Toy sale Gas prices forcing residents to give up expensive hobbies

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July 25, 2008

By Eric Parry

Editor's note: This is the second in a series of articles focusing on how local residents and businesses are dealing with rising gas prices.

DERRY — As the price of gas, food and just about everything else continues to climb, some people are left with little money to afford the things that make life a little more pleasurable.

Tyler Rozen of Derry said he's been forced to sell his boat because he works in Boston and the cost of commuting has just become too expensive.

Not only are things expensive now, but Rozen said he's thinking ahead to the winter because the price of fuel oil is already at $4.70 a gallon.

"I have to sell the boat that I love because the money I get from that will get me through the winter," he wrote in an e-mail.

Jamie Hicks, who owns J's Wicked Rides in Londonderry, said he'd much rather play with his 2002 Jeep Wrangler than load up his boat on the trailer and drive to a lake to use his boat.

Hicks said his boat holds 50 gallons of fuel and at $5.29 a gallon it's just too expensive to keep operating.

"If you're towing somebody skiing, you can burn through that in no time," Hicks said.

Instead, Hicks said he'd rather play Jeep because it's hassle-free. He can just drive to the woods and get it muddy without having to worry about the added expenses of the boat.

But gas prices aren't the only reason people are selling their toys.

Jamie Borst of Londonderry said he's selling his four-wheeler because there just aren't enough trails to ride locally. Other than the Rockingham Recreational Trail, there aren't many areas open to ATVs in the area and Borst said he doesn't have the time or money to drive to other areas of the state, like Berlin, with more public trails.

The price of fuel, Borst said, doesn't affect ATV users as much because they hold only a small amount of fuel and are relatively efficient compared to boats and Jet Skis.

"If you had a place to ride, it's the best financial bet," he said. "The use you can get out of a gallon is a blast."

Frank Colantuoni of Londonderry said he races his four-wheeler in the New England ATV circuit but is forced to sell his toy because he can't afford to keep competing.

"But now that the race fees are about $50 for each class, and travel costs are so high to drive two hours to race it hasn't made it worth it," Colantuoni wrote in an e-mail.