Odd Hobbies, Like Stamp Collecting

Me what I like the most is having a beer after I visit the dealer. Not the car dealer but the stamp dealer. Burp and reburp... Daniel

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When FaceBook & YouTube & Binge Streaming are normal, who would not want to be eccentric?

Back in the day, TPFKAMIP (The Person Formerly Known As Mrs ikeyPikey) and I homeschooled our children, and gleefully rolled our eyes when a normal (public-schooled) child described her hobbies as "shopping and hanging-out at the mall".

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

Agree with many other responders on this thread. Rail spotting is not confined to "British," and is a larger population than non hobbyists could possibly image. A simple google of rail forums will show the number of photographers taking absolutely beautiful pictures of trains of all sorts, in all locales and conditions, which to me is tantamount to any other art work, some of which I have on the walls of my NH home. You will also see more specialized forums that tell you where New Haven #145644 currently resides as well as the tracking of the engine that carried Bobby Kennedy back East in 1968 and that may have gone from Penn Central through various reincarnations to Amtrak etc.

What all of these forums and clubs have in common is passionate members and an age range that is usually greater than 45 with the occasional outlier.

A buddy of mine and I were contemplating the number of motorcycles that are or will be coming available for next to nothing and with extremely low mileage which will go wanting for buyers and riders, who as they get older but still want to ride may nonetheless opt for lighter bikes, trikes, or scooters as opposed to giving up riding altogether and with there being fewer of the younger generation being interested in the larger luxury rides as opposed to the crotch rockets or those built primarily for speed and racing as opposed to cruising and touring—if they choose to ride at all.

I never knew public schooling was the cause of the lack of stamp collectors.

No, public school curriculum sets the "standard" as to what is currently considered the cookie cutter recipe for developing all children into happy conforming and average adults.

funcitypapa wrote: "Rail spotting is not confined to British........." Indeed, people were out in the snow earlier this week, in Colorado, to check out Union Pacific's "Big Boy."

And then there are the numerous trips of UP's 844, the last steamer delivered to UP in December, 1944. 844 has never been out of service, except for maintenance, in almost 75 years!

We homeschooled both our kids and certainly turned out to be anything but cookie cutter! Although neither collect stamps :(

US Federal law requires a minimum of 180 school days; every single local school system follows this minimum. I assume that this is because of pressure by parents for summer vacation time.

Currently the US schools rank somewhere between 10th and 30th in the world yet we apply the minimum attendance time. Minimum, nothing like setting the bar high. Great thing to teach the kids, always shoot for the minimum
Don

If you are not familiar with the Union Pacific's "Big Boy", mentioned in Climber Steve's post, I was fortunate enough to get in close for a photograph when it stopped in Tucson a few weeks ago. Fortunately, we did not have snow



A lot more information is available here. https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/4014/index.htm

I am a stamp collector, trainspotter (love the Big Boy!), model railroader, genealogist, and paperweight collector. I find that when I am at a party, I will announce some of these interests only when asked of my interests. Unless the other person is one of those, too, that topic of conversation tends to end right there. I suppose some would call me boring, but they aren't living my life. I am always amazed at the reactions - like my hobbies are somehow less interesting or fun than their hobbies. I believe that people with that attitude tend to be small-minded and self-absorbed. I'd rather be boring.

Nice shot of 4014. When you stand by the track and feel it go by, you'll be a railfan too.
After a career in railroading, however, I am just as glad to focus on stamps. I do wish philately could attract the family turnout which I observed at Milwaukee Train fest last month. It was a HUGE show and full of families.

In the UK train spotter is sometimes used as a synonym for Nerd, but lots of people do it. far more than in North America. A point that seems to be missed is that from what I can see there are parts of the US media interested in stereotyping England. I have spent time in the USA embedded amongst US citizens and it's obvious they aquire an utterly false idea of who we are. they think we are completely subject to some class consciousness. Any one who isn't working class goes fox hunting on horseback in red jackets and white breeches, most of us are crazy as coots eccentric. we use a currency with 12 pennys in a shilling, 20 shillings in a pound, and males wear a tweed jacket and collar and tie. Well I say you chaps it simply isn't twue, what what!
Philately is a less popular hobby than it once was, but the journalist was probably just churning out another stereotype piece of writing that involved Zero research or observation unless it was to research what gets published and paid for. so all you good ole boys put yer stamps away take a couple a slug of moonshine saddle up yo horse and mosey round to the newspaper office and shoot the varmints up. Only Joking of course. news editors know we all enjoy hearing about national stereotypes

I prefer to think of myself as an anorak.