A lot of people around the world has some hobby. It is usually a sport, reading a book, cooking, fishing or some other activity. Although completely different, these hobbies have one thing in common, which is that you don’t need a lot of money to practice them. Also, pursuing a hobby brings happiness to people and has a positive effect on their health as it relieves them of stress.
But what if we told you that there are some very expensive hobbies that an ordinary person can hardly afford, some maybe never. However, while a lot of money is needed for these activities, they can prove that money can buy happiness in some cases. Anyway, let’s focus on the next article we’ve prepared specifically for you, and it’s about the top 10 expensive hobbies. So, if you’re ready, let’s take a look at what people spend their fortune on.
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Flying an RC Airplane
You probably think we’re talking nonsense and flying a remote-control airplane is not an expensive hobby at all, but in fact, it is. Okay, you can buy a quality RC plane on Amazon at a reasonable price in $100- $200 range, but here we are talking about professional RC planes that are not cheap at all, especially considering the price of the aforementioned devices.
A basic RC aircraft owned by one professional cost as much as $700, which is quite expensive. Additionally, we have to mention that all professionals buy the highest quality parts and assemble their RC units by themselves. If you want to move a level up, the costs will naturally increase and there is no doubt that you will need several thousand dollars for this very expensive hobby. A great example is Tyler Perry, a famous actor who owns a large collection of these flying devices worth several thousand dollars.
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Traveling around the world
Of course, traveling to attractive destinations around the world is very interesting, but also an expensive hobby. There is no doubt that traveling to some expensive places is affordable for the average person, but with certain reductions and compensations such as a cheaper hotel, not visiting all tourist attractions or tasting all the gastronomic specialties. You will need much more than a few hundred dollars for something like that.
It’s easy, if you’re traveling, to see all the typical locations and try the best local cuisine of the place or country while staying at a decent hotel. It is definitely not something an ordinary person can pay, but it is a hobby for the rich guys. By some estimates, to travel to some of the most attractive destinations around the world, you would have to spend about $20,000 a year, which is really a lot of money. Certainly, the price could be even higher depending on which place you visit.
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Car Racing
If you are a fan of high-speed sports cars and racing these machines, or maybe you are dreaming of becoming a car racer, we must disappoint you that this is by no means a cheap hobby. First of all, you need a race car for that kind of hobby, but also the highest quality equipment. Simply, car racing is a very dangerous sport and every precaution should be taken to avoid major injuries in the event of an accident on the racetrack.
The additional cost will be caused by life insurance, which costs exactly $566.34 per month. When you add up everything, the amount you will get is between $10,000 and $100,000. However, the adrenaline when driving fast and racing tension is once invaluable to rich people who will make everything to feel like an F1 racer.
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Flying a Plane
We mentioned the RC airplane above, but now we mean the real plane. Flying a plane is likely to be a dream for many boys (but also girls) because this hobby is extremely expensive. Simply, the cheapest aircraft you can find on the market is over $15,000, and can go as high as $200,000, which is a fortune for the average person. In addition, you have to set aside $5,000 in value for the license to operate the aircraft.
So, for the cheapest variant, you have to spend over $20,000 at a minimum. The purchase of the aircraft also brings maintenance costs to you, which should also not be neglected. So, when we compare RC planes and real planes, the first hobby seems much more acceptable.
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Collector
The term collector is really wide. A person who collects some items may not always have to spend a fortune on its hobby (e.g. stamps or maybe some rare coins collectors). However, we are talking about expensive items such as works of art or cars, for example. In both cases it is necessary to be very rich as some very rare paintings or cars can reach incredible amounts at auctions. So, you need millions for this hobby.
In the case of works of art, some of the most expensive artworks are those by Paul Cezanne ($250 million), Picasso ($179.4 million) or Francis Bacon ($142 million). When it comes to cars, collectors especially value vintage cars, but also newer supercars that are not cheap at all.
Great examples sold at auction were the 1937 Bugatti Type 57S for $4.4 million, the 1954 Mercedes Formula 1 racing car for $29.6 million, or the 1961 Ferrari California which reached $10.8 million.
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Diving
When it comes to diving, we mean sports like skydiving and scuba diving. Skydiving is a sport that brings you a lot of adrenaline and once you jump from the plane, you literally want to do it again and again. While it may not be such an expensive activity because you won’t be buying plane just to jump (of course, unless you’re very rich and have a private jet), this sport actually has high costs. According to some information we have obtained, just one second spent in the air costs about $2.5. That means you’ll have to spend between $150 and $250 in one minute. When the money you spend on a yearly basis is calculated, we come to the figure of $24,000.
As for scuba diving, the situation is only reasonable if you live near the coast. Although the underwater world is very interesting and provides incredible scenery for anyone who dives, this hobby requires $800 to start. Of this amount, $500 will need to be earmarked for the equipment, while the certificate will cost you about $300. As we said, this is an affordable price if you live near the seashore. However, if this is not the case, then only one adventure can cost you as much as $3000.
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Yacht Racing
An incredibly expensive hobby is yacht racing. Although it brings incredible excitement, this activity will cost you several million dollars. To be able to race, you must logically have a yacht. Currently, there are cheaper and more expensive models on the market, but for the average planet dweller, these prices are huge. The price of the yacht is between $2 million and $800 million. The next expense is to organize a race that costs between $8 and $10 million.
And as the last and cheapest cost, there is maintenance that you will have to pay around $100,000 a month. So, a multi-million-dollar bill is inevitable and unreachable of most mortals except if you have inherited some great wealth from your grandfather. In that case, enjoy your new yacht.
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Mountain Climbing
Mountain climbing is not really an unreachable peak for ordinary people. Simply, you need the equipment and experience you can gain through hard training. However, if you are rich, then all you need is a tiny part of your fortune to pay for an experienced crew to help you climb the mountain.
On the other hand, the average person has to invest a lot of money in equipment or to rent it, which also requires a certain amount of money. Also, it takes a great experience that you gain over the years of training, which means you have to invest your time. When all the costs are added up, the price can go as high as $170,000.
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Polo
Certainly, polo is known as the sport of the rich who have enough money to cover all the expenses required by this expensive hobby. First of all, you have to be a member of a polo club, and pay a membership fee that costs about $8,000 annually. The next basic thing is a polo horse and their price is around $20,000. Another expense that comes with buying this animal is proper care, which can cost over $1500 per month. All in all, you have come to the conclusion that polo isn’t a cheap sport and definitely a luxury.
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Exotic Pets
For the end, another hobby involving animals. Most people in the world have a dog or cat that are the most common pets. However, this is not the case with rich people. They love something extra and luxurious, something that will set them apart and emphasize their status. Exotic animals are probably the most expensive pets a person can buy, and above all, we think of some of the most interesting and expensive ones, such as white lion cub, octopus or cheetah.
Interestingly, celebrity actor Nicolas Cage bought an octopus a few years ago, priced at $150,000. As for the other animals we mentioned, the white lion cub costs around $140,000, while the price for a cheetah cub reaches an astonishing $314,500. Certainly, these exotic pets require proper care, and this requires the engagement of professionals (up to $50,000). Also, we must mention the risk that comes with these interesting animals, which is that if they are dissatisfied with the treatment, they can rebel and attack the owner. Of course, we’re kidding, but certainly buying and caring exotic pets is an investment only for those who make a lot of money.
