Interesting thread. Comes up a lot on different board sites with different hobbies. I'm more of a middleman I guess. Believing you get what you pay for and having had to do with less than quality gear in the past I now try to buy the best quality I can without paying extra for more CAPITAL LETTERS following the rod or reel designation. I do like older things now that I'm getting as old as many antiques so my gear today is mostly bamboo and Hardy and it's not just fly fishing because in my shed is probably enough bass fishing rods/reels/lures/plastic to fill a tackle shop from my tournament days, and the comments about bassboat costs and the spread of rods on the deck was right on.