If so, how long did it take and what did it actually cost? Any advice on what not to do?
Well the item I have in mind would be a very simple addition to a product that many companies make and that practically everybody has. Manufacturing and distribution etc is not in my wheelhouse by any stretch and my pockets are far from deep. I'm thinking of pursuing a utility patent and then taking it to a company that's already well established in the business and just licensing it. I think it could be a worthwhile investment for me as long as I can keep from getting screwed over somehow. I always try to learn what I can from those who have gone before me.
Patents mean jack shit if our government will not enforce them against Chinese and other foreign overt copies sold for far less. That includes requiring and enforcing Amazon, eBay, and other such sites to actively remove listings of counterfeit or patent violating products or suffer penalty in increased taxation (not fees... TAXATION).