I did have a friend that fell into that trap. At first, I though they were just downsizing- cause they moved to a cheaper place and sold me some nice artwork, their large BBQ and such - at a nice price. After I bought about $1000 worth of their stuff, rumours were comming back to me that my friends got into smoking the crackpipe. Well I asked and they denied it - just said they were cleaning up their bills and such. So eventually I kept trying to call them and they wouldn't answer their phone, stopped comming by..and it was quite obvious.
Eventually, after 2 years, they cleaned up their act and fessed up to what was going on. We cried over a bottle of wine, they got help and have been clean for 3 years.
AND I gave them back all their stuff, without asking a dime. One picture was an original that her mother had painted - and that really hit home with her. I just wish they would have come to me with their wedding rings, instead of pawning them, since they won't get them back.
Your not a scumbucket if you buy a friends stuff whos on the pipe - your an ENABLER. You are allowing them to purchase more drugs.
Although I enabled them to buy more drugs, I actually felt that I was helping them out cause I knew they were going to get their stuff back eventually. And they did. They kicked themselves in the *** for loosing the artwork. I felt it was a duty to buy the sentimental artwork cause eventually they would get it back if it was in my hands.
But I said to them I would only do that ONCE. They burned a bridge and its going to take them a long time to build it again.