I've had multiple Syrian hamsters- Jewel, Juniper, Jasmine (male), Jake, Jellybean, and James...
Now we have a 3 year old female chinchilla named Scout. We owned a male named Smokie, who sadly died prematurely at 2 years.
One thing about chins that most people forget is that they live a LONG time. They're not like your usual rodent. One friend of mine has a 9 year old black velvet chin and one other one has an 18 year old standard. It's not a short commitment by any means.
Also, most people don't realize how many colors chins come in. I take Scout to the vet and the pet store (when we go to the vet) to get supplies, and no one knows what she is. Apparently the fact that chins come in white confuses people and everyone thinks she's a rabbit or a guinea pig.