I kinda wish I was DIY before I started buying expensive stuff. $500 in parts will build you a $2500 amp. $1,000 spent on speaker drivers and xover parts, and any commerical design would be going for at leat 4x times that. The only real downside is resale value can be a little tough to nonexistent.
Are you a D.I.Y?
I like to "do it yourself" on many items where I feel I can achieve good results and save money. Also, there is some satisfaction and pride in researching and building things, especially if it's your own design. I would supect that there are others on Audiogon who feel the same. If you "DIY", tell us about your ideas and projects you made that you had success(or failures) with. And would you DIY again?