Well, the thing about a hobby is generally they are active. You can't just sit still if it's going to be a hobby...thus the need to churn equipment even if one already loves the sound.
This is why I focus on curating content as much or more than on hardware. Making and organizing playlists and such is an active, rewarding part of the hobby that shows off the hardware without taxing the credit card. Allows me to slow down on the equipment churn...