Car auctions & gambling addiction

I recently went to a car auction in Wellington. Just your average auction, you know the deal - "cars under $6000 reserve" blah blah blah.
What struck me as weird as there were a lot of Japanese people there. Now Japanese people in general aren't weird, but these cars are like all from 1994-1999 models - models you can't even buy in Japan as they ship them off to other countries (like New Zealand) when they get this "old". So I went to a few more auctions (obviously yes I have too much time). More Japanese people, opening bonnets, opening and closing doors, taking test drives on the 50-foot "test road" (wow you can really tell just how good a car is from that trip!).
So this makes me think that these Japanese people are looking for what in effect is a Classic Car. They must be saying things to each other (in Japanese, naturally) like, "Wow - Hiro, look at this! It's a 1995 model Honda Accord! I remember my dad telling me about these, it's only got 16 valves! No reversing sensors or TV in those days. Boy how on earth did they drive these old bombs then? I just gotta have one, what a trip down memory lane Hiro! And look! I see a 1994 Mitsubishi Evo II!! They are up to Evo 9 now, I bet that is one slow Evo, I think only 6 seconds 0-60. Not 5.5 seconds like the new one."

So I went from the auctions and took the kids to Chipmunks, one of those playgrounds for kids. Sure it's free to play in the park but why play for free like I did as a kid when you can pay for it? So next to the counter was a machine that you put $2 in and use that pathetic claw to try and grab a chocolate bar. No other choice as it was filled only with bars of chocolate. And then, on the counter, were more of the identical chocolate bars that you could buy, without risk, for $1. So...hmmm. I can gamble $2 on the chance of winning a chocolate bar (fat chance) or pay 50% less and just buy one? Are we that desperate to gamble? One day they'll take away the machine and the girl behind the counter will decide.
"Yes sir how may I help you?"
"I'd like a bar of chocolate please."
"Sure you would sir. Are you feeling lucky today? I'm not sure you are. How about you pick a number between 1 and 100 and we'll see if you get that bar. Give me your $1 first of course."
ching ching!
"Oh sir I'm so sorry. I was thinking of 98, not 22. Please try again another day. Your diabetes will thank me for it."
The Human Race. We are really pathetic when you think about it hard.