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Completely non-political thread. Well, maybe.
I recently bought a very expensive bottle of scotch to celebrate the completion of construction on my new house. It's really expensive. A lot.
A friend asked, is a $400 bottle of booze really worth it?
A thread about worth.
1/8
I recently bought a very expensive bottle of scotch to celebrate the completion of construction on my new house. It's really expensive. A lot.
A friend asked, is a $400 bottle of booze really worth it?
A thread about worth.
1/8
This has something to do with economics. So it may be political, I don't know.
I have to tell a story about it. I'll start here.
I play piano. Not so much recently, but I used to be pretty good. I played all the time, until I discovered guitars are more portable.
2/8
I have to tell a story about it. I'll start here.
I play piano. Not so much recently, but I used to be pretty good. I played all the time, until I discovered guitars are more portable.
2/8
About 45 years ago, I went into a music store, and they had a full Steinway grand there, on sale for $25,000. That was 45 years ago. It'd likely be over $100,000 today.
Now, at the time, I made about $4 / hour. I owned a piano I'd bought for the price of hauling it away.
3/8
Now, at the time, I made about $4 / hour. I owned a piano I'd bought for the price of hauling it away.
3/8
I'd played baby grands that (at the time) cost $3000 (they'd be a lot more now). I wondered to myself: Yeah, Steinways have a good reputation, like they were dipped in gold or something, but is a Steinway really worth $25,000?
4/8
4/8
Forty-five years go, $25,000 would buy you about five family cars.
so--Seriously? 25,000 for a piano?
I sat down at the Steinway and played a few notes. I gasped. Then I played a few songs.
I'd never before touched an instrument like that.
5/8
so--Seriously? 25,000 for a piano?
I sat down at the Steinway and played a few notes. I gasped. Then I played a few songs.
I'd never before touched an instrument like that.
5/8
All I had to do was sort of think about what I wanted to hear, and gently caress the keys, and the Steinway did it for me. It was amazing.
I don't know if a Steinway is "worth" that much. I do know I have never before or since had an experience quite like that.
6/8
I don't know if a Steinway is "worth" that much. I do know I have never before or since had an experience quite like that.
6/8
A thing is worth what people will pay for it.
The same is true of expensive liquor. Is it "worth" that much? It's hard to say. But nothing else gives quite the same experience, and things are worth what buyers are willing to pay.
7/8
The same is true of expensive liquor. Is it "worth" that much? It's hard to say. But nothing else gives quite the same experience, and things are worth what buyers are willing to pay.
7/8
You might not like scotch. You may not like to play piano, or even to listen to one. That just means you're not the target market.
Where this gets possibly political is the simple realization: things are worth what someone is willing to pay.
I'll leave it there.
8/8
Where this gets possibly political is the simple realization: things are worth what someone is willing to pay.
I'll leave it there.
8/8
