This is a pretty cool (& enviable) lifestyle, though usually achievable only in places w/ strong infrastructure & public transit. It also helps if one has no kids or dogs, especially large ones.
Also, I probably know a few people whose bikes cost wayyyyy more than their car/truck, lol.
Same here: Not owning a car frees up a lot of capital to invest in fine ukes (and a great bike)! As a matter of fact, that is exactly my rationale when buying another uke.
Multiple cars & ukes here. Both except maybe one uke have likely depreciated. But the pricing of many ukes when purchased new has increased a bit dramatically since the pandemic? The demand for non "luxury" ukes, like bikes, shot up during the pandemic, as has the cost of importing a variety of stuff, mostly due to supply chain disruption & skewed demands.
All the cars were pre-owned upon purchase & only one has financing. One of the cars was from the 1990's when upon purchase around 2015?. It later got hit. Because there were no claims filed for physical damage to car or driver, the insurance company of the other driver paid out a cash settlement. So ultimately, we were paid to own the car, in the grand scheme of things, if one doesn't count maintenance. Like many cars during the pandemic, it didn't get driven much last year so the battery is dead.
To the OP, if you are waiting, I wonder if the increase in uke purchases will result in an increase in used ukes hitting the market as this pandemic wanes.
Also, one of my best Hawaiian Koa ukes was a "blem" purchase, from HMS. It may be less likely for that opportunity to pop up in
UK, but not impossible.
And to answer your question, my "better" ukes don't get played as much since they're not hanging on the wall... in the future, after house remodel, I have every intention to put up more hangers, and hang some but not all of the "good" ukes.