Personally? There's a few reasons. 1: The "Red Hand IX" I have is an original, Pre-Dark Below that I got from one of those random rank up reward packs from New Monarchy. I remember seeing someone using it in the Crucible and I absolutely LOVED it. Everything about it, its just a sexy weapon. I literally researched how to get it and then proceeded to spend a month grinding reputation for the faction. Some inside info regarding my real life, at this point in time of playing the game I had just returned home from being at the hospital for quite sometime. I had back surgery performed to fix a herniated disc in my lower back which had crippled me, having lost all feeling below the waist. It was a hard time in my life, and Destiny was what kept my mind busy the most since I couldn't walk. I was having a really bad time that day... I would have bad days, where fits of depression and nerve pain would hit me unexpectedly. It was especially bad that time, and out of nowhere there it was, that Hand Cannon I had been wanting so badly. It describes me very well, and the appearance, perks and attributes it has all well define and suit my personality. It is truly my signature weapon and it never leaves my Warlock, ever. All other weapons in my arsenal are open to be replaced if I find others that are better, but this gun in particular is very special to me... 2: I don't hold much stock in cosmetics. While I tend to be more of a solo player by nature, I do enjoy maintaining a certain level of status in regards to my personal experience with a game. Emblems and Shaders don't really hold much value to me, and its not like I'm going to be "that guy" who runs his mouth bragging about being a Day 1 player. I would much rather have something physical that shows off that status, and my old gear does that perfectly. Even now, I'll have new players asking me about my Eclipse Maw helmet or The Comedian shotgun, wondering where I got them and how they can acquire them as well. And when I tell them they are no longer available because they were only around back before Dark Below released, that declares my status in and of itself. And I feel good about having spent that time playing the game because of it. 3: The old weapons that I have each have their own character. Personally, I'm actually against Reforge, oddly enough. Reason being is because when you think about it, the Perks and Elements each define the personality of a weapon. I think Bungie loses a lot of creative control by allowing players to just spam Reforges until they get a lucky re-roll to have whatever perks or element that they want on a weapon. The older weapons I have don't allow Reforge, and that's something I personally enjoy. 4: I don't want Bungie to just keep repeating weapon designs. I want them to constantly be coming up with new and innovative ideas for weapons and I feel like encouraging them to place the focus more on "Max Damage" rather than the actual creative design with attributes/perks will likewise encourage lazy behavior with weapons going forward. Like, Year 2 this is what they are doing now. But what happens come Year 3? Or Year 4? I'd rather we focus on securing the longevity of the series by laying down a solid foundation sooner rather than later, and I personally don't think that making older weapons obsolete by simply making them not as strong is conducive to this goal.