Ah yes Ardent, but you are probably like me, in that I like my tools to be clean and in their proper place and of lifetime quality. It is a personality flaw called perfectionist. The cost is irrelevant to the perfect finished product, if the finished product is precisely what we want and will last a lifetime with little or no maintenance. I too appreciate the art and craftsmanship that is present in finely made firearms, there are almost no other areas of our lives where this kind of quality is still present. I appreciate the lines and feel of a finely made sword, although not a knife and sword aficionado, it is very easy to feel the difference between a clunker and a finely balanced sword, even beyond appearance.
If only our vehicles were made to this level of craftsmanship...............but alas from my experience they run more like the Stevens 200 and worse. There are far worse places to put your money, you can't fondle and hunt with your bank statement or investment portfolio. The value isn't dependent on some string of numbers running across a screen on wall street, it is there in your hands.