What does your wife know about your grill rehabbing hobby?


 
Bruce

Bruce

TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
Many of you know how Dave in KC's wife not only supports his grill flipping but actively takes part in it. I know other members who's wives or GF's at least know what a flavorizer bar is. Well, my wife not so much. In fact, she has almost zero interest in grilling or rehabbing grills.

Let me tell you an example that shows just how disinterested in it she really is. Today, I was installing the handles on my SS Grill parts dyeing container and she walked by and to my surprise asked "What are you doing?". I guess since it didn't look like a grill part, she was a bit curious. So, I proudly respond: "I am installing handles on my container for dyeing grill parts". She responds with all sincerity: "Oh, kind of like a coffin then" and walks on. It took me about 4 or 5 seconds to process that response before I realized she was being serious and actually thought I was making a container for grill parts that were actually dying. Not getting dyed, but dying as in becoming dead. So, yah, that is a prime example of my wife's interest and knowledge of my grill rehabbing hobby. True story.

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Well I admit to hiding some of my acquisitions because my wife sees my hobby as a time and money hog. I accept substantial blame as I am a collector and grill horder. I keep seeing cool things to buy and my life situation leaves me inadequate time to turn out any volume of resales. Our move from Florida to Indiana pretty much shut me down from rehabbing grills for the last year. With tax season finally over, my time has come to prove that I CAN rehab and sell some grills - not just buy more collector pieces. A success this year might make my wife less jealous and more supportive. But I will never have someone working alongside of me to help make sales happen. She is just not interested.
 
I also found that making great BBQ really helps win her over. She is really getting spoiled by all of the cooking I have been doing since joining this list.
 
Yep my wife aint real happy bout this whole grill thing. That said it goes in waves......with covid she was just happy to go anywhere and do anything so she went on several pick ups with me. She is kinda proud of her man ape when I read the compliments my resto's get from the CL and FB perspective buyers. She also likes the kind follow up messages I get from families showing them grilling and having a drink. But bottom line is this hobby is dirty...takes up a lot of space....and is time consuming....;oh ya....bad for your health in many ways :( I am fortunate to be able to use a large warehouse at work as my shop but I start tinkering around 4pm after work and its all I can do to stop by 9pm.....thus no time w the wifey poo......I am home by 9 30 or 10pm covered in carbon, metal shards, and paint....and all I really wanna do is sit in my chair and look for grills on the internet........but I am supposed to be upstairs asking the wife about her day...........This is a single mans game!
 
Jon Tofte said:
Well I admit to hiding some of my acquisitions because my wife sees my hobby as a time and money hog. I accept substantial blame as I am a collector and grill horder. I keep seeing cool things to buy and my life situation leaves me inadequate time to turn out any volume of resales. Our move from Florida to Indiana pretty much shut me down from rehabbing grills for the last year. With tax season finally over, my time has come to prove that I CAN rehab and sell some grills - not just buy more collector pieces. A success this year might make my wife less jealous and more supportive. But I will never have someone working alongside of me to help make sales happen. She is just not interested.
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Jon - we're all with you in spirit. Keep rehabin' and enjoying your hobby.
 
It also help that I keep a spreadsheet with all the grills I have purchased, the cost of parts put in, price sold for, and profit made on each:geek:. Now I am retired, so it keeps me busy and away from the TV and computer and that helps. So when she adds up great cooking, making some money, travel, keeping me busy. Not so bad.
 
Don't worry Jon, you're still a celebrity when it comes to rehabbing grills (I still remember that Offerup article that was about you and the grill rehab hobby).
 
My GF (We've been together almost 12 years though) Is good with it, she knows I make money on each grill I rehab so its a good side gig, I just dont do it enough lol
 
I think most wives or GF's would be happier to have their men staying home, working on grills and earning a couple bucks along the way, rather than riding around a golf course, paying $50 a round and drinking beer all weekend long. I say MOST, because some might be happy to see their significant other out and away as much as possible. haha.
 
Bruce said:
I think most wives or GF's would be happier to have their men staying home, working on grills and earning a couple bucks along the way, rather than riding around a golf course, paying $50 a round and drinking beer all weekend long. I say MOST, because some might be happy to see their significant other out and away as much as possible. haha.
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My wife would rather I go play golf. That was she has 5 hours free time and no grill parts in the yard.
 
LMichaels said:
I think all of us have something we do/buy/collect that makes the wives roll their eyes. Grills, guns, in my case a Kubota diesel :D But in reality I bet in private they are all thankful it's "machinery" catching their man's eye not another woman (or worse LOL)
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I play goalie in hockey and have had a ton of gear lol
 
Since my wife does not have to cook, EVER! She doesn’t much get too excited about any of it. It’s not like I’m spending fortunes on having a mammoth hoard of grills (even though I have more than I really can justify sometimes) everything I’ve gotten I’ve scored pretty cheaply. Then it gets put to use! As little no as I make her something she likes to eat, I’m pretty darned lucky!
Just picked up my 2 spare gas tanks (Genny and patio heater) so, I think I’m pretty well set for most of the next couple of months. I’ll pick up a couple of “extra” doubles of Kingsford competition next time I go to Costco and that’s well stocked for most of the summer!
 
My wife was super hesitant when I first started. She just rolled her eyes when I told her that I can sell these without going into the red (this is not counting the time I put into it, just cost of buying grills/parts, etc).

So now, she doesn't care/not worried about when I pick up grills (no more than 2-3 in our backyard at a time) and is happy I have a hobby. And I use whatever little money I make on these to upgrade my golf clubs (most recent purchase was a new to me / used TM Sim Max 3 wood, and a new/used hybrid).

Having this hobby kept me sane last summer when going through chemo, and she was happy I found something to distract me.
 
If you keep them moving - not piling up in the yard and shed, don't go in the red (or at least not very deeply), and balance your time for other things, then I think most spouses are OK. I have tried my wife's patience with my collecting (not just grills) and with my dreams of doing far more than my time and energy allows. I am trying hard to ignore good buys this summer and focus on getting what I already have done and (in most cases) sold. At least that is the dream...

Now, if you can be like Dave and actually make it a profitable business and your wife sees that as a positive and wants to help, then you really have it made :coolkettle: !
 
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