Once buying stuff is called a hobby, or a potentially/once real hobby turns into buying stuff, something is very wrong.

For those with tons of disposable cash, I guess it's a slippery slope as spending hard-earned money on stuff relevant to your interests is pretty fun in limited doses. Many don't care to draw the line though and find valuable belongings more satisfying than normal human beings.

Edit: Ugh, I just read the 1st and 2nd NYT links and wish I didn't make my opinion so bland. Soulless, image-obsessed rich folks who want to make everything desirable and turn it into fashion are a cancer. There.