"In a series of Chip Board posts last year, Gene Trimble and a few others advised me that chip collecting was an expensive hobby, and that if I couldn't afford it I should get out. He was right, so I'm out."

I would never have made that statement in the context you are putting it.

In a thread on 7/22/08
http://www.thechipboard.com/cgi-bin/bbs521/tcbarc18.pl/read/736133
You stated you would XeroX pages of TCR rather than buying a copy.
A long thread ensued by many of us.

Here is the reply I made to Pete Klinger in that thread.
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Not aimed at anyone in particular!! Just my opinion.
There is a "Right" and a "Wrong" thing to do.
Authors of "OUR" books put in countless hours to give "US" the history of "OUR" chips.
They deserve to make a profit on "THEIR" work.

"I can't afford to spend the $ for the book," is not an excuse to copy, copywritten work.
"I can't afford to spend the $ for the book," is an excuse to save a few bucks.

IMO:
If you can not afford to buy the book, you are in the wrong hobby.
Maybe you should not have a hobby.

Putting spending limits on a hobby is fine. Using your spending limit as an excuse is not OK.
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If you are going to quote me, please do it in context.

In several other posts you said, I am selling my collection because I have to pay bills.