 years ago for instance, it's a lot easier and a lot more fun.

Edited November 24, 2024 by red_spork

[CPK]

@red_spork That sounds like a great opportunity for one of my hobbies: metal detecting! 🙂 

I got into it a couple years ago, along with a friend of mine from work. Also my brother. I live in central MO so we don't have quite the history that they do back on the east coast, but there is still a lot of potential. I've found a handful of silver coins, lots of wheaties and several indians, as well as a crusty 1868 2-cent piece and a braided hair large cent, date unknown. Some silver jewelry too. My friend once found two seated liberty dimes at an old house site we were detecting.

I like to do pencil drawings, though I haven't done anything serious for awhile. Mostly animals. Yesterday I did a rough sketch of a Spinosaurus dinosaur.

You might say that physical training is a hobby of mine, as well. My younger brother and I got into strength training about a dozen years ago after reading old-school authors like John McCallum, Brooks Kubik, and John Brookfield. We used to follow the annual World's Strongest Man competition (we knew all about Hafthor Bjornsson long before Game of Thrones) and Arnold. Guys like Jouko Ahola, Magnus Samuelsson, Marius Pudzianowski, Phil Pfister, and of course the all-time legends Zydrunas Savickas and Brian Shaw.

I got more into hand and wrist strength too, and worked up to be able to do classic feats like bending 60-penny nails and tearing decks of playing cards in half.

More on the endurance side, I also like to go on long walks along with the same friend who does metal detecting. A few years ago, we went on a 50-mile hike, found out about halfway through that we were woefully unprepared but finished it anyway with much suffering 18 hours later. Then last year we decided to try a 24-hour hike, put in some serious preparation, and completed it - walking just over 72 miles in 24 hours. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done, mentally as well as physically - and in my mind probably my greatest achievement to date in physical training/exercise.

Here's a photo of us just starting out, at about 8 am. I'm the one on the right. Sadly, I totally forgot to take an "after picture" 24 hours later. 😞

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I've been into old time radio.  While I ended the acquisitive part of getting original source material, I became sick of the house getting filled wth reels and transcriptions, I still collect the shows, and have somewhere north of 60,000 shows.  Probably well north of that.   I also enjoy the historical and news broadcasts, as well as some of the really obscure shows. 

But, to get it within the parameters of the thread, I don't spend much on it, anymore.

[CPK]

15 minutes ago, Nerosmyfavorite68 said:

I've been into old time radio.  While I ended the acquisitive part of getting original source material, I became sick of the house getting filled wth reels and transcriptions, I still collect the shows, and have somewhere north of 60,000 shows.  Probably well north of that.   I also enjoy the historical and news broadcasts, as well as some of the really obscure shows. 

But, to get it within the parameters of the thread, I don't spend much on it, anymore.

Are you a fan of Jack Benny? I've probably listened to every one of his radio shows, from the mid 1930's all the way through the 60's.

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Yes, he's one of my favorite comedy shows, with Ozzie & Harriet being the other.  The Lucky Strike era (1944-55) was the best, in my opinion, with 1946-50 being the sweet spot. My specialty's mystery and horror shows, though. Inner Sanctum and I Love A Mystery, respectively, are my favorite shows. 

People started asking me to do too many projects and I semi-retired from the hobby.  If I hadn't, I'd be doing reels 7 days a week. 

It's getting to Cinnamon Bear time, but I've listened to it so many times over the years (from a digital transfer, of course), I just can't do it anymore. 

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I guess I misremembered the title; it's not collecting things, not of not spending money.

That really narrows it down to a trickle for me; listening to the radio.  The Grace Internet Radio is a really convenient way to listen to internet radio streams, although most of the ones I listen to nowadays are from the Sirius part.