This post was prompted by reading jdman's (Russ) post where he talked about sneaking the camera past his wife. That's a good thing about an extensive selection of cameras, she doesn't notice a new (old) one.

Do any of you have a wife that's as happy as you are that you bought yet another old camera, or are you in the same situation as Russ and I are, having to sneak it by?

Frank

My wife loves it when I buy another old camera. That gives her an excuse to go out and squander more perfectly good money on another utterly useless knick-knack for the home. Fred.

Well, after she just bought herself a 3000.00 sewing machine, I think I am safe for a while. Boy, would that bought a lot of cameras. Russ

I keep telling mine that these are "investments". She keeps bringing up the question "when are we going to cash out?"

Yup, wifey is taking dance lessons and also loves to buy shoes (I call her "Imelda"). Whenever she expresses some vestigial guilt over her expenses I just say 'Go 'head, Bay-bay, Daddy just saw a great deal on a ....'

Works every time!

My wife is a 'consultant' in a scrapbooking ponzy scheme, I mean "home based business'

I lost the Hoozier cupboard to her supplies, had to build shelves in the basement stairs for her stores.

Then there's the times she has a "show" and I pack up most of the house while she's at work. Occasionally I even show up at these things and emboss people's books with genuine simulated gold leaf.

The embossing is a real man's job since the machine and type weight more than 80 pounds, gets up to 300° and uses lead type. The only other 'manly' trait missing is noise. (the traits being, "heavy, danger, and noise.) This fulfills the danger in both heat and poison.

Then she got into baskets, Longaberger baskets.

I never saw the attraction to baskets. I keep saying you might need three baskets in your life, a bushel basket, a bread basket and the small 1 peck basket for raspberries. None of these should cost more than $5. She countered with "how many of your cameras work?"

The baskets are a lot lighter than the paper and stickers.

My camera collection is housed on three very full bookshelves in my office and a few in the basement still in cases.

I tried the "go ahead dear by that _____, there's a sale at Bridge City Toolworks, or ebay or....."

She counter by buying books. I'll swear the Library of Congress has called her, to see if she has a book they don't. It's been said that a dad uses a son to get himself a trainset. Janet uses our daughter as an excuse to buy books. My daughter's room has roughly 700 books. She's six.

The problem with that philosophy is that it empties the bank account and fills up the house and the credit card.

Were are at detante. I tried to show her the 'right path' by emptying an area of the basement show she could have better access to the the laundry. "A free path is easier and safer to walk through" I said, hoping she'd take the hint and get rid of some of her clothes that are straining the gas pipe.

Nature abhors a vacuum. Well Mother nature is NOTHING compared to my wife.

She had the area filled in two days.

She won't budge until my cameras are gone, and I'm afraid she will overrun any territory I give up.

If I can solve this problem without bloodshed, I'm head right over to the middle east!

Gee, I must be a lucky one with a very understanding wife.
Just tonight I mentioned a beautiful used Mamiya RB67 Pro SD in brown Lizard (of some sort) leather that I didn't even know was made, and is now on the top of my list for new cameras.
She replied with: "Sounds nice, but if you buy it, I'm going right out and buying a new Jeep".
How much more understanding could you get