My wife and my toys

Obi2kenobi · Post by **Obi2kenobi** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:10 pm

It's no surprise to my wife that I like toys. I play with my son and his Lightning McQueen cars and Thomas trains and tracks until he's ready to move on. Even then, I sometimes stay in his room and put the track together in all kinds of cool configurations for him. He likes it and so do I.

But I digress. Anyway, after spending $350 freaken dollars on a rug for the wood floor, an ungodly amount on drapes, and a new coffee table set, not to mention the entire first floor of our home that I painted (quite well I might add) she complains that I should have a modest collection. You can't get much more modest than my basement office, which is where I do my day job and store my stuff. She went down this modest path after my third plane showed up on the door step. My fault for not spacing out the shipments, but hey, I need a CA Cutie, a Zero and a hellcat. Not to mention my collection of 1/72 plastic figures and tanks. I gave her a "yes dear" and placed an order for 1/72 Crimean War figures.

I love her, but my male instinct to hunt, kill and win is satisfied by hunting for cool military toys and that is one thing she will never understand.

Thanks for listening. I had to vent somewhere.

STUKA · Post by **STUKA** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:12 pm

yes - space your purchases and hang some in your son's room....

digger · Post by **digger** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:13 pm

I love her, but my male instinct to hunt, kill and win is satisfied by hunting for cool military toys and that is one thing she will never understand.

Post by **aferguson** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:28 pm

i love these spouse vs. the hobby stories...

You'll be able to get lots of sound advice from many of the lads on this board. Lots of crafty ways to handle the situation, from what i've read over the years.

Alas, being a wretched batchelor i can't comment on such a delicate issue myself..

VMF115 · Post by **VMF115** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:37 pm

I devised a new strategy every time my G/F say’s no planes I will get a tank, and when she say no tanks, I will get an 88...then when she says no anti tank guns ,,, I will get some more planes…

She will complain for about 5 min and forget.........

Threetoughtrucks · Post by **Threetoughtrucks** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:38 pm

This is a problem, all the married guys live with.

I haven't had much of the "modest collection" problem. My hobby, prior to 1/18 and 1/6 was a "modest collection" of 1/1 military vehicles. I had at least three running vehicles in, around and behind my garage, for 25 years and another three or four non running vehicles scatered around that I usually sold or traded when somebody was interested. When giving directions to strangers, they always said "Take a left just past Fort Dix accross the street...

When I changed down to 1/18, the wifey was in hog heaven, then when I got into 1/6, I did get the wifey saying "Where are you going to put that?" when a tank would show up in the UPS truck in a box the size of a washing machine...... but she would instantly shut up by my saying "Yeah, you're right, I'm getting rid of these stupid toys, I just went past a really nice duece & a half on the highway with a 4 sale sign on it". She always went away mumbling....

Gotta love em, can't shoot em and leave them on the road.

After all, 99% of us aren't lucky enough to know our Tankgirl, much less be married to a gal like her.... that is into toys and dollies like us

TTT

Jesse James · Post by **Jesse James** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 11:04 pm

Does she work?

If not... well, tough crap.

And even if she does, I'm a firm believer in people keeping things separate in their marriages... It doesn't hurt to have a joint, but also separate checking accounts for the two, so both people aren't watching over what the other is spending.

Just my opinion... Good luck though. Stories like this make me happy I'm single.

General Blasto · Post by **General Blasto** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:07 am

I got the same s**t last night

I turn it around and say "what about the tons of craft stuff you have???"
We split that one room diagonally down the middle, she gets half, I get half. She's overflowing her side and b***hs about me taking up too much room in there. She get's the Livingroom and dining room for display. I only get the one G scale steam loco I built and the 10 cars for it on half of one wal in the LR and I have my custom tanks in the display cario in the LR. I'd say she's got the best there, but it evens out with my 73(yes I counted) tanks and 38 vehicles on shelves in the Bedroom. Everyone has to have something

Da General

Oh yeah, even though I have about 550 to 600 troops, I let the "You have thousands of little men and keep getting hunderds more each week" go in one ear and out the other. D*mn I wish there was hundreds new guys appearing every week, then in a few months, I could invade and conquer 1 18th Europe

tosborne3 · Post by **tosborne3** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:27 am

Threetoughtrucks wrote: After all, 99% of us aren't lucky enough to know our Tankgirl, much less be married to a gal like her.... that is into toys and dollies like us

TTT

Yeah, Tankgirl is one of a kind.

I feel for you gents, but there's really nothing I can say to comfort your pain without sounding as if I'm rubbing salt in your wounds. I never understood why so many Wives/girlfriends are so hard on their fellas for collecting. My poor brother tried collecting vintage star wars figures MIB, however when he would go to work his wife would let his boys open all of his stuff. When he got home from work and confronted her she would say,"I don't understand what you're so upset about. They're only toys! You're a grown man, you shouldn't be playing with toys." Did I mention that was his ex-wife? He divorced for different reasons however. But man, come on!! The only thing I can say is good luck fellas!!

Panther F · Post by **Panther F** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 6:47 am

Been there, done that.

I once reminded my wife that my hobbies could be more dangerous, take me away from the house, and they could be very unhealthy and habit forming.

After that little speech and realizing that what I do compared to other guys and their hobbies she agrees with me and has never since said another word.

Use it next time ... it works.

Post by **aferguson** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 6:51 am

vmf214 · Post by **vmf214** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 7:08 am

I've always been lucky, my wife has never cared too much, even when I was an avid gun collector. We both have our hobbies, hers is sewing and shes a major video gamer, as shes Japanese this is quite common...which is pretty expensive in itself... Only thing that ever really got to her was my pilots license, she couldn't understand several thousand dollars for a license...The hard thing to explain will be when I finally bring home a 7/8 Fokker D.VIII

khatean · Post by **khatean** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 7:32 am

I told my wife she was absolutely right and that I will start smoking and drinking regularly with the guys Friday and Saturday nights, hunting/fishing on Saturday mornings, golfing and or football on Sunday's.
Gambling, fantasy football/baseball.....etc..etc...
Oh yeah, it will cost a lot more to do all those things............

No more complaints, but now I have to sneak in those other things. LOL..

thetatau87 · Post by **thetatau87** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 7:44 am

I've found that justifying my collectin and hobbies to my wife works if I relate it to shoes/clothes. No woman can justify how many shoes and clothes she has. They can try to justify that they NEED 15 pairs of black shoes for all different kinds of outfits and changing seasons, but it's pretty easy to poke holes in that logic.

I made the deal with my wife that I would not make comments about her shoe/clothing purchases and she would not comment on my collecting or hobby buys. As long as niether of us exceed our budget there is nothing to be said. We each have a portion of our budget that we can spend on anything we please and the other has no influence on how that part of the budget gets spent.

Razor17019 · Post by **Razor17019** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 7:51 am

General Blasto wrote: I wish there was hundreds new guys appearing every week, then in a few months, I could invade and conquer 1 18th Europe

This sounds like a 1/18 Madman ready to Invade! Beware! After 1/18 Europe, it's only a bathtub length ocean away to 1/18 America!
I think I am packing up my 1/18 guys and heading to 1/18 Canada...

(AFerg, you got room up there?)

holensock · Post by **holensock** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:07 am

The only hope I have is to doing what someone has already said..."SNEAK". My wife will NEVER understand this stuff...sigh...she thinks I have TOO much and buying anymore is just to 'hoard'. "Don't you have those already?" is a phrase much over-done here...had to back out of some deals when she read my emails...
She doesn't have to gripe too much lately as I now have no problem NOT buying any XD or FOV...seeing that my WM's, TRU and Targets have NOTHING for me to buy EVEN if I wanted!
You single guys are lucky!
(If you guys don't hear from me after this post-my wife read this...)

Razor17019 · Post by **Razor17019** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 8:19 am

holensock wrote: (If you guys don't hear from me after this post-my wife read this...)

We feel your pain, Holensock.

CW4USARMY · Post by **CW4USARMY** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:09 am

khatean wrote:I told my wife she was absolutely right and that I will start smoking and drinking regularly with the guys Friday and Saturday nights, hunting/fishing on Saturday mornings, golfing and or football on Sunday's.
Gambling, fantasy football/baseball.....etc..etc...
Oh yeah, it will cost a lot more to do all those things............

No more complaints, but now I have to sneak in those other things. LOL..

LOL!

Amen Bro!

Grilledcheese · Post by **Grilledcheese** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:26 am

I can sympathize, but I can't relate from experience (sorry).
My wife really doesn't care much, which I guess is why we're married in the first place. I work, she's a homemaker, as as long as the bills get paid I can mostly do what I like. I don't do much hunting, fishing, or drinking anymore, and I never smoked or played sports or gambled (wow, am I boring now). I've got the computer room all to myself with the walls full of planes and bookshelves full of vehicles and "army men" as she calls them.
In short, she does her thing, and I do mine.
It kinda nice, actually.

(I once again apologize to any less fortunate)

Jeffrey

mikeg · Post by **mikeg** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 9:34 am

When I get home, I take the product from the trunk and sneak behind the back of the house in the evenings and put it (them) by the boat door at the basement. Later in the evening, I raise the door a wee bit and bring the package inside, open it, and display it (they all look the same to MOST women), my son and I being the wiser.

my son does'nt see the emasculated way I have to bring my sh-t inside, I don't fear an ass whipping, but after being married a while...................
..................................., avoiding an argument is always the expedient thing to do, if possible.

olifant · Post by **olifant** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:12 am

mikeg wrote:When I get home, I take the product from the trunk and sneak behind the back of the house in the evenings and put it (them) by the boat door at the basement. Later in the evening, I raise the door a wee bit and bring the package inside, open it, and display it (they all look the same to MOST women), my son and I being the wiser.

my son does'nt see the emasculated way I have to bring my sh-t inside, I don't fear an ass whipping, but after being married a while...................
..................................., avoiding an argument is always the expedient thing to do, if possible.

The good 'ol XD sneak.

Sometimes I feel like I'm fifteen sneaking porn/beer/whatever into my room!

Buckyroo · Post by **Buckyroo** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:41 am

I will need to get the billing statement before my wife for my newest purchase - the BBI 1/18 RAAF P-51 Camo. Finally found one and couldn't pass it up. I will have to post picks when I get it in a couple of weeks.

parrish333 · Post by **parrish333** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 10:47 am

thetatau87 wrote: I made the deal with my wife that I would not make comments about her shoe/clothing purchases and she would not comment on my collecting or hobby buys. As long as niether of us exceed our budget there is nothing to be said. We each have a portion of our budget that we can spend on anything we please and the other has no influence on how that part of the budget gets spent.

The above, along with the other suggestion about reminding the wifey about all the horrible money/time-draining habits I don't have, has worked best for me. I mean, I could be buying a $10,000 1:1 boat and gone for two weeks on a Canadian fishing trip...

For a short time, while the wife was into scrapbooking, it worked out quite well. We each had a similar budget, and wanted to spend a similar amount of time doing it. It even worked for XD scouting - drop her off at Hobby Lobby while I jet over to WM. Or just go with to Hobby Lobby - some of the dollhouse, railroad, and Christmas stuff works well as diorama items.

Sadly, she's given up scrapbooking for now and her "fun budget" doesn't really get spent on anything and she doesn't understand why mine is always depleted and probably thinks I'm addicted. Well, of course I am, but at least before I had a partner in crime!

Gotta find her a new hobby....

Folkwulfe · Post by **Folkwulfe** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 12:15 pm

Putting a ring on my finger doesn't mean a ring through my nose...! I collected before, I collect now, and I will continue to collect in the near and not so near future. Where my dollars go (after bills of coarse) is pretty much up to me.....no excuses, no explinations. Now....for those of you who haven't guessed......YES (I'm divorced).......DUH?

Panther F · Post by **Panther F** » Thu Jan 10, 2008 12:45 pm

Folkwulfe wrote:Putting a ring on my finger doesn't mean a ring through my nose...! I collected before, I collect now, and I will continue to collect in the near and not so near future. Where my dollars go (after bills of coarse) is pretty much up to me.....no excuses, no explinations. Now....for those of you who haven't guessed......YES (I'm divorced).......DUH?

Been there, DONE that too!

Still, the best defense is reminding her it could be alot worse.

Small Scale Military Headquarters

My wife and my toys

My wife and my toys

!!!

Re: !!!

Guys....!

Re: Guys....!