oh...master builder catfight. next they'll be throwing flux in each others' eyes...Tell y'all what: winner gets to build me a bike!
On another note (one of the orginal points of this thread,) custom is certainly not just for freaks, folks generally not comfortable on bikes, and folks with extra cash. I think I'm a good example of this, and I don't think I'm alone. I probably earn less money than many (unemployed and trustfund hipsters excepted) on this forum, but I'm probably near the top in terms of bike expenses. There are some things that I don't care about so much (coolness of my neighborhood, how fashionable my clothes/shoe are, etc) so that I can spend my time and my money on something that truly matters to me.
One thing that really matters to me is knowing that one highly skilled human put their knowledge and skill into building something specifically for me. Not only that, but they feel so proud of their work that they'll put their name on it and claim it as their own creation. They even made a decent wage doing it.
This is why I'm drawn to custom. This is why I have so much respect and admiration for the likes of Richard Sachs (I hope to get on his waiting list in the next 2 months), Sacha White and Don Walker to name just a few. There are few realms in which you can buy something that is among the very best of whatever it is at such a bargan. A custom bike is a work of art that also has a functional purpose that you can draw years of enjoyment from; and for a fraction of the cost of a used junk car.