Most you've willingly paid for something

In the same spirit of the "Best bargains you've scored" thread, what's the most you've knowingly and willingly overpaid for something? That is, spending more than you wanted to, but you did it anyway? And why?

I have a few.

Most recently, I came across a couple of nice and rare block stamp Zildjians (mid '50s) - 24 and 26" - and I paid $1000 for both. Now, this is well above my self-imposed used cymbal pricing schedule, even given that those are very desirable. They do sound great, but that's a lot of cash for a couple of pies I likely will never play. Yet, I knew that if I didn't nab them, I'd regret that decision. I'd only seen one 24" before, and it's not likely I'd ever see another 26", so I figured my lifelong satisfaction was worth the expense. I cheerfully handed over the cash. I'm sure I'll make my money back (probably more) when it's time to sell, but it's a lot of money just the same.

My most expensive snare was a Dunnett gold-plated brass snare, with the Lord Of The Rings Elvish-type script engraved around it. It's a nice sounding drum, but as a one-off it's especially unique, and I had to have it. I won't say the price, but it was more than my most-expensive Canopus Zelkova. The drum is sorta legendary among those who know about it, and apparently it's still desirable - I have a list of three buyers, including Ronn himself.

The notorious 'Lord Of the Bling' is pictured below.

Bermuda

One drum to rule them all? Interesting.

Mine wasn't drum-related, but my wife is a big fan of these frogs made out of bronze by artist Tim Cotteril (?), and she had favorite pieces she had to have, but there was one elusive one that was discontinued and when I found it, it ended up being a nice Christmas present. Talk about spending $$$ for something you can only look at. But she's happy.

I had been on the look out for a Yamaha Roy Haynes snare but when I finally found it, the exchange rate was poor and the seller was in New York. So in Aussie dollars I paid way too much. But I love the drum!

Dutch

bermuda said:

........what's the most you've knowingly and willingly overpaid for something?..........

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Mate! I live in Australia! "Knowingly and willingly" overpaying for something, is simply referred to as 'consumerism' in this country.

Paying $800 for a Supra, $1,100 for a Black Beauty or even $1,500 for a Brady (ironically, a drum made in our own bloody country!) is just part of life Downunder. I absolutely shudder to think what we'd have to pay for 'the precious' gold plated Dunnett.

That said, I'd dearly love to hear that drum. Any sound files?

No audio on the Lord of the Bling, sorry, and I've only played it a few times over a dozen years ago. It's a nice brass w/die-cast hoops sound, I suspect the hoop are brass as well. I doubt the gold plating has anything to do with the sound. It's a special drum because of the plating and engraving, and especially because there's only one.

Bermuda

Most of my stuff I bought used, or isn't that expensive. Even my Yamaha Colaiuta sig, though it's not that long ago since I bought it, was nothing compared to what people are asking for them now.

For expensive music equipment we'll have to bridge over to guitar stuff and my Suhr Handwired ML-100. Will probably forever be the most expensive single piece of gear I'll ever own. A future 6-piece Gretsch kit will surpass it, certainly with Norwegian prices, but that's not really just one piece of gear.

Actually, for drums, if I can view them as one instrument, my tabla set is the most expensive, and yes, quite a bit above standard.

Ok since this isn't exclusive to drums; I'm a HUGE New York Rangers fan and my favorite player is Henrik Lundqvist. Before I was married and had a daughter I had money in the bank and nothing to spend it on. So I bought Lundqvist's game used goalie pads, catching glove and blocker. I spent stupid money on it but I do enjoy my little shrine

Easy.

An 18" floor tom that matches my Premier Signia.

As the Signia was long since discontinued, coming across the 18" in the exact color was a needle in a hay stack. My mother had recently passed away, and I wasn't in the best headspace. So when I saw the this needle in a haystack on ebay for $800, I jumped on the buy it now button.

I've only hit a few times. I can't even remember the last time I used it. I think I briefly used in one recording.

I've thought about selling it, but I know I'll never get the $800 back, so it sits in the corner collecting dust.

All the Ludwig dealers I've been in contact with so far want $1300-1400 (CAD) for an add-on 16×16 Legacy floor tom to match the rest of my kit. I think that'll have to get filed under the "not willing to pay" category...

I paid $2800 (CAD) for this and it was far from perfect when it arrived. That's all I'm going to say and I won't respond to comments or questions about the drum because the s#!+storm it created on drumforum was nothing short of ridiculous.

When I was 18 and was moved out, on my own, with a steady job, I walked into Alvarado Music on Alvarado Street in Monterey and bought a 20" K Custom for about $395, with only about $510 in the bank for the whole month. I rationalized that it was the exact cymbal I wanted, and February was a short month.

2011 Corvette Gransport.. Love my '99 so much i figured i would get a new one.. paid cash.. drove it 2000 miles and got rid of it losing $20k one of the worst purchases i ever made and also made it so i will never own a gm product again

Paid $280 bucks for a used Pearl copper shell free floater from GC.

Unless it's some real bargain ,I stay below $250,but WTF.
It was rare and hard to get.

The kicker was I saw one on CL a few months later cheaper.

I paid $1800 for Sonor Phonic bop set, and high 300s for a couple of cymbals-- a new 20" Istanbul Turk, and a 22" Paiste SC dark ride. I also spent ~$3000 getting a kind of problematic record mixed; sank ~$4000 into my first Europe tour. Priorities: most I've ever spent on a car was ~$2200 for an '84 Volvo 240, in ~2003.

Sabian HHX Evolution cymbals. Cost me an arm and a leg but they are worth the money. Before that I said to myself: I will never pay 450 Euros for a hihat... and then came the hihat, the ride, the crashes and splashes. 1761 Euros in total... Ugh... But I enjoy them.

Not drum related....but when I was 19 I had my eye on a 69 Mustang and had a full-time job and no bills. The amount of money I sunk into that thing....makes me sad to think about; but I loved it!

I paid $250 USD, for a 20" Ziljdian A 1812g from the 60's. Some will say I overpaid for it but it's exactly the cymbal sound I want.

I located a vintage shell I've been looking for over 30 years. It was in pristine condition, had the snare beds already cut, but otherwise was a virgin undrilled shell.

I paid $180 above my normal top dollar.

I've only turned up four of these in 32 years and realized I may never find another "blank canvas" shell I can build entirely to my specs.

Bought a 2008.5 Mazdaspeed3 and didn't even haggle on the price. Paid a couple thousand more than if I had spent the time haggling. Sold it 2 years later and lost $10,000 in depreciation.



That's probably my worst.

I paid list price for my 24" 2002 ride. I was 17 years old and I didn't understand what list price was or that almost any other store in Houston would have sold it for cheaper. I paid over $600.

On further review, I believe that's the most I've unwittingly paid...

Ghostnote said:

All the Ludwig dealers I've been in contact with so far want $1300-1400 (CAD) for an add-on 16×16 Legacy floor tom to match the rest of my kit. I think that'll have to get filed under the "not willing to pay" category...

I paid $2800 (CAD) for this and it was far from perfect when it arrived. That's all I'm going to say and I won't respond to comments or questions about the drum because the s#!+storm it created on drumforum was nothing short of ridiculous.

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Oh man! You can't just leave us hanging like that! PM me with a link or something. I promise I have no basis on which to judge anyone for their drum purchases.