If people ask me how much money I've spent on my machines, I just slap them with a wad of 100s and tell them they couldn't afford it anyways
Nah...I say between 500-15k, which is true, but doesnt necessarily put a specific value on my particular machines. Then you can talk about age and condition and how they hold their value etc. Doesnt have to be about money at all. People can sink thousands of dollars into any hobby, whether its coins, stamps, trading cards, or whatever.
Dont sweat if Golfingdad. It's your life, you do what you want. Who cares what the Jones's think.