How much do you think you have spent.....

[Merlin66]

I've been active in astronomy for over fifty years...

I keep a detailed inventory of all my astro-equipment (the kids I hope will use it - the spreadsheet I mean) when I go.....

The current cost (not the current value!) is sitting at close to $35,000. This doesn't include the numerous "buys and sells" over the years nor does it include the costs of the 5,000 or so books accumulated.

Certainly worth it to me - 50 years of great companionship and endless challenges (spectroscopy!)

[Rockrae78]

With the new scope and various new bits and pieces, I reckon I've spent approx £2k since Christmas. However, I expect all of what I have bought to last me years and years.

I saved up for the scope by quitting smoking, so about half that money could have gone on fags. I'm no where near being rich, but I can't believe that I could have spent that much on smoking! Puts my overall spending into perspective I think.

[Demonperformer]

When I first started getting into 'telescope' astronomy (after 30+ years using nothing but a pair of 7x50 binos) I did go a bit mad, buying masses of eyepieces (most of which have been resold) and other odds and ends, many of which were never used. Now I am very disciplined with my purchases. I only buy something when I know exactly what I want, and (more importantly) why I want it (i.e. for what I am going to be using it, rather than just wouldn't it be nice to have). As such I have spent a grand total of £0.00 so far this year, but I have a purchase of just over £1k planned for August, which will be an NEQ6 + extras (alt bolts & eqmod). This will be much better for my AP than the SE mount I currently use (although not so good for the excuses I currently use for the quality of my pics!) and so I consider it justified.

In terms of total cost, yes, the start-up costs can be quite a lot in absolute terms, but you can get started with as little as the cost of a decent set of golf-clubs. And then you would have to pay every time you use them, whereas we can get out any clear night and have hours of fun without further expenditure. So I'm not complaining.

[nightfisher]

The one thing that niggles me a little, i have a large mak, a heavy syntrek mount, 3 refractors, a reflector..........and most times i just use my TAL100 on the AZ4 mount

[AndyWB]

About £500, including birthday presents. Compared to plenty of other hobbies, not that much; that wouldn't buy the wheels of my mountain bike, and I'm less likely to drive the telescope into a tree.

It's what you choose to spend your money on; I don't want a flash car and don't have a big house.

[Scott]

About £1500 but the way I look at it £1000 of that doesn't count . After all, I'm not going to be buying a new mount every year am I?..............am I?

[JB80]

I don't even want to play this game and I know my investment would be smaller than many peoples.

That said I haven't made a major purchase for nearly a year now just so it seems like I have been behaving before the next purchase.

[DaveS]

I think it's about £500, though it could be more.

However much it is, it's more than I can afford.

[Ptarmigan]

WOW !

Last night I posted

"£65 in 196?

on a David Hind 6" mirror and flat + 2 eyepieces"

then I began to wonder what that would be in todays money :

about £1000 by simple RPI inflation

but ABOUT £2300 in terms of Income value !!!!!!!

(according to http://www.measuringworth.com)

Wow! No wonder I asked my fiancée if I should buy it !!!!!!!

[Grotemobile]

All the gear i buy is s/hand,were posible.

The savings you make, over new ,makes

this an affordable hobby.Most of the stuff

i pick up, is like new.The thing is, you just

have to wait, till what you are after, comes

up for sale.A lot of people, want it now.

If i bought all my stuff new.

Steve.

[bomberbaz]

No idea and no intention of adding it up. Sold quite a bit of gear to pay for other gear. Also had birthday money, other gifts and windfall. Been quite lucky really and thats why I am currently mid spending spree hehe

[Demonperformer]

All the gear i buy is s/hand,were posible.

The savings you make, over new ,makes

this an affordable hobby.Most of the stuff

i pick up, is like new.The thing is, you just

have to wait, till what you are after, comes

up for sale.A lot of people, want it now.

If i bought all my stuff new.

Steve.

I know what you mean, but I tend to be reluctant to do this with big purchases. In recent weeks I have seen three NEQ6 mounts in the classifieds, all around the £700 mark, which is about £200-300 off the new price. BUT, they will only sell to someone who can collect (which, if you don't have your own transport and so need to think about hiring a vehicle, is prohibitively expensive - then add the petrol cost). And when you factor in the fact that FLO send it to you for £7 (where they find a courier who will do the job for £7 is a mystery to me, but long may it continue!) plus the warranty you get with a new item, I'm not convinced that I would be getting as wonderful a deal as some of the s/h stuff appears to be at first glance.

[Cath]

Compare it to how much you spend on petrol/diesel each and every year.

Hoarding money is absolutely no good to you if your not going to use it to do the things you like in life. It's a needless worry to spend your life worrying about numbers, it's the pleasures in life that matter, not numbers.

I really haven't spent much on astro gear, I had a refractor a few years back, but the current telescope was a nice present from a brother.

[kirkster501]

I`ve often wondered how much I have spent over the years ( about £4000) but also how much would it cost to actually replace it all after an unforeseen event.

Hopefully the insurance would cover it.

Make sure you declare expensive stuff as individual items on your contents insurance. Take photos of them and serial numbers too. It does not add to your premium that much, a fiver or so, a fiver well spent!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kirkster501]

It's only money!

Said tongue-in-cheek I am sure! But there's a lot of validity to that view in my book. As long as you actually have the money, and more important priorities have been addressed then quite right, it is only money.

With how unwell my wife is (and you never know when your number is up in this world), I have come to the view that the things that money can buy should be enjoyed once day-to-day necessities have been dealt with as opposed to staring at an increasing balance in a bank. The money will only get consumed in elderly care anyway eventually so enjoy it I say! On that basis I need a Atik 460 mono and all filters and a FSQ-85 to make me feel a little better ;-)

[starnut]

Stelliarium is free and you can use it every night without all the expence.

[Laurie61]

It helps if you can split/share the cost. I have shared an interest in astronomy with my brother since the late 70's I keep all my astro receipts and still have the one for my first proper scope in 1978.

[DirkSteele]

8% VAT? Something we can only dream off now. Great that you still have that receipt.

[trazor]

With wise second hand purchases, you could one day recoup all monies spent....Win Win.....

If bought new, your equipment will still be worth quite an amount, relative to your spend.

But not selling any of mine......

[leemanley]

Well, this thread makes for great reading !

At the end of the day we have all worked hard for what we own, I have stopped having to justify to myself the spending on something that I truly love doing.

The scary thing is, I can't see an end to the wallet emptying as there is always something new and shiny that you just can' live without !!!

[Scott]

Stelliarium is free and you can use it every night without all the expence.

true, but is it really astronomy if you're not cold and tired, swearing at the clouds and cursing the streetlights?

[bomberbaz]

The scary thing is, I can't see an end to the wallet emptying as there is always something new and shiny that you just can' live without !!!

This hobby is like most others, the companies providing the gear are always looking to bolt on another bell or blow another whistle. I used to do fishing at at the beginning of every season they used to invent a new material they could add into your rod that promised to cast it an extra 20 yards to where the fish were (supposed) to be found.

I fell for it like countless other and this is the same. Except at least we know where the stars are supposed to be, hehehe

[Moonshane]

I think it depends on your viewpoint. with the advantage of being solely visual, in the last 12 months I have bought a 20 years old eyepiece and a (probably) 20 years old scope. I have just used them together on the moon and the performance was every bit as good as anything else I could have thrown at the view. I'm not really interested in the latest thing, just what works for me.

then again, being interested in the latest thing is fine too just do what makes you happy

[Ptarmigan]

Hoarding money is absolutely no good to you if your not going to use it to do the things you like in life. It's a needless worry to spend your life worrying about numbers, it's the pleasures in life that matter, not numbers.

Whilst I agree with this, and similar views from other posts I would caution that :-

It is a great comfort to arrive (surprisingly quickly ! ) at old age with a comfortable bank balance.

It means that I dont have to worry if the car collapses in a heap, I can buy two more tomorrow without thinking, likewise I can spend on my hobbies now that I have time on my hands to enjoy them ( I can stay up after midnight when all the lights are switched off, even till dawn and there aint nobody to say nay )

But whatever you do, #1, do it before your eyes start failing, (mine, touch wood are still ok, just, but I know lots, younger than me even, who nolonger enjoy good eyesight )

But whatever you do, #2, get your house motgage paid off quick, a little change in the economic climate (interest rate) can seriously disturb your best laid plans !

[AndyWB]

Economic climate is a good point; it made me spend as much as I did just starting. I'd heard a thing on Radio 4 about how inflation is eroding our savings, so it's better to spend - so I did. Though I couldn't afford to do imaging (even if I felt inclined to).