Why Is This Addictive ???

Why the F..... have I suddenly become addicted to buying torches (I'm English so please excuse what most refer to as flashlights :help

You walk down the lane and you need something to see where you're going ... I have a 10 yr old torch that will do that so theoretically I don't need another torch but in the last couple of months I've spent silly money on several different ones and my whole birthday list has comprised of torches / batteries and at the end of the day if you have one that lights where you're about to tread why do you need 10 / 20 in all different sizes ... I've lived to the ripe age of 52 without so why now????

Anyone have any other addictions apart from this ... I did similar a few years back with remote control things .. mainly planes and every waking minute / hour was spent researching and learning to fly the things ... and crashing them extensively so I guess this hobby is cheaper in some ways but I just don't get the sheer addiction.

Maybe we should start the equivalent of AA for flashlights ... actually as I type that it'd be FA which is almost mildly amusing in itself.

Anyway just interested to hear other's stories .. are you generally someone who has an addictive personality or is it just this that intrigues you ... part of it started for me a while back walking dog down a dark lane at night which also introduced some exercise which gets repeated whenever I go for a walk to "compare torches" at night so there is some upside but it'd probably just an awful lot cheaper to go for a walk during the day

If I could afford it, I'd have a Mclaren P1, Marauder, Porsche 911 GT3, Tesla Model S, Mercedes G63, Caterham 620R, Hummer H1, and a Ferrari 250GT just for kicks.

But that is unobtainable. But I can obtain the flashlight equivalents.

My take: several impulses/tendencies working together here.

1. We like tools.
2. We want specialized tools for specialized tasks.
3. We also want all-purpose tools that can almost do it all.
4. We're seldom completely satisfied with our current tools.
5. So we keep looking for and buying new, better tools.

I've gone from motorcycles to guns to knives to now flashlights.

Makes sense to me!

I recently moved to a farm and I have anywhere from 15-90 minutes of "chores" to do in the dark daily. Using a good flashlight almost makes it fun

scs said:

My take: several impulses/tendencies working together here.

1. We like tools.
2. We want specialized tools for specialized tasks.
3. We also want all-purpose tools that can almost do it all.
4. We're seldom completely satisfied with our current tools.
5. So we keep looking for and buying new, better tools.

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Pretty much it +1

From a kid reading stuff under the bed sheets with a 1lm Incan bulb that had a 1 day life , to using a triple mule daily for work. From camping trips of years back to now , torches have always played a part in my life. I like gadgets , I like tools, these days we can pick the beam, tint and UI. Guess we are spoiled If I had a load the same, then I would question myself why, however I don't think I have many duplets unless different LED's etc inside. So it is easy to (or rather for me) to understand why many is required for many applications . Maybe one light is enough to do most things......we know better !

Over the years I have always used flashlights. Over time they'd get lost and replaced. Later they'd be found. Accumulation began that way.
Then certain niches were filled by the variety styles and purposed lights, so further accumulation resulted.
Everything was pretty normal though until I found this place. A slight accumulation of lights scattered about my home, cars and tool shed etc was like any average home.

Now it's "well that one comes in tan, black, green and yellow" and the voices won't let me sleep until (at least) one of each is in the 'accumulation'...
I suppose for me it started out like a stamp collector would.
Set aside a stamp here, a stamp there based on a style or potential sentimental value. Then with learning comes the urge to collect examples of some you find interesting but figure if you don't get one now you'll never find it later. It just kinda goes from there over time. Some just pop up in good shape for the right price so you jump on it. Others are sought after and eventually found.

One thing is certain, once you start collecting until appathy sets in the collection will likely keep growing.

I started out "collecting" cop lights. Still do. I still acquire the occasional task light, but as a rule stick to a basic format, like a stamp collector who prefers for example "US stamps"... there are lots and lots and lots of directions one can go while sticking to a theme.



An officers light from the early 1920's for example.



Some current cop lights.

With nearly 100 years in between, you can end up with a whole buncha cop lights...

Awesome mr fixer , although I have not collected many cop lights, they sure interest me.

I remember going to see the original Star Wars movie in the theater as a kid in the first week of it's release. The lightsaber is the thing that stuck with me the most about that movie. I thought it was just the coolest thing I'd ever seen. A little later on, seeing the old Eveready flashlights around the house reminded me of the lightsabers in that Star Wars movie. Now I won't stop until I have my own lightsaber. Preferably in neutral tint. :candle:

doug5551 said:

I've gone from motorcycles to guns to knives to now flashlights.

Makes sense to me!

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I haven't got the motorcycles out of my system yet!!

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Impossible lumens said:

I remember going to see the original Star Wars movie in the theater as a kid in the first week of it's release. The lightsaber is the thing that stuck with me the most about that movie. I thought it was just the coolest thing I'd ever seen. A little later on, seeing the old Eveready flashlights around the house reminded me of the lightsabers in that Star Wars movie. Now I won't stop until I have my own lightsaber. Preferably in neutral tint. :candle:

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Everyone in the Star Wars universe would laugh at Luke Skywalker every once in a while because his lightsaber has that terrible cool white tint and is not high CRI:naughty:

ven said:

Awesome mr fixer , although I have not collected many cop lights, they sure interest me.

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That is largely why I go after the lights I do and not after triples, quads, mega whopping lumens and exotic materials as a rule.

Although I admire such products, when I go into the mindset of a soldier in 1955 or a policeman in 1916 or 2016 I have a certain aspect in mind when I touch the on switch, or grip the barrel. Playing the pretend role for me is half the fun. So the authenticity is part of it.

Example was I went the Malkoff route with my first SureFires because I figured that is what the modern day police officer might do with his/her 8 year old 6P. I figure the EMT worker might go for the neutral tint because skin tone matters so much (and why I do not prescribe to those current so called high CRI lights, which making red pop might cause an EMT to misjudge a potential skin issue or misdiagnose the severity of a bruise for example)
The incan is still the best imo but most just cannot compete against all those free lumens we in the city are surrounded with these days.

So I go the direction I go and enjoy watching others enjoy their collections regardless of style.

I guess we all need out little hobbies in life to keep things interesting. Flashlight is one of the less expensive I've gotten involved in. Cars - way too expensive and time consuming. RC helicopters/planes - a lot of fun, but way too much time spent crashing and replacing parts versus actually using. RC cars - definitely fun.

Flashlights - affordable and available in many price ranges. Practical - we all have dark places we need to light up. Fun - who doesn't smile when they blast 3,000 lumens out of their hand. Addictive - yes it can be especially if you like to have 'options'.

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond said:

RC helicopters/planes - a lot of fun, but way too much time spent crashing and replacing parts versus actually using.

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This is truly addictive isn't it ... if you practice enough though you do get to the stage you don't crash them ..... that said though I managed to dump a drone with camera in the sea the other day ... youch !!!!

Witterings, to answer your original question about addiction, getting into any hobby whether it be quilting or collecting torches is a diversion for the regular stresses of work life that everyone needs for mental health, so to a certain extent its normal. most of us use the word addiction not in the literal sense but to describe the passion we have for this hobby. For me at least, researching and discussing a new torch is just as much fun as finally receiving it and using it.

And drones are supposed to be easier to fly and they keep themselves up the right way.

At one point I had worked myself up to 300 sized electric helicopters. Unfortunately - the bigger they get, the harder they crash!!! I got tired of replacing blades and more expensive parts and re-tuning them. I've decided to stick with the $20 mini drones from Costco and I seem to have just as much fun with them. Go figure.

I still have my RC car electric conversions from almost a decade ago when electric wasn't even available in 1/8 scale. Monster-RC was the place to be for electric conversion kits. Some serious Neu and Lehrer motors in these things running on 6S setups. Full flips on demand on my E-Revo.

With my son getting a little older we've started to have fun with Nerf guns. Talk about a fun hobby with tons of modding options available. What a money pit with probably zero return on investment, but a ton of fun.
................

Back to the OP - one nice thing about flashlights, assuming you don't destroy them, is that they maintain a decent value on the secondary market. Customs can even maintain or increase in value.

Mr fixer, i admire your mindset towards collecting lights from various eras and how tenacious you are at getting them. Although I dont go for older stuff...........well i do in ways i guess(6p and soon z2) i like modern day engines for my beam/output tweaking and tint options. Heck if we all liked ninja mall lights.........how boring would it be! Although some of my triples n quads can kick out up to 3500+lm, its rarely used other than fun stuff, most uses are lower in the range for general uses(like to have on tap). Now and then (very irregular) i may treat myself to a little more custom, but no shelf queens here and all are users or i just do see the point tbh. That is a personal opinion, if i was to spend $600 on a light and have that much tied up in it, why would i want it on a shelf or hidden away. It has to be used like a new pair of sneakers or i feel they will go out of fashion(LED's of years back can not compete on many levels of ones today imo). I can understand though why people do shelf them, flashlight displays are cool and even thought about one. But i dont have enough grails..............

I would love a large surefire display, old and new..........not going to happen though.

I think you would like a nice quad xpl HI drop in, pick your temp, 5000 or 6000k etc and would use it a lot. Huge hotspot/wall of light, in a p60 host of choice for easy pocket ~4000lm . Triples and quads can become pretty addictive in themselves , depends on uses in mind though, walls of light work for me in many of my applications.

I agree too, great watching others and the directions taken

SOYCD i enjoy the odd 3d heli fun although mine are small ones...........dont fall as hard :laughing: but a pita outside to fly with winds. RC cars we enjoy, usually every run one of us has a break and ends up costing(always a part i dont have spare!) I have gone 2s this time as they have come on a lot since days of past. Before i had the savage nitro trucks, 2 of to race and i spent more time repairing one whilst the other was in use. Very rarely both running together..........soon wore thin.
Flashlights are great, not only can they be fun, they can save your life or be one of the most useful tools available. What tool is more useful than having a portable light bulb in your pocket......

Looks like a lot of us flashlight enthusiasts are into lots of other hobbies as well. I started with rc cars in fact kyosho ultima 4wd that I built and modded. 25 yrs later started with copters and planes but as others said too expensive to fly so I have th smaller e flight models for indoor fun. Upgraded my cars and have a few traxxas with modded motors gear box etc. lots of fun but eventually lost interest I suspect due to lack of interaction and social aspect that is possible with forums such as CPF!

ven - my best RC car is a XRay XB8EC. It's a 1/8 scale nitro buggy that I put an electric conversion kit in. The buggy kit itself cost about $700 at the time but let me tell you that XRay makes THE BEST RC cars in the business (although they are more focused on on-road racing). This buggy has taken a beating and although there are a few scrapes here and there it has never busted a part.

liteboy said:

Looks like a lot of us flashlight enthusiasts are into lots of other hobbies as well. I started with rc cars in fact kyosho ultima 4wd that I built and modded. 25 yrs later started with copters and planes but as others said too expensive to fly so I have th smaller e flight models for indoor fun. Upgraded my cars and have a few traxxas with modded motors gear box etc. lots of fun but eventually lost interest I suspect due to lack of interaction and social aspect that is possible with forums such as CPF!

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hahaha..... my first RC car was a Kyosho Optima-Mid 4WD.