Craziest Internet Impulse Buy

[Ji'dai]

Having easy access to the 'net, enjoying superfluous funds, and being bored can be a dangerous thing. I've bought some crazy crap over the years just browsing though online auction sites. And a lot of it wasn't stuff I was actively collecting at the time, like Star Wars or LEGO. I just saw it, thought it was cool, and bought it. Now, some of this stuff I don't regret buying, but the others... I'm not sure what I was thinking.

#5. LEGO 6399 Airport Shuttle Cost delivered - $400

This is the most expensive LEGO set I've ever bought. The highly prized 6399 Airport Shuttle from 1991. The second monorail produced by LEGO, it is considered by collectors to be one of the best Town sets ever made.

This motorized 9V monorail moves travellers from one airport loading platform to another.

It was still sealed and never-assembled when I bought it. And it still is! I'd like to do a large Town layout eventually so I'll break it open sometime.

#4. Salma Hayek 1999 Coors Light Queen of Halloween Banner & Standee Cost delivered - $60

I love Halloween; it's probably my favorite holiday. I also love this exotic beauty, Mexican actress Salma Hayek.

Salma was the 1999 Coors Light "Queen of Halloween," an annual promotion that also benefits a different charity from year to year. Donations are made where Coors products are sold.

I assume this 4' wide by 7' tall promotional standup and 3' tall by 5' long vinyl banner could be found in your favorite liquor store or bar, but I never did see one in this area. I think many ended up in the homes of families and friends of Coors distributors.

I still display these two items at Halloween so I don't regret getting them.

#3 Adult Human Skeleton Cost delivered - $100 est

This is an Adult Female with Perfect Teeth: AFPT.

Actually, this was Gwen, my last girlfriend. Now most of the women I date just end up in therapy, but some I just can't let get away.

I've always wanted a skeleton like this. Being a Halloween fan, I thought it would make a cool addition to the decor. I've always had paper and inflatable ones, but never a real one. She's been in storage for a long time.

Now I'll ask you a serious question - where in the heck do they get all the human skeletons with perfect teeth? How many people do you know die with a beautiful, perfect set of choppers in their puss, eh?

And I'm just kidding about the girlfriend remark, this wasn't anyone I knew ;)

#2. Treasure Planet Fast-Food Premiums Set Cost delivered - $18

Complete set of the fast-food toys, unused kids-meal box, and CD-ROM. I've always been fascinated by pirates and I loved the Stevenson tale but this film wasn't that great. I dunno why I bought them.

They've been in storage since I got them.

#1. Corona Parrot Neon Sign Cost delivered - $385

This neon sign features a colorful parrot perched atop the Mexican beer's logo. It's fairly big, probably about 2 feet high and a foot and a half wide. It's only been out of the box twice since I got it several years ago. The first time to make sure it didn't break in shipment. The second time to make sure it hadn't broke while sitting in storage. It is pretty all lit up.

I don't even drink beer, let alone Corona!

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So what is the craziest impulse purchase[s] you've ever made on the internet?

[JediTricks]

I had the original Monorail, the 6990 Monorail Transport System set which I got as a present from my dad, supposedly he still has the whole set waiting for me, I packed up a HUGE Lego universe I had built and left it in a box for his cat to vomit upon. ;) That 6399 you got, that looks like a way better track layout, I'm officially jealous. :D $400 for this set sealed sounds about right, but DUDE you have got to open it and set it up. First thing I would have done really, I'm paranoid and could picture some jerk resealing a set after filling it with Mega Bloks. :eek:

While I can certainly appreciate Ms Hayek's beauty, I dunno if I'd buy any beer banners with her on 'em. Still, $60 for the duo doesn't sound that bad if that's what you're into.


I've bought a few heres and theres off the net, but the $50 box of MASK toys I bought from Singapore which wasn't particularly well explained in the auction would probably be the nuttiest impulse item.

[LTBasker]

Remind me to put in my will "NO SKELETON SELLING!" :eek:

Very very random buys, but that Selma stand-up is great! :D It must be worshipped...

[darthvyn]

holy crap, salma hayek! that's hot.

i don't know, i think i've never really made an impulse buy off the net. i'm going to have to think about that one, though. most of my 'net buys are pretty well-researched and thought out.

[Ji'dai]

I had the original Monorail, the 6990 Monorail Transport System set which I got as a present from my dad, supposedly he still has the whole set waiting for me, I packed up a HUGE Lego universe I had built and left it in a box for his cat to vomit upon. ;) That 6399 you got, that looks like a way better track layout, I'm officially jealous. :D $400 for this set sealed sounds about right, but DUDE you have got to open it and set it up. First thing I would have done really, I'm paranoid and could picture some jerk resealing a set after filling it with Mega Bloks. :eek:

Oh, not to worry. The 6399 box has the old style flip-up lid with big display window so I could tell it was still unassembled. Plus the seller was a LUGNET member whose reputation I trusted. I did break the box seals to look it over but I still haven't built it. I've always been an opener, but I consider some toys to be like a fine wine you save for a special occasion. Weird, but that's the way I look at it. Opening stuff up is like a reward for me.

I also have the 6990 Futuron monorail. It was the last LEGO set I received before I stopped collecting in the late 80s. I've since bought the last monorail made, the 6991 Unitron, as well. I put my vintage LEGO collecting on permanent hiatus several years ago after LEGO began releasing reproduction vintage sets. I have no problem buying reproductions over originals if it saves money.


Remind me to put in my will "NO SKELETON SELLING!"

Very very random buys, but that Selma stand-up is great! It must be worshipped...

Donating your body to science may not be such a great idea! Your bones might end up in some wacky collector's storage shed :eek:

I loves Salma Hayek! The standee is huge, especially the pumpkin. I've often caught myself gaping at it. A lot of people comment on whether she's straddling the pumpkin stem or what.

I'd love to see a figure version of Salma as her character Santanico Pandemonium in From Dusk Till Dawn :D

[Old Fossil]

A German-Latin/Latin-German dictionary, published in Leipzig, Germany, in 1792. Cost (including shipping): $75.

I've spent more time worrying about taking care of and storing this massive tome than it is probably worth. It was apparently kept in the library of a convent for its first century and a half or so, before being brought to this country.

EBay, of course. :)

[Rocketboy]

Monorail!
MONORAIL!
MONORAIL!

Sorry, I love that episode of The Simpsons.

The only thing I've ever bought on a Internet impulse buy was orginal OT bootlegs.
I had the extra cash and thought "Why not?"



Mono...D'oh!

[JediTricks]

Oh, not to worry. The 6399 box has the old style flip-up lid with big display window so I could tell it was still unassembled. Plus the seller was a LUGNET member whose reputation I trusted. I did break the box seals to look it over but I still haven't built it. I've always been an opener, but I consider some toys to be like a fine wine you save for a special occasion. Weird, but that's the way I look at it. Opening stuff up is like a reward for me.Ah, ok, then at least you went through all the trouble of that stuff. Doesn't sound like an "impulse" buy exactly though. ;)


I also have the 6990 Futuron monorail. It was the last LEGO set I received before I stopped collecting in the late 80s. I've since bought the last monorail made, the 6991 Unitron, as well. I put my vintage LEGO collecting on permanent hiatus several years ago after LEGO began releasing reproduction vintage sets. I have no problem buying reproductions over originals if it saves money. The Unitron set always bugged me because it seemed like Lego was trying to get greedy there, it was a much smaller set and really seemed designed to make parents buy more track, hence the 2 "end of the line" segments, how much fun could that REALLY be for a kid to play with on its own. Vintage Lego collection, that's such a funny idea to me because they weren't "vintage" when we got them as kids. ;) Plus, they're just building bricks, for the most part you're really only buying the instructions, though specialized pieces have made that less true over the years.


I'd love to see a figure version of Salma as her character Santanico Pandemonium in From Dusk Till Dawn :D Don't get too dirty now. (but a figure of Serendipity as she first appeared in "Dogma" would be a nice collectible :p)

[Ji'dai]

Ah, ok, then at least you went through all the trouble of that stuff. Doesn't sound like an "impulse" buy exactly though. ;)

Yeah, I still try to cover my bases before dropping that kind of cash. I was interested in getting this set for awhile and when this one popped up I decided what the heck, I'll get it.


The Unitron set always bugged me because it seemed like Lego was trying to get greedy there, it was a much smaller set and really seemed designed to make parents buy more track, hence the 2 "end of the line" segments, how much fun could that REALLY be for a kid to play with on its own. Vintage Lego collection, that's such a funny idea to me because they weren't "vintage" when we got them as kids. ;) Plus, they're just building bricks, for the most part you're really only buying the instructions, though specialized pieces have made that less true over the years.

The Unitron theme is actually pretty ugly. Those sets are a far cry from classic space or Futuron and Space Police. The 6991 was auctioned by the same seller as the 6399 and didn't receive any bids; so I just offered to buy it after I won the Airport Shuttle. I basically saw at it as an accessory pack - more track, inluding a pair of switches, and an extra monorail motor & bogie plates. Those items are expensive even when sold by themselves. You're right about the fact that it's just buying instructions, but I've always been more of a set collector rather than bulk brick buyer anyway.


Don't get too dirty now. (but a figure of Serendipity as she first appeared in "Dogma" would be a nice collectible :p)

I've only caught bits and pieces of Dogma. I guess a Serendipity figure would be an okay substitute since Hayek was a muse masquerading as an exotic dancer; she had pretty much the same role in From Dusk Till Dawn, 'cept for the vampire bit.