To me, an example of a realistic roleplayer is one who's character inherited his father's nonmagical sword and feels it is his duty to use it in battle. He cherishes it, calls it by its name...but it's just a normal sword. Then one day he comes across a magical sword in a treasure trove. The character takes the magical sword, but it does not replace his father's sword as his primary weapon. Rather, he saves it for emergencies where he might need it (vs damage reduction creatures)... or he might sell it.... The point is he's doing something the character would do, not the player. Perhaps a good idea would be to commission a mage to enchant father's sword...