Are audiophiles still out of their minds?

"An ordinary man has no means of deliverance."
Au contraire, mon frère. 
You already mentioned the "used" route. Remember when "upgrade" didn't mean "flavor of the month" but the gradual building of a system over time? For some of us of an age, I started in high school, and built my system further while in college. I didn't really have much money to spend on gear, but it took priority over other things someone else might spend their disposable income on. When the SP-11 preamp came out in in the late '80s, I bought an SP-10 mk ii, which wasn't cheap, but to me, worth every dollar. By then, I had a decent job, but it was still real money to me. 
Some folks I know who have true wealth wouldn't spend a fraction of this on audio gear (maybe that's why they are wealthy, but they have different priorities). Others- some poor as church mice-- have killer systems, built over the years. (Yes, they had inside prices working in the industry, or spent judiciously, but were hardly "rich.").  
To me, the real answer to all of this is to do your own evaluations, find the bargains or overlooked pieces of gear on the used market and make your own decisions on what sounds "right" without following the herd. The DIY camp--which I really am not adept at because I lack vital skills--is where a lot of the action is. 

whart,

" To me, the real answer to all of this is to do your own evaluations, find the bargains or overlooked pieces of gear on the used market and make your own decisions on what sounds "right" without following the herd. The DIY camp--which I really am not adept at because I lack vital skills--is where a lot of the action is. "

You got that right. Look for overlooked pieces of gear, like vintage SS Japanese gear from the 80's and 70's.  Very affordable and sounds better than some of the most highly touted gear today.  Don't follow the herd and buy the most advertised gear, which is usually the most expensive.  And DIY is probably the best thing an audiophile can do for himself to get some of the best sound with the lowest cost, provided he has the time to learn.  DIY cable is the easiest thing to make and just as good or better than half of the cables costing thousands of dollars.

This has turned into one hell of a pissing contest. Several times the streams have crossed in general agreement (not necessarily on things audio) but the animosity that has built up and the innate hubris seems to have blinded the participants to this. Keep it up and there'll be no dessert. :-)

Carry on.

"And please...let’s not start talking about what classes we took in high school as a means to somehow qualify our chops..."
Who ever talked about high school classes? From what I can tell, most people have college and post graduate degrees here. Are you saying these science and engineering degrees have absolutely no bearing on what qualifies someone to give there opinions?

Not sure if you actually use your chemistry degree for your livelihood or if you are too busy channeling your inner Llobet but I haven't seen much detailed feedback from you on why these cables aren't worth their price. Have you A/B tested a wide range of cables in various set-ups? What steps have you taken to deduce a cable isn't worth 'X' amount? Or is your opinion formed on your own set of circumstances and what you find to be unacceptable because of the price tag it wields? We agree that we both feel that prices are substantial and over the top so it's not all disagreement. But what I find over the top is acceptable to someone else. 

"I’m with @wattsperchannel on this...@dracule1 comes off as whiny." 
And you’re not? Get real.

We disagree here. I am genuinely happy for people and their success by however they measure it (healthy kids, meaningful job, financial freedom, totally awesome hi-fi..ahah.. etc.) I guess I'm just not sure why you speak down to the "filthy rich" the way you are as if it's a negative to be financially successful...what purpose does that serve? Hence, it sounds whiny...