Bye, Bye Cartier

Cartier Love Bracelet

It's official:  the last large possession I acquired while working at the software company is gone.  Back in 2009 my best friend and I did a guy's weekend in Vegas. I did really well at the blackjack tables one night, and the next morning we found ourselves racing through the desert to Beverly Hills.  I wasn't totally irresponsible - we stopped at Wells Fargo first and I made a $5,000 principal payment against my mortgage.  But by the time we arrived on Rodeo Drive, I had convinced myself that I deserved a gold bracelet.

I ended up buying two Cartier Love bracelets, parting with over $9,000 in the process.  I guess that purchase is a close tie with the BMW 128i Convertible I also bought in 2009 for the Stupidest Purchase of My Lifetime award.

It didn't take long at all before I regretted the purchase.  The thing was, I wasn't sure how I could turn back.  The price of gold was steadily rising, so I thought if I waited long enough, I could sell it for the gold.  The best quote I received for the two was $2,350, so I held off.

Finally, I decided to try Ebay.  Glad I did.  I didn't get anywhere near what I paid for them, but the $5,850 I received sure helps me pay down some debt.  I probably could have gotten even more - someone made an offer for the first one and I took it; the second sold for $850 more.

I'm not totally divorcing Ms. Cartier.  I still have a money clip with her name on it that I use every now and then.  It's not gold though so it's worth much less.