What's your most expensive prop purchase regret?

I can honestly say that I have NEVER lost money on any prop I've bought because I don't go out and buy a prop just because I "NEED" it.

The best rule to live by in the hobby is:

IF YOU WANT SOMETHING REALLY BAD, THE CHANCES ARE, IT WILL COME BACK AROUND AGAIN...USUALLY CHEAPER. HAVE PATIENCE.

around the holidays or when folks need money everything pops up in the junkyard. If your looking stormtrooper lids , they are everywhere it seems.

-James
 
I guess this is why I'd rather build my stuff. It may not be dead on accurate, but at least I had the satisfaction of attempting to make it as accurate as I can. And I enjoy the challenge of making my props along with the acollades after a build.
 
My only regret was one of my first purchases. I bought a Jurassic Park vehicle tag, and when I got it, I realized that it was pretty far from screen accurate. Thankfully, it was only a few bucks. So I just made my own. It's not as durable a lamination job, but it's screen accurate and looks just fine in my display. And it taught me an important lesson about doing proper research before buying.

I also tend to not let impulse buys get the better of me any more. Which is certainly a good thing, particularly in this hobby! :)
 
Quite possibly the first purchase I made when I got the bug for collecting props, (to put in the 'Museum of Fictional Artifacts' room in our house), is the only one I regret. I didn't spend a ton of money but the items are pretty far from accurate & are definitely ones I'll need to modify/build/rebuild myself or purchase from someone who makes accurate replicas. The items -? The doubloon & key from 'The Goonies'. :) I paid about $15 so the cost wasn't too bad...but somehow I feel like a dunce for buying em'.
 
All the original parts for masters and work involved doing a few hyperfirm (Both E11's, Boba Fett guns, Lewis Gun and MG34) projects. Lost my ass on those projects while others cashed in. Lost even more shipping items out of pocket when the person that was supposed to and paid to do it just let the boxes sit.
Same people claimed my HIC panel molds and original parts were missing yet they ended up in another parties hands.
 
Probably my KITT replica I started building. I finally sold off the parts and car late last year, lost about $10k on it. Got screwed over on the engine build and gave up.
 
No "regret", but I spent WAY too much $ for collecting Graflex´s back the days when they still went from anywhre between 300-600 USD :eek
Must have paid THOUSANDS for them and now more than 50% are collecting dust in my parts boxes :cry

Markus
 
All the original parts for masters and work involved doing a few hyperfirm (Both E11's, Boba Fett guns, Lewis Gun and MG34) projects. Lost my ass on those projects while others cashed in. Lost even more shipping items out of pocket when the person that was supposed to and paid to do it just let the boxes sit.
Same people claimed my HIC panel molds and original parts were missing yet they ended up in another parties hands.

I remember the story man (was on the list for two HF Lewis back then).
And I still appreciate the time, efforts and money you put into making this a happy end for all customers...you are one of the best Rob :thumsbup

Markus
 
Wow, guys, I'm so sorry. What I thought was going to be a fun thread is turning out be a real wound opener. I guess that makes sense I just never thought about it like that.
My most sincere apologies. :confused
 
I bought an Aliens Smart Gun replica on ebay ages ago for like $300. It wasn't all that accurate and was a bit undersized but I still thought the thing was badass and was going to display it with all the other Colonial Marine stuff I had at the time. I had it on top of my dresser while I was trying to figure out how to display it. One of my cats jumped up onto it, knocking it to the floor and the thing snapped into three pieces and all the side resin details exploded. I regret not being able to get another one. I regret not killing that cat. :lol
 
I have no regrets on what I bought, but I will forever regret selling my EXTREMELY RARE sandtrooper mg15 scope......aaahhhh! :cry
 
Pulse Rifle kit from here.
When I got it, the casts were warped, pitted, twisted, and could not come together.
Later I discovered it was a recast from a Spats rifle kit.

Cost me in time (over 2 years to finally get the kit) and money (to Australia, and then back!) as well as a partial refund....

To date, still don't have a pulse rifle of my own...

-Skyler101
 
Mine would have to be the POTC compass from Master Replicas.
Just not the quality I thought it would be...everything on it was molded plastic.
Very disappointing quality.
It was basically just a plastic toy.
 
Once bought a Ninja turtle mask for WAY TOO MUCH MONEY. and eventually sold it from just anger at looking at it. one of my first negative experiences in prop/replica buying, mostly because i didn't know better. ( before i knew this forum existed too :-/)
 
I have BOXES of welding, brazing, safety, and laser goggles from when I was trying to frankenstein a set of Dr. Horrible goggles together. I just bought anything that even had remotely the same shape of any of the components. (some came in looking completely different than their picture too)

I probably had about $400 invested in random goggles by the time I found the screen accurate models. By that point I just didn't have the energy to try to sell them all. Now I don't even know where they are. (except for any screen accurate pieces I pulled off of them of course)

$400 doesn't seem too bad until you figure that the largest lot of these I was buying we probably 6-8...so this took time, and a hell of a lot of goggles.

-Nick

You could definitely unload the goggles to the Steampunk community. :cool
 
Wow, guys, I'm so sorry. What I thought was going to be a fun thread is turning out be a real wound opener. I guess that makes sense I just never thought about it like that.
My most sincere apologies. :confused

No need to apologize for others ignorance or bad timing.
 
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