It's true. Reel fads happen. But some reels stand the test of time. When the Newells first came out in the 80s, most of the guys I fish the Canal with retired their Squidders and got Newells. Many still fish with their 20 year old Newells. Some tried the Penn GS 535 when they first came out, and went back to their Newells, as the Penn was heavier, sat higher on the rod, and was harder to cast. Some tried the Daiwa Sealine-X reels, and found that in addition to the weight and higher profile on the rod, the canted gearbox made gripping the rod cumbersome. I've always liked Newells for the simplicity of design and ease of maintenence. The Penn 525 Mag is a pain in the ass to work on. Even oiling the bearings requires removing 6 screws. When Carl Newell came back with the old P series, I grabbed two, a 229 and a 220, because I was told they were just going to be a limited run. Now, everyone has them and they're back to stay.
Basically, I think it depends what you came in with. If it lasts and fits your needs, you stick with it. Many of the newer Canal regulars use the 7000. They liked the levelwind to ease their transition to conventional, and they stuck with what they learned on. When I was starting to learn conventional, all of the regulars told me "levelwinds are for sissies" and "it'll never stand up to sand". Some have told me now, that if they were just starting fishing, they'd buy a levelwind
My Calcutta 400 is 7 seasons old and it has a lot of battle scars on it. Scratches and chips from rocks. It's still going strong. The reels have been on the market now for around 10 years. I don't consider them a fad any longer. They outlasted the Abu Morrum, which was their main competitor at first in that price point. They're a much better reel (IMO) than the Penn 965. The 6500 is a great reel too. Different price point, different features.