Did you ever regret letting something go? Did you get it back?

[puppyonacid]

This thread may end up feeling a bit melancholic.

There's a chance I have a bit of a cash windfall around the corner but I'm not sure yet how much. Depending on the amount, I may earmark some of it to buy back (if I can successfully track it down) a guitar I sold a couple of years ago.

I wouldn't say I'm a materialistic person but there are some things we all regret letting go of. I still dream about the guitar I sold, and I sold it very hastily. The circumstances were ridiculous and I should never have done it.

So, have you ever lost something or let something go and found you regretted it? Did you regret it more than you thought? Did you manage to get it back? How did you feel upon its return?

This can be anything whether something material right through to the loss and/or restoration of a personal relationship.

Come and vent away your regret

[Chino]

Two weeks ago I traded an HPI Blitz (2wd short course stadium truck) and $60 to a guy on Craigslist for a 60% complete HPI Savage X (big block monster truck). I really wish I didn't do it. Once I started tearing his truck down, I could see the entire thing was rebuilt half-assed.

[black_biff_stadler]

In 2006, in the aftermath of Katrina, my folks were moving 1000 miles away so I was also moving so I could stay closer to the New Orleans area since I definitely didn't wanna move that far away. I ended up throwing away a box containing like 50-60 6-hour VHS tapes of stuff I'd been recording for over a decade including about half of Seinfeld's and Friends' entire series. I'd love to still have it.

[jasc15]

I gave away 2 tubs of lego about 10 years ago while cleaning out the attic.  I regret it constantly.  I've seen similar sized lego tubs on craigslist, etc. for around $800 and I've considered buying them before.  I can't just buy a huge tub of pieces from lego, since those are just the basic pieces.  My tub had tons of specific pieces only available in sets, which are no longer made.

[lonestar]

1997 to 2011

Can't get it back....


brb seeing therapist....

[Zook]

When I was 7 or 8 (1993ish) I traded a GIJoe to one of my older brother's friends and right after i realized I made a mistake. For the next 7 years I would have dreams of finding it, but there was always something slightly different about it, or just broken. Meanwhile in the real world, I also had no luck finding it. Then in 2000 I discovered eBay and bought 5 of them. Haven't had a dream of that stupid toy since.

I also regret selling my Beast Wars Transformers. I got ripped off really bad in that situation. Damn nostalgia.

[Chino]

When I was 18, I got really drunk and let my N64 go to a camp fire. I wish I didn't do that.

[Zook]

When I was 18, I got really drunk and let my N64 go to a camp fire. I wish I didn't do that.

You also let go of a balcony.

Bah dum chhh

[rumborak]

Actually expected more relationship-y posts
So, let me be the first: I probably had a good chance around 2005 or so to get back together with my college gf.  I didn't go for it (rather stuck to the friends-with-benefits thing), but I have wondered many times afterwards how my life would have turned out had I pursued it.

[puppyonacid]

I regret that you regret that

[Orbert]

Our band back in the 80's had stars in our eyes and big dreams, and we were gonna sell everything we didn't absolutely need and use the money to move to California to be rock stars.  I still had my flute, the one I played through junior high and high school, but it was in good condition and I figured it would be worth something.  I pawned it for $30, which went into the fund.  The move to California never happened, and basically I donated my flute (or my $30, however you want to view it) to the band, which was "managed" by our guitarist Pete, who probably bought weed with it.

Needless to say, I never got it back.  But about ten years ago, a brand-new flute showed up under the Christmas tree.  I was blown away.  My wife said I'd mentioned a few times over the years how much I regretted selling my old flute, so she got me a new one.

[rumborak]

I played the flute for a few years in a marching band. Sadly the flutes were band property, so I couldn't take it with me when I left the band. Would have been cool to occasionally pick it up and play.

[Chino]

[Orbert]

I played the flute for a few years in a marching band. Sadly the flutes were band property, so I couldn't take it with me when I left the band. Would have been cool to occasionally pick it up and play.

The school had instruments people could play, as long as there were enough of your chosen instrument, but some people had their own (usually the rich kids).  I hadn't foreseen how uncool a guy playing the flute would be when I picked it in fifth grade, but by junior high it was pretty bad.  Looking back, I think my parents bought mine for me to show me that they supported my choice, regardless.  I never thought about that before.  I was just glad that I was slightly less uncool because I owned my own instrument.

For marching band, the flute wasn't rowdy enough, so I played saxophone in marching band, and bought my own.  By then I was working after school and weekends, and you could pick up a cheap student-quality sax for like $100.  That was probably a lot of money to a high-school kid, but it was worth it.  I still have that sax, and play it in the band.

[MetalJunkie]

I have an "almost."

When I was high school I wanted some extra cash, so I almost sold the guitar my now deceased grandparents bought me, which also happened to be my first guitar. So glad I didn't.

[Neon]

I have an "almost."

When I was high school I wanted some extra cash, so I almost sold the guitar my now deceased grandparents bought me, which also happened to be my first guitar. So glad I didn't.

Never, ever, ever part with that.  Ever.  You will regret it forever.  As time goes on you will find that things have a way of getting lost, broken, given away, whatever....While I still have a lot of my grandparents' things, I have much less left of them then I did 20 or even 10 years ago.  If it's in your control and you know it means that much to you, keep it close.


I have two main regrets, and both involve my grandfather:
One was a collection of beta max tapes (yes, I'm old) full of taped episodes of the Muppet Show from the very early 80s...complete with 80s commercials.  What made these tapes extra special was that, in my grandfather's retirement, he started taping EVERYTHING that came on TV...shows for me...movies...WWII documentaries for him...cooking shows for my grandmother.  He cataloged all of it, and decorated each box with clippings from the TV Guide, and made hand-written labels.  By the time he died, he had well over 2000 video tapes.  The first 12 he made were these Muppet Show tapes.  I lent them to a college professor, with the intent on getting them converted to regular VHS (which at that time was not completely obsolete)  The semester ended, I graduated, and I never saw the professor or my tapes again. 

The second is not something that I gave away, but something that I lost:  my grandfather's WWII dog tag.  From the day my aunt gave it to me, I wore it every single day, on a chain that was so long that I often doubled it up and wore it as a choker.  One day while I was working for the radio station and hauling a bunch of sound equipment around, the choker was bothering me so I took it off and put it back on just as a regular long-chained necklace.  I must not have done the clasp properly because it slipped off, and I never saw it again.  I will never, ever forgive myself for losing it. 

[black_biff_stadler]

What made these tapes extra special was that, in my grandfather's retirement, he started taping EVERYTHING that came on TV...shows for me...movies...WWII documentaries for him...cooking shows for my grandmother.  He cataloged all of it, and decorated each box with clippings from the TV Guide, and made hand-written labels.

I actually had a girly "awww" moment reading this. That's really sweet and thoughtful.

Yes?

[Accelerando]

A girl I dated in college....beautiful international student from Curacao, Netherland-Antilles....beautiful Dutch girl....she was a senior when I was a sophomore, so when it was around the time for her to graduate, we ended things and decided to be friends. We are still friends to this day, but my feelings for her never faltered. We both live in L.A. now....but she's engaged. Probably the one that got away for me.

[TioJorge]

Aw man fuck that, go murder that dude and skin him; wear his skin around and be with the one you love bro! Love never fails.







Oh yeah. My hookah. I can sometimes still smell it's soulful, fruity farts. He's somewhere out there...bein' sucked on.

[rumborak]

I had a hookah, bought in Israel. After I quit smoking I (correctly) figured I would never inhale smoke again. I threw it away.
Not that I actually miss it, but it was a cool memento.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

I remember having an original golden, holographic-labeled cartridge for Zelda: Majora's Mask for the N64. I got it on my seventh birthday I believe. I didn't give it away, so I'm not sure it fits the thread theme here but I did lose it--probably during a trip visiting some relatives--and always regretted it since that so happens to be my favorite video game of all time. I'm still kicking myself in the ass for that.

[Zantera]

This is going to sound silly to anyone who isn't a gamer, but I sold my WoW account about 6 months ago, which had been with me since 2007. It's just a game and I know it's not a huge thing, but over these 7 years I really built something special on it, a lot of rare things you can't get anymore, as well as just a lot of memories. I was stupid and I had gotten slightly bored of the game, but I realized my mistake and luckily I was able to get it back this week actually. It's a small and silly thing for people who don't play, but to me it's a lot of memories and 7 years of hard work & effort that means something, even if it's not a huge thing. I'm really happy that I have it back now, and I'll keep onto it harder this time. Even if there comes a time when I won't have any time to play at all, I just wanna feel safe knowing I still have it.

[Tick]

I sold my comic book collection to a jackass at a comic book store for 5 bucks! I was like 15 years old. What an asshole I was!
I also lent a friend my baseball cards to have him appraise them. Never saw him again! WTF?

[TempusVox]

Having resided on this geoid now for over 51 years I have a ton of personal regret. Some that I'm quite certain plague me still every day. Those of the relationship kind seem to trouble us most often; so Ill skip those and mention this instead: my grandfathers knife.

My grandfather was the kindest and wisest man I've ever known. When he passed one of the few personal belongings of his I received was his pocket knife. It was a small and simple Case brand knife. He had it sharpened to a keen edge like only the master craftsman that he was could; that knife was with him always.

Growing up I saw him use that knife for everything. He would peel apples for us kids, or let us use it to "whittle" sticks with,  being ever so careful of its razor sharpeness. His was of a generation that always carried a pocket knife. And he used it often.  When I got it,  it was worn and old from decades of use ; but still sharp enough you could have used it to shave.

After he died maybe out of respect; or maybe as a way to live my life more like his - I started also carrying it with me.  Surprisingly I found that I actually used it a lot. It was weird.  I was traveling to LA and then Chicago about 5years ago as part of a book tour. I flew from our home we had in DC at the time. Normally I travel as light as I can but as I was going to be gone for several days,  I was checking my bag. As soon as I got off the Metro at Reagan I realized I had the knife in my pocket, so I opened my garment bag and purposefully put the knife in my valise and inside my shaving kit WITH MY 5 BLADED SAFETY RAZOR and CHECKED my bag. When I arrived in LA the first thing I did when I got to my room was open the valise to discover the knife was gone. The TSA had stolen the damn thing. It broke my fucking heart.  I still get sick thinking about that. It was only a three inch blade and it was inside a shaving kit, inside a valise inside a huge checked garment bag. I had NO access to it during the flight.  I secretly wish whoever took it used it for something and sliced their finger off completely. I regret,  enormously so, forgetting to leave it at home before leaving for the airport. 

[JayOctavarium]

Dirty fucking bastards.


Temp... that's horrible. I'd probably lose my shit on someone (a rep for the TSA?) over that.



Then probably wind up in prison for making terrorist threats or some shit.

[Kotowboy]

My Epiphone Les Paul Custom in Silverburst with the EMG Het Set. in



I had a job that paid weekly and all my incomings were the same as out my outgoings pretty much


I of course now have the GIbson SG - which I do love but I also miss the Epiphone.

[King Postwhore]

Sold my Ibenez Tube Screamer pedal.  I regretted it right away.


Years later my brother's friend still had it and just gave it back to me. a 1984 original.

[Manolito Mystiq]

Well you could say I let the probability go. There was this girl, who I liked very much: pretty, artistic, musical, etc. It was during my final year at the conservatory that I opened up slowly to people in general, but most easily toward her. I could easily talk. And I remember she asked me to take pictures of her concert ... in a way that it was clear to me that she was interested – but my skepticism kept me cautious that I might just be hoping too much. She even once gave me her address and phone number and said if was in town, I’d just call her and stuff – if that isn’t an invitation, I don’t know, but I was too much of a not-taking-the-hint-kind-of guy, you wouldn’t believe.

Then, during the final school period, after a performance for the whole school (I was singing, she did percussion), she said that we should talk.

Then, she asked me if I was in love with her. I was shocked. I didn’t see that coming. And I was afraid, worried, because I fell in love with another girl earlier, and that didn’t end up well: she really tried to stay friends without giving false hope, I tried to be friends without making moves, but it didn’t work. So, I thought I was annoying this girl, too, because she thinks I’m in love with her.

So, I said no. And really responded quite phony and such. It was probably a sort of defensive mechanism of mine, because the moment was so close.

After several days, I really about it and was astonished how I blind I was, that she really tried. It wasn’t too late; there was still time, but I was a chicken. I just it go, let her go.

[gmillerdrake]

I had a Grimm Reaper statue....about 16"tall, very ornate and well crafted....real detailed that I used to display proudly when I was a bachelor. After I was married it made it's way into some boxes and then eventually on a table at a garage sale where I sold it to some young dude for like $5. I wish I wouldn't have being that I had owned that statue for a good 15 years...

[JayOctavarium]

"GODDAMN REGRET!"



I have nothing to add at the moment.

[gmillerdrake]

Temp... that's horrible.

I feel for you on that one TV....that's a tough one to take. I suppose there is no way to track it down??

[Jarlaxle]

I'm sure I have some I could share, but instead I'm going to ask some advice...

My brother bought a '67 Fender Jazz bass remake (original neck from '67. new body and everything else). Once when his band was touring it got super cold and the paint cracked all over the body, which wasn't horrible, but then his girlfriend at the time cheated on him so he proceeded to scratch "BITCH" on the guitar in huge letters right beside the pick guard, and some more stuff underneath the pick guard.

Just about three years ago my brother died and I inherited the guitar, and since then I've been considering getting the guitar refinished so be all sparkly and sexy again, but I'm scared I will regret doing it because it is part of my brother's legacy, but I'm also a little embarrassed to play it in public because of the etchings.

What would you guys do?

[sneakyblueberry]

I'm sure I have some I could share, but instead I'm going to ask some advice...

My brother bought a '67 Fender Jazz bass remake (original neck from '67. new body and everything else). Once when his band was touring it got super cold and the paint cracked all over the body, which wasn't horrible, but then his girlfriend at the time cheated on him so he proceeded to scratch "BITCH" on the guitar in huge letters right beside the pick guard, and some more stuff underneath the pick guard.

Just about three years ago my brother died and I inherited the guitar, and since then I've been considering getting the guitar refinished so be all sparkly and sexy again, but I'm scared I will regret doing it because it is part of my brother's legacy, but I'm also a little embarrassed to play it in public because of the etchings.

What would you guys do?

Obviously I didn't know your brother but I guess the way I would approach it is to think, would he really want that one action done in the heat of the moment to be considered his 'legacy'?  If he moved on after her and she isn't too significant in the long run then I wouldn't think so.  And I imagine you could get that J bass looking super sexy with a little tlc 

[Neon]

I'm sure I have some I could share, but instead I'm going to ask some advice...

My brother bought a '67 Fender Jazz bass remake (original neck from '67. new body and everything else). Once when his band was touring it got super cold and the paint cracked all over the body, which wasn't horrible, but then his girlfriend at the time cheated on him so he proceeded to scratch "BITCH" on the guitar in huge letters right beside the pick guard, and some more stuff underneath the pick guard.

Just about three years ago my brother died and I inherited the guitar, and since then I've been considering getting the guitar refinished so be all sparkly and sexy again, but I'm scared I will regret doing it because it is part of my brother's legacy, but I'm also a little embarrassed to play it in public because of the etchings.

What would you guys do?

That's a tough one...but I think maybe what I'd do is take a picture of it in its current state, and maybe frame it.  Even better if you can put it in the same frame next to a pic of your brother actually playing the guitar.  Then you can always have the constant reminder of your brother, but you'd actually be able to use the guitar in the way in which YOU would like to use it.

Also...maybe you can get "bitch" engraved somewhere on the guitar, a small area, or in small print where you would see it but not in a giant, sloppy, offensive place where everyone else can see it.  Maybe in the same place it is now, but much smaller, or on the side or something.  I think that would be a nice tribute to your brother as well. 

And then your guitar could be henceforth named "Bitch," which there are several good songs/albums with the word "bitch" in the title which I think makes naming your guitar "Bitch" work on a lot of different levels.

[JayOctavarium]

I like Neon's idea