SMAD Addiction or passion?
 

When people talk about overcoming SMAD, I get sad. Do I have a problem? I thought I had a fun hobby.

I like old sewing machines. I like finding them, fixing them, collecting them, using them, and even selling them so I know others are using them and they are not going to the dump.

It appeals to so many things inside me. I love to FIX things...I love puzzles, which many of them are when I try to figure out what is wrong and how to adjust or replace parts. I love the physical-no techie part to them. They are so well made to endure sure a test of time and the minds that thought these things up were so creative! I love the past they bring alive for me, thinking about the people that have used them, the sections of time they have passed through, the types of clothing they may have made...from aprons and bonnets to go-go dresses.I enjoy the simplicity of the sewing machine.

Do I have a lot of them? Yes. Plenty to sew on and plenty more to fix. Is it a problem? It doesn't feel like a problem to me. If I want to use them, they are there. If I want to just touch them or look at them, that's ok. If I feel like repairing one, there are plenty to choose from. If I get tired of them, I can sell them, give them away, donate to a shelter or dump them as they were originally going to be dumped. Will I be out money? Not so much. A couple hundred maybe? Less than the cost of a set of tires for my car. Certainly it's an ok expense for a hobby that has kept me happy and active and excited for the last year. It kept me learning..using my brain, being creative, happy, useful. It's less than the cost of therapy.

I'm not over my hobby just yet. I have more I hope to learn, more to fix...more to collect? Maybe so. I guess I don't see it as a bad thing though. I don't have an addiction. I have a passion. I have a hobby. Hobbies change. This isn't the first hobby I've had. I hope it won't be the last.

When someone talks about overcoming their addiction, it makes me nervous. I have to look at myself and wonder Do I have an addiction? I thought I just had a wonderful new hobby.

As long as your bills are paid and your house isn't a safety hazard, it's a hobby.

As soon as either of those things change, it's an addiction.

At least, that's MY theory! I do have to draw a line soon though...or start getting rid of other things to make space! These old machines are fantastic but they sure do hurt when you stub a toe on them.

This sounds exactly like me. I so enjoy my hobby of quilting lap quilts for charitable org and collecting old sewing machines. I have over 50 machines and I have enjoyed the hunt for each one, the restoring process, the beautiful creation that was a result of the restoring process and the wealth of knowledge I have learned about each one along the way. Maybe I will also come up with a new hobby but I don't think so as I am so passionate about this one.

It's when the getting is more important than the having . . . sometimes I think I have too many, but when I look them over I fall in love with them again. I know I have too many, and after I get the shed set up, then I'll figure out what doesn't really belong.

Other than the missing early Eldredge, I have most of what I want. I've just got to not increase my "wants" hehehe!

My serious problem is falling in love with cabinets.

And then there is my version of SMAD - Sewing Machine Attachment Disorder- my sewing machine collection is one thing, but my attachment collection takes crazy to another level!

My love of sewing and sewing machines is nothing new - though I've take a few breaks from it over the years. I also love gardening and canning, and I don't ever plan on getting over those either.

Christy - Well said!! I agree with you totally! It is a passion and love of learning that drives me to find out more about these terrific inventions and how they 'tick' - I also enjoy trying to get them back to their original state. DH once said that I was showing signs of becoming a hoarder but I disagree since each machine is a learning experience and it is not just the acquisition but the investigation and the appreciation of the history that each one has.

Well said, Mrs. S! :)

I went hog wild buying sewing machines, phonographs, and clocks and now the party's over and time to clean up my mess. I offer a cautionary tale but everyone and situation is different. The only answers I have are for myself.

Jon

Christy, I loved reading about your version of SMAD. You have a very healthy hobby that keeps you interested in life and makes connections with others.

I created the other thread because I'm not feeling my initial passion about it. I'm looking at the future and asking myself how I'm going to move these machines. (I have over 80. Actually, I'm not sure how many I have.) And I know there are probably those like me who wonder where all their collecting is headed. I didn't mean the thread as a blanket commentary on the collecting impulse of others.

Collecting is a positive thing, especially for the reasons you've so beautifully stated. I say keep on keeping on. In the big scheme of things, SMAD lasted one hot minute for me and it may be that I'll have a major relapse. If so, I'll come to you for support! :)

KRA,

And I meant no offense to your feelings. I check and re-check myself now and again about everything to make sure my life is in balance. I think it's because I have such a passion for this that it's bigger than other hobbies have been. It's much larger than say..coin collecting or stamp collecting where you can have thousands and they are all neatly tucked into a folder on a bookshelf. Being less expensive than some collecting can be, it is easier to acquire a LOT and my hobby started with a bulk situation that immediately brought in 40 machines! :shock:

I'm comfortable with the status quo, but I DO keep my eye out for a good'un and sometimes people GIVE me machines too. Someone dropped one off just last week! When I feel things a bit out of balance, I work up a couple machines I have no big interest in hanging on to and find homes for them.

Generally when one comes in, one goes out. I would like to get busy and get more out. Ideally reducing the hoard would be good but it's not overwhelming and it's not taking over my space so there is plenty of time for that. The machines I fix up and do not keep sell pretty quickly and bring in enough for a new belt, needle plate and an accessory or two which keeps my hobby self supporting.

I guess it's a tiny fear that things get out of hand for some, so maybe they could for me, and that makes it a bit scary to hear someone using the word "addiction".

I think we all need to examine our own collecting habits from time to time just to make sure it's still a fun hobby and not becoming a problem.

I agree! (Adding more letters or site will not accept my comment......)