I've had the exact same evolution. I still like Foose's Grand Master and some of the other "billet rods" but I largely like the traditional and patina looks. For me it makes me think of the 50's when kids were doing this stuff themselves, not having them built by pro-builders that do all of the work. Also an old rusty or suede painted hot rod tells more of a story than a super shiny trailer queen.
I always thought it was funny that the Riddler and similar awards go to the owners of the cars, not the builders, since more often than not the owner never even turned a wrench on the project.
By the way, if you still have a bunch of Wagonrods and Phantom Vickies, I'll gladly take them off of your hands. I do still like Mustang II IFS's and high tech chassis, mainly for pickups, though, as I like my rods fenderless.