Jake, for most of us gun putz's, it all evens out over time.
I have a friend who has an astonishing collection of pristine military weapons - and he picked up every one of them dirt cheap. However, this was his one and only hobby, he always had his ear to the ground, and always had both the time and money to always be ready to pounce when something he was looking for became available at a price he wanted to pay. He's at it 24 hours a day.
I suspect I'm like most of us. I've picked up some great finds at ridiculously low prices. A WWI Triple Lock in VG shape, complete with that officer's battle maps from the Battle of Amiens showing the report lines for the attack, his Same Brown and holster - $200. On the other hand, I've paid more money for other firearms I wanted than just about anybody else would say is reasonable. I paid $1700 for a S&W Model 17-6; my shooting buddies said I was crazy. I considered it a very fair exchange, particularly after looking for one for many years.
In the end, the great bargains and having to dig deep to scratch a particular itch all even out. The value of any firearm is what it is worth to the owner or the guy who wants to own it, not what the "market" says.
Given the value of the ammunition we pour through them over the years, even an extra $600 or more is cheap if it is a specific handgun we want. It's not like they wear out in a few years of use...
