So I broke down today....

[MongoJerry]

RMAH could be seen as an investment. Buy decent act 4 gear, start farming act 4, sell off your finds. Dunno how long it would take to recoup your investment, but it could be worth skipping the time you aren't making as much money in the earlier acts.

I agree with this. I remember buying a couple of key D2 items I needed off Ebay back in the day for a total of about $15 plus or minus. I then sold a few items there to recoup the money I spent on my purchases and never looked at any real money trading site again.