When I was, oh, I dunno, an early teenager (about the age when sleepover parties seem like a really cool idea), a friend had a birthday party that involved going to Westwood. So a bunch of us girls went into the little shops and spent our hard-earned babysitting money.
There was one shop where they sold these pins with names of rock bands on them. (They also sold -- we told each other in excited whispers -- pipes for drugs! We were all way too good to even look at the bongs, but the mere idea of being in the same store as them filled us with that teenie-bopper-forbidden-fruit glee.) My friends all bought pins celebrating punk rock bands. I got one that said "The Beatles." It cost $1.75. (I also painted my fingernails blue. It was just that kind of party.)
When I got home that night and told my mother about my purchase, she asked what it cost. I was afraid I'd get in trouble for spending so much on something useless and fun, so I lied and said, "A dollar." Mom didn't mind that at all. "Oh, everyone's entitled to blow a dollar now and then on something frivolous."
Fast forward to today. I've got a good job, a mortgage, and a weakness for film and theatre collectibles. Generally, I'm pretty good about it -- ten bucks here, twenty bucks there. So far so good. I'm comfortable with saying, "everyone's entitled to blow $20 now and then for something frivolous."
Today I just found out about a charity auction that has an item I really really want. Really. Want. Without giving too much away here (wouldn't want any competing bidders now) -- it's, um, a cel from an animated movie from which I've been looking to purchase a cel for, like, ever. I mean, to the point where I've always said to myself, "Self, I know you don't spend money on art, but if you ever find a cel from this film, that would be your first grown-up art purchase."
Of course, not having found a cel in the past, I sorta spent my "cel budget" (as it were) on other big-ticket collectibles recently. Figures I'd find one now.
The opening bid is for what they believe to be the fair market value of the cel. They have a "buy it now" option for twice as much.
How much is a grown up allowed to spend on totally frivolous purchases?
4 comments:
How much? Well, how much can you reasonably afford to pay without kicking yourself in the butt afterwards?
How bad do you want it?
Will your life change if you have it or don't have it?
Don't forget to take your adventury vacays into consideration ... you know you wouldn't want to pass on bouncing down some hill ...
I'm looking for an answer that's more philosophical than practical. Ten years down the line, it won't make a difference to me financially one way or the other -- it's more a question of SHOULD I buy it ... and SHOULD I spend up to twice the appraised value of the damn thing to guarantee I'll get it?
Hoookay.
T, you're going to throw your bod down a hill in a ball for crissake. And I think you're going to let it dangle over a canyon, too. Tempting Fate should be child's play for you.
So go after the cel. What is a cel, anyway?
I say go for it. For working our arses off, we DESERVE our jollies. Life is too short not to indulge once in a while. Twice the market value is reasonable, considering the pleasure it gives you.
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