I hear you there!
I hadn't used pedals (and therefore hadn't purchased any) in probably 15 years, until this summer. I decided to dip my toe into the water, and ended up with a whole bunch of them, along with a pedalboard and power supply.
Here's what I've tried this year:
- Friedman BE Overdrive
- Friedman BE OD Deluxe
- Strymon Iridium
- Nux Ace of Tone
- Walrus ARP-87
- Jackson Golden Boy
- EHX Neo Clone
- Walrus Ages
I've found that pedals can be quite fun but they can also be hit or miss, and they add up quickly.
Sonically, I'm not sure they are better or worse than today's digital models. But it's a different experience using them, and that can break you out of your comfort zone or just be a lot easier (or more fun) for someone to use.
I need to purge out a bunch of the pedals I'm not using soon.