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Why bother making extra work? You order an 8inch f/6 Dob from Orion and it works right out of the box! You get the focuser, all the optics, tube, bearings, teflon/nylon glides, and everything else you need to get the scope performing. At the time when I first got the scope, I was very green to the hobby and knew next to nothing (didn't even understand collimation). I did not know what I was missing, I could have cared less. All that I cared about was that the scope worked and so what if I had to wait 2.5 hours for the mirror to cool or struggle with the focuser - everything worked.
What would take me from just the stock Orion to a total overhaul which I have just recently
completed? What could make me go and change EVERY component in the scope (except for the primary)?
Did I have something against Orion? Nah, it was star parties that turned and sent me in the right
direction. 
At the first few star parties, I was able to finally see what everyone else was using and see exactly what I was missing. In fact, nearly all the ideas for the rebuild of the 8inch came from star parties! I got my ideas for the replacement of the focuser and mirror cell from the first two star parties I attended. I didn't waste a second trying to make my scope the very best.
Furthermore, I no longer wanted people to just look at my scope and see just another of the Big 3 (not that there's anything wrong with Orion, Meade or Celestron). A telescope that had a lot of work put into it along with a large amount of thinking was what I wanted people to see. I knew that just was not going to happen as long as I kept the scope as it was when I ordered it.
If it had not been for star parties, I would not be here typing this web site nor would I have a GREAT scope to speak of. I would still be sitting on my back porch observing with my white-tube Orion with nothing done to it and with no new eyepieces, filters, etc. It was star parties that allowed me to pick up on the newest trends and to incorporate them into my rebuild (pictured on the front page).