BTW, don't knockoffs in general increase the value of the original brand? It's basically free advertising, and asserting by its being a knockoff that the original had some ineffable goodness worth knocking off.
― Philip Nunez, Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:40 (fourteen years ago) link
I'll buy that things are "worth" what the market will bear, but contained within that is the acceptance that markets often fail, and some markets are more "rational" than others, and there is plenty of room for bafflement in why that happens or why that is.
otm
― iatee, Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:41 (fourteen years ago) link
Conceivably, however, Michael Kors 'stupid name' is no more stupid than your favorite vocalist's, or favorite producer's, or painter's or writer's - they all more or less made it - it doesn't make them objectively the best. Go and try to make that one, unique, utopian paisly shirt for yourself, hell, make a half dozen for future use, and figure out how much that would cost you.
― Il suffit de ne pas l'envier (Michael White), Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:42 (fourteen years ago) link
Learning to be a slightly less than knuckle-headed consumer is something they really should teach in school. If you get bored you can always slake your thirst with fluoridated water.
― Il suffit de ne pas l'envier (Michael White), Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:44 (fourteen years ago) link
Go and try to make that one, unique, utopian paisly shirt for yourself, hell, make a half dozen for future use, and figure out how much that would cost you.
considerably less I'm sure, altho lol will have to figure out wife's hourly wage rate for this work haha... but yes fundamentally its not Michael Kors per se that I have an issue with so much as it is the name-brand fashion industry in general. which just creeps me out.
― Wet Hot American Oil Spill (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:44 (fourteen years ago) link
more than blood diamonds?
― Philip Nunez, Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:45 (fourteen years ago) link
www.sackcloth.com
― Il suffit de ne pas l'envier (Michael White), Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:46 (fourteen years ago) link
the word worth sorta makes this discussion tricky - I mean, in 2006 a house in riverside, ca is 'worth' $1,000,000 (someone will pay it) and it is also not 'worth' $1,000,000 (it does not have the underlying value and the market will eventually adjust)
― iatee, Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:46 (fourteen years ago) link
I don't buy diamonds - pretty easy product to avoid. I am, however, required to wear a shirt on occasion.
― Utopian Paisley Shirt Production Co. (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:47 (fourteen years ago) link
More than the music industry? The restaurant industry? Biochemicals? Temporary workers industry? The lingerie industry? The arugula industry? The screamo industry? The pipe filter industry?
― Il suffit de ne pas l'envier (Michael White), Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:48 (fourteen years ago) link
i've been calling for screamo regulations for years now
― david foster ballaz (m bison), Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:49 (fourteen years ago) link
No one has mention rare records, private press, disco, minimal wave, northern soul, etc.......
― Jacob Sanders, Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:49 (fourteen years ago) link
Shakey Mo broke M. White
― Mr. Que, Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:49 (fourteen years ago) link
I am, however, required to wear a shirt on occasion.
Yes, but it's your choice to want to wear a handsome paisley one.
― Il suffit de ne pas l'envier (Michael White), Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:49 (fourteen years ago) link
okay are we really playing captain-save-a-kors
― we call him black Nev coz he's black & his names Neville (HI DERE), Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:50 (fourteen years ago) link
I spend most of time worrying about the internet message board industry
― Utopian Paisley Shirt Production Co. (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:50 (fourteen years ago) link
I ain't broke, I was just off-raoding there for a stretch.
― Il suffit de ne pas l'envier (Michael White), Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:50 (fourteen years ago) link
Scotty?! Don't give me you lithium crystals bullshit! What happened to spell-check?!
― Il suffit de ne pas l'envier (Michael White), Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:51 (fourteen years ago) link
We DO need more fair-trade boards.
― Il suffit de ne pas l'envier (Michael White), Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:53 (fourteen years ago) link
The only area that we can't make the Far East conform to Western labor standards is in hours worked
Also - environmental standards, or SEVERE lack thereof, tend to effect the cost of production.
― Clerk all KNOWIN (B.L.A.M.), Thursday, 11 March 2010 21:57 (fourteen years ago) link
We don't use any vendors that haven't passed a certain test that sets ethical business & labor practices. And everything I import has to pass stringent safety testing, so no fears on that count either. And it's still a freaking bargain compared to US pricing.
― The other side of genetic power today (Laurel), Thursday, 11 March 2010 22:02 (fourteen years ago) link
Laurel I forget who you work for...
― Utopian Paisley Shirt Production Co. (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 11 March 2010 22:04 (fourteen years ago) link
i wish colleges would charge twice as much so education would be that much more precious
― velko, Thursday, 11 March 2010 22:05 (fourteen years ago) link
I produce children's books for the US arm of a French multi-media company.
― The other side of genetic power today (Laurel), Thursday, 11 March 2010 22:06 (fourteen years ago) link
books have to pass a safety test?
― Utopian Paisley Shirt Production Co. (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 11 March 2010 22:07 (fourteen years ago) link
Children's books and toys and anything intended for an under-12 market do. Google "CPSC".
― The other side of genetic power today (Laurel), Thursday, 11 March 2010 22:08 (fourteen years ago) link
Or ASTM, or EN71.
― The other side of genetic power today (Laurel), Thursday, 11 March 2010 22:10 (fourteen years ago) link
I'll stick with just imagining a bunch of guys in white coats hitting each other with children's books/trying to give each other papercuts
― Utopian Paisley Shirt Production Co. (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 11 March 2010 22:11 (fourteen years ago) link
It's find to imagine the squeaky sound as the scientists bonk each other in the head with bathtub books.
― she is writing about love (Jenny), Thursday, 11 March 2010 22:12 (fourteen years ago) link
Haha that might cover EN71 but actually the CPSC is mostly concerned with testing every stitch, flake, and scrap of material for lead and phthalate content.
― The other side of genetic power today (Laurel), Thursday, 11 March 2010 22:13 (fourteen years ago) link
Sounds like a fetish to me.
― Il suffit de ne pas l'envier (Michael White), Thursday, 11 March 2010 22:20 (fourteen years ago) link
yeah but his answer is just "because that's how expensive they are" which is, you know, not really illuminating
― Wet Hot American Oil Spill (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, March 11, 2010 3:34 PM (38 minutes ago) Bookmark
THEY ARE REALLY EXPENSIVE BECAUSE "MICHAEL KORS" HAS SPENT ONE BAJILLION TO MAKE THE WORLD THINK THE SHIRT IS FASIONABLE. THAT'S THE COST THAT THE PRICE ON THE SHIRT IS SUPPOSED TO RETURN.
if not very many people shell out, then obviously the marketing costs were a waste that year and they have to come up with a new product+advertising mix for next year. more people find it "bafflingly expensive" instead of "totally worth-it expensive" and life goes on. ometimes products fail, you know!
― goole, Thursday, 11 March 2010 22:24 (fourteen years ago) link
jesus christ i don't even know anything about fashion. or business!! this isn't that hard to put together
dude no need to yell - I understand and no its not that hard to put together, I just find it annoying when I'm confronted with the realities of Michale Kors' spending bajillion dollars on name recognition when I'm just trying to find a nice shirt to wear to a work party
― Utopian Paisley Shirt Production Co. (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 11 March 2010 22:29 (fourteen years ago) link
Doesn't Michael Kors have an inexpensive ready to wear line at Macys?
― Jacob Sanders, Thursday, 11 March 2010 22:32 (fourteen years ago) link
I could imagine selling a prestige version of your product with no intention of pulling a return for the purposes of increasing demand for your downmarket version where you pull in the real $$. Who knows what chicanery the fashion industry is up to?
― Philip Nunez, Thursday, 11 March 2010 22:33 (fourteen years ago) link
No different than advertising then, really. The opposite can happen, though. Look at Cardin.
― Il suffit de ne pas l'envier (Michael White), Thursday, 11 March 2010 22:40 (fourteen years ago) link
dunno the truth of this anecdote, but i heard somewhere that at some point, BMW ("luxury" brand in the US, everyday brand in europe) decided to be a luxury brand everywhere and just jacked up its prices across the board. didn't change their product line at all. and it worked!
there's a "you charge for the customer you want to have" axiom in business, isn't there?
― goole, Thursday, 11 March 2010 22:43 (fourteen years ago) link
for those of you who think upholstery is bafflingly expensive, jack white has answers4u
http://www.believermag.com/issues/200305/?read=interview_white
― goole, Thursday, 11 March 2010 22:47 (fourteen years ago) link
http://www.amazon.com/Strange-Place-Religion-Contemporary-Art/dp/0415969883/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268348863&sr=1-18
Why does this book cost $125? Why does Routeledge charge so much for hardback books?
― WARS OF ARMAGEDDON (Karaoke Version) (Sparkle Motion), Thursday, 11 March 2010 23:11 (fourteen years ago) link
i've seen explanations why academic books and college textbooks are so expensive, and none of it made sense to me.
― goole, Thursday, 11 March 2010 23:14 (fourteen years ago) link
I have no freaking idea. Maybe it's print-on-demand? That means demand is so low that there's no point in printing a set quantity until someone actually pre-purchases it at a store, and then one copy is digitally printed and manufactured as a one-off. I still don't understand the price tag, though.
― The other side of genetic power today (Laurel), Thursday, 11 March 2010 23:14 (fourteen years ago) link
I mean that would be more than your average book, but not THAT much? I saw a children's book the other day that used to be 4.99 or something -- as a POD it's now 12.99.
― The other side of genetic power today (Laurel), Thursday, 11 March 2010 23:15 (fourteen years ago) link
Only 1 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).
hmmm
― goole, Thursday, 11 March 2010 23:16 (fourteen years ago) link
Admittedly I don't know anything about academic publishing.
― The other side of genetic power today (Laurel), Thursday, 11 March 2010 23:17 (fourteen years ago) link
this book
http://www.amazon.com/Selected-Nuclear-Materials-Engineering-Landolt-B%C3%B6rnstein/dp/3540484744/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268349395&sr=1-1
Selected Nuclear Materials and Engineering Systems (Landolt-Börnstein: Numerical Data and Functional Relationships in Science and Technology - New Series / Physical Chemistry) (Hardcover)
List Price: $8,039.00Price: $7,838.03 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. DetailsYou Save: $200.97 (2%)
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
― rinse the lemonade (Jordan), Thursday, 11 March 2010 23:17 (fourteen years ago) link
Renting a car to drive from Portland to San Francisco. (One-way, alas.) $450 for two days!
― sean gramophone, Thursday, March 11, 2010 1:13 PM Bookmark
Amtrak imo
― guapism rules (The Reverend), Thursday, 11 March 2010 23:19 (fourteen years ago) link
On the Strange Place of Religion in Contemporary Art is a pretty good little book BTW... good thing the library had it...in paperback.
― WARS OF ARMAGEDDON (Karaoke Version) (Sparkle Motion), Thursday, 11 March 2010 23:20 (fourteen years ago) link
some great reviews for that book there.
― fit and working again, Thursday, 11 March 2010 23:44 (fourteen years ago) link
― goole, Friday, March 12, 2010 6:43 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark
coach is almost the equivalent of gucci and lv over here
― but actually it is impossible to have a penis on the body of a mermaid (dyao), Friday, 12 March 2010 00:51 (fourteen years ago) link