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Examining the allure of the "expensive".

August 30th, 2011 at 06:09 pm

Well, sure, there is a quality, craftsmanship and beauty of the item. But there are also other reasons why high-end items appeal to us.

Maybe understanding these reasons will help us avoid temptation in cases where it makes little rational sense, or to get those emotional payoffs that we seek from expensive items in a more direct and fulfilling way.

1)Hard to get.
Sense of accomplishment. You think about it, wait for it, maybe have to save for it. It is anticipation and excitement you don't get picking up something cheap without giving it much thought.
You appreciate it.

It is not a matter of "status symbol" for me personally.
Well, maybe kind of unspoken one that only others with same "status" can recognize. But if you see rich stylish people, never will you see a name brand or a logo splashed across their handbag or sweater, they avoid those like a plague. So while you will recognize some designer you've been enamoured with on someone else, it will be only due to your knowledge, not due to branding all over the thing.

2). (Just recently I recognized that this one was a major point for me)
NOT DISPOSABLE.
In a culture where things come cheap they have little value and take little labour to get are easily disposable.
There is something in me that really does not like that culture of waste, and it is my way of forcing myself not to participate in it.
A $20 scarf will probably end up wrinkled and tossed on top of entry cabinet fairly soon, but a Hermes scarf will be put in a box and put on like a ritual, with thought and care, just because of its cost.
I suppose it is my subconscious way of forcing myself to keep things neat and me liking that ritual.

3) (this one is somewhat close to #2)
Avoiding clutter
I suppose it is one of the ways I try to keep my closet from going out of control is limiting things I can buy. Forcing myself to choose carefully, going on the hunt to a place where I can only choose 1 item and have to think about it.

4) Reinventing your image.
Change of season is really tough. Last week I wanted to have "French elegance" kind of look, and when some cooler air and rain came in, I found myself craving neat, simple, and comfy Scandinavian style in solid natural colours.
I really don't know how to fight this one.
I travelled many places and when either weather or something else reminds me of it, I want to keep part of that experience and "pretend" I am back in some place I loved, living the life some aspects of which I really hoped to take home with me. I know I "can't buy it", but there is some powerful drive regarding this and the mood it creates cannot be easily discounted. This probably sounds all jumbled, not sure if anyone will understand me.

There is of course also just a simple attraction to things of beauty. And there is a trap of steep markdown in a really high end brand. That one I kind of learned to resist, telling myself "Never mind what it was originally priced at, does it worth this current price? Do I love it?" Works most of the time, but not foolproof.

These are just few of my reasons that I now recognize. Do you have any additional ones? Or any advice how to get some of these psychological "rewards" in a more efficient ways?

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