So it sat in wet dirt for 20 years and still worked? I'd want to see that tested on a meter before I believe it. Mud gets into everything and a splitter reading 7dB on one outlet doesn't mean the other two are clean, could just be your meter not noticing the loss. Plus one brass unit surviving doesn't prove anything, that's a sample size of one. I've pulled old parts that looked fine and tested like garbage once they dried out. Not saying you're wrong, just that a story about one splitter isn't enough to start hoarding brass.

Man, three hours? That's rough. But hold on, he sat there watching you the whole time grinning? That's the part that gets me. Who does that? He basically set you up to fail and then hung around to enjoy it. That's not a lesson, that's just being a jerk with extra steps.