Some hobbies are cheap to run and others are more expensive. If you are into music to any serious degree then you would know that it is the type of hobby that can burn a serious hole in your pocket. There is new equipment that comes out all the time that just keeps getting better. When the internet came along this was a great breakthrough for musicians. Suddenly the world became accessible and new and cheaper options opened up. I have spent hours on Ebay bidding on used music equipment. Sometimes you can find great gear with no competition that you can snap up cheap. It sure beats paying new or retail price.