Yeah, I guess paint scratches and worn parts are more important to people than I thought. Funny- the first tiny paint ding i got on my Rivendell was very upsetting to me. Now, several dings later, it's no big deal to me and I feel like it's just part of riding and loving your bike. When DH and I went to NYC a few months ago, we enjoyed looking at all the messenger bikes chained up everywhere- they were literally works of art in progress with all their mismatched replaced parts, various paint and rust layers chipping and showing through, duct tape...their scars were so extreme that each bike became a thing of beauty.