Does anyone else get extreme anxiety after a huge purchase?

[RP]

Many decisions are not all right or all wrong - most choices have both pros and cons. The solution is to make a decision given the information at hand, make the best of that decision and put aside the alternative choices once the decision has been made. I could wrong but think that the OP's gut feeling is that there is an absolutely correct choice as opposed to making a judgment call as to how to proceed and living with that choice...

[Pnewsom]

Originally Posted by Crossroads684

So, I've been wanting to upgrade to a serious acoustic for awhile now, but I kept going back and forth between a Martin D18 and D28. At one point, I even put a down payment on a D18 only to change my mind. Every time I thought I knew which one I wanted, it changed. Partly because I could never find a store that had both in stock. Well, today I found a store that did.



Long story short, at first, it seemed like the D18 was more alive and it was the sure fire winner. However, as I played both more, the D28 seemed to open up and..., I pulled the trigger and bought the D28.



I should be happy right? Well, I am, but my brain is stupid and I keep going over every D28 I've played, in every store, and I can't stop wondering if I bought the best one. It's stupid and I know I got one hell of a guitar no matter what.



Does anyone else go through something similar? If so, how do you stop yourself and just enjoy your purchase?

You are experiencing Consumer Remorse. Get to work and learn to play the one you bought. Changing again will only make it worse.

[BallisticSquid]

I have experienced this myself when I was younger. Now, not so much. I think it went away just because I have more life experience now. I actually had more disposable income when I was younger, so money doesn't factor into it.

I would agonize over "big ticket" purchases. It could have been a TV, stereo speakers, car, bike, guitar, etc. Did I really need it? What is the best bargain? Do I really need high end?

What I realized with age was a purchase isn't a lifelong commitment. It was OK if I didn't get the absolute best price. It was OK if I didn't use whatever it was to it's fullest potential. It was OK if I didn't choose correctly and would have done better with a cheaper or more expensive model.

And sometimes, it's better to have 2 of a thing rather than 1 trying to be like two. The first time I ran into this was cycling. A hybrid robs you of the best experiences of road cycling and mountain biking. If you want a guitar that sounds like a Les Paul, buy a Les Paul...not something else that may approach the sound of it.

Gear can also be sold also. Sure you take a hit, but nobody dies and the world doesn't stop spinning because of it (assuming you aren't spending completely irresponsibly).

[BallisticSquid]

Originally Posted by Pnewsom

You are experiencing Consumer Remorse. Get to work and learn to play the one you bought. Changing again will only make it worse.

Yeah, there's that also. The best cure for GAS is putting what you already have to use and focusing on learning and doing.

[whvick]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi C-roads



Of course others go through this, and not just with guitars. Cars, cameras, houses, computers, marriage…big decisions that involve a serious amount of money and years of our lives.



How do I stop anxiety? Time, prayer, and admitting it to my wife and asking for her help. She is an encourager (has been for nearly 52 years now).



Sharing it with my best friend (who also plays). All of these have helped.

Great!
My wife just says, “Get over it!”
And I do. [emoji6]

[PassingThru]

It felt good to hold and sounded right. Play it. Enjoy it. Brag about your purchase. You bought a great guitar.

[Michael Watts]

It can happen. During my decade at the bleeding edge of bespoke guitar retail there were a couple of instances of skittishness but it doesn't last.

Enjoy your guitar, in a year's time you'll probably have forgotten what you paid for it.

[rwmct]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

Money in the bank (hopefully not on credit, but this still applies) represents untapped potential. The options on how to spend it are many, maybe infinite. As soon as its spent, those options are gone. Buyer's remorse is our sense of loss for those now unavailable options.

I don't know if you can say that any better . . .

[Pura Vida]

It's natural to have some post-purchase anxiety. If there are legitimate concerns, which would cause you to reverse the purchase, then maybe you need to listen to those warnings. Otherwise, if you researched your purchase, you need to put those thoughts to rest and move forward with your decision. I tend to research my guitar purchases (and most big ticket items), so I rarely have any post-purchase remorse or anxiety.

[DesertTwang]

I can relate very well to the OP's dilemma. I'm wired the exact same way, and based on my experience, nothing can give you peace of mind and "just enjoy your purchase" -- unless you recognize that trait of yours, accept who you are and take the guitar back. Then, play all the alternatives and make a decision based on that experience.

Unless, of course, you satisfy your mind that way but STILL can't decide. In that case, it's a hint that you should return whichever guitar you purchased and wait because it means you're simply not ready to make that purchase to begin with.

[silvereagle48]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

This is buyer's remorse, and it affects people depending on their perspective on the cost of the object and the perceived value.

Money in the bank (hopefully not on credit, but this still applies) represents untapped potential. The options on how to spend it are many, maybe infinite. As soon as its spent, those options are gone. Buyer's remorse is our sense of loss for those now unavailable options.

I believe you would feel exactly the same no matter which guitar you chose.

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