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Gear Acquisition Syndrome

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Re: Gear Acquisition Syndrome

#71

Post by bborud »

jerlam wrote: post #50

I think of myself as resistant to the pull of advertising and gear acquisition, but I've developed a related problem. When I find something that I like, I want to buy multiples of it, even if there is a very low chance that I'll wear the item out or lose it, and it may become unusable in that time. I've had many objects in my life that I thought were great, and then they become unavailable and I spend an inordinate a…

The problem is that it usually takes me a while to realize that something is good. Not least because I like durable things and ... well, it takes time to determine if something is durable.

I bought my favorite jacket 12 years ago in Tokyo. A very neutral/timeless thing. After 3 years the jacket still looked like new. Although I had worn it almost every day for 3 years. I searched for it online and found one for sale. On eBay. Used. And the wrong size. If I had known the jacket was that good I would have bought 2-3 more.

I still use it. It still looks almost new. Fantastic garment.

Re: Gear Acquisition Syndrome

#72

Post by bborud »

johnohara wrote: post #69

Seems to me GAS is nuanced by the type of musical instrument acquired. The syndrome may be less severe with piano and harp players than it is with guitar, and electric bass players. Although, it may extend to excessive acquisitions of sheet music and books on musical theory. Single kit exceptions may include drummers and xylophone players. This syndrome is very evident in high-performance vehicle markets where there…

You forgot synthesizers.

And I'm not even a good player :-)

Re: Gear Acquisition Syndrome

#73

Post by WalterSear »

davidw wrote: post #56

I think a lot of businesses kind of thrive on selling the dream. Like how much gear bought at REI is really pushed to the limit for outdoor pursuits vs worn around town? I love shopping there and looking around and daydreaming about being out in the woods. It's not really an indictment of the businesses, it's just sort of human nature.

I shop there because the obesity epidemic has made it too hard to find pants in my size at other stores.

Re: Gear Acquisition Syndrome

#74

Post by twic »

A flip side of GAS is that the market optimises for gear acquirers. A decent square taper bottom bracket is perfectly good for 99% of cyclists, and maintenance free for a decade or more. But gear acquirers are only interested in the latest and greatest ultra-stiff super-light external bearing BBs, so now square taper is dead except at the cheapest, shittiest grades. Which means that i, as someone who just wants my cranks to go round, am forced to enter their world.

Re: Gear Acquisition Syndrome

#75

Post by giobox »

johnohara wrote: post #69

Seems to me GAS is nuanced by the type of musical instrument acquired. The syndrome may be less severe with piano and harp players than it is with guitar, and electric bass players. Although, it may extend to excessive acquisitions of sheet music and books on musical theory. Single kit exceptions may include drummers and xylophone players. This syndrome is very evident in high-performance vehicle markets where there…

My experience with guitar collectors is that is often easier to collector guitars than practice and get good at the instrument, and I include myself in this statement.

The guitar is so accessible and available at retail so widely, its not surprising to me it attracts collectors perhaps more so than a harp or a piano. Plus the guitar has a very strong connection to modern pop music, which surely helps drive its appeal.

Re: Gear Acquisition Syndrome

#76

Post by dwaltrip »

kirth_gersen wrote: post #68

This sounds like another guise of fear of missing out. You can't do X without gear Y. However, your brain doesn't realize there are other constraints on realistically doing X; free time, energy, creative spark, etc. But at least buying Y feels like a concrete step towards doing X and modern society has made it VERY easy to buy things. So, you buy Y and promise yourself you'll do X...someday.

Yeah it’s a way to feel like making progress without doing the hard work of practicing and developing your skills. Easy trap to fall into.

With most hobbies, a beginner will benefit far more from just doing projects / practicing than buying expensive high-end gear. It’s also the only way to find if you actually want to pursue the new interest. Which is very good to do before spending lots of cash.

Re: Gear Acquisition Syndrome

#77

Post by bborud »

rqtwteye wrote: post #2

It's a big problem for photographers too. Especially with the rapid progress of mirrorless cameras there is always the next camera or lens you need to get. I have bought lenses and never used them. I have also spent more time on looking for accessories for my 3D printer than actually using it. Not sure how to combat GAS. I feel for people with a full time job it somehow compensates for the lack of time working on one…

The good thing about lenses is that if you buy good lenses, they usually retain a lot of value, so you can sell them. And it isn't like you have to use them all the time. For instance, I rarely use my macro lens. And that's okay. But having it means that the 1-2 times per year I need it, I have it.

Re: Gear Acquisition Syndrome

#80

Post by jdkee »

flanbiscuit wrote: post #46
flanbiscuit wrote: post #39

Site wasn't loading for me (front page of HN DDOS effect) so here's wayback machine snapshot from today: http://web.archive.org/web/20240807161556/https://library.oa... I lightly "suffer" from this in both music and non-music hobbies. I bought the Analogue Pocket with the base that connects to a TV but I've played one game on it and that's it. I've bought gameboy mod carts to make Chiptunes music but I've never perfo…

Speaking of G.A.S., I just noticed that post about the new Teenage Engineering device: "Medieval". It's US$ 300 and very tempting. But I know I won't do anything with it so I won't buy it. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41176831 https://teenage.engineering/store/ep-1320/

Thanks, that TE link just made me buy one.
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