I gave up a vintage mechanical machine for a brand new machine my mother picked out and bought for me as a gift. The vintage machine's speed control was broken, the tension was finicky, the feed dogs wouldn't drop, and it only had about 8 stitches, but it was what I learned how to sew on and I knew how to make it work for me. It was a work horse and solid, I just never found anyone who would work on it for me. I regretted giving it up immediately when I handed it to the dealer as a trade in.
My new machine is nothing fancy, but I am getting much better results in piecing and quilting. Unfortunately it is not going to last nearly as long as my older machine, but I will use it until I burn it out or outgrow it. It is a good middle ground for me to adjust to some of the features of a newer machine without spending money on things I won't ever use.
I do still check out deals and keep an eye on what is out there as far as technology, but I don't covet other people's fancy purchases. I'd be too worried about breaking some of the expensive machines to enjoy sewing with them!