I got my GAS under control by no longer buying anything over the internet.
I realize that this is impossible for some people. It’s what works for me.
Well said. I have thought of 'divorcing' Ebay, but I suspect we would miss one another too much. I use it extensively for checking gear and pricing items. Sunday mornings at the kitchen table with strong coffee and toast and cruising the adverts are a long-time ritual for me, and I would suffer too many withdrawal symptoms.
Ebay can be an expensive addiction but it sometimes throws up good bargains. Two as new fountain pens have just arrived this morning. I bought them last Sunday for A$31. One, a Lamy, is now selling (also online) for A$140. I will happily add it to my collection. Some day I may even use it...
Also an MB-17 auto winder for my second Nikon F65 (= N65). I bought one new in 2006 for A$150+ when I was a working architect and had an endless credit limit. Last week I picked up another, as new, also online for A$29 postage paid. So it goes on and on.
Much of the problem for me is I enjoy using quirky cameras - I even have a recent thread on this site about odd and unusual gear. Rollei TLRs, 1950s German folding cameras, Contax G1s occupy two shelves in my camera cabinet. I get so much pleasure from this harmless pastime, and I try to (mostly) do it on a sensible budget.
As I have never been one to fritter away my earnings on the 'classic threesome' of wine, women and song (well, two out of the three, yes, but again for the most part sensibly), buying and occasionally selling cameras and other photo gear keeps me pleasantly occupied and amused. In this Covid era we need all the mental health fortifying pastimes we can get.
Many have posted useful comments and of course I have read and considered them all. What of these I will (try to) apply in my already too-cluttered life, well, time will tell and we shall see.
Many thanks for your good advice, everyone!
