Justifying your hobby

[Doug Jones]

Was reading a post (selling pens and other turnings), and a question popped into my head.

If a person feels the need to sell their items in order to justify their "hobby" expense, then is this really a hobby that one should be into?

What I'm getting at is, this is a hobby (for most of us) and each persons expense is their own business, but when someone starts spending outside of their means and have the need to sell, then is it a hobby anymore?
Basically just rambling and pondering life,,,

[Steve Clardy]

I turned my woodworking hobby into a job. Its no longer a hobby

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Valid question Doug.

For me, I'll not be selling any pens, until I can make some that are worth selling but it is a good question.

If you are doing it as a business, then that is that but as a hobby, well, I look at it this way, if I have some turned items, and I want to give them away as presents, that is cool, but what happens when I want to give them away, and then the person I give one of my bowls to says "I really like this, and I'd love to give one to my ________ , can you make me one similar to this and of the same wood.......?" with that kind of a request, then I'd expect them to pay for something, at least the wood, and some time etc. (all bets off if my family asks this kind of thing, as they are "Family").

Lots of guys are on a limited budget, and if they can make something like pens and there is a market to sell them, why not.....?

I have to agree that to start turning with the idea that the hobby will pay for itself is somewhat of a stretch, but if I can sell 10 pens for $20 each and end up with enough money, after the expense of the kits etc, to buy myself a new tool or two, why not? I'd rather do that, than take the $150 or so out of the family budget.

I give myself an allowance each month for pocket money and Dungeon stuff, often I do not spend any of it, and it adds up, so when I want to spend some money on something, I can, without any hassles.

Interesting question, I'll be waiting to see some other replies.

Cheers!

[Matt Warfield]

I see it a few ways. For some, selling their wares can be an extension of their hobby. They may not have anyone to enjoy what they do and simply sitting in a booth watching people enjoy your work is rewarding in its own right. But, that needs to be done within your budget as well or it becomes a stress adder wondering if you're going to recoup your travelling expenses. It's amazing the relief felt when you break even.

There's a distinct difference between selling in a booth and being commissioned for a project. That difference is that preparing product for a booth type setting is done on your time where a commission is usually on the customer's time...or feels that way anyway.

For me, there are sometimes when I want to build something for the challenge or because I like it. If the wife doesn't like it, it's either relegated to a family member or sold - to "justify" my expensive hobby. Mind you, it's not myself that I have to justify it to.

[Reed Gray]

For years I considered myself a semi-pro woodworker. I made enough to support my habbit, pay some bills, but not enough to quit the day job. Now I do it full time, and I am having just as much fun as ever. It isn't my sole source of income, but it helps a lot. I now consider myself a 'serious hobbyist' It took me 40 years of working to find what I feel I was ment to do. A good part of the fun is doing the work. Another is the social aspect of doing shows, dealing with customers, talking to other woodworkers, and acting as a mentor. I can't ever see getting tired or bored doing this. I do sometimes feel that need has nothing to do with buying some tools, but I do exercise some restraint. It is all part of the learning process.
robo hippy

[Frank Kobilsek]

Doug,
I got a good job, sometimes I don't like it, but my most peoples standards its a good job both financially and academically. So 'means' ain't the deal.

While the Republican Catholic Capitalist Engineer in me loves it when somebody gives me money, the real test is if the average citizen is impressed enough with my 'art' to look me in the eye and pay for it. Granted the average citizen is truely uneducated in our hobby so it gives all of us who enjoy turning regardless of experience the opportunity to test our skills as both turners and marketers. I think Bert's thread was really a 'Hey, this is fun, but what am I going to do with 40 or 50 pens and at some point my friends and family are going to think I'm nuts if I don't figure out what to do with them' The Craft show thing is fun for me. I wouldn't do it every weekend but the carnival of it is great fun spinning yarns at folks and sharing my obsession. So there is satisfaction and fullfilment for me at three levels 1) Enjoying the time of creating. 2) Fullfillment by the appreciation of others, 3) Enjoying the company of customers (maybe thats my BS skills).

My nieghbor lost his job in his early fifties and announced he was going on the road selling the jelly and jam he makes. Built a commercial kitchen on the side of his house. There is no way in God's green earth he will ever get a return on investment in that kitchen, but he loves to picked fruit, pack it in jars and loadin' up the truck, going to shows and fairs. You see I think he's nuts but I'm just a natural artist. Whats the difference?

I use my hobby many ways and selling is just one of those ways. A few bucks to justify the next tool lust is just bonus. My veiw of the world is different from most but thats the way I see it.

Frank

[Julio Navarro]

I think that it stops being a hobby and become a lively hood when you depend on it and not doing it will hurt how you provide for your family or yourself.

Some people are lucky enough to turn their hobby into a livelyhood. Often they end up really loving what they do for a living. But all to often the desire and satisfaction of a hobby is gone and what was once an enjoyable endeavor turns into work.

I saw a commercial the other day for the first time. It was an old timer(relatively, of course) who ran a classic car repair place, the background was all warm and fuzzy. He was telling a customer who owned a very expensive type car that he was retiring to do what he really loved before he got to old to do it. Scene fades out, narrator for an investment company, then the scene fades in again and this time its a different old timer(relative again) running the shop and the same fellow who had brought his car to the former owner asked this new guy if he was the new owner. The new guy who looked about the same age as the previous retired owner says that he decided to give up his old career and retire to do what he really loved...and bought that shop.

so I guess that its all in how you see what you find around you. One mans ceiling... sort of thing.

[Keith Burns]

Ok, here is my slant on this. I do woodworking as a hobby. I don't sell my work to support my hobby. What little I do sell just helps buy more tools or other stuff. Woodworking is fun for me. If I did woordworking as "my job" then it would cease to be fun and become work. I already work 45 to 50 hours a week at my "day" job and don't want a night job, too.

[Dario Octaviano]

Doug,

From your scenario, it looks like the hobby turned into an addiction...a problem a lot of us suffer (me included).

In this case, I believe it is still a hobby...until the hobbyist becomes a PRO. Then his spending problem becomes INVESTMENTS

[Richard Jones]

I shoot/shot IPSC as a hobby and an Open gun costs about the same as a nice Oneway, Limited gun about like a Powermatic. Even after that, you still gotta load ammo and practice and buy mags and bullets and primers and powder and gas to go to matches and cleats and muffs and holsters and mag pouches and practice and pay match fees and motels for major matches and practice and ...........and............ad infinitum........ If I had started younger I might have made a living at it, but got started too late.

Yeah, turning is a hobby to me, even if I sell stuff..... And not too far of a drive to my lathe..........

Rich in VA

[Raymond Overman]

In my situation proceeds from sales provides me the means to replenish consumables in my shop and purchase new tools. I haven't had to take anything out of my families checking account or put anything on a credit card for three years when I wanted to buy a new tool or pay the entry fees for a show. My AAW and American Craft Council membership came out of proceeds last year. I don't even have to ask my wife before I use that money which is nice.

It's not a business. It is my hobby and I'm lucky that it supports itself. I enjoy every part of it including the sales part. My dad and I love to talk to each person that stops and looks at our turnings almost as much as we do the turning process itself.

[John Shuk]

I say...To each his/her own.

[Bill O'Conner]

Doug,

From your scenario, it looks like the hobby turned into an addiction...a problem a lot of us suffer (me included).

In this case, I believe it is still a hobby...until the hobbyist becomes a PRO. Then his spending problem becomes INVESTMENTS

I just want to know when this happens

I know mine is just an addiction but hey it could be worst, I looked at my online spending and what I've sold so far and the spending outways the income so I'd have to say it's still an addiction( but I'm I having fun doing it)

Bill

[Tony Falotico]

Ok, here is my slant on this. I do woodworking as a hobby. I don't sell my work to support my hobby. What little I do sell just helps buy more tools or other stuff. Woodworking is fun for me. If I did woordworking as "my job" then it would cease to be fun and become work.

Amen to what Keith says, for me this is a hobby, enjoyment, stress release, whatever you want to call it. I go to the shop when I feel like, I don't go when I don't feel like. I don't push woodworking, that is, create deadlines to have pieces finished or over-stress myself to complete a project. I work at my own snails pace and enjoy each step of the project.

I have an unrelated 'day job' that pays the bills, If I want stress and aggravation I can always the go there !!

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Mine is a self supporting hobby! It pays for my new tools and some goodies, like some of the excursions when we Cruise.

The reality is that I turn WHEN I WANT TO, not just because I need product for a show. To me, turning is an AVOCATION, Not a vocation. I will take comissions, but only a few, when they are a challange or when the reason interests me..

Bruce