Looks like the last time it traded below $500 was November 17th[1] - so everyone you know who is interested has only become interested in the past two weeks?
[1] http://bitcoincharts.com/charts/bitstampUSD#rg30ztgSzm1g10zm...
[1] http://bitcoincharts.com/charts/bitstampUSD#rg30ztgSzm1g10zm...