Is there hope? Certainment! (Muwahahaha!)
There is the Way of Refinement, where one forsakes quantity for the rarefied possession of a few cherished shooters and pursuit of exalted grail guns (the minty 8&3/8 nickel Model 29-1 taunts me...precioussssss
There is the Way of Moderation, where one chooses to forego a broad collection to concentrate on a caliber or Model series. My quest for the Club .41 collection continues....
There is the Way of Fortune, when the pursuit of S&W nirvana moves hither and yon as Chance provides. My visits to local pawn and gun shops has netted a few duds (the .38-44 Outdoorsman that sadly remains one step away from a parts gun comes to mind) and a rare gem here and there (the 95% Combat Masterpiece that followed me home from the local gun store is one).
Then lies the Way of Madness, when the Walnut and Steel glass ceiling is shattered by the near-uncontrollable "Ooh! Shiny!" compulsion to possess one particular gun. Someday, the 3" factory-engraved Lew Horton Model 657 will be mine. Someday... right after I find the 7&3/8 Model 41 w/rear cocking indicator....muwahahaha
One can embrace the Te of S&W, the appreciation of the virtue of tasteful blued steel and walnut, a product which surpasses its mere commodity of a weapon. My 3&1/2" pre-27 is mine; it needed refinishing to return to the state in which it deserves to be...carried a little, fired occasionally, always cleaned(!), and always appreciated as a finely-designed and hand-tuned work of art. Glock perfection? Not in the eye of this beholder...
Or, be happy with having the S&Ws we have; shoot with care and enjoyment, treasure the moments of shooting sport with family and friends.
I hear the LH 657 calling...