I'm with Jeff. My detailing obsession began with my black 1996 Saab 900. I got into really keeping it clean but the swirls began to get on my nerves as I learned more about detailing. So I decided I would take it to a detailer to see how much they wanted to fully polish the car and it was around $300, which I knew was enough to buy my own equipment and products which I could use whenever I needed and not just once. Polishing is relatively easy, but the most important thing is to learn how to properly wash your car to keep swirls/marring from coming back.
Pictures tell my story, I only had to do go over the car with a finishing polish once a year since I got my washing routine down to the tee but you will be shocked at how easy it is to polish with a random orbital buffer and some good pads/polish.
Before:
How it looked until I sold it:
