I’m just happy I got to hold one recently without having to pay a vig to @Professor K!
Seriously, while these moments underscore the fact that the top items in our hobby are reachable by fewer and fewer among serious collectors (NOT to say the ultimate buyer isn’t one as well), it’s also a nice confirmation of the hobby’s place in pop culture history.
As @shadroch said, a rising tide lifts all boats. But the very best boats do get lifted disproportionately to all others.
What always strikes me when we read about another seven-figure book at auction is how many collectors out there who have a seven-figure collection (not necessarily one book) could amass it today — only a subset of that old guard, I’d guess. But there’s buyers. Don’t be sad that the old guard is changing, be thankful there’s a new guard on the buy side. I’m always glad there’s future stewards.