I bought a lot of hand power tools in college, and bought a radial arm saw when I got my first job after graduating. I've got a decent basement shop and over the years filled it with all the major power tools, but for some reason, not a lathe. Guess I looked at a lathe primarily as a tool to make spindles mostly, like table or chair legs, and that wasn't for me. A little over a year ago I saw some pens at a Woodcraft, and got the bug to buy a lathe.
I made about 15-20 pens last year for gifts, and then decided to branch out, making other "spindle" turnings like tool handles, wine stoppers, and pizza cutters. I want to try making peppermills and bowls next. I do not sell pens, so I've only turned maybe 30 since I started. However, I do find it rewarding, like many, since you can complete one so quickly.
I have made numerous platters or cutting boards from laminating a variety of different exotic woods, and I am starting to try this out for woodturning. I still love to work on large projects, but tend now to gravitate to lathe projects for two reasons -- it is still new to me, and challenging, and that it can be completed in one day, typically.