A fellow I know is a huge fan of The Who. He's gotten the autographs of Daltry, Townshend and Entwistle, and he bought one of Keith Moon's. He has everything they've ever recorded, he's seen them live dozens of times, bla, bla, bla. But the one thing he really lusted after was Rickenbacker guitar like Pete Townshend played (and frequently smashed) -- and not just any ol' Rick, but a proper 1960s Rickenbacker model 360, with a "cherry-burst" finish. Just like Pete played.

After saving-up for the better part of a decade, he was finally able to buy just such a guitar. It cost him more than I paid for my last car. And here's the thing: this fellow doesn't play guitar. He has fingers like Vienna sausages, and no musical talent. But I've never seen him as happy as when he's looking at it hanging on his living room wall, in the center of all of his framed Who memorabilia -- a touchstone to a group of guys who were at their best before he was even born.