How much have you spent on this hobby so far?

[samk12318]

6SE - $699 (2011 xmas special price)
TV PM 2.5X - $215
8 to 24mm Zoom - $58
AC adapter - $30
Dew Shield - $23
Moon Filter - $14
Refurb Lifecam - $9
StarWalk App -$3 Total - $1051

Seeing the Universe - Priceless!

[Patrice Lanteigne]

I would rather not list it all in one place. My wife occasionally looks over my shoulder when I'm 'foruming'. I don't hide my purchases and she knows stuff isn't cheap but she might rush out and get a bunch of new shoes if she saw the total spent over the last six or seven years. She might even demand an upgrade to the kitchen cabinets! (She conveniently forgot how much her long arm wide frame quilting machine cost!)

[AlbertP]

I am pretty much finished buying for the next few years.... even got a Canon DSLR, and lots of goodies, moon filter, a box full of stuff. My budget was $4,000 without the camera, and I came in at just about $5000 with everything I am likely to need, including terrestrial zooms for the Canon. I will probably get an autoguider at some point, but I am one of those masochists who really like the idea of manual guiding. Emphasis on masochist.

[neal_mlc]

My wife was complaining the other day about how expensive this hobby is and I explained that I have spent a little over $500 over the last two years. I went through each piece and price and she was surprised that is was so little. She said that it seemed like it was alot more. However, I took a dangerous move and told her about my 5-10 year plan, which is about $3000, to get started in AP by purchasing the equipment piece meal spreading the cost out. She actually agreed!!!! saying that it would be a good retirement hobby, which is what my intention is.

[AlbertP]

She actually agreed!!!! saying that it would be a good retirement hobby, which is what my intention is.

My wife had the exact same reaction. And when she did, I upped my "re-entry" budget into the hobby from $2500 to $4500. Of course, she also shares some of my passion for dark skies, but, nevertheless, there is nothing better than a good woman

[lakaath]

If I were to include all optics in my collection, it would be about $12,000.

[ChuckWalters]

Not counting the new OBS going in any day now, so far around $6,000.

[csrlice12]

Certainly a lot cheaper than......say.......stock car or drag racing, horse racing....for that matter, any kind of racing. Oh yeah, and women.

I'd be interested in seeing that women racing.

[njjmfm]

$1219 and this is only my first scope

[wbp]

I spent over $5k on the AP180 tube assembly back in 1994. It sits on an AP1200 mount - add another zero to the model number to get the approximate price. I use a Zeiss bino viewer, and own 6 matched pairs of eyepieces, that eyepiece case is worth a few $$$. Don't forget the minivan to haul it all around in - a 6 foot long telescope case doesn't fit in the back of anything small! Then there's the solar scope...

I probably don't want to think about how much I've spent on this hobby over the 30 or so years I've been doing it.

William