Taking the family to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra for our annual Christmas outing. As this show borders on heavy metal, I’ve decided to go with an homage to Tony Iommi. Looking forward to a great afternoon with the fam. Smell your best, always!

I stumbled across this video yesterday and immediately thought of the brothers in this group. It’s a bit of a "tough love" look at the hobby right now, but it's packed with some incredible advice that every collector should hear. Here are a few of the best takeaways he mentioned: The "Golden Rule" of Buying: Never, ever pay full retail price. He shouts out the importance of using discounters because paying $150+ at a department store is just unnecessary when you can find the same bottles for way less. The Paper Strip Trap: He gives a great tip—don't judge a scent by the paper strip at the mall. That's just the "pre-game" (the top notes). You have to wear it for at least 4 hours to see how it actually smells on your skin before you commit. The "Beast Mode" Obsession: He touches on how everyone is obsessed with "beast mode" performance right now, and how brands are jacking up prices just to meet that demand. Fragrantica vs. Parfumo: He actually recommends moving away from Fragrantica and suggests Parfumo.com as a much cleaner, better resource for looking up notes and reviews. I always use Parfumo as a source for my video reviews, as it is a more reliable database (German engineering, baby). Buying Isn't the Hobby: This was a big one—he reminds us that simply buying bottles isn't the hobby; learning about the scents is. Try not to get addicted to the "buy" button! He also gives some love to houses like Amouage and Frederic Malle for being true artists in the space. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/R0CujcVCREg What do you guys think? Is it actually a "bad time" to be a frag head, or is the hobby better than ever?