And therein lies the conflict. We want this "thing', but we want an exceptional example of this "thing", but we're afraid that if we don't go after the available, though compromised, "thing" we'll miss out. FOMO is murder.
The honest answer to FOMO is, there will ALWAYS be something else. It may not be another example of that "thing", but it may be something even better, likely it WILL be.
There are a couple of white whales, but I'm at that point in collecting where I don't really care whether or not I ever acquire them. Maybe it's the result of having gone through tossing out, donating, or gifting away hundreds of "treasures" as part of this move that leaves me less desirous of "stuff".
But even before all of that, I had limits, certainly budgetary limits, on what ANY pipe is worth to me, so I was often outbid, though I did make my competition pay, and have ZERO regrets. These days I can satisfy myself with the images of a white whale. I don't need to own it.
Of course, some people would point out, I own some exceedingly fine and rare pipes. You betcha. But I bought all of them within my very tight budget. Some of it was patience, some of it was luck, a lot of it was knowledge - I knew what I was looking at when others didn't, and some of it was the kindness of friends and strangers, who offered me something special at a reduced price because I had done them a service in the past and this was their way of saying thank you.
With white whales, if the result isn't uncomplicated satisfaction, it wasn't worth it.
