I don't think I've ever been bothered that way about using gear. I do sometimes buy clothes and not wear them in order to keep them pristine, but that's because I don't look after clothes too well and there are rare occasions when I need something smart.
I have the opposite problem in that I am reluctant to buy things which I won't use. It's been a long time since I last bought a torch - nearly 2 years - and there are plenty of nice shiny ones around. But I feel I have all my illumination bases covered so I couldn't use a new one without retiring an old one.
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Quality is addictive.