MODERN technology is great for many things, but it can become too stimulating. Now, people are turning to vintage hobbies for a sense of nostalgia, relaxation, and to get closer to their loved ones through heritage and history.
Vintage hobbies like knitting, woodworking and antiques restoration can bring joy while creating an effective way to preserve the past.
The Argus looked through the archives and found seven vintage hobbies that might inspire those looking for a new pastime.
Matchstick-stacking
On August 15, 1984, Manuel August Freitas put the finishing touches to his five-mast sailing ship. This ship was built using 178,000 matchsticks.
Mr Freitas, who was a precision mechanic, took 6,500 hours to make this 'dream-boat'. Among the finer details are mini bottles in the ship's bar.
Sand collecting
Friday, March 4, 1977: Jochen Riedel, a German tour advisor, is pictured with his collection of sand samples from beaches around the world.
The story of his collection began when many holiday-goers asked him: "What sort of beach is there at...?"
So he created a scheme where he asked travellers to bring back samples from resorts they visited so he could show future travellers what kind of beach they could visit.
Creating Terrariums
Wednesday, July 13, 1977: Harry Biltcliff, manager of a garden centre, began creating what he called 'instant, bottled gardens', which we now know as terrariums. He sold them to customers who did not have the time or space to build their own.
Mr Biltcliff reused bottles which held chemicals, cleaned them and filled with soil and plants, before sealing them. He estimated they would last two years before needing a refill.
He also made a set of tools so that he could work through the narrow necks of the bottles.
Knitting
Tuesday, August 8, 1978: Japanese sumo wrestler Jesse Takamiyama spearheaded a campaign "to lift the usage of wool hand-knitting yarns" at the national hand-knitting fair.
The campaign was created by international wool secretariat and the Japan Wool Hand-Knitting Yarn Promotion Association, with the theme of 'Do Knit Yourself'.
Card-stacking
On Saturday, July 2, 1983, a card-building champion named Ian Nussbaum, was a guest in a series called 'Just Amazing!' on Yorkshire Television / ITV.
Mr Nussbaum said it took three attempts for him to set the world record after 14 days of steady-handed stacking.
Duck egg painting
Tuesday, July 25, 1978: Di Whitehouse began painting duck eggs after her husband Tony started the trend. He painted half a dozen eggs for her birthday, as a joke, which turned into a business idea for the pair.
The hard work is not in the painting, Mrs Whitehouse said it was the dozens of duck eggs that she had to blow clean before painting them, causing her mouth to swell.
China chamber pot collection
Thursday, April 14, 1977: Fred Felgate was a grocer at the village store. He called his collection of the-then, 30 year old China chamber pots, a financial investment.
Mr Felgate said: "Their value increased three-fold since I started collecting two years ago (1975) and is increasing all the time."
He sourced his pots from a second-hand dealer and some pots in his collection dated back to Victorian times. Some were used as plant holders (pictured) by his wife.
Which vintage hobby would you take up in 2024?
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