What are some of the things you most regret either buying or not buying? Some of these will stay with me to my dying day.
It seems niche gear and nostalgia inducing items have really exploded in the past several years even as the financial situation of many continues to be more precarious than before.
Not too long ago there was a later model Symbolics Lisp machine keyboard on eBay from Italy with only one keycap broken, and it went for under a grand (no idea what the top limit the winner was willing to bid was but given what a new Keymacs repro costs he got the original for a steal). We can't all be lucky enough to score an earlier model Symbolics keyboard in a thrift store like happened in Canada on Reddit recently.
https://www.brickfanatics.com/rarer-lego-star-wars-boba-fett-minifigure/
https://www.holobrickarchive.com/2022/07/rarer-than-rare-prototype-cloud-city-boba-fett-minifigure/
I used to be into Lego Star Wars, and ten years ago the scene was nothing like it is now. I saw this guy for $400 back in university, and he'd go for thousands today, that is, if you could even find one.
I have allowed several garage kits to slip through my fingers because I knew even if I possessed them I would not have the requisite skill to give them a worthy paintjob or afford to hire a professional to do it.
Opportunity cost: sometimes you overpay and miss out on better deals down the line because there is no guarantee of availability at a later date.
Here's a good rule of thumb.
It's a two part decision:
(1) am I happy with what I have?
(2) does the new product have features I'll regret not having 5 years from now?
If the answer to 1 is yes, I pass.
If 1 is no and 2 is no,, I buy the last gen at a discount.
If 1 is no and 2 is yes, I'll buy the new product, preferably on sale.
Let people purchase the way they see fit, and appreciate something for what it is, rather than what it costs. Insulting the price paid not only insults the product, but those who justified paying it.
My theory: popular youtuber briefly explores the scene and does a video on it. People with no interest in the hobbyist community but still wanting to be part of something big and new to show to their friends (I call these people SteveJobheads) flood the scene, and the scene doubles in price from all the attention a few dozen vendors suddenly get.
I think the secret to surviving this is to simply jump to something else more niche and tell no one.
I used to passively collect calculator watches as a teen. Now? status symbol.