What are your greatest regrets regarding: (A) An item you passed on, and later wished you had bought, and (B) An item you sold, and later regretted? I'll start. (A) After selling off almost my entire collection, I came across a Gillette razor blade dispenser for $150. These existed before my time, but you used to find them in public restrooms, and a traveler could purchase their favorite blade if they ran out. I didn't buy it because "I was done acquiring." (Yeah. Right.) By the time I went back, it was gone. (B) I had three Gillette Psychos, in their box, with an original key. Best conversation pieces ever. I sold them. I regretted it the moment I took the guy's payment. Let's hear your stories of regret!
Early in my wet shaving collector days, I traded a 1947 NOS Milord Christmas set for these: https://theshaveden.com/forums/thre...are-opportunity-for-rare-gillette-sets.28994/ I then sold them for $150. Biggest regret ever. Those were truly rare razors. And I suppose these ought to go here too. https://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/completed-plans-big-den-cleanout-part-1.29712/ I ended up getting another red tip later, so that's one razor I don't regret.
I Coloniali shaving soap. I didn't really pass so much as procrastinated until it decided to pass. It's happened with other soaps, but this is the one that I most wish I'd tried while I could. I found this brush at a local antique mall. (For peanuts, even.) I'm really not one to use another guy's brush. I do occasionally buy old brushes to restore/reknot. But I decided that reknotting this one would be a crime. So I sold it rather than relegating it to a life as a shelf queen. Kind of a variation on "if you love something, set it free."
Full store stock box of Spoilers that I accidentally listed for $25 as a BIN rather than the opening auction bid of $25 that I'd intended. Someone in Canada snapped it up before I noticed my blunder. I gave over 2x that for it but fully expect I'd still have profited from it. Not sure I've ever told that story here. The pain was too fresh.
My Fatboy. Really liked that razor but traded it for something that it turned out I didn't like. Oh well, live and learn
I wish I would have discovered DE razors sooner as well. It's made a big difference for me. Shaving soap as well. Canned goo dries my face out really bad.
Years ago I could have bought a Darwin Razor for $150 but thought that was ludicrous. $150 for a razor.........See them go when they show up for over $1,000 on eBay routinely. Should have bought that one to at least experience it........
Other regrets after I started DE shaving are never trying Floid Blue. I like Epsilon blue. But never tried Floid. Wish I would have stocked up on Hasslinger Tallow pucks.
While at a street fair, my wife & I were looking at "antiques". She came over to me with a razor and asked if it was anything special. I took one look and realized what exactly it was. I paid the vendor without negotiation the $5.00 he asked. The razor turned out to be a Gillette Gold Toggle. I sold it within hours on another shave forum for $65. I really regret not shaving with it at least once. But I was fairly to DE shaving and wasn't sure how to clean and disinfect it.
3 razors... Collection wise, a beautiful Darwin Deluxe in original excellent condition "coffin" case with a pack of sealed Darwin DE blades. Actual use wise: 1934 USA Gillette Aristocrat - TTO, open comb - that I had replated in rhodium. 1930s Gillette Bostonian I had replated in black nickel.
It really was a gorgeous razor. It was one of the first Gillette razors I ever owned and the plating was about 60% gone. Figured I would try something different and I was glad I did, beautiful razor, excellent shaver. It hurt me deep to have to sell it.
My minor regret is a Wilkinson Sticky ...... an extremely mild shave, but there was something I really enjoyed about it.