There's an old saying.
"My biggest fear is that my wife will sell my bicycles and trains for the price I told her I paid"!!!!!!!!!!
This is a good thread.
When I started collecting my new trains about 1 year ago I had a vision of this layout I am now working on. After some time I found it was easier to just tell my wife of 36 years that this is all for Her. Now when I order anything I put the bills in her name so when the delivery comes it for HER.
Easy as Pie.
Now she even says to me, "Go work on MY Railroad and get it done soon"
While at a party several weeks ago my wife was complaining about how suddenly we have a few more locomotives "downstairs" for our son Joey.
Her girlfriend told her how lucky she was to have a husband with such "modest" wants as her husband collects wristwatches that cost 1,000's of dollars!!!! and collects Oakley Sunglasses!!!!!!
My wife is supportive, we have gone on two train-watching/riding trips this past year. I pre-ordered two of the LC+ locos, and when they came in, I liked them so much I immediately ordered a third. Total paid out around $1K within a 30 day span, and she did not bat an eye. Of course I showed her how cool the locos are, and I think she "gets it".
I confess, that at the same time, the BigBoy price wars were going on, so I let her know when the locos dropped from 2K, to $1950, to 1850 .. etc, so that "perspective" may have helped. Thanks for the help guys.
I've always been up front with my gf over what's in the boxes that come through the door and how much I spend. While she wishes I didn't have an, "old man hobby", she doesn't even ask much anymore... it's all way to expensive to her. ;-)
Seriously though, the only **** she raises about it, is if we're spending a lot of money on other projects and she thinks I'm over-extending myself.
I'm very fortunate that my wife appreciates trains as much as I do. When it comes to adding new trains to the fleet, we mutually agree. This is a wonderful approach as she is as anxious to see the Brown Truck arrive as I am.
We will be celebrating our 53rd year of marriage this year so something must be working. I have no secrets from my wife either and wouldn't want it any other way.
Art
I ALWAYS enjoy having my kids call me to tell me a huge box was delivered from a train store. They want to open it before me...
When I was working (I am retired now) I had train purchases delivered to the office. The boys in the mail room knew to send it right over to me if it said "Trains" on the carton.
I would put the stuff in the trunk of my car, drive home, go in for dinner, etc., and when my wife was watching TV later in the evening, go out and remove the trains to a big shipping box in the back corner of the garage. The stuff would stay there until I was home while my wife was away and then I would bring it into the house.
Also, if you buy locally, see if your dealer will write you up fake receipts by hand. You can put almost any price on those instead of the real ones so it doesn't look so bad.
I wish I hadn't ad to do any of that, but my wife is very frugal and HATES my spending money on things, most especially trains, so I was left with little choice if I was to enjoy the hobby.
My loving wife enjoys the hobby just as much as I do. She does have her limits as she loves all of O gauge trains. She does not like standard gauge at all and draws the like there. No problem since she supports my craziness that runs from tinplate to Legacy/DCS and back. She will encourage me to get something that she likes and my proof is a bunch of Dorfan tinplate cars sitting on the table as I write this now. No need to hide since if would ruin a good thing.
Never hide anything from your spouse. I have a great wife, and she actually goes to our LHS & asks them what they would suggest as a birthday/christmas/fathers day gift for (x) amount of $$. Does my wife love my trains or the amount of time I spend on the OGR Forum? No. But does she realize that I am also spending time with my kids while with my trains, and other husbands are at the local beer joint or football game? Yes.
My wife has no interest in trains except she enjoys seeing displays that are, in her words, "cute." Running a train around a Lego-land display brings as much entertainment as a realistic, highly detailed layout. In my case, she is content to see me happy doing something I enjoy--it makes me a better person to live with, apparently. In terms of train purchases, her criterion (not necessarily mine, however) is "how much play value will it provide?" She figures if my husband can buy something that makes him happy for a longer period, that is the better purchase. If it is "cute," well... that is the icing on the cake!
