Useless hobbies?

[Thumbcocker]

I guess since I find pleasure something of value, none of my hobbies are useless.

This

[GhostHawk]

Agree with Shawlerbrook that if it gives you pleasure it is not worthless.

Agree with kbstenberg, those are not hobbies, those are sports, and I could care less about any of them.

Taken in a "hours of the day used in pursuit of" vein, my reading does nothing for anyone but me.
It can be the perfect escape, the ultimate drug, the search for truth, experiences, or the meaning of life. Or it can be sheer pleasure. Not worthless.

But then I'm retired and have a lot of hours to fill.

[bedbugbilly]

I love the reloading and casting, but as I get older, I'm not shooting as much so am rethinking just what I want to "keep" and what needs to go.

I don't know if it qualifies as a "useless" hobby or not . . . but my other hobbies is playing the fiddle.. Always loved fiddle music but it wasn[t until after a major heartsick at 43 and by-pass surgery that I pursued it. Took some lessons from another fiddler and neither he nor I can really read music - I play by ear. My greatest "advancement" in the fiddle playing is when I attended a week long workshop on old time music at the Elkins and Cavis College Heritage Center in Elkins, West Virginia. I learned to play in cross tune (GDGD) and have never gone back to standard tuning (GDAE). While I was there, I got to know Melvin Wine - a well known and famous W.V. old time fiddler. He was kind enough to sit down with me and help me out with some issues I was having and he taught me two valuable lessons. First, I was having trouble with my little finger on my left hand as far as getting it to respond to the fingering needed on the strings - due to some nerve damage I suffered as a result of he by-pass surgery. His advice? "Forget about you little finger and make them three finger tunes and what you can't dot with your left hand, make up for it with your bowing." His second piece of advice? "Forget about what other folks think of your playing . . . too many people try to imitate others . . . just play and have fun 'cause if you are not having fun, why do it?". I'll also add that Melvin could not read nor write much beyond signing his name, yet he was a Methodist "Lay Minister" and he could quote the Bible frontwards and backwards, I kept in touch with him and passed away several years later . . . one of those men who really was an influence on me.

One of my favorite fiddles is an old Hopf (boxier tha a Stad). It dates back to around 1830 to 1840 - a copy of a true Hopf. I enjoy playing old Stephen Foster tunes, Civil War tunes etc. and often sit out in the garage here in AZ and play . . . if someone walks by and likes it . . . that's great if it brings them some enjoyment too . . . but I play it for myself . . . a great way to relax.

[dverna]

What makes me laugh are people who think their hobbies are essential to survive. A couple we know garden and raise livestock. The lady got angry when I called it a hobby. She had posted something about canning a dozen jars of tomato from the garden. I commented I buy it for $1/jar on sale and was too lazy and cheap to do that much work so she must really enjoy her hobby.

Well, I got an earful. Her reply, "We need to garden to survive. We can't all buy stuff like you do!". Now that is BS. We hit the sales and buy almost everything in bulk. We save a lot of money living that way. If I had to survive, I would get a low skill job for $15+/hr (every business here is begging for workers). After all, how much can two old people eat?

This same couple raises chickens and it costs them about $4/lb (I buy chicken on sale for $.40-1.20/lb). Their last pig cost over $4/lb and I buy pork loin for $1.40-1.80/lb and pork butt for $.80-1.40/lb. They have their livestock killed, cleaned, and butchered for them adding to the cost.

My most expensive (useless?) hobbies have been RV'ing and competitive Trap shooting.

[lightman]

I guess my most expensive and useless hobby was learning to fly and buying an airplane. Next up was Scuba Diving. I also used to build things out of metal. Several tractor implements, trash can holders, a couple of trailers, Deer Stands, a Crawfish cooker, ect. Other hobbies are hunting for Indian Artifacts and collecting cartridges. I'm blessed to be in an area where artifacts are common and I have dozens of places where I have permission to hunt. The flying, diving and building things are in the past.

[lightman]

Sold the TV years ago, quit drinking I don't know if that counts but has saved me a ton of money not to mention my health. I could care less for any of thr mainstream so-called sports. Most of what I do these days has some practical applications. Do my own leather work weld woodworking etc. As an old hillbilly it's basically just living. We rarely ever hired someone else to do things that we could do ourselves.

Hey Buddy, good to see you posting again! I picked up another bucket of weights, you better get busy!!!

[Thundarstick]

What makes me laugh are people who think their hobbies are essential to survive. A couple we know garden and raise livestock. The lady got angry when I called it a hobby. She had posted something about canning a dozen jars of tomato from the garden. I commented I buy it for $1/jar on sale and was too lazy and cheap to do that much work so she must really enjoy her hobby.

Well, I got an earful. Her reply, "We need to garden to survive. We can't all buy stuff like you do!". Now that is BS. We hit the sales and buy almost everything in bulk. We save a lot of money living that way. If I had to survive, I would get a low skill job for $15+/hr (every business here is begging for workers). After all, how much can two old people eat?

This same couple raises chickens and it costs them about $4/lb (I buy chicken on sale for $.40-1.20/lb). Their last pig cost over $4/lb and I buy pork loin for $1.40-1.80/lb and pork butt for $.80-1.40/lb. They have their livestock killed, cleaned, and butchered for them adding to the cost.

My most expensive (useless?) hobbies have been RV'ing and competitive Trap shooting.

I had a fellow church member make a statement to me once, about how he could buy produce so much cheaper than I could grow it. I politely informed him that he couldn't afford to purchase as much as I give away from my bounty every year!

[JoeJames]

Used to do quite a bit of creek fishing: ultra light spinning rod 1/8th ounce lures. But I have gotten older and the rocks are slicker than they used to be. Hunting - used to squirrel hunt, rabbit hunt with beagles, and deer hunt, but not much now. Shooting - mostly revolver and some rifle. Casting - I have found that all in all I now enjoy that more than reloading and shooting - if that makes any sense, but I still do enjoy reloading and shooting. Reading, and do a little writing.

[mozeppa]

i had a friend that thought he'd like skydiving without a chute.

i never know if he liked it ...did it only once.

[tankgunner59]

To everybody except for me, my wife and son, my reloading hobby is useless. I like to collect knives and I sharpen them obsessively. I guess other than home improvement and reloading that's my "useless" hobby.
As for your deleted rant, believe me it's not just the ones around you. I have played video games with my son in the past, all first person shooter games, but I don't get the constant fixation on them, it gets boring real fast.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I collected hobbies for.....40 years. My wife used to say she always wondered what I was going to try next. Useless hobbies? Well, as far as monetary gain I suspect most have been fairly useless. For knowledge accumulated, (often useless except in trivia pursuit games), they've been priceless. If pleasure, fun and satisfaction have any value then they've all been much more than useless. They include sailing, (that ain't cheap with a nice boat), downhill and cross country skiing, skijouring, (two high bred dogs was enough so the dog sled never materialized), snowmobiling and snowshoeing, canoeing, white water kayaking, camping, mountain biking, bowhunting, hobby machine work, boating and water skiing and no doubt others. The only one of those I still participate in is XC skiing. I still hunt, shoot, load and pursue old rifles in old cartridges. Fly fishing with vintage bamboo rods and restoring vintage bamboo rods, fly tying and, no doubt the second most expensive and tied for first for the most fun, pleasure and satisfaction, collecting, working on and driving vintage sports cars.

Gardening isn't so much a hobby as a way of life since I was a little boy as is reading.

I can start my response, just about exactly like sharps4590 did. I don't have a wife to ask "what's next", but I have a few close friends who are always asking that, LOL.

Since Idaho45guy didn't ask for useful hobbies, I won't include that long list.
BUT as to USELESS...
1. Watching the TV News
2. Watching Movies
3. Drinking Wine
4. Petting my Cat
5. sorting cases by HS, for auto-pistol calibers
6. collecting rocks

[waksupi]

Fly tying is probably my most worthless activity. For what I have in materials and tools, I could have bought a lot of flies!

[Geezer in NH]

hobbies i have never done and never will. Golf, tennis, basket ball, baseball, football (american), hockey, car racing, walking through a mall

this!

[Digger]

Great reading about everyone's different hobbies ...
Besides flying in sailplanes in my high school and later days ..
Been metal detecting off and on thru the years , have not been able to the last few but now will get into it again as I so enjoy history and being out doors .
Live here in N. Nevada with all the history here and beauty , am lucky to live here.
Reloading and casting my own have been very enjoyable and with that have met new friends also .
Will avoid going off on stories here but great to read about others and theirs in life.

[country gent]

I was one of the lucky ones I made my biggest enjoyment a career. Started in my first job shop at 15. Got this little card that said journeyman tool and die maker at 22. Worked in the trade until I medically retired Now Im in the process of putting in my own shop both metal and wood. I really enjoy making fixing or improving things. Staying busy helps me with mobility and balance.

A new building, machines, tooling, and stock Im getting close to finishing.

Ive seen to many retire with nothing to do or occupy their time just waste away in a very few years.

[RoyEllis]

Back in the early 80's I had a useless hobby for almost 3yrs. Came home from deployment and found her with a boyfriend, so I put a stop to that hobby.

[Mk42gunner]

I like working on cars, as long as I don't have too. While it is fun to play around with an old hotrod or 4x4, it becomes a lot less fun when the only vehicle you have is broken down and you have to fix it to go to work tomorrow.

I like handtool wood working, I'm not very good at it, but I do strive to get better each time.

Something I just started is what they call greenwood spooncarving. I've made three spoons in the last three days, and so far I find it enjoyable. I need to get some better knives, I did the first ones with a hatchet, a Mora companion knife and a set of Harbor Freight gouges.

Don't do as I did and start with elm, the grain is something else when trying for a smooth finish.

Robert

[Winger Ed.]

I guess the only hobby that's not really productive beyond the enjoyment part is keeping the 21' antique boat
and not using it as much as I should.

[375supermag]

Hi...
Other than hunting and shooting, my useless hobbies include babysitting a couple of Labrador Retrievers, studying military history (mostly WWII) and paleontology.

[beemer]

I love motorcycles but sold both my old BMW's last summer. Legs are not good and that makes it hard to ride and add the fact that I am older slower and don't bounce well makes it not worth it.

I like to make dulcimers, build an ocasional long rifle and turn bowls. I also dabble in leather working.

I collect knives, old woodworking tools, Gillette safety razors and other old useless junk.

None of it has made much money but I've had a good time.

Dave