There is a certain kind of investor who prefers to hold shares rather than funds, despite the extra jeopardy and what others see as drudge work. Putting money in funds run by professional managers, who choose the stocks and monitor them for you, seems dull to them. Some will be content to dabble in shares on the side, while still holding a perfectly sensible well-diversified fund portfolio, while others stick mainly or even wholly to stocks. We explore what motivates them and what extra work is entailed if you're interested in becoming more of an active hobbyist investor. Fun factor: What motivates the kind of investor drawn to shares - and are you one of them?