I've got to ask, if you're selling 18 GPU's + other misc hardware, that should bring in at least $1500... why not buy an ASIC and keep the tradition going?
Well, I did spend a few days reading up on the pros/cons of ASIC pre-orders, thinking about it, and figuring out the best position on the issue.
My decision: ASIC is too risky right now. ESPECIALLY for pre-ordering non-existent hardware (yes, that includes hardware "in development")
1. No final hardware has been shown off; furthermore, there have already been many delays to the ship date.
2. One or more companies could be a scam. Bitcoin is all about making easy money, and it HAS attracted many scams and scammers in the past.
3. Recouping one's investment might already be impossible, unless you're in the top 5% of the wait list.
4. ASICs are only good for ONE thing. As gutsy as buying 18 GPUs was, it wasn't really all that risky. They can always be sold to gamers at any time. If you can't make back your $1300 Single due to skyrocketing difficulty, you're screwed. No one's going to shut off their ASIC. No one's going to repurpose a Single into a gaming rig. If someone quits and sells his Single, guess what? The buyer will fire it back up and it will be back on the Network. When the difficulty goes up, it WON'T be coming down...ever.
5. The whole ASIC thing gives me a bad feeling -- I mean about profitability. There is no barrier to entry; just plug & play. No more cooling setups, building clever rigs, finding space for them, watching the 15 amp circuit breaker limit, etc. My entire being says this is where things go "parabolic" -- where a dozen individuals or companies come in and BECOME the network. Or at least 95% of it.