How many guitars is it worth?

[deer of the dawn]

I was thinking today that anytime we have a big expense (hundreds of dollars or more), especially when it's something lame like fixing a big crack in your house, or replacing a burned-out electric meter, or a well pump, I find myself thinking "I could buy a really sweet guitar with that much money".

Do other people think that way? And if so I wondered what other people think of as their standard of spending a fair amount of money well (instead of on a new transmission for their 1995 car or whatever)? I mean, if you had a few large to drop on whatever you wanted, what would it be?

For me, I'd rather buy this than, say, have knee surgery.

[aliantha]

That's beautiful!

I don't think I say to myself, "I coulda spent that money on X," very often. If I do, it's probably about travel -- "There goes my trip to <bucket list site>...."

[Linna Heartbooger]

When I was a teenager and my dad told me how much it would cost to get orthodontal work that was basically cosmetic... I thought, "You could by an Arabian horse around here (Arkansas) with that much money. Seems unreasonable to me."
Apparently, that was my standard then.
(I told him I was okay on skipping braces.)

Not sure what my standard is right now... in some ways my concept of how much a certain amount of money is worth has become more fuzzy now, I think!

[Vraith]

Years ago in LA I had the choice of selling my bass to fix my car or spending 3 hrs a day on their inconvenient, overcrowded, late, and smelly buses for the foreseeable future.
I chose the bass [and it wasn't even classic or custom or special except for being 5 string and active electronics which were just breaking into their early market positions...and special in my hands cuz I liked the shape and feel.]

I won't derail the thread by bringing up the ways that the conflict between what a thing means and what it can be traded for/equals in cash has fucked up almost everything in the world that matters.

[Linna Heartbooger]

...I won't derail the thread by bringing up the ways that the conflict between what a thing means and what it can be traded for/equals in cash...

Oh dear..
sorry to hear about one more avenue of bottled rage due to you being way too aware of the way things are interconnected in this world..

I'm sure there'll be a thread where venting about this fits, sooner or later...

[deer of the dawn]

...I won't derail the thread by bringing up the ways that the conflict between what a thing means and what it can be traded for/equals in cash...

Oh dear..
sorry to hear about one more avenue of bottled rage due to you being way too aware of the way things are interconnected in this world..

I'm sure there'll be a thread where venting about this fits, sooner or later...

Don't we have a fist-shaking thread right here in GD? Then there is the Tank, or maybe even the Close if you wish to wax more philosophical. I am interested in your thoughts, Vraith, The mere fact that human beings' innocence can be bought and sold for money...

[Cail]

There are three things you will always regret selling; guitars, guns, and motorcycles (thank you Peter Egan). I know this to be true, as I still kick myself over the sale of a really nice 30th Anniversary Les Paul, a stainless Government Model 1911, and my '89 Ninja.

[Ananda]

There are three things you will always regret selling; guitars, guns, and motorcycles (thank you Peter Egan). I know this to be true, as I still kick myself over the sale of a really nice 30th Anniversary Les Paul, a stainless Government Model 1911, and my '89 Ninja.

The things I've regretted selling the most are books and records.

[deer of the dawn]

I sold a moonstone ring my mother had given me. That was really stupid. I got nothing for it, too. But at the time I was stoned and hungry. "The Lord giveth, the junkie pawneth away." (from some movie)