Some people like projects and doing the work themselves if it saves them a few bucks.

It's not always sarcastic. Sometimes it's sincere.

There are plenty of people who want games that are plug & play ready. There are also people who like a bargain and do the work themselves. It's not an exclusive either/or.

I mostly buy projects at a lower price and do the work myself. But I've also bought games that were plug & play ready or nearly so.

It just depends upon what a buyer has their eye out for.

If you're spending too much, you might want to re-evaluate what you're paying for project games, or what you're paying for parts. I usually buy parts in batches to save money in quantity and in shipping. You should also keep a note of which suppliers are the least expensive for certain things and just don't go to one supplier for everything by default. Shopping around a bit can save a significant amount.

The supply of project games is dwindling and demand is increasing. There have been a lot of people entering the hobby in the past several years.

A few years ago, I bough a project high speed that flipped but needed some repairs for about $450. Back then, I though that was a little pricey at the time, but figured since it was mostly working, it wasn't a bad deal. Now, it's tough to find a project high speed under $1k in decent condition. If you want one for less, it's going to be dead, worn, and banged up pretty good.

Nice, shopped games will always get more than games that need work. It works pretty much the same way in any other collector's hobby.