In a message dated 02/02/2007 2:30:35 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:

It may  be that the smiles on our faces are more important than the money.
It  might be more about
"utility theory" and not so much about the money.   Having $30/$44/$65,000
says NOTHING about the
"opportunity cost" in  adventure and smiles.  I'd rather have 10 years worth
of adventure  and
smiles than $65,000 in 10 years.  I've had my vans in Saudi  Arabia, Morocco,
I drove my van from
Cairo to Amsterdam, and several trips  through England and Western Europe.
I've driven across
Canada a few times  and across the northern US.  And I'm just getting warmed
up!

As  for "In general, car addicted people are not good money people." ...... I
have  a Pd.D. in
Finance from a big school :-)   and I am an Associate  Professor of Finance
at my local U, and I
can tell you with ABSOLUTE  authority! that "it's not about the money"  The
investment is in  my
life!, Not in my van. "economic sense" is subjugated to lifestyle and
adventure.  :-)

        Malcolm, you hit the nail  right on the head !  When Benny Boy and I
and 50 ~ 100 other Westys show up  at my daughter's wedding in Zamora next
December that's when we will all be  smiling.  No way to achieve that
satisfaction in any retirement fund.   Now Benny Boy and I are trying to make ourselves a
trouble free trip so we will  have time to work on everyone else ride on that
trip.  Wait till we break  down and you guys are laughing your asses off at
us.  But hey, we WILL be  having fun and you can't get that kind of
entertainment with any other RV or  investment fund !

Cheers,

Frank  Condelli
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
'87 Westy, '90 Carat, '87 Wolfsburg  (Forsale) & Lionel Trains (_Collection
for  sale_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/trainsal.htm) )
Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
_Frank Condelli &  Associates_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
_Vanagon  Stainless Steel Exhaust Systems_
(http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)
_BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm)  a VW Camper
camping event, Almonte, ON, June 07 ~ 10,  2007