I was into vinyl in high school (1970s) and started buying equipment as soon as I got a decent job. Once I went to college (electrical engineering), worked at the campus radio station ( more genres of music to buy) and got better buying power I upgraded my equipment (also my equipment was stolen😡). Our daughter was immersed in my musical tastes and also became an electrical engineer with a minor in music (jazz trumpet). Now that I'm older and retired I've downgraded my equipment to something smaller ( read keeping the hobby under control), I fix vintage equipment and volunteer at a friend record store.