YES - read Ortiz's the Next Book Syndrome (thanks for sharing that link!). Although these days it often should be The Next Trick Syndrome or the Next DVD Syndrome, but that's beside the point. It gives you an excellent perspective.
J.Slade - I know you've been asking around for some help recently, which is brilliant. To add a few words...
I've always disliked threads that go along the lines of, "What is the best ....... trick?" Basically, such threads are generally an attempt to try and find the bestest magic trick ever invented, so that the thread starter can Google (or worse) them, thus finding the strongest magic without having to actually do any research. This isn't what you've been doing, by the way but keep reading.
There are many reasons for disliking a practice like this. For one, magic is always subjective. I have found fantastic effects that I simply can't perform. It's not me, and I just can't imagine bringing some things to life - yet others make a living off these things. So out of respect for this fact, people need to realise that asking for the best magic will not actually give you the best magic for anything. If anything, it gives you an easier base to knock off (think about it - if you approach a book of tricks with no idea what's good or bad, you are forced to evaluate, by yourself, what you like - keywords being what YOU like, and therefore what will be strongest for you. If however you approach the same book with 5 recommendations, they are the ones you will of course automatically lean towards and try and perform, even if they don't suit you - it takes away the subjective judgment of the performer which is so important). So one needs to realise and respect this.
Another reason is this: my best effects are the combination of years of work, literally. My two favourite pieces currently have been constantly refined over the past 3 years or so. Many serious performers refine their works over a decade or more. Why should I give away this work to someone who, in all likelihood, will not perform it as well as possible and given it the attention that I have? There are two concerns here, one in terms of respecting my personal research and acknowledging the work that has gone in there (another reason why professional magicians rarely release works in their current repertoire). The second is simply butchering an effect. Again, the issue is to do with respecting magic.
So, finally, I come back to your point here. You haven't done any of these things, although a fair few people here have. But the point is, that the idea about spending money on magic is the same - respect the magic that you have. By all means, buy whatever you want, however much you want, and however much you can afford. But if it's gonna sit in your drawer, or get performed poorly, well, then it's too much. If you give what you buy the respect it deserves, then you won't be spending too much (within reason of course).
Oh, and remember that you have a life outside of magic (hopefully). Buy some nice clothes. Hell, buy a suit. Buy your girlfriend some roses. And if you don't have a girlfriend, quit magic, get a girlfriend, then come back to magic, life is waiting
