After having a bagged truck for several years, I see that mods that were so badass just a few short years ago are standard now.
My "cool" truck of 2002 would not be able to compete with the "cool" truck today, without some major upgrades now and then! Technological advancements combined with drops in prices make the basic bagged truck of TODAY naturally more advanced than the basic bagged truck of YESTERDAY. Something that set your truck apart from the rest a few years ago, making it truly custom then, may now come standard with a basic bag job.
Ya know what I mean? For example: four links are becoming more and more standard, with six links and fully custom linkage systems on the rise. Raised bedfloors? Wish I would have known of that option in 2002. Engine driven compressors? Not new in existence, but relatively new to the custom scene. Switchboxes with fast/slow/off settings? I thought I was doin' good when I had a quick disconnect switchbox. Digital gauges? Pretty cool. Hopping? No big deal now, but I sure remember the first time I saw a truck hop. Dragging? Don't they just all "come" that way now? Body drops? Everywhere now!
The custom truck world is certainly a place of perpetual advancement, undoubtedly spurred on by the increasing amount of idea-sharing and limit-pushing via internet.
I can appreciate the difference between THEN and NOW, and the work it takes for the THEN truck to become a NOW truck, but the person NOW has nothing base it on, and expects nothing less than a NOW truck. Sometimes it's easy to say, "I paid more than you and got half as much," or, "I've been working on this thing for years now, and it isn't even near the point where your freshly bagged truck starts!" But I can't blame them, for it's simply the natural progression of technology and innovation in general. All I can do now is play catch-up with the new kids on the block!