Hobby Anxiety

[Streetwise]

I yearn for my plastic farm set I had as a child and my Disney Alice in wonderland slides for a projector never found them again

 

[Nitro]

I don't uh, think collecting toys is very adult-like at all..........but then again, who ever said I was all grown up


As I approach my 61st year on our planet, I definitely have more toys now than when I was a little kid.
There is no way to even begin to showcase what I have.
My new in package Hot Wheels cars now number about 150
They have them in my local grocery store for a buck, so why not?
My used ones are nearing over 200
I have nearly 100 1:18th scale diecast Ertl cars
(they are huge)
My antique Gilbert Erector sets number to six now
The Gilbert chemistry set is hella cool too
Flying model aircraft, oldschool u-control ones, not those silly RC ones where it is more like a video game than actually experiencing the vibrations of the nitromethane engine running and each burble in the wind thru the control lines
I think there are nearly 20 kits here now, and a few finished ones
There are a few electric RC cars and trucks in the lineup too
I own a mini bike, a 1970 250cc OSSA American Enduro motorcycle and an amped up 1989 1200cc Harley Davidson Sportster
Two 4 wheelers, one a 110cc 2wd and the other a Polaris 425cc 4x4 unit
I think I own 7 unique Monopoly games now
The antique toy collection is too big to properly describe, but a few of the highlights are a full sized a Tri-play Crashmobile, a pre 1966 Marx ZaZooom bicycle "motorcycle" engine, a huge Lego set, A huge new never played with Tinkertoy set and on and on
There are over 50 bicycles here on the ranch
A nearly finished 427 cubic inch 1966 Chevy Caprice (7 liter) dragster, a Jeep Wrangler, a Toyota 4Runner, a 454 cubic inch (7.4 liter) 1979 Chevy Malibu streetmachine project

That really only scratches the surface here
Like I said, my toys are too numerous to properly mention

I forgot to mention my hobby machine shop in all of it's glory

 

[Streetwise]

I'm 23, turning 24 next month....but I have a slight problem I'm worried about.

I still love buying those plastic army men toys.

I love setting em up for display, painting em to fit historical soldiers in battle and I've been making short films about battles playing tribute to movies I love like Windtalkers.

I'm worried about people judging me for playing with toys at my age, what should I do?

Anyone else on the spectrum still like toys as an adult?

By the way I'm 51 in 2 days time still! feel like a little girl

 

[Soleil]

Plenty of adults collect toys, dolls, or figurines of some sort. Especially the geekier/ nerdier types who collect figures from manga/ comics/ games they like. That's not weird at all, or even unusual.

As for playing with the toys, I don't think it's super common, but I'm sure that's mostly because society looks down on it. A lot of people probably want to play with toys, but don't because they're afraid of looking childish.

At any rate, there's nothing really wrong with it, is there? Plenty of people have hobbies, and if yours is to play with the little plastic army men, go for it!

The only reason I haven't been playing with my legos as much is that I can't find the medieval/ fantasy sets I like; they tend to be based on other franchises these days...

I don't really "play" with my toys anymore; I've been more into video games since my teens, but I still collect figurines and plushies. I mean, I'm 32 and I sleep with an Eevee and a pikachu every night (in my arms, too). And a cat, sometimes, but the cat is a real cat.

 

[Nitro]

My Disney Pixar Cars collection spun way out of control too

 

[Streetwise]

In the UK train sets are the big one a whole room in a small house can devoted entirely to it,dolls houses,lego™,meccano™,Airfix™(a brand of model aeroplane kit now also motor vehicles) it just depends on each individual .

 

[Finder]

Not "toys," but "collectables." You don't "play" with them, but "arrange" and "inventory" them. It is all a matter of perspective. Is it "weak central coherence" or "attention to detail"? (Besides, if you are autistic, aren't you supposed to line them up and organize them, which would be perfectly normal in an neurodivergent way.)

 

[Nitro]

I have Lego. Lockdown gives time for such luxuries...

I have a huge Lego set with motors, gears, servos

 

[_eri_bellehumeur]

I don't think it is weird at all. I was made to feel very immature even when I was a kid growing up, though funny enough my environment meant I had to grow up a lot faster than most people do. This left me feeling like I needed to purge myself of anything "childlike" or made for children, and this did not help me in the long run. Only in the last few months have I been really exploring that part of my life again, and permitting myself to take joy in things like stickers, and cute silly things (though I have always been obsessed with cartoons and animation). I was a voracious reader as a kid, though always read above my age level, but now I am returning to books that I either read as a kid, or was interested in but bypassed because they weren't "mature" (for an 8 year old, lol).

Life is far too short to not play and find joy in simple things as often as possible.

 

[Skittlebisquit]

I'm 23, turning 24 next month....but I have a slight problem I'm worried about.

I still love buying those plastic army men toys.

I love setting em up for display, painting em to fit historical soldiers in battle and I've been making short films about battles playing tribute to movies I love like Windtalkers.

I'm worried about people judging me for playing with toys at my age, what should I do?

Anyone else on the spectrum still like toys as an adult?

Its difficult becoming a man. At my age i am well past that issue of " is this allowed" sort of thinking. I hear a search for legitimacy and a quest for validation.

What you are doing is both totally fine and kinda silly. Its going to be hell to paint those guys. The real ppl, who are grown men, who do that buy the soldiers one at a time, its super fun, kinda like a model kit, the whole soldier is off white.

Enamel would work ok, i guess, but honestly i would sand seams and shoot the whole lot with some kind of a grey or off white base coat, only no clue what would stick to(?) LDPE 3

the quote goes something like..." there is no accounting for personal tastes..." its totally true. Wealthy ppl are mostly even more wierd than blue collar types. More freedom for longer i guess.
I want to do miniture diaromas, and learn to sew, and build a loom frame, and raise goats. Among other things. See everyone is different, thats ok.

Do hide your hobbies from the bullies and the creeps, so you dont get beat up for it. Please share some pics right here on this forum of your big setups, ppl would like it.

You need a big table with an "L" in it i think, like 40" x 96" then another smaller table pushed up to it to make the "L".

You could do fun model stuff too like for model trains

 

[Crossbreed]

...no clue what would stick to(?) LDPE 3

Wouldn't Krylon Fusion work?

Fusion All-In-One® - | Krylon

 

[Skittlebisquit]

I was thinking the green would bleed thru like almost anything, im mot sure about paint on plastic. I know more about painting metal

 

[Loren]

I still collect hot wheels and match box cars (although, rarely find good ones these days), and I build lego houses (and other structures), and I am twice your age.

 

[SusanLR]

I find plush animals simply irresistable.
I still sleep with plush animals. My purple unicorn sits by my head and shares my pillow.
Sometimes his head ends up over mine.

I like board games and those PC simple games like on POGO or MSN.

 

[clg114]

I don't uh, think collecting toys is very adult-like at all..........but then again, who ever said I was all grown up


As I approach my 61st year on our planet, I definitely have more toys now than when I was a little kid.
There is no way to even begin to showcase what I have.
My new in package Hot Wheels cars now number about 150
They have them in my local grocery store for a buck, so why not?
My used ones are nearing over 200
I have nearly 100 1:18th scale diecast Ertl cars
(they are huge)
My antique Gilbert Erector sets number to six now
The Gilbert chemistry set is hella cool too
Flying model aircraft, oldschool u-control ones, not those silly RC ones where it is more like a video game than actually experiencing the vibrations of the nitromethane engine running and each burble in the wind thru the control lines
I think there are nearly 20 kits here now, and a few finished ones
There are a few electric RC cars and trucks in the lineup too
I own a mini bike, a 1970 250cc OSSA American Enduro motorcycle and an amped up 1989 1200cc Harley Davidson Sportster
Two 4 wheelers, one a 110cc 2wd and the other a Polaris 425cc 4x4 unit
I think I own 7 unique Monopoly games now
The antique toy collection is too big to properly describe, but a few of the highlights are a full sized a Tri-play Crashmobile, a pre 1966 Marx ZaZooom bicycle "motorcycle" engine, a huge Lego set, A huge new never played with Tinkertoy set and on and on
There are over 50 bicycles here on the ranch
A nearly finished 427 cubic inch 1966 Chevy Caprice (7 liter) dragster, a Jeep Wrangler, a Toyota 4Runner, a 454 cubic inch (7.4 liter) 1979 Chevy Malibu streetmachine project

That really only scratches the surface here
Like I said, my toys are too numerous to properly mention

About this "all grown up" thing. It is my understanding that if you have not grown up by the time that you are our age, then you do not have to.

 

[Myway]

No. It is completely natural to still have toys. Heck, I still have all my toy cars and some genderless dolls and other things that would be considered "kids" toys. Honestly I use the cars to run over my legs and arms when stressed and the sensation of them makes me center myself. I use the dolls to help me hash out social situations on my own time. I buy LEGOS and figurines and Beanie Boos and "kids" toys. I will probably always do that. At least my kid will never run out of toys when they are old enough to play with them.

 

[Warshipsfan1]

I've since found a group of people in their 50s to 70s who still love these figures and collect them.

So I'm starting to feel army men collecting is a hobby that anyone at any age can enjoy, if someone in their 70s can enjoy it. I guess it's okay to do so myself

 

[ASD_Geek]

Nope, not at all! I'm in my 50's and still have collections. Don't let society stop you from enjoying life. I have a collection of Stranger Things Pops and some miscellaneous other geek toys, etc.

 

[FIVER]

I'm 23, turning 24 next month....but I have a slight problem I'm worried about.

I still love buying those plastic army men toys.

I love setting em up for display, painting em to fit historical soldiers in battle and I've been making short films about battles playing tribute to movies I love like Windtalkers.

I'm worried about people judging me for playing with toys at my age, what should I do?

Anyone else on the spectrum still like toys as an adult?

I don't know if this helps, but my husband who is an engineer and not ASD has all kinds of toys on his desk at work. There are people who do military displays and games.
I would embrace it proudly.
Everyone has hobbies.

 

[Warshipsfan1]

Any on the spectrum get worried about being to old for "childish hobbies"
I'm 24 and I love comic books, love Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Fantastic Four all of them....but I sometimes worry I'm to old for those things
How do you cope with this anxiety?