Which is better: Character death or item destruction?

[Mark CMG]

Which is better: Character death or item destruction?

Is it cheaper to regain your life (or even possible) than it is to get ahold of the lost items?

 

[Plane Sailing]

In one party I play in, character death is definitely better - because replacement party members arrive with new equipment, who then end up dying and new replacement party members come in with yet more equipment.

I'd swear that most of the treasure earned by that party comes from harvesting the equipment of dead comrades

 

[lukelightning]

Let's see, judging from Lord of the Rings, the answer is Death. Sauron was so angry that the DM destroyed his ring of invisibility that he self-destructed.