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Why is everything so darn expensive?

Manok101

By Manok101
in The Astro Lounge

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Manok101

Manok101

Posted
Posted

Anytime I want to do something, and start looking into it I come to realize the only way I'll ever get into just about any hobby is by winning the lottery, which will never happen, and I was just wondering, why are hobbies so darn expensive?

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Ags

Ags

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In two years I have spent £500 (year 1) and EUR 800 (year 2). I find if I wait long enough, I change my mind about what to buy and end up buying nothing.

Now i am putting aside EUR 50 a month towards purchases - not enough, but at least the funds are 'ring-fenced'. I'll try add to the pot when bonus money comes in, birthdays etc.

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SiriusB

SiriusB

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Hmmm,

Astronomy was much more expensive way back when.

A 10" reflector would have been out of reach to most at one time...which i see you already own.

It can be a fairly cheap hobby unless you suffer from an obsessive compulsive collecting disorder,which i think i may have.:icon_salut:

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Pat Dunne

Pat Dunne

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Anytime I want to do something, and start looking into it I come to realize the only way I'll ever get into just about any hobby is by winning the lottery, which will never happen, and I was just wondering, why are hobbies so darn expensive?

If you think it expensive on your side of the pond, come over here to Europe and look at what we have to pay for the exact same items you guys in the States are able to purchase for on average of up 30% to 40% cheaper :evil:

Like any hobby the initial outlay is always the most expensive part. After that first splurge of large cash outlays for Scope, Eyepeices, Camera etc, it settles down to a more than managable level.

There is one thing to be said for this most wonderful of hobbies, the wow monents far outway the cost of all you purchases. :icon_salut:

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eyepod

eyepod

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Hmmm,

Astronomy was much more expensive way back when.

A 10" reflector would have been out of reach to most at one time...which i see you already own.

It can be a fairly cheap hobby unless you suffer from an obsessive compulsive collecting disorder,which i think i may have.:D

I've just had a look at an old price list "broadhurst clarkson and fuller 1985" i think they became telescope house many years later, anyway in 1985 a meade 2045 LX3 was £975 :evil: which is 3 times the price of a rough equivalent today...perhaps we've never had it so good...:icon_salut:

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John

John

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Hmmm,

Astronomy was much more expensive way back when.

A 10" reflector would have been out of reach to most at one time...which i see you already own.

It can be a fairly cheap hobby unless you suffer from an obsessive compulsive collecting disorder,which i think i may have.:evil:

Quite right. I've still got some 1980's and 1990's brocures and price lists and a) the range was very limited and :D the prices, relatively speaking, were much more expensive, eg: £800 for a decent equatorially mounted 6" newtonian, £1,000 for an EQ, mounted 4" refractor (achromat not apo).

The range, quality and pricing of equipment today is exellent by comparison.

Also, the hobby involves using precision scientific instruments to go beyond naked eye and binocular observing. Such equipment is never going to be really inexpensive, not if it's actually going to be up to the job that is :icon_salut:

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182570

182570

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:DIcan remember many years ago when the BAA monthly mag came.I looked longingly at those AE SCOPES AT 1/20th wave,then looked at the prices they really were astronomical,not many people then could afford big scopes,much easier these days

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Capricorn

Capricorn

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It depends where you want to stop. Going for bigger and bigger is plain expensive.

One reasonable scope and say 4 or 5 eyepieces is really all that is required when you think about it.

For refractor people a 102-126mm ED will cover it all, for the reflector people an 8-10" is all that is really needed, that again will do all they need. Throw in 5 eyepieces and stop there.

For some reason almost none of us do.

I know I haven't.:icon_salut::D:D:D

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russ.will

russ.will

Posted
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Anytime I want to do something, and start looking into it I come to realize the only way I'll ever get into just about any hobby is by winning the lottery, which will never happen, and I was just wondering, why are hobbies so darn expensive?
Actually, I think you'll find this hobby is quite cheap. Like any hobby where there is no apparent upper limit to expenditure, careful selection of what you buy, can get you up to the 90-95% performance level of what's available, for considerably less.

I consider my HEQ5/SW200p at the bottom end of the mid range spectrum for £1100, but if you're only into visual with no interest in attaching a camera, the same scope can be had on an EQ5 for under £500. When looking through the eyepiece on both setups, there is no difference.

Take the eyepieces. The standard EPs are £15 each. At £40 for a BST/Paradigm ED job, you elevate yourself to another plane.

Yes, you can bankrupt a small town on the top end stuff, but you can get yourself a long way up the ladder in bite sized, paycheck friendly steps...

...as long as you buy sensibly and make use of the second hand market. This last point is a biggy. Buy a brand new EP you don't like and you will loose 25% of the value when you flog it on. Buy the same EP second hand and it costs you no more than postage to shift it on.

Buy clever.

Russell

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Gonzo

Gonzo

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I do believe you do not need to spend thousands to enjoy astronomy :D

Buy what you can really afford and enjoy it, who cares if someone has a bigger super dupper mount or scope better than yours :icon_salut:

I bought an EQ1 table mount and I have intention in using it to the max :evil:

It will take time, but you need to start small :(.

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pete_l

pete_l

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Quite right. I've still got some 1980's and 1990's brocures and price lists and a) the range was very limited and :evil: the prices, relatively speaking, were much more expensive, eg: £800 for a decent equatorially mounted 6" newtonian, £1,000 for an EQ, mounted 4" refractor (achromat not apo).

The range, quality and pricing of equipment today is exellent by comparison.

Absolutely spot on. I was browsing through some old Astro mags & catalogs (the BC&F Bookalog - they even made you pay for their sales brochure :icon_salut:) ISTM equipment that gets dismissed, today, as "department store" junk would in the 70's be classed as "for the serious observer" and priced accordingly [since "serious" in astronomy advertisements means "wealthy" :p]

Anyhow, once you've made the initial investment in buying your 'scope, using it is free for the rest of your live.

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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For most of us, the scope is the cheap(ish) part. Its the accessories over the years that make the money mount up.

Just for fun......................later on i am going to do a running total of everything i own to do with the hobby (excluding books but theres another 200 quid right there i guess).

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Fatbloke-Dim

Fatbloke-Dim

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Hmmm...

I tend to subscribe to the "Never had it so good" lobby . But having said that ,folks in the U.S. do score over us here in the U.K. ,not least because our government like to make everything as expensive as poss, in the knowledge we'll take it lying down . It's the British thing to do . Try 20% sales tax . AND we have to pay about 140 of our Earth pounds for a licence to watch T.V. Yep .A licence . Chew on that . Don't gasp with yerr mouth full ,where's yer manners !?! And just be thankful you don't own a boat - a 4 Dollar bottle of car shampoo with the "car" crossed out and "marine" substituted ? Fifteen bucks , to you , Sir ! There's allus someone worse off than yerself . 20% tax notwithstanding , we still do reasonably well in dear old Blighty .

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

Posted
Posted

Damn.......................

Just off the top of my head:

Scopes:2.5K

Camera:750

Bins/tripod:550

EP's:500

Misc:500

Total=5K

and thats not including everything.

Now if you divide that cost per clear night.............i think astronomy may be one of the most expensive hobbies there is.

P.S.~~~i'M A CHEAPSKATE. I'm sure many folks have spent this amount on just a single scope or imaging rig.

p.p.s~~Sorry i know its a bit vulgar to talk about money. I'm just a bit shocked that i have spend this much so far.

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