I collected local Railway books and 00 Gauge Model Railway engines. (Haven't got a layout just collect locos and train packs etc.) My Dad built an N Gauge layout but it fell into disrepair during the Council modernisation of my parents house. So I dismantled it and Dad sold the track off. The locos we kept for a while but they were eventually sold. My heart was more into 00 Gauge. I still have all my locos. I would never sell them. However, It all stopped when I discovered women, drinking, gambling and started watching Barnsley F.C regularly.
Coins. They never go down in price so are a far better investment than having cash sat earning no interest in a bank. Only last November a 60 years of Jersey Zoo 2 pound piece got released uncirculated which with postage and packaging was 12.99 and now they go for around a hundred quid on Ebay already. If you have an original 2009 Kew Gardens 50p you can get around £180 for it. www.westminstercollection.com has a great collection but www.pobjoy.com for territory coins is even better as they have very low circulation of just a few thousand. If you have all 29 sport 50p coins for London 2012 in the official folder and with the completor medal to say you're not missing anything it can be around £150 for the full folder.
TBH Ian, I don't dislike Man Utd that much. I worked in Manchester for 30 years and found they have plenty of genuine people who follow them (and who whine like hell if they aren't winning the treble every year ) There are a couple of clubs I really don't like but that takes a combination of my impression of their board, fans I meet and playing style. Hence Millwall, Cardiff, QPR and Sheff Utd and Brum. West Ham have been my second team since I was a kid and I've been dragged to some Man City European games by workmates so have cheered them on a bit as well. Always found the North East clubs tend to have very decent fans as well
speaking of vinyl does St P have any decent record shops? If so do you get Russian issues of stuff? Does Russia have RSD. I have so many questions.
I've had to move fully digital for new release stuff due to storage issues, but there is still a healthy vinyl market, and Russian editions do exist. Apparently the Soviet issue of Never Mind the ******** is a big collector's item, as is a McCartney album.