Post #334834 by leisure master on Tue, Sep 25, 2007 1:13 PM

Hear hear, Ray - could not agree more.

I think with any interest, whether it is wine, stereo equipment, art, antiques, baseball cards or tiki, at first there is much joy in the pursuit of anything meeting minimum standards.

However, as time goes on and one becomes more knowledgeable about a topic, the person naturally becomes more selective or appreciative of what makes one item "better" than another. I think this is where one comes to a fork in the road that is "snob" on one side and "connoisseur" on the other.

In my experience, you can often tell a snob from a connoisseur by asking why they like something. More often than not a snob will know WHAT they are supposed to like (from magazines, reviews, etc.) but not necessarily WHY they should be appreciative.

I can appreciate collectors who purchase only from thrift stores and the like - obviously for these folks much of the joy is the hunt in and of itself. I also completely understand someone who will pay whatever it takes to get a rare or special item too - more of the joy is in having the item.