Dumbest thing you ever bought ...

ScooterGuy

ScooterGuy

Recycles dryer sheets
Joined
Feb 12, 2007
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150
What was the dumbest thing you ever bought (excluding a SO, DW or SH)?

I was crazy-mad to own a classic American small sailing craft. Reference Howard Chapelle, American Small Sailing Craft). So I bought a steel-replica sharpie: flat-bottomed, 26' long, 7' wide, 10" deep, no motor, with a gaff-rig and 150% over-canvased. This was when I could have reasonably afforded a cast-off aluminum canoe, with three closet-poles holding up a bed-sheet sail, and steering with a paddle. I sailed it; sunk it; raised it; maintained it with discards; ruined my health, lost my job and endangered my marriage; etc. Cost me all my savings and all my friends. Eventually had to abandon it, and then sell it long-distance for a BIG loss, including the good opinion of the original boatbuilder. He still holds that against me, 40 years later (he's in his 90's).

I was in my late 20's then.

Dumb ... dumb ... dumb !!!
 
.Easy... and also done in my 20's... a Le Car from my brother in law the car salesman.

After lots of repairs under warranty and more after after warranty, it finally burned in a fire at.....


wait for it....


The same dealership I brought it from. It was in their garage for repairs - again.
 
1973 MG Midget.

Of course, most cars were crappy back then.
 
Janet H said:
.Easy... and also done in my 20's... a Le Car from my brother in law the car salesman.

After lots of repairs under warranty and more after after warranty, it finally burned in a fire at.....


wait for it....


The same dealership I brought it from. It was in their garage for repairs - again.
Click to expand...


Burned down said dealership in the process? Was a replacement car provided?
 
ScooterGuy said:
What was the dumbest thing you ever bought (excluding a SO, DW or SH)?

I was crazy-mad to own a classic American small sailing craft. Reference Howard Chapelle, American Small Sailing Craft). So I bought a steel-replica sharpie: flat-bottomed, 26' long, 7' wide, 10" deep, no motor, with a gaff-rig and 150% over-canvased. This was when I could have reasonably afforded a cast-off aluminum canoe, with three closet-poles holding up a bed-sheet sail, and steering with a paddle. I sailed it; sunk it; raised it; maintained it with discards; ruined my health, lost my job and endangered my marriage; etc. Cost me all my savings and all my friends. Eventually had to abandon it, and then sell it long-distance for a BIG loss, including the good opinion of the original boatbuilder. He still holds that against me, 40 years later (he's in his 90's).

I was in my late 20's then.

Dumb ... dumb ... dumb !!!
Click to expand...

Reminds of me of the article written by Peter Egan called "Triumphs and Other Disasters" for Road and Track magazine.

Stupid thing I ever bought? Heritage furniture in my 20s. What a moron. I dragged all those heavy pieces on a slow migration from CA back East and then a few time while back East.

BTW, where is the active secondary market for SOs?
 
I'm not sure if it was the stupidest or the smartest but I bought an old Karmen Ghia with 134,000 miles on it when I was 32 and a single mother of two. It was a stick and I had never driven a stick so they gave me lessons in the parking lot and sent me on my way . I bucked the whole way home .It was anything but trouble free but I found a great mechanic that did great work until his shop was busted for selling drugs ( one of the biggest Cocaine busts in New Jersey ). I loved that car it was soo much fun and because it was Exorcists green my friends always knew were I was .The heat was tempermental so lots of times I had to scrape the inside of the window as I drove .I finally sold it because it had more plastic than metal in the body . So it was a bad / good experience .
 
NW-Bound said:
Burned down said dealership in the process? Was a replacement car provided?
Click to expand...

No - strangely enough the dealer was being dissolved. Imagine that.

My insurance company paid me a pittance for the loss and I suppose they may have gone after some one, but don't actually know.
 
'69 Vette. A sports car is one of those "investments" which ranks along with air craft and water craft in the proverbial "best and worst day" category.

Almost posted an episode about this car in the current "Close Calls" thread since I had my share with this car.

Still... Once in a while, I wish I had that car back. Sigh...
 
I guess I don't really suffer from buyer's remorse, to any great extent. I have thought, and thought, but I can't think of anything I have bought that seems extraordinarily dumb.

The best I can come up with is the bottle of Drano that I bought last weekend, after which I found out my drain wasn't really clogged after all. With my luck, my drains will remain clog-free and I will end up having to dispose of it before we move north. What a waste of money.
 
Bought a small, breathalyzer (1/2 size of a cell phone) off E-bay 1 1/2 years ago for $30 as a novelty. Had a great time at Christmas parties letting everybody test themselves--it's been sitting on the shelf ever since then---wish I had my $30 back. Bought a leaf-blower last fall with bagging attachment. Found out I can rake faster (and scratch some thatch out of the grass), than this thing can blow and bag. Besides either way, you end up at the end with a bunch of leaves to mess with.
 
"my drain wasn't really clogged"

Think of it as sort of a one time annuity / insurance policy.

I always think my life insurance was a bad deal but cannot seem to cancel for the cash value.
 
cashbalancetrouble said:
"my drain wasn't really clogged"

Think of it as sort of a one time annuity / insurance policy.

I always think my life insurance was a bad deal but cannot seem to cancel for the cash value.
Click to expand...

Good point. With my luck, it probably is a great insurance policy! :2funny:
 
1986 Chrysler New Yorker - that car was a lemmon from day 1. Of course we drove it till it died. (8 years later in an ugly death by the side of the highway) The electronic dash died in year 1 - replaced under warranty

Dash died again by year 3. Dealership tried to sell us new replacement dash for big$$$$$ I refused. Drove the d**m car without any gauges telling me how fast I was going or how much gas was in it for years. The d**m car never did shut up though - it was one of those talking cars that announced "Your door is ajar" That phrase makes me cringe to this day.

Dealership continually tried to get us to replace dash for $$$$. Finally encountered an honest mechanic in last year of car ownership. It was a simple fuse. Presto working dash.

Bad purchase & experience all way round. Because of this car I have never considered purchasing nor ever will consider purchasing a Chrysler again.
 
ziggy29 said:
$1200 for a useless dating service when I was single.
Click to expand...

Ouch! And just imagine - - anyone they hooked you up with paid $1200, too.

I have never paid for a dating service, but that seems like a lot of money! Setting up a dating service like that might be a good part time ER job for someone, though. :D
 
$10,000 worth of sugar futures in 1989.........:(
 
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