I don't look down on "lesser instruments." I simply believe that in many ways you gets what you pays for. The fact that there is a market now means that the top end market is probably too high. The instrument(s) my friends are looking at are all under $1500. As such, they should hold their value quite well. Really top end is luxury or specialty market, not utility. Though I have no intent to sell Virginia, my 35 year old Wheatstone type E treble English, I know that I shall never lose value [not money] as long as I care for her. I have bought and sold 2 others during that time frame because neither was a good fit for me. One was a Lachenal Edeophone and the other was a brass reeded Wheatstone. The Edeophone helped me buy the schooner I lived on for several years.