I hear you, Stophel. Availability of money makes everything relative. One of the most amusing things I ever saw at a gun show was the moment a guy paid $100,000 and some change for a beautiful longrifle which happens to be pictured in several of the books. He paid for it in cash, picked it up and dumped it on his table like so much cord wood and didn't even look at it for the rest of the show.
Being a man of modest means myself, I've often wondered, do the filthy rich enjoy their stuff half as much as we peons appreciate our few modest toys? If we had a King Midas collection, would we actually be any happier or would materialism jade us and eat out any possibility of satisfaction, at least in this world?
Gun collecting became a lot more fun for me when I realized two things. First, you can't own them all. Second, you are better off spending your time before you spend your money. Impulse buys and boredom buys are often bad investments in the long run.
I would also suggest one other thing to Kentucky enthusiasts as a group. Unless you know the seller personally, and know him/her to be established, reliable, trustworthy, and of good character, I would never...I repeat Never...ever buy a Kentucky over the Internet. If a good, known seller says something is the case and you have return privileges that will be honored, that's one thing. But, to buy a longrifle, sight unseen, from an unfamiliar Internet source is no different from buying a pig in a poke. There's too much that can be done to cover problems that can't be seen in photos. It is bad enough having to closely examine a piece with the dealer right there in front of you promoting the item. Would you do it with a blindfold on, to boot? With the computer programs out there today, I can even take a picture of myself and make it look half decent.
