Id say the things Im most proud of are my tools, just due to the fact that Im the only 19 year old I know that has spent over $20 000 on them. I have worked since I was 13 and every week I bought something new, or saved up for something big. Most of my friends dont even own tools, so it's an accomplishment to me.
My bass - a Warwick Streamer LX5 (I don't have a good picture of it, but it's like the photo below except with gold hardware and jazz pickups). I bought it when I was 16 for £600, which is still the largest amount I've ever spent on a single item. And in 6 years I've never regretted it, or been tempted by other basses - it still looks, sounds and plays as good as when it arrived. Spoiler
Hinckley Bermuda 40 Sailboat I bought this in a 1/4 finished state almost accidentally and it is my favorite thing in the world. There is nothing that relaxes me more than going out for a solo sail and I would sell all my other possessions including my house before I sold this. Shes an old gal but her value will never fall and she'll handle heavy seas where modern plasti-craft mass production boats will fall apart. This should be a big year for the boat and I as I'm planning a trip to South America that might include passage thru the Panama canal.
I could mention my fancy new phone, PS3, GPS, surround sound, plasma, 300+ DVD collection and all the other neat electronic stuff that I have. But everyone has shit like that. I'm willing to bet that nobody else has this hanging in their bedroom (For good reason. I know, I know): I know how pathetic this seems. And I suppose it is. But I'm really not some miserable loser in real life. I'm just a goofy 26 year old guy who acts more like a 16 year old sometimes. And I think that the patheticness of having this in my room is funny. Besides, the chicks really dig it. When they see it they can't wait to run home at the first possible moment and tell their friends how cool I am.
The thing I get the most use out of is probably my laptop. Thanks to torrents and an HDMI-DVI cable, it has brought me and my friends hours of entertainment, from movies to downloaded episodes of Nitro Circus and everything in between. The coolest thing I own though? I'd probably have to go with my double bike. It's a shitty cellphone pic, but it's the best I've got that shows the entire bike in all it's glory. I made it with my brother 2 years ago in the summer, in his front lawn. We got plenty of looks that saturday afternoon while we grinded away and welded it all up. Took forever to get the front head sets lined up properly so that the handle bars would turn together. We didn't have clamps, straight edges or anything. Just a whole shitload of trial and error and finally we got it all done. Unfortunately, due to the length of the chain, the only gear ratios we were able to use were really high, and so it's like having a bike stuck in 2nd gear. Not very good for riding any distance. This winter me and my brother are planning on building two new ones, and this time actually taking them completely apart and really taking our time to build them right. Possibly even welding in a single head tube to replace the two individual ones on each bike. Hopefully it'll turn out a lot better and not feel like such a rickity death-trap.
My New Phone--HTC Hero from Sprint I used to have a blackberry, liked it, but once I saw this phone, I had to give it a whirl. MY GOD, was I impressed. I used to work for Apple, and sell iPhones, and I wouldn't trade my Hero for two iPhones. I'm not exaggerating that this phone has played a part in getting me laid.
Am I, uh....am I missing something here? Why, again, is this cool? Focus: My motorcycle. The picture isn't mine, of course, but it's the same bike. There's nothing like suiting up in gear and taking off for a couple of hundred miles. It's like a mini-vacation. I'm working up to a fully-faired sportbike.
My truck and dirt bike. 01' Tacoma v6, 01' CR250. and Canon Rebel XS. Lastly, probably my computers. Laptop + 1tb external HD full of movies + VGA cable + big screen TV = cool.
One of these things. My parents bought it when I was 3 or 4 years old. When you press the button, it shoots out a note that looks like a piece of toast. It's so cool, I really want to figure out what company makes them. Also, my FNP-9. I love that gun. SG EDIT: Some for sale. They even have a Facebook page that popped up in the google search. What the hell? oswald999 edit: I know that, I even own the domain name memotoast.com, but that site doesn't work. I've tried buying from them. And that company definitely doesn't produce them.
Its gotta be my "Man Cave" The house I've been renovating for 8 months has an old shed outbuilding. Being a 90 year old house meant that it was made of brick and weatherboard with hardwood floors, after re-sheeting, re-wiring, wiring for sound, installing sound proof insulation and polishing the boards, I have my play room. My favourite toys in the room are my twin brew dispensing kegorator and my hi def projector. Means I can have the lads around whenever I want without upsetting my lady.
Jesus Christ this thread makes me feel like a loser. I have nothing. My TV is fucking awesome and that's about it, but that's not cool or even notable, you know? Once a year, I have plane tickets for a kick ass vacation, so I got that going for me....I guess.
Besides my 2005 American Strat, my prized possessions are vintage items I've collected over the years, especially ones that can't be replaced. I'm proud of my vintage hi-fi system and 200+ collection of classic rock LPs, most of which I've acquired from relatives. I'm also proud of my collection of vintage cameras, photographs, and family heirloom guns. How I love old guns. Probably the coolest thing I own is my Great Uncle's Navy pea coat that he wore in combat in World War II. I see a lot of douches wearing pea coats around school, but I somehow doubt they are originals. I don't wear it that often, but you can't tell if it is 5 or 50 years old. It's in excellent condition, has the original patch from the Brooklyn naval surplus manufacturer, and his last name in stenciled letters on the liner. Oh and it fits me perfectly, which makes sense as he was the same age as me when he went to war. When I wear it I can't believe I'm wearing a part of history that was an antique when my mom was born. *Not my great uncle
My Hattori KD34 Gyuto chef knife. It is the best piece of professional kitchen cutlery made today. Every single one of these knives are made by a 70 year old Japanese dude in his mountain home. It can take years to buy one as you need to put your name on his waiting list which is already a couple of thousand names long and he only makes 3-400 a year. The swordmaker Hattori Hanzo in Kill Bill was named after the guy who makes my chef's knife. You can see the detail of his craftsmanship every time you look at the blade.
I love my Taylor. It is my chief source of serenity. A lot of people don't understand what goes into the craftsmanship of a great guitar, but once you pick one up, you will be able to feel, see, and hear. The neck is flawless with a solid ebony fingerboard, solid spruce top, with Mahogany back and sides. The tone seems to get richer and warmer with age. Granted, its a lower end model because I didn't have several thousand to spend on a really nice one. But I feel that even a low end Taylor is still nicer than a really expensive Fender acoustic, which I used to have.(my first guitar) My next guitar, will be a REALLY nice one.
Anti-Focus: The coolest thing I don't own - a scarf w/pockets in it Alt. Anti-Focus: The stupidest thing I own - It's stupid, it just dries my skin. And the hard water doesn't help. Why do I have, it? I don't know, that's why it's stupid.
I have an old Martin acoustic guitar that my dad gave me that I don't think I will ever get rid of. I think it is the only thing I own right now that I want to pass on to my kids. I also spent $1,000 on a Bose headset for flying that is great. Electronic noise reduction is priceless, and you can never get that hearing back once you lose it.
My '03 RM 250. It has a WER steering stabilizer, tuned suspension and some other goodies. It's fast and handles like a dream. Guy Fawkes has me beat but I'm posting it anyway. It's not nearly as big, not as well equipped, but it will serve its purpose... which is a floating bar/hotel for me and a few friends. I just bought this. It's out of the water for the inspection and now that I own it it's getting fresh bottom paint and going back in. It may be in the water now, I haven't called the marina to check.
My International 14. Almost all people that have sailed, have at least been on a Sunfish. My boat is roughly the same length, weighs a little bit more, and has 5x the sail area going upwind, and 10x the sail area going down wind. I am in no way qualified to own this boat. Everytime I take it out, the pucker factor is so extreme I can't poo for a week. I got this boat for free, but I had to drive 20 hours each way to get it, over thanksgiving last year. This is the coolest thing I own. I used to have it parked next to my car. Every morning I'd leave for work I get to see my boat. Every day I got back, I got to see my boat. I could have spent the day having my nuts stomped by every boss I had going up the corporate chain. But coming home to see that boat would make everything right. Her name is Divine Madness.
You said not sentimental, but I don't think this counts... Awhile back I helped former unified world lightweight champion Nate Campbell out with sending him some DVDs of all of his fights I had. In exchange for that, he sent me a couple [x3] autographed posters of his fight that was supposed to happen with Joan Guzman last year in September. Guzman didn't make weight and the fight got scrapped, making these posters for a fight that never took place. On one of them, he signed, "Dear Mark, thanks for your support and your help. Oh he found a way to run! - World Lightweight Champ, Nate Campbell" The poster had the heading "NOWHERE TO RUN" which is why he made that comment. I gave one poster to my brother that was just signed by him and kept another extra poster to use as a giveaway in the future.