My Aero halfbelt is 9 years old now. It was all new and smooth out of the box, and the fun for me has been wearing it and letting the character develop in the leather with each new adventure. I've dragged it across Europe and Australia and it's been shown no favours. I think Craig has summed up the way I feel perfectly with the above statement.
Right on! I think you have captured how most leather jackets develop a relationship with us through the years. Heck even some of my worse ones developed great patina and carried brilliant stories.