Quote from: SettembriniWhat´s wrong with consumerism, btw?

Consumerism is BAD.

GOOD = Hugs, making out, and a good movie on a Saturday night.

!i!

Quotea good movie on a Saturday night.

Huh? How is this not consumerism?

Buying stuff is not "consumerism." :killingme:

Do I need to explain to you what a commodity is? Yep, I do. But then, I'm not getting paid for this, and as you know: TANSTAAFL.

Quote from: SettembriniHuh? How is this not consumerism?

I should have qualified this statement.  It's only good if you sneak into the theater or steal the video from the rental store.

No, seriously, I'm sorry.  I was making a bad cross-forum joke.

!i!

[Edit: By the way, yes, I think we're all describing "consumerism" as "conspicuous consumption", the purchase and accumulation of un-needed goods for the sake of simple, personal gratification.]

Mmm.
What actually is a "commodity" [I even think it´s the wrong term you use. A commodity for me is something like gold or timber or frozen orange juice] is totally in the eye of the beholder. It´s all about your personal expectations for utility. And utility is as relative a concept as could ever be. It´s all about preferences, baby.

Only if you prescribe what preferences are good and which are bad can you even begin to classify luxury goods into "consumerist" and non-consumerist.

And your $100+ plus game IS a luxury article. As are nearly all articles that you will and have purchased in your life, Pierce.

EDIT: yeah conspicious consumption is stupid. But it´s not EVIL.

Meh, "consumerism". Marxist claptrap.

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaI remember the first time I looked through a copy of the Comic Collector's Guide and discovered that one of my comics, which I had bought for a paltry $1.75, had been listed at $50.  I was quite excited, until the comic store owner, a friend of mine, pointed out, "Sure, it's worth $50...if you can find someone willing to pay that much."  Collecting is a funny thing that way -- you generally have something that isn't even worth the out-dated cover price, until you find someone else desperate enough to own it.  Or, better yet, two people desperate enought to get into a bidding war to own it.

!i!

I was deeply amused to find some guys online priceguide for D&D books, and all the prices were easily at least twice the going rate on eBay.

Really, the market's just wierd, especially in RPGs.  Often times you can find the same OOP game at completely different prices all over the net.  And you kinda wonder why anyone would buy from a place like Noble Knight, which for any of the good stuff often charges original retail or more, when Amazon or eBay often have the same book for far less.

And yet, apparently enough people buy from them that NK actually bought out Titan Games.  And apparently enough people sell to them to keep them stocked, even though they generally only offer a pathetic fraction of their list price even on tradein.

IMO once authenticity becomes part of the equation, in such a way that even the producer can no longer control it, it's stopped being "just" consumerism.

There aren't any more 1963 Jaguar E-types being made, and there never will be.

Though in the case of cars (especially) you get the problem of when, exactly, it ceases to be "authentic" after however many repairs and parts replacements. I think that collectors have their own standards, though, with a hierararchy from original factory-installed parts at the top, down through "authentic" spares and finally what might be called aftermarket replica parts.

It's all fetishism, it was when Arthur pulled the sword from the stone and it is today. Good, bad, I dunno. Actually I do know, when I go to a museum it's worth it to me to know that I'm looking at an actual set of lorica segmentata from the 1st century, rather than a perfect replica.

Quote from: Elliot WilenIt's all fetishism, it was when Arthur pulled the sword from the stone and it is today.

Sword-in-stone = Mint-in-box?

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Quote from: droogYou guys are definitely paying too much for your blowjobs.

I think of it as an investment.  A blowjob from Jessica Alba?  I'd be earning free drinks of that story for at least a few years.

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaSword-in-stone = Mint-in-box?

Droog is not, perhaps, an anarcho-syndicalist, nevertheless there's a funny echo to this conversation.

Um...ouch?

!i!

Quote from: Ian AbsentiaSword-in-stone = Mint-in-box?

Only if Gary Gygax's hand erupts from Lake Geneva clutching a copy.

We're at $2450 now, 13 hours to go, reserve not met.

My prediction: wild sniperyfest ensues circa 12.30 PDT, topping out at $3500. However, reserve will still not be met, Brown Box goes unsold.

Quote from: DrewOnly if Gary Gygax's hand erupts from Lake Geneva clutching a copy.

Thats the most amusing thing I've read today.