Do You Tell Others How Much You Have Invested in Your System?

I have never discussed the value of my system with any friends or relatives, although my audio buddies have some idea of what my stuff costs.  It would seem crazy to anyone not in the hobby, but, to me the amount some spend on cars or other things, like a kitchen renovation strikes me as crazy.  It all is a matter of personal priorities.  One of those audio buddies was telling me about a house he is renovating.  When I asked him about the Sub-zero refrigerator he has on order he told me it costs $15,000.  My response: “That is almost as much as a good interconnect.”

I keep gear a very long time, but it is not intended to be an investment.  Still, certain parts of my system are probably worth more now than when I purchased them.  The Western Electric compression midrange driver and horn are worth much more now than when I purchased them around 12 years ago.  My amps and linestage are also worth more now because of the content of Western Electric transformers and other valuable vintage parts.  An Audio Note amp is currently listed at about five times the price I originally purchased it, so I would guess that its used price would also hold up.