I thought those $15 anti-static mats were just a gimmick until a motherboard fried on my bench

I was working on a custom build for a client in Tampa, and I figured my usual routine of touching the case was good enough. After I zapped a perfectly good board (which cost me $200 out of pocket, by the way), I finally caved and bought one. Has anyone else had a specific part die on them that finally made you take static seriously?