my "other" collecting pursuit...

No worries........this is for shooting mosquitos at 150 yds........lol......

Fish are one of my non-insect hobbies as well. They come in 3rd place from rabbits and snakes. This spring I will be building my home zoology lab where it will house my insects, reptiles and five 75 gallon aquariums with various species of fish.

Hey Paul,

Yes I considered the humidity issue. I use glass canopies on my aquariums to reduce evaporation and the drawers I build are very tight. I think the central heat/air system will take care of any humidity. Where I live it gets very humid naturally. I have my collection in a room with a 55 gallon now and have had no problems with humidity. If it does become one then I will get a dehumidifier.

Hi Guys,

Coming in a bit late on this thread... I also collect coins (modern, relatively inexpensive Canadian ones), but I would not trade any of them for, as an example, my one & only gynander Speyeria cybele pseudocarpenteri, or any of my melanics, albinos or otherwise ab./unusual/rare leps. All the coins I collect are insect themed though... so the best of both worlds... I also collect insects on stamps, a great alternative for those who like insects, but don't want all the hassles & time involved in curating a proper insect collection.

Since I was a kid, with a simple magnifying glass, I have been fascinated by all insects & the fact that the closer & closer you look at them the more perfect & beautifully evolved/designed they really are. If you stick a common flea, a tiny ground beetle, an ant, a butterfly wing/leg under a loupe, a good binocular scope or an electron microscope the absolute perfection of their intricate forms are revealed. Stick a mint coin, a stamp, or a corner of a famous painting under magnification... in fact place any part of any manmade (handmade or manufactured) creation under glass & you can instantly see the imperfections. I really cherish my collection of insects because we humans are quickly destroying so much utter perfection... the natural environment & it's smallest inhabitants... for what...for yet more human infrastructure. If one has the money they can easily buy any expensive, beautiful (but imperfect) man made items (& also insects... for now); man's creations pale, by comparison, to the perfection & beauty of natures' creations. Collecting/studying/displaying insects, for most of us "amateurs" is an act of love, respect, fascination & admiration... we are certainly not collecting for investment purposes or future financial gains. For example... once Queen Alexandra's birdwing becomes extinct no such exquisite creature will ever fly again on the face of this earth. The manmade reproductions of them look nice up on a wall & from a few feet away... but... really... get out that loupe & have a look..

John K.

Of course you do "58chevy".
I can see also on photo some train layout.
That was my attempt beside Insect 20 years ago, but I end up building only one section of tracks about 4x2 ft.
Still have CN and CP engines and intermodal cars stack in my storage room.
That hobby takes a lot of room and cash, but made right look awesome.

Bill, that's not a new Mark IV is it? They are flying off the shelves. I'll stick with my S&W Mod 41, pre-A S/N. I just finish (well, never finished) restoring a Lafette 34 mount, and now restoring a semi-auto MG34 to go on it.

At one time in my life I had over 1000 gallons of breeding aquariums. Now have just two, the display tank is 120 gallons, all live plants, primarily with P. scalare which I breed occasionally.

I find that children put a serious damper on hobbies. But it's worth it.

Chuck