I am only a couple yrs younger than you and I might be 80 before I get a longarm and I know I would use it all the time. No doubt about it. 73 is young and to do what you want in retirement is something you have earned over a lifetime. It is a toy that like any other will depreciate with time but you will get a great return. Who cares if you ever make a dime doing quilts for other people. You are doing something for yourself. Ultimately the decision is yours live your dream through yourself not through what other people think, from their experiences, you should do. Let us know what you decide.