Not sure if this subject has already been discussed in the past, but in this case I'll be going for both a personal and community-wide approach.

Let's say the last decade of my life has been a roller coaster ride. For the sake of preserving the good mood in here I won't detail much of all this. What's relevant to this subject is that between the time I joined this hobby in 2007 and today, things have drastically changed.

Back then, GLS LEDs were not even a thing yet (or barely), and the world of lighting was actually pretty interesting! Now we're in the middle of what I like to call an "LED tsunami", where almost everything non-LED is getting displaced. In my eyes the retrofit LED lamp market looks like the last truly interesting segment (including the more sketchy side of it LOL). Needless to say this major transformation has a lasting effect on the lighting hobby. And I didn't even talk about the legal aspects yet!

It seems the 2020s are going to be the scene of extensive changes in the regulations regarding lighting. As an example, not only entire lighting technologies are getting eliminated in Canada, I think inter-province importations are getting harder to do for the non-compliant lamps (or at least the situation is ambiguous to the point I don't want to bother taking risks just for lamps). Even projects I entertained the idea of doing, like installations of F20T12s or multi-lamps incandescent fixtures, have lost much of their appeal due to growing difficulties in actually implementing them.

On a related note, even my province's power utility is beginning a massive push towards energy efficiency, which I have... opinions about LOL. I have a feeling that non-relampable LED fixtures are soon going to be mandatory in new constructions, and then who knows what else from there!

The whole point being, this hobby, to my eyes, has lost a huge part of its appeal. I'm not questioning my participation in this community (and don't see why I would in the foreseeable future), but I'm considering many options, including keeping only a minimal supply of lamps and selling off the rest of what I have.

(Speaking of this, as a little side discussion, if I were to sell most of my collection, who would be interested, and by which pieces? At least among those in my gallery, but most of my collection isn't even there, so I would have to create a visual inventory and upload it before considering selling it.)

What is your perspective on this hobby and its future? What about YOUR future in this hobby?

Interesting view, but I’ve never considered this a hobby?, having an interest in electrical lighting, and collecting and running different types of electrical lighting isn’t a hobby, for me it was just a lifelong interest?
I don’t think I’ve actually ever had a hobby?

Lighting for me will always be just an interest, but now with the newer technology’s, but I’m finding as I get older, older lighting tech means very little to me now, I know that sounds odd for someone with an interest in lighting!, but I guess it’s more to do with the fact that I’ve learned everything I wanted to learn about the old tech and there’s very little left to interest me?

I don’t call myself a collector either?, everything lighting related I have, and what I learned by was just stuff I could get mainstream at the time?
I admit I don’t have even half the interest in lighting now that I did in the beginning of the 90s, but I am interested in the new LED filament tech that’s improving as each year passes, and are happy to have it in use at home, to study and test in real time use!, this also goes to the stuff I install and use at work.

As much LED as there is today, and all those regulations out there, I still think there will be people that will still continue collecting, preserving, and also using the older lighting technologies they find. No matter what lighting technology comes out next, there will always be collectors there to preserve the previous technology. And it's good we have this site and all the other lighting sites nowadays, to show people what lights are out there still, what lights have been preserved, and possibly spark interest for collecting lights into someone!

As for my future, I'll always be invested. Even with the heartbreak of LEDs replacing old stuff and taking over nowadays, there's old stuff to be found that needs preserving. I'm happy to do that job as long as I have the space and money for it. And even if I don't have the space and money for it, I'll still be interested and looking at lights online and enjoying what I have right now.

I think the future i will  have is no street light fixtures in my collection because i did not save them or buy them in time because my mom does not want me to have any lights in her home

I agree with fluorescent lover 40’s comment.

As for my future, I think I’ve saved a few good examples of lighting from the last few decades. I didn’t start collecting cobraheads until 2016, and the reason was that I knew back then LEDs were going to wipe out my area so it became more apparent to me that I should get examples of what my area used to have, not to mention my 2008 M-400 is my most favorite streetlight of all time.

I used to be a private collector but decided to share some of it here primarily for documentation. I’m starting to cut back and not expand due to other priorities, but I still care about the hobby and won’t be going away anytime soon.

(Speaking of this, as a little side discussion, if I were to sell most of my collection, who would be interested, and by which pieces? At least among those in my gallery, but most of my collection isn't even there, so I would have to create a visual inventory and upload it before considering selling it.)

I would be interested in any coloured tubes if you decide to sell.

If I were to end up owning a place with those non relampable LED fixtures, those would be first to go lol. I haven't heard of interprovincial rules about lamps, and i would imagine this would only affect stores and shops being able to get stock. I don't think this would affect private shipping of any lamps from ebay or anywhere like that. Personally as scary as the situation is as we go into the future, i will not let any of them stop me from achieving enjoyment of the lighting i enjoy.

Now what is bothering me is the rapid hikes and even competition/war just to buy a house, at this rate I will never get into one unless i had unexpected wealth/windfall.

I haven't been overly concerned about regulations from a standpoint of obtaining lights for my home.  At least here purchasing a set of 2' fluorescent strips, non-shunted sockets, and F20T12 compatible ballasts for instance wouldn't be too challenging.  It might require special ordering a few components nowadays that are no longer stocked by the nearest big box store, but still practical nevertheless.  Once in place along with case of lamps you'll be set for decades.  When it comes down to it, the number of suitable conventional lights out there will always exceed the available space I have space to hang fixtures, so regulations aren't the limiting factor for me.  Even when new supplies dry up altogether, there will still be eBay and classified ads.  What disappoints me more is the diminishing number of large-scale non-LED installations out and about.  I expect for some this shift has increased their motivation to collect and preserve what they can, but if you primarily enjoy photographing vintage lights in the wild, your days are limited.

I am reaching the point where I'm losing interest in adding more to my collection, but not due to changes in lighting trends or technologies.  I simply already have representative samples of the lighting technologies that most interest me.  There's much more I could seek out.  I could increase my collection ten-fold and I'd only be scratching the surface.  Even so, it gets to the point where each additional item only adds so much value, and most of it ends up in storage anyway.  I'm not downsizing yet, but I'm not seeking out much more either.  I'll probably pick up the occasional unique lamp if I stumble upon it, but I don't have any plans to significantly expand.

For my part, I've just always had a fascination with lighting. My mother was fond of telling a story (which I have no recollection of at all) of when I was around 6 or 7 years old, if that. We were out shopping, and we stopped outside a florist's window. My mum pointed and said to me something like "look at the pretty flowers" to which my reply was allegedly "light" as I pointed at a grubby bare incandescent bulb in the corner of the shop window   

As for collecting, my main interest is lamps themselves, rather than street lights. We have a few, but storage space is tight enough, so it's a good job we don't want any more 

Our favourite lamps are sodium, mainly LPS/SOX etc. We have at least one of every rating now, so we don't need to expand on that, but we will probably still get anything interesting we come across 

I don't really consider it a hobby for myself... 'collecting' yes that might kinda be the word, as might be borderline-hoarding.

I can also say that with me there isn't the level of interest there once was. (not that I'm no longer interested at all, just not as much)
I really don't have the space to collect much more either, plus there is the fact of "what do you truly plan to do with all this stuff" (which for some has an answer of I don't know)
While at this point I have no specific plans to get rid of anything, I can't say that'll always be the case. And fact is that stuff (fluorescent in general) really has no/little value to the average person these days. (there various 'nothing special' things I would sell even now)

For fluorescents, and in particular ones that are going to get general/daily use, I actually prefer modern energy-efficient stuff (T8/T5, electronic ballasts) over old/vintage .. both for the less power used, and less heat generated.
And while I do like the LED filament bulbs, there are still places (diningroom for example) where I want good old incandescents even if they are very in-efficient.

As far as Christmas lights (always been one of my main interests), I've fully embraced LED...I personally like the deep rich colors, and very much like the minimal power usage.
But even with Christmas, there are lightsets new & used (both incandescent & LED I would infact sell off if eBay was still worth a dam as a place to sell stuff).
There is also the fact I'm old now, I honestly don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to get out & climb around on roof/ladders/etc to put up & take down lights every year. Fact is there will come a time when I will have no choice but to give it up.