Me, I spend entirely too much time in Cafe Society reading video game threads.
Wandering through Best Buy the other day, I end up picking up Fallout 1 & 2 and Planescape Torment (and some other random RPG it was bundled with) all because of the overwhelming, and largely unanimous, praise they got here on the boards.
Did I mention that I still don’t have a job? Granted, it was only $20 before tax, but still…
[sub]Grr… Stupid Planescape Torment appreciation thread…[/sub]
I’ve bought a fine Straight Dope mug and t-shirt.
Based on the “best album of 2001” thread, I bought Ryan Adams’ “Gold”. And it is excellent.
I bought Fast Food Nation, based upon what I read about it in Cafe Society.
A fascinating book.
I’ve ended up buying Deus Ex because of the rave reviews it has gotten here. It was all justified too, IMHO.
Also, I ended up buying a GeForce 4 card after asking for some advice on graphics cards in a thread I started.
Airplane rides and hotel rooms.
I bought Carl Sagan’s The Demon-Haunted World after seeing it referenced in a few threads. Best book I’ve ever read.
I finally broke down and bought Confederacy of Dunces but have yet to read beyond the first page.
Okay. I’ve gotten a copy of the Aeneid, a Latin textbook and dictionary (both of which come in handy for crosswords).
I’ve also purchased a wedding ring, maternity clothing and baby stuff.
Robin
A number of really good books.
A special lightweight child seat.
A Hello Kitty vibrator.
I bought Out of the Park Baseball for the PC; I’ve borrowed books from the library based on recommendations here.
I was just showing some other dopers my copy of Guns, Germs and Steel. I actually called it a Straight Dope book. I also bought Demon-Haunted World, but haven’t started on that one yet.
And stroopwaffels. Yum.
I bought the books “Heisenberg’s War” and “The Catcher Was a Spy.” Some day I’ll get down to reading them…
American Gods, based on the recommendation of the OP, no less (loved it, and have inflicted it on several other people).
Guns, Germs and Steel.
Other books, but those two stand out the most.
A plush Cthulhu doll for the daughter of a friend. I’m pretty sure i got the idea here.
I signed up to an internet DVD service (NetFlix) that was good for awhile, but I eventually dropped it for a couple of reasons.
I hope this doesn’t mean someone and their 36 sockpuppets will try to convince us to buy the new Barry Manilow album!
I ordered Guns, Germs and Steel in my latest Amazon order. Also, I saw Why People Believe Weird Things by Michael Shermer on the bargain book table a couple months ago and snatched that up, recognizing it as a title that had been recommended on the boards by someone.
Ain’t that the truth!
Alhough I’m spending less and less on hotel rooms these days. 
A plush Christmas Cthulhu.