while I rarely buy a pattern, I have to admit that I get 5 quilting magazines (down from 7--I'm trying to slim it down more) and when I go through them for our Guild "garage sale", if I don't see at least 2 quilts in an issue that I may someday make, it goes. So I have a shelf of patterns for "someday"! Rulers, my rule is buy if it keeps me sane! My best example of that is my Tri-Rec--could not do several quilts without(like the Storm at Sea I'm working on now)