I agree with you, narcodog. If I'm buying feathers and its at all possible, I'm buying on the skin.
I have very few friends (outside of people I met specifically through fishing) that know much about tying, but even among tyers I've become good friends with and fish with, styles are very different. I've found that I have a strong tendency toward classic patterns, and, by extension, natural materials. I have a rough time incorporating synthetics (beyond, say, rayon floss), unless I'm tying warmwater or salt. Once I do set out to tie something with synthetics, it usually ends up 100% synthetic.
A few buddies work wonders with foam and spun hair, which I can't for the life of me figure out. Conversely, I have no issues with floss, slip wings, or full feather wings.