I feel like some hobbies that were formerly reserved for old folks are now catching on with younger generations, like gardening and knitting.
But what about the hobbies that are falling away by the wayside and getting lost in the shuffle?
AskReddit users talked about what formerly popular hobbies they think are going away.
Let’s see what they had to say.
1. Fun hobby.
“Have people just forgotten about geocaching or is there any other reason you can think of that it is going away?
I went with my kids a month ago after years away and sure enough the multi-cache we tried has some of the waypoints missing… and the final cache. Ugh.”
2. Times have changed.
“Collecting all 50 US state minted quarters.
I remember there used to be TV commercials selling you fancy cardboard with holes in them to help you collect them all, LOL
Ohh how times have changed.”
3. My youth!
“Indoor Rollerskating Rinks.
Skating has become popular, yes, but weirdly the number of roller skating rinks seems to be going down. The 4 within 25 miles of me closed down over the last 15 years. I don’t know of any new ones and I’m not sure where to go in New England to find an operating rink now-a-days. Meanwhile there’s lots of private outdoor groups.
It must just be too expensive to have the sqare footage to support a roller-skating rink in an urban area.”
4. Way too expensive.
“General aviation/being a private pilot.
A series of lawsuits against plane manufacturers combined with insane certification requirements for airplanes and parts have made it so that buying new planes or replacement parts is ludicrously expensive for pretty much anyone earning less than $500,000 per year.
Old used aircraft from the heyday of the 60s-80s had been filling the void to an extent over the years, but they are starting to get really worn out and people feel less and less comfortable flying them as time goes on. And unfortunately there’s just no replacements as they age out.
As an example, a brand new Cessna 172 in 1969 cost $12,500 (about $90,000 in today’s money). Today, a 2021 model would cost around $400,000.”
5. Good times.
“Flying Radio Controlled Helicopters and Airplanes.
Why would someone want to deal with all the hassle of flying a model helicopter (that is insanely difficult to fly), when they can buy a DJI drone that has a first person video stream, records video in 4K, and can fly around by itself via GPS?”
6. Old-school gaming.
“Bridge.
Super complex game, has layers and layers of rules, and it’s going away.”
7. See you on the strip.
“Drag racing, the vehicle kind.
A major track in Georgia just got sold because of a local battery plant is being built nearby and the houses around it skyrocketed in value.”
8. Don’t hear much about it.
“Paint ball.
It’s too expensive unfortunately and you need a good selection of people to play. The more players typically the more diverse the skill range is.
I think if it was cheaper there would still be a lot of players. On average the routine/competitive player will buy two cases of paint (2,000 rounds per case) for around $40-65 USD each, pay for entry and air ($25-35), and then buy any gear you may need or need to replace.
Back when 2008 financial crisis happened most fields I knew lost 3/4 of their serious players and most never returned. Which really sucks because paintball was growing really fast until then.”
9. Pretty rare these days.
“Ceramics, there used to be 2 or 3 shops in every small town.
Where you could go, pick a piece, clean it. They would fire it for you then go back a week later and paint it. They fire it for you again.
Then you go and pick up your finished master piece. It was so refreshing.”
10. Fraternal organizations.
“The Rotary Club, the Elks, the Masons, the League of Women Voters.
All kinds of fraternal organizations. Beyond that participation in all kinds of civic organizations, churches, labor unions, sports leagues, hobbyist clubs are way down from previous generations.
Americans used to be world renowned for their enthusiastic participation in clubs and civic organizations of all kinds. Now we’re becoming an increasingly atomized society.
The cost is that today the average American has fewer closer friends, is less likely to know their neighbors, and has less of an informal support network than at any point in history.”
11. Interesting.
“Collecting spoons.
I’m a teenager yet I often enjoy finding spoons at cool tourist attractions.
My personal favorite is one I got from Prague during Christmas time, it has a revolving dice in the handle.”
12. Had a revival.
“Swing dancing got really popular for a while in the late 1990s.
Haven’t heard much about that in a long time.”
13. All of them.
“Hobbies in general are going away — here’s (part of) why.
I regularly meet parents who balk at the idea of their child doing something “for fun.”
Unless it can translate to a career or a college application it’s viewed as a waste of time and money. And if it can translate to one of those then there is crushing, constant, pressure to “be the best” at it.
We are raising a generation of children who cannot comprehend of hobbies.”
What are some hobbies that used to be really popular that you think are going by the wayside?
Talk to us in the comments and let us know what you think.
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