Aside from the higher prices of crude... I am simply running out of things to buy. I mean sure its easy to buy the next best mass produced thing but that ain't got tone and character.
At this point in time, I have the next best thing to the real mccoy's. I realized this when I ended up buying a Fender Custom Shop Tele -- something I would never consider because the musiczoo had reserved a good sounding BC Rich for me which I failed to visit because of the poor weather yet something attracted me to that Tele sound. I am also very happy with my Jim Rolph PAFs which have brought my Baker firemodel#55 inline with Gil Yaron. Also, after the Bruno, Ultrasound has reserved and kept a very special Komet 60 for me. Ultrasound also felt that more or less I have covered the METAL-genre amps in spades capped off with the Diezel Herbert.
My trip to New York, also yielded me a Goodrich volume pedal, a vintage Ross Compressor, a Presecription Electronics Experience (Ocatver Fuzz), Mad Professor Snow White Autowah, Lehle Dual Amp Switcher and Spaceman Effects Harmonic Overdrive.
Moreover, my New York experience made friends of Jim Rolph, Gene of Ultrasound, Ardell of Matt Umanov and Matt of 30th Street Guitars. So the question is HOW do you slowdown GAS?
1) Buy the best -- avoid brands with advertisements and everything carried in Audiophile, JB Mart, Perfect Pitche, TMS, Lazer etc. ( I repeat this because I would consider them the Toyotas of Musical Instruments and nothing else)
2) Always looks for the person or ear behind the product your buying -- if its a group of engineers forget it even if its says Marshall
3) You don't need more stuff in terms of looks, style or COLOR but you NEED a lot of the good sounding stuff which is rare!!!
4) Avoid Youtube because its never accurate compared to how the piece of equipment translates in terms of feel.
5) Subscribe to Tonequest Report because they limit your scope to the good sounding stuff and I have tried their recommendations which beats any recommendation on this forum!!!
6) Have other experts with better ears and experience than you select your equipment instead. This way the ego is deflated by someone in authority.
7) Conversely, it is dangerous to keep selecting equipment based on your visual and physical specifications and requirements. Use Feel and Sound instead.
Again, don't buy amps and guitars unless they cost US$3k and above. I know that I have said this before but it does indeed reduce purchases.
9) Buy US made and European guitars and Amps. I know that I have said this before but it ALSO reduces your purchases. The US and Europeans have higher standards with regards to good sounding audio gear -- I say more so than the Japanese.
10) Don't believe any major brand endorsement by successful artists. Just remember than the manufacturers who produce the best sounding equipment do NOT have the money to pay the endorsement fees of the big artists. They are too busy trying to produce magical sounding equipment one at a time.
I hope this helps...