that other people mock you for but were worth every single penny.
What goofy things have you been derided for purchasing but were none the less totally worth it? A couple of years ago, I bought a pair of animatronic hamsters dressed like rednecks who play “Dueling Banjos”. I just found them recently in the back of my car and, despite being roundly mocked by all my friends, everytime I see them stumming their tiny plastic banjos, I giggle. Totally worth every penny of the $12.99 I paid for them…
Practically my entire collection of action figures:
I bought a squeaky dog toy that was shaped like a cat and had a scuba diving suit painted on him. I don’t have a dog, I just thought my kiddo would like it. And sure enough, she does, but we get some funny looks when people see that oddity. haha.
Compulsivley buying books. Ones that I really have no interest in reading. Fortunately they are greatly outnumbered by the ones I do want to read.
Behold the horrific majesty that is the nasty pig thing. It’s a hand puppet that cost 50 cents at Wal-Mart. It’s sparsely covered in pink stringy “hair”, and its eyes float around in plastic balls attached to stalks on the top of its freakishly large head. I bought it because A) my friend and spent about 20 minutes laughing at it the first time we saw it, and B) it was 50 cents.
Nasty pig thing rules.
shudder
My almost complete collection of Xevoz action figures/game pieces (sound and 56k warning) I saw one in a Toys R Us and it looked similar to a “Magic” type card game I was designing in my spare time. I bought it to check out the rules and eventually ended up getting almost the entire set. Soon, I’ll have to feed my addiction by getting their stikfas brethren. I don’t play with, display, or otherwise deal with them once I’ve got them put together. They just go in a box in my closet. Thank god I have an understanding wife.
Peace - DESK
I bought a Jeopardy board game from a yard sale once.
My wife laughed at me about it.
It would be worth it if I could find someone who will play against me.
Roland, that’s great! I wish I had something like that. All I’ve got are some flattened mink, and I didn’t pay for them.
Just today: a CD in the 1.95 bin that was “TV themes in the style of great composers.” MASH* a la Purcell! I Love Lucy a la Mozart! (My favorite) Friends a la Vivaldi! That one’s going to get a lot of carplay, lemme tell you.
I never, EVER buy anything from infomercials, but I am ashamed to admit that I once spent about $250 on Carleton Sheet’s “No Down Payment” package on real estate.
And, in case you were wondering, I did not:
Oh, Og, the pig thing! I’m scared. I can see where it would have enormous value. I can’t make fun of anyone’s puppets, though, since my roommate and I spent twenty or so minutes in Kroger, playing with the Easter puppets. My most frequent contribution: putting my hand in the duck puppet, and saying in a gruff voice (as puppet), “Hey, tell this chick to get her hand out of my butt!”
I’d had a LOT of sugar that day.
Ahem.
I have a squeaky little rubber duck that my sister bought me, so it doesn’t count, but it fills me with joy to squeak it at people. I was roundly made fun of for buying a Nostalgia Edition Scrabble game, in the nice wooden box, but it was worth it. It’s lovely and the tiles are so waxy. Besides, I dig the little maroon velvet bag for the tiles.
I also get grief for my fridge magnets, ninety-two cents at Target. They are strips with words on them, such as “Square,” “Yeah, man,” and “Trickeration.” Tracy (same roommate of puppet incident) and I made some sentences. Hers is “Off the cob like gangbusters jive foxy chick.” Not quite a sentence, but I feel it is profound somehow. It’s right above my “Dig square threads.”
My snazzy leopard-print wallet garners as many cheers as jeers. The jealous masses just don’t understand. That wallet is sturdy and holds all manner of cards and receipts. I also like to read books in public that make people wonder. In one week, my choices were Sexual Astrology, Mere Christianity, and Quicksilver’s Knight. My boss was so confused, she finally had to ask.
My obsessive purchase of Spray’n’Wash Stain Sticks is derided as well, but they’re a boon to clumsy folk everywhere.
Silly me; I forgot to point out the two defining elements of the mirth inherent within the nasty pig thing. First of all, the fabric that comprises its body is loose and somewhat stretchy, providing an imaginative puppeteer ample opportunity for a wide variety of contortions such as this. Furthermore – and this is the coup de grace – when the mouth is opened and closed, the thing oinks Old MacDonald at you one note at a time.
Nasty pig thing rules.
I once paid $7 at the thrift store for a pair of lavendar suede clunky work shoes. I just kept them at home and laughed at them for six months without wearing them. Now when I do wear them, I get compliments for total strangers.
That’s it. Now I want my own nasty pig thing.
I bought an oil painting at a flea market. For three dollars. It’s an odd shape (very tall and skinny canvas), and it depicts a very impressionistic group of yellow irises. My husband thought it was kinda nice, but dubious of buying an oil painting from a flea market for 3.00. I brought it home and hung it on the wall. It’s been there for five years, and everyone loves it. I really should take a picture of it, so you can get the full impact of green and yellow on the cranberry colored livingroom wall.
Best three bucks I’ve ever spent.
Ummm could you please post the name of this CD? Cause I’d love this!
And DeHusband has forbidden me from watching infomercials while on pain meds.
[shakes fist] Damn you, Ron Popeil! [/shakes fist]
Here’s the link at Amazon – just for the title and label, I wouldn’t recommend shelling out $16 for it. 
Ia! Ia! Shub Niggurath! R’lyeh ftagn!
cough That’s. Amazing. It goes from “pig” to chaos-twisted hell beast. I want one.
Wow. I’m seriously tempted to change my wallpaper to Contorted Nasty Pig Thing. And it would be fun to hear my husband screech when he sees it.
