About

I’ve always been an enthusiastic hobbyist.

Going back to childhood I’ve pursued my interests passionately and energetically. From reading to Dungeons and Dragons in the late 70’s, to comic books in the 80’s and onward, music in the 90’s, cooking, sneaker collecting, knives and firearms, I always go hard in the paint. I’m a nerd – I get way into things. Minutiae, minor details, overthinking everything. But I enjoy it. I learn a lot and make a bunch of mistakes along the way. This is inevitable as a novice. Some of those mistakes are from changing tastes but the majority pivot around lack of knowledge.

New hobbies and pursuits tend to follow a general path or set of stages...

This phase is characterized by an intense burst of interest and excitement. People often research extensively, purchase equipment, and may become temporarily obsessive about the new activity. The focus is on the novelty and the “shiny new thing” effect, often with overoptimistic planning and high expectations for rapid progress.
After the initial excitement, the “dawn of realism” sets in as the actual learning process begins. Progress often slows down, despite continued effort, leading to a potential plateau in skill development. This can be a challenging period where individuals face unforeseen difficulties, practical obstacles, and a decrease in creative excitement. The urge to make large strides quickly can lead to frustration when expectations are unmet.
At this critical juncture, the individual decides whether to continue or quit.
- Perseverance: To continue, one must embrace incremental progress, set realistic micro-goals, and build the hobby into a consistent habit. Finding an accountability partner or group can also help maintain momentum.
- Abandonment: It is common to lose interest if the hobby doesn’t provide the expected satisfaction, is too challenging, or simply doesn’t fit one’s lifestyle or long-term interests. This can lead to a “hobby graveyard,” but can also be a natural part of self-discovery.
If the individual perseveres, the hobby becomes a regular part of their life. The focus shifts to long-term enjoyment, personal growth, and achieving meaningful milestones rather than just the initial thrill. The activity becomes a sustainable source of relaxation, self-discovery, and potential social connection (if pursued in a group setting).

Overall, the journey through a new hobby involves managing expectations, dealing with setbacks, and deciding if the pursuit brings enough sustained joy and personal value to warrant continued commitment.

(see, nerd shit explanation)

Good article here

We are here to help you avoid some of the pitfalls of getting into firearms and shooting. Personally, the first 5 or 6 firearms I purchased I either sold or no longer use. It’s not that they were not good or acceptable, they just were not what I was looking for and I lacked the early knowledge to know this. Unfortunately, with firearms the cost of mistakes can be high, both in the initial expenditure, and in the loss when sold.

We want to help you bypass this common difficulty. We can help narrow down what experience you are looking for and what your use case is and tailor recommendations around that.

We also don’t carry products we do not personally use and enjoy. We won’t try and sell you anything – we are here to help you figure out what you want to buy. You are the captain of your experience, we will just lend a hand with steering.

We want you to come in and look around, handle the goods, get a feel for things. Hang out, ask questions. We are not a tactical/operator shop. We are not high speed low drag. We love this hobby and want to provide people with the best possible gear, but we are not going to turn you into a door kicker, nor is that our approach to firearms or shooting.

I’ve had a great experience with this hobby so far, and I want to help you have an even better experience. I believe in top notch quality gear that enhances your experience and enjoyment of this hobby while avoiding gimmicks, fads, misconceptions and ancient Fudd wisdom. We are not an “LGS” – your local gun store. We are a curated, concierge level firearm and firearm accessories dealer. We are here to make your firearm experience the best it can be for you. That is our competitive advantage.