At the moment these rigs are very hard to pay off, but the hobby is fun and like you said you feel like part of history. But I would caution anyone trying to get into mining to really think about if they can afford it and do their research.
EDIT: if anyone is trying to build a rig or has questions ill answer best i can
Yes you are right to some extent. They aren't "hard" to pay off in my opinion. They just aren't something that is paid off quickly. If you were to build one designed to mine ether currently, then yes it would be hard to pay off.
As my introduction to the topic before givIng any steps said, "you need to ask yourself, is this really for me?" And I also stated.., "you could lose money".
I agree with you to that extent and believe Everyone should do their research and see if the money invested into their machines is worth it to them.