Hobbies

[Pandemonium]

Something I've been doing for about 15 years as a hobby is occasionally building so-called "garage model kits" often for clients or friends. I've probably done about 150 kits, mostly figures, about 3/4ths for clients. Like the description implies, these aren't your plastic model kits you find at a typical hobby or toy store, they are designed and produced by a few people or even single individuals who cast them (usually) from resin in very small runs of about 25 - a few hundred kits. They range from figures from comics and movies to hardware and spacecraft of every description. The nerdier the subject, the more kits have been produced (so lots of Star Wars and Star Trek shit). Because they are quite literally "handmade," they are usually unlicensed representatives of their subject and run anywhere between $70 - $2000+.

In this case, I was asked to build, paint and come up with lighting for a studio scale (the size of the actual filming model) Star Wars Tie Interceptor as trade for a guitar. It's about 2 feet long. I'd never built any sort of Star Wars ship before and because Star Wars fans are so... anal.... about details like the exact color, etc, I had to do a lot of research before doing this kit.:

[intertwoven]

That's pretty sweet!

I collect baseball cards.
Here's a silly gif I made yesterday.

[Larry B.]

That's really cool. Sometimes I've thought that building models would be pleasant for me, but I just don't have the space.

During this year I've felt the "need" to have a hobby. Something that helps with my anxiety or something. I did a couple of "sessions" of geocaching, which was quite fun, but I just can't bring myself to do it on my own. I felt great sort of supervising a kid (both times I went with my girlfriend and her little brother) and watching his face light up, but I'd feel silly going on my own.

Maybe running is a hobby? I'm not sure, since sometimes I feel it like a bit of a hindrance. I have to run so that I don't get fat.

I've also thought about doing something related to astronomy...

At the end of the day, I feel like I end up stopping myself from doing shit.

Today I'll try to fix a vacuum cleaner. Maybe that'll be a hobby.

[perkana]

Maybe running is a hobby? I'm not sure, since sometimes I feel it like a bit of a hindrance. I have to run so that I don't get fat.

I've been running for over 10 years and I do it cause it's the cheapest way to do exercise and I'm like a dog, I need fresh air and sun rays to hit my face. Plus, it makes me tired enough so I can have a good night sleep. But besides that, I've found it extremely boring for the past 3 years.
My hobby used to be learning languages, but since I've had to focus a lot on my studies, I've forgotten about it. It gave me a lot of pleasure. What gives me pleasure right now is taking pictures. I would love to take lessons to take better pictures.
I love whining, that could be a hobby too

[perkana]

Something I've been doing for about 15 years as a hobby is occasionally building so-called "garage model kits" often for clients or friends. I've probably done about 150 kits, mostly figures, about 3/4ths for clients. Like the description implies, these aren't your plastic model kits you find at a typical hobby or toy store, they are designed and produced by a few people or even single individuals who cast them (usually) from resin in very small runs of about 25 - a few hundred kits. They range from figures from comics and movies to hardware and spacecraft of every description. The nerdier the subject, the more kits have been produced (so lots of Star Wars and Star Trek shit). Because they are quite literally "handmade," they are usually unlicensed representatives of their subject and run anywhere between $70 - $2000+.

In this case, I was asked to build, paint and come up with lighting for a studio scale (the size of the actual filming model) Star Wars Tie Interceptor as trade for a guitar. It's about 2 feet long. I'd never built any sort of Star Wars ship before and because Star Wars fans are so... anal.... about details like the exact color, etc, I had to do a lot of research before doing this kit.:

I would love a Millenary Falcon model With a lifesize Han Solo

[Mescal]

Playing bass guitar, record collecting and boxing.

Playing bass guitar since 1994, record collecting since 2006 and boxing since 2009.

I get a thrill out of all these hobbies, so can't really say which one I like most. The playing bass and record collecting are in the same vein, so, being passionate about music since I heard Anarchy in the UK on tv as a 12 year old. I've played soccer for most my young life, but I quit when I was 21, so couldn't be arsed to play again. Then I put on some weight, then I lost some again and realised I needed a sport. So boxing is something I can do on my own (as opposed to playing sqaush) and is kinda fun + good for the body. I'm not doing any matches, just training. And I broke my first nose a few weeks ago (not mine, the other guy's)

[Pandemonium]

During this year I've felt the "need" to have a hobby. Something that helps with my anxiety or something.

I like to think of the definition of a hobby is doing something that should be non-stressful that uses whatever (artistic) skills one has as well as making (me) think, especially using problem solving skills on a regular basis. The more creative, the better. It bugs my wife, because I'm always restless and can fill every minute of dead time with something to do.

For me, it used to be drawing and painting, but once I became a graphic artist, the line blurred between work and fun and about 10 years ago I pretty much stopped illustrating for my own satisfaction. I screw around playing guitar and bass but I've never been that good and it's often frustrating. I picked up model-making at first because I went to this huge garage kit hobby show in Pasadena in the late 90's and was blown away by all the kits of subjects that I'd never seen on store shelves. My interests being in manned space flight, sci-fi and giant monster flicks, I quickly gravitated to the hobby and got really good at it to the point I started getting a lot of offers to do other people's kits. The most I've been paid for one kit was $2000 for a Apollo Saturn V, but I've done everything from Godzillas to Predators averaging about $300 a build.....

[Essence_Smith]

I actually worked at a hobby shop in Brooklyn through college...we sold everything from comics, to gaming cards like Magic, to martial arts movies and a slew of other collectibles...my old boss who still operates there has now turned half of the store into a skate shop which was brilliant considering there are little to NO shops in the borough that do custom work on decks...I think he does snowboards as well...me personally, while I no longer collect them I have been an avid comic book reader for years... not much from Marvel or DC these days, but I do still check the Batman books often...I also boxed for a time and play guitar, but I did crack a lot of cartilage in my hands so I gave up the boxing since I'd much rather play guitar...I did models as well, but mostly cars and planes...the last major one I did was a Ferrari Testarossa which I have no idea how many parts it contained but took me a few weeks...definitely my hobby shop time taught me the value of having them though...

[Jasper]

That's pretty sweet!

I collect baseball cards.
Here's a silly gif I made yesterday.

[Pandemonium]

I actually worked at a hobby shop in Brooklyn through college...we sold everything from comics, to gaming cards like Magic, to martial arts movies and a slew of other collectibles...my old boss who still operates there has now turned half of the store into a skate shop which was brilliant considering there are little to NO shops in the borough that do custom work on decks...I think he does snowboards as well...me personally, while I no longer collect them I have been an avid comic book reader for years... not much from Marvel or DC these days, but I do still check the Batman books often...

I'm sure I mentioned in another thread I started out on comics at a very young age in the mid-60's collecting 95% Marvel Comics and even sent in submissions while in High School trying to get a job there as a comic book artist. While I burned out and outgrew the super hero crap decades ago, I still occasionally pick up and get hooked on oddball independent titles once in a while - in the 90's it was Sin City and Preacher and the last decade it was Planetary and the Alan Moore stuff. What always attracted me to comics was the artwork - I was a huge fan of mostly late 70's artists like Barry Smith (Conan), Jim Steranko (Shield) and Berni Wrightson (Swamp Thing) to name a few. In the last couple years, there's been this trend to publish huge books of exact scans in the actual size of the penciled and inked art for some artists' work on particular series and I've bought a few of these pricey books:

http://www.idwpublishing.com/artistseditions//

[Juana]

I collect guitars. I make music. I tinker with things around the house. I run too, my latest obsession is being able to run a 5k in under 19 minutes on the road.

[crater]

I collect baseball cards.

I used to collect cards. I have hundreds of baseball, basketball and football autographs from going to games and getting them signed

[Pandemonium]

I collect guitars. I make music. I tinker with things around the house. I run too, my latest obsession is being able to run a 5k in under 19 minutes on the road.

You know, I'm always up for building and trading a Godzilla or Space Shuttle model or two for a Gibson ES295.... even a 90's reissue .

[intertwoven]

I collect baseball cards.

I used to collect cards. I have hundreds of baseball, basketball and football autographs from going to games and getting them signed

Sweet!
RIP Manute Bol.
It's a regret of mine that I didn't get many autos in my younger days. I've been buying some certified autos on eBay the past year, though. Shelled out for some greats like Yogi, Yaz, Bob Gibson.

I've made this offer on the board in the past, but if anybody wants to unload some cards on me they've got stashed, I can hook you up with lots of vintage Jane's boots and/or a few bucks in return.

[Juana]

I collect guitars. I make music. I tinker with things around the house. I run too, my latest obsession is being able to run a 5k in under 19 minutes on the road.

You know, I'm always up for building and trading a Godzilla or Space Shuttle model or two for a Gibson ES295.... even a 90's reissue .

I have mostly Lessies when it comes to Gibbys. I will try to upload some more pics of the ones my grandfather left me when he passed away but I have a few from the early 60s with the hang tags still in the case. I rarely play them though I do change the strings every 90 days. I'm kind of OCD with keeping them clean and maintained but when they get wear spots I do not care haha

[Lokus]

I've been moonlighting as a wedding DJ the last couple of years. I started doing it for a couple of close friends for little or no money. At those weddings people asked me to do theirs and then I was getting lots of requests from friends of friends of friends.

I decided to quit after I did 2 weddings this summer where family members of the bride or groom got a bit bitchy with me for not playing a specific kind of music (that no one would want to hear other than them) among other things. It pissed me off, because I was thinking "Whoa, I'm basically doing this as a favour! Spare me the attitude".

It was fun for a while, but as soon as it started feeling like a job, that was when I had to give up.

I collected lots of funny stories though, like how at every wedding there are typical people that always come and talk to the DJ:

- There is a middle-aged guy who always wants to make a request, but doesn't have a specific song in mind! They're all like "Uhh....can you play some ahhhh...let me think...what's a good song you could play....something from the 70's. Any ideas?".

- There is always a 12ish year old girl who wants to hang out with the DJ and ask about how the computer works and where I get my songs.

- There is always a drunk chick who wants to hear some random, not very well known song, and then sing at the top of their lungs to it. Funniest example I remember was this white trash chick that wanted to hear some ballad duo with Ozzy Osbourne and Lita Ford from the 80's. "Oh, yeah, I have that. I listen to it very day, I'll bring it right up."

[intertwoven]

I'm Djing the wedding of my to-be brother-in-law later this month. I was kinda excited about it, but then they told me they want it to be mostly old jazz along the lines of Nate King Cole. It's gonna be a mostly conservative, Christian crowd.. so gotta keep it pretty milktoast. Oh well. I love DJing family dinners. At Thanksgiving I was throwing out 70s/80s hits that had my future in-laws practically crying with joy (wine-aided, of course).. that was a lot of fun.

[creep]

i dj'd my best friends sisters wedding when i was 18. she married a guy with a mullet that wore oakley blades and made people call him "rock". the wedding was at his parents house and they walked down the aisle to white wedding by billy idol. rock's dad had a naked painting of his wife on the wall. he shot himself in the head a few years later. they are no longer married.

[perkana]

Rock or his dad? and that's awful!

[Larry B.]

I'm Djing the wedding of my to-be brother-in-law

That's a weird way of saying "my sister's wedding."

[creep]

Rock or his dad? and that's awful!

dad

[perkana]

I'm Djing the wedding of my to-be brother-in-law

That's a weird way of saying "my sister's wedding."

Or his fiancé brother's wedding... In that way that sounds good to me

[perkana]

Rock or his dad? and that's awful!

dad

That's awful either way. Poor Rock...

[MYXYLPLYX]

i dj'd my best friends sisters wedding when i was 18. she married a guy with a mullet that wore oakley blades and made people call him "rock". the wedding was at his parents house and they walked down the aisle to white wedding by billy idol. rock's dad had a naked painting of his wife on the wall. he shot himself in the head a few years later. they are no longer married.

The fucked up thing is... we grew up in the same town at roughly the same time and I can think of multiple possibilities of guys whose dads shot themselves in the heads.

[intertwoven]

I'm Djing the wedding of my to-be brother-in-law

That's a weird way of saying "my sister's wedding."

Or his fiancé brother's wedding... In that way that sounds good to me

Yeah, I'm an only child. My fiancée's brother is getting married. I popped the question first (back in April), but they snuck in and are getting the big fancy wedding. Doesn't bother me, though my fiancee's a little miffed. We're getting married in a low-key ceremony in Hawaii next June. But her brother is more into the pomp & circumstance and is doing a big Church wedding the weekend before Christmas where I'll get my first taste of bigtime DJ stardom.