Consumer Confessions – Me First
Monday, February 23rd, 2009Twice a year I enjoy shelling out $20 for the newest issues of Purple Fashion and Fantastic Man. The fact that these publications are five times as much as an issue of GQ is much, if not all of the appeal. I rationalize that I’m being given access to ideas and inspirations five times too elite and expensive for the average trend-hound.
In the same snobby vein, I’ve promised myself already a bottle of Fantastic Man’s upcoming fragrance from Byredo, having never sampled the scent. I mean, what has its actual scent got to do with it?
Should Fantastic Man: The Cologne actually smell intriguing and edgy once I unwrap my delivery then that’ll be icing…but, in all honesty, its the secret feeling of elitism and rarity that I’ll be spending my money on. Just as when I buy the periodical that spawned it.
This is materialism at its most crass and callow, but also its most innate, no? Fortunately, I approach only the rare purchase in this reckless manner. I’ll explore the more noble and less shameful modes of materialism in future Treasury entries, but for now I’m curious:
What items/genres of material goods do readers buy recklessly – when a daring disregard for price and practicality is integral to the power of the purchase?
