I was browsing eBay this evening, when it caught my eye: Glimmering, dignified, revered, bearing a name famous in the industry, it tempted me like the Sirens. I am referring to a bottle of Hennessy Paradis Extra. The smooth lines of the heavy crystal decanter, the warm amber color of the precious fluid within, the velvety reputation of the blend of fine eaux de vie… it all combined to say “Buy me! Buy me!”

It was really not unlike my experience with the LCD display, except without the lying salesman pushing a service plan. You see, the bottle and its contents were selling at a substantial discount from the normal retail price. Wanting to make the most of my potential purchase, I decided to attempt to snipe the exceptional cognac (placing a bid at the last second, for those who don’t know). Of course, that decision gave me several hours to mull about in my ivory tower. The more I thought about it, the harder it was to justify what was essentially an impulse buy. Sure, I find cognac appealing. In fact, the appeal is a large part of the reason why I ordered snifters as the souvenir glasses for Spring Banquet. It seems refined and elegant, carrying a certain air of grandeur. But is it really worth the price?

In the past, I bought certain spirituous beverages because the bottles looked neat. In particular, a bottle of Grey Goose ended on my shelf thanks to a highly appealing glass vessel. Fortunately, the spirit within ended up being exquisite as well. So, could the bottle justify the price this time? Well, what would I do with it? Flaunt it? Put it on the mantle? Use it as a paper weight?

After due consideration, I came to my senses and walked away from the computer, satisfied without spending a dime.