I read threads like this pretty regularly. Some great stories...some happy endings, some regrets.
I have probably sold 3 or 4x the number of guns that I currently own. Do I miss a few? Sure. Do I lay awake at night, or spend my days kicking myself in the arse about it? No.
There are those in the "never sell anything" camp. If I were one of those, I'd probably still have the same six guns I had 30 years ago.
We only have limited time on this planet, and (most of us) only have limited resources.
There are many material things I would like to own, and I cannot afford to own them all...not at once, anyway. I call myself a serial owner.
So I have made a compromise--when there is something I want, I decide what I want to sell in order to have it. To be honest, the situation is not generally that dire--I can afford to buy it first, and then sell something to put the world back in balance.
This makes me think a bit, and consider how badly I want it. Also prevents me from spending every dime I have filling my space with things that I will never use.
Many years ago, a good and wise friend told me that the secret to happiness in life is not in having what you want, but in wanting what you have. He is able to make it work, and has done it for years. Me, not so much.
He still has the first gun he ever bought in 1978/79? I think that in the last 35 years he has bought/sold/traded fewer than a dozen guns. I've done that in a good year. He has had the same motorcycle since 2003, and I think five in his lifetime. I have four currently (although three are project bikes)
and my lifetime count is approaching 80.
I have no regrets. I have gotten to experience a great depth and breadth of experiences in many facets of life.
Buy at the right price (generally, used) and you will seldom lose money. Figure out what works for you, and sleep well at night.
They're just things. Some of them are prettier than others, and some of them have more sentimental value than others, but they're just things.
Bingo. IMHO.
