I completely understand what you are saying, but I think it adds credibility and realism to how people build. Those sweetheart deals people find from the widow or just make up (it happens) won't be used to build a bike that we all know is worth far more than the $100 challenge implies. It maybe makes people focus on finding quality parts that are very functional but not always desired, or to work on real projects rather than just buying some gem and calling it good. It challenges people more.