What has been your costliest mistake in this hobby?

My biggest mistake was getting a 'high end' tonearm from Origin Live.  $ Thousands!  It is not better than the standard Technics tonearm on an SL1200.  Origin Live  talk the talk but they do not walk the walk.  The latest version of their conqueror was a pain to set up, impossible to bias correctly and had no sonic benefit.  It was worse than a Jelco.  Short point if you have a Technics TT then keep the tonearm or get a Jelco or SME.

How exactly do you usually bias a tone arm? Eh?

@cd318 thanks for your sympathetic words.  You're correct that these expensive components are extremely vulnerable on my particular speakers.  Tiny protective grills for the tweeters would be helpful.  

After my expensive accident, I've taken to using the mesh grills most of the time.  Unfortunately they diminish the sound quality so I remove them whenever I settle down for serious listening sessions.  As they attach magnetically it only takes seconds to remove them.  My wife prefers the look with the grills on and I do appreciate the peace of mind, knowing there's some kind of protection.

millercarbon

How exactly do you usually bias a tone arm?

Bias = anti-skate

Yeah, I went thru the dimpled dome experience after a flood. The complex’s lawn irrigation system sprung a huge leak next door and left my basement listening room with about 3" of water. Emergency crew moved my Dynaudio C60 speakers. Yes, I should have done it myself, but in the panic . . . .
My most expensive mistake was buying a B&K AVR307 from a local dealer--a former employer. Great sounding receiver in all respects, but when rear-channel noise showed up I took it in for service. I was informed that they no longer carry B&K, that B&K was out of business with no parts access. I was so disgusted I didn’t even protest. I knew if I did, I would eventually have to insult my old boss, who I still like, and the service manager, with whom I always had a good relationship. I walked out, leaving the B&K sitting on the counter. $3000.
I later followed my audiophile instincts, having discovered the limitations of HT for my idea of Hifi.
Now that I have surrendered myself to fuller immersion in this hobby--a solitary exercise in constant frustration as the transitory sounds of whatever comes out of the speakers gets evaluated against some ideal swimming around in my memory--I realize that I should have put the thing up for sale for parts.
I’m still pissed. But I should have known more about B&K at the time. Online sources weren't what they are today and I trusted my old employer too much--especially a service dept. that had never lived up to standard when my customers had problems years before. Live and learn.