I got started collecting late...I spent most of my childhood either working or in a library reading (hiding from work) - firearm development and war stories were a favorite topic. From nowheresville to marines, to college, and first jobs+kids in diapers, I never had paychecks large enough to start collecting until a couple years ago. I consider myself a pretty well informed collector from years of reading and window shopping, yet still a newbie in the size of my collection.

In the pit of any newer collector's stomach right now, rational or not, is the fear that these rifles won't be around much longer. They only made so many...and how much longer until buying a nice shooting milsurp becomes like finding a similar quality trap door, etc.? Add this to the panic buying of ammo, powder, parts, and everything else, and you have a recipe for inflated prices in our milsurp market.
Thankfully I am patient enough, and have a wife that beats some sense in to me most days. I haven't overpaid by more than maybe 10% through the covid inflation.

Besides, I can get my panic buying fix with no worries of overpaying or losing value by just maxing out the allowance of CMPicon service grades every year till they are gone. I think they allow a max of 8 per year per individual. I'll mail off an order for 2 more once I replenish funds from the last 2 I got this year.