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Quote:
Originally Posted by Magicbox51
It may just be that hobbies in general are declining and especially certain aspects that some of us older folks. Like Gerry Allen, I too am 67 and bought my first A last year. Like him, I am really blown away by the help I have received by others I have gotten to know. Some are 10 and even 20 years older than I am.
However, I watch a lot of the Velocity channel on TV, and nobody (in general) seems to be doing episodes of Model A or any other really vintage restoration or upkeep. A lot of its content is geared around 400 HP engines and modifications which the younger folks really dig. I guess that's what the sponsors like based on the business they get from advertising.
I am a former coin collector. Who collects coins any more? It used to be that coins would pop up in circulation every once in a while that were collectable. Not really any more. I don't even bother looking any more.
I hold a ham radio license and that hobby is literally dying off. Who wants to get on the air and contact Japan or Europe when you can do so with a cell phone as easy as you can fall off a log? The mystique has gone from that hobby. Radio Shack, which once had a line of parts for the electronics hobbyists and experimenters has gone by the way side.
I am also a member of a telephone collectors organization which is filled with older members and struggling to find younger members.
I really do intend to be around a while and enjoy my Model A, even though my wife and I seem to be one of the younger ones in the club. She really likes the car and that's important!
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Matchbox, unfortunately I have to agree with you. While my Model A club is fairly active, it seems to be waning. Newer members tend to be older but also a few younger ones (under 50). I attribute overall decline to changing demographics, younger folks just aren't interested in anything vintage. I think another problem with most hobby clubs is that they tend to get political with some of the leadership having a "my way or the hiway" attitude. Our club was on the upswing a couple of years ago, we sponsored a very successful regional meet that should have been applauded but seemed to be unappreciated by the older regime, I think due to jealousy because their regional meet a few years earlier was a total flop. We also sponsor a skills event with the local high school that the old group is now trying to do away with. They also mounted a campaign to vote out those who had done a lot to help the club. After the voting results were tallied one of the conspirators was heard to say "now we have our club back". After that, several members dropped out.
I too am a ham operator, inactive mostly because the magic of radio no longer interests me. I had no money but started out building a station with junk T.V. and old radio components. I communicated in morse code with both coasts on low power. What a thrill that was. A lot of study was necessary to obtain a license. Today, not so much. The code requirement was dropped and technology has reduced most of the equipment to microprocessors and software. A friend of mine is a very active ham and for years took care of the club's 2 meter repeater. Everybody used it and complained when it broke but very few offered to help him and further complained when he needed money for repairs and updates.
Old telephones--I was in that too. Sold a lot of stuff on ebay but recently gave away most of it because no one wants it.
I know all of this sounds pessimistic but in spite of that, I love my Model A, it brings smiles to young and old alike, everywhere we drive it. Fortunately there are still a lot of very nice, wonderful people driving Model As who will help you if you just ask.