01/03/04: Unnecessary junk

[richlevy]

Originally posted by juju
My apologies if this is irrationally and unnecessarily negative. I'm working on this part of myself, but in the meantime I have nowhere else to vent it. :)

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My wife asked for and received Christmas plates. That's right, Christmas plates. They take up space 12 months out of the year, but you can only use them 1 month out of the year! What-the-fuck. This is not efficient! Okay, okay... she asked for them, so it's her business, and good for her if it makes her happy! However, couldn't she have asked for something that'd we'd use more than 8% of the year?

Now, I love buying seasonal merchandise, usually the week after the season ends. I just bought next year's "Season's Greeting" cards. If someone asked me for Christmans plates, I'd probably buy them after Christmas and give them as gifts the next year. To me, putting a seasonal theme on a product is just a way of saying it will be 75 percent off in a few weeks. There are very few logos, seasonal or sports, that I would pay extra for.

Sometimes branding does indicate a better quality product. A Rolex is technically a better quality watch than a Timex, which is better than a $1 digital watch. A person has to decide what is necessary and what is esthetically pleasing. People have different ideas about beauty, art, and functionality. Some people might want a Christmas plate with a red and green wreath and a jolly santa. Some might want a Christmas plate with a 17th century religious painting on it, or a reproduction of a holiday serving piece from 4th century Constantinople.

However, having a Dallas Cowboys brand on a coat does not indicate a better quality product. It indicates an interest in the Dallas Cowboys, or a souveneir from Dallas, or the fact that the giver could get the mercandise free or at cost.

I have been aquiring some interesting things lately, but I get them at flea markets, Goodwill stores, etc. Materially, I am content. The things I acquire reflect my interests and are meant to evoke some felling in me, because of what they represent or because of how they are made.

I will be posting some new items on the Doo Dads thread if you want to see what I mean.