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The Best Deal You Passed Up?

Here's the other bookend--lots of people catalogued their great deals, finds and steals in an earlier thread. And it's fun to take credit for being lucky or vigilant.

But what about the opposite, where fate offered up a fantastic deal you turned your back on? Or when you learn something was special after the fact, and then realize "Gee, I helped Auntie carry one of those out to the dumpster!" We tend to block these unpleasant, regretful memories, but there is always at least one that lingers...

My biggest one was passing on a set of five Gaillard saucepans (with lids) with exceptionally rare *vertical* handles. I think the whole set went unsold on eBay for $150. Me so 'tupid.

What's yours?


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  1. Two come to mind. A gently used Cuisinart food processor for $10 at a thrift shop. I have a functional, but getting very aged, Braun FP and didn't think I had anywhere to store the newer one. And a yard sale vintage Rival crockpot for $1, just like the one I have and love. I was across the country visiting my mom and thought it would be a hassle to carry home.

    1. Definitely not a deal that I passed up, but a while after my grandmother passed away, my Mom brought over and gave me a couple of my Grandmother's plastic colanders. I don't know why my Mom felt there was something special enough in those plastic colanders that should be passed down to me. I happened to ask her what other cookware my Grandma had and who had gotten them (I have aunts.) That's when my Mom informed me that my Grandmother's CAST IRON pans had been passed down to her. GREAT! Except, my Mom thought that they were "old" and "greasy" and proceeded to throw them away. MOM!?

      1. I was shopping for a Weber kettle grill and Amazon was offering a Weber Simpsons Anniversary grill. It was the Weber kettle decked out in Simpsons colors. The price was fairly reasonable, but I hesitated for a few days, and it was sold out when I was ready to buy. You can still see it here...


        2 Replies
        1. re: Philly Ray

          Hi, PR:

          As an inveterate scrounger, I'll wager that you come across one of these again. Might I suggest an eBay automated daily search?

          I love those blue handles. Get some Duff coozies when you find your BBQ.


          1. I was on vacation in Cornwall and came across a white racing bike for cheap. I was certain I'd be able to bring it back to London on the train, but the bf said no.

            Oh, you mean cooking things, don't you? ;o)

            1. Oh, it hurts to even remember it...

              A Mauviel 24" copper fish poacher. Stumbled on it in a most unlikely small town thrift store. My Hub talked me out of it, citing lack of storage space and the fact that I never poach whole fish of that size (factual citations, but still...I'd have committed to poaching big fish weekly). Whether it was on-the-road exhaustion, hunger or sheer stupidity, I acquiesced to his arguments. A half-mile down the road I came to my senses and we returned.

              Poacher? Sold. Price? Five bucks.

              My Hub is a good man, but the New Rule is that he never gets that kind of veto power again!

              2 Replies
              1. re: cayjohan

                It was painful just to read that! On the other hand, your sad tale helped me accept my silly decision to pass up a heavy aluminum fish poacher, complete with rack and lid, for $6 at a local flea market. It also strengthened my resolve to ignore Mr. Priss's efforts to keep me away from thrift shops and flea markets when we travel together.

                1. re: Miss Priss

                  That incident was the beginning of a serious Separation of Powers, especially since MisterCay went a-Googling upon return and realized he could have paid for the whole ding-dang weekend eBaying the poacher. Not, of course, that I would have given it up, but the point was made!

                  I lived with the slight fear for awhile that he would try to make it up to me by buying a new Mauviel fish poacher, such was his humility!

                  Ah, well...next time, I won't be dissuaded.