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Old 12-20-2013, 10:31 AM
 
Location: Atlanta (Finally on 4-1-17)
1,850 posts, read 3,028,767 times
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I'm just curious to know if people do this and why?

Is it a status thing? Do people feel pressured to buy the "latest" (fill in the blank)?

Last edited by Rocco Barbosa; 12-20-2013 at 10:42 AM..
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Old 12-20-2013, 10:32 AM
 
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Yes, of course. It starts in high school and only gets more subtle and sophisticated in adulthood.
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Old 12-20-2013, 10:41 AM
 
20,793 posts, read 61,518,204 times
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Originally Posted by umhuhwhat View Post
Yes, of course. It starts in high school and only gets more subtle and sophisticated in adulthood.
starts LONG before high school--
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Old 12-20-2013, 10:48 AM
 
Location: Florida -
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IMO, advertising is the best indicator of buying habits! - Turn off the TV sound and watch the commercials (I record almost everything and avoid these vapid, mushy-headed 'reflectors of society'). Rarely will you see anything related to an actual product! Instead, it's all about the implied 'social and sexual benefits' of owning almost anything. It's the very heart of the old ad slogan: "Sell the sizzle, not the steak."

Yes, people make most of their buying choices in an effort to 'keep up with the (imagined) Jones's'. If people started buying products or making decisions because of value and function ... the advertisers would be the first to tell us! (The politicians and 'talking media heads' would be second).
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Old 12-20-2013, 10:49 AM
 
18,570 posts, read 15,703,125 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocco Barbosa View Post
I'm just curious to know if people do this and why?

Is it a status thing? Do people feel pressured to buy the "latest" (fill in the blank)?
Sometimes keeping up is institutionalized - on occasion business reps are actually required to have new cars for traveling to their sites!
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Old 12-20-2013, 10:53 AM
 
Location: Atlanta (Finally on 4-1-17)
1,850 posts, read 3,028,767 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jghorton View Post
IMO, advertising is the best indicator of buying habits! - Turn off the TV sound and watch the commercials (I record almost everything and avoid these vapid, mushy-headed 'reflectors of society'). Rarely will you see anything related to an actual product! Instead, it's all about the implied 'social and sexual benefits' of owning almost anything. It's the very heart of the old ad slogan: "Sell the sizzle, not the steak."

Yes, people make most of their buying choices in an effort to 'keep up with the (imagined) Jones's'. If people started buying products or making decisions because of value and function ... the advertisers would be the first to tell us! (The politicians and 'talking media heads' would be second).
Buy with emotion, justify it with logic.
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Old 12-20-2013, 10:54 AM
 
Location: Florida
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Yes, people do. And it starts so very early. There are some kids in my child's school that always have the latest gadget - and that's middle school!


And I don't get it. I have a very hard time buying things for myself. And I keep the expensive things I get for a long time.
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Old 12-20-2013, 10:54 AM
 
Location: Atlanta (Finally on 4-1-17)
1,850 posts, read 3,028,767 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ncole1 View Post
Sometimes keeping up is institutionalized - on occasion business reps are actually required to have new cars for traveling to their sites!
I think you know I'm not talking about business reps. I said keep up with the Jones', not follow company policies.
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Old 12-20-2013, 10:56 AM
 
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i don't even know anybody named jones, so no
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Old 12-20-2013, 11:54 AM
 
Location: High Bridge, NJ
3,859 posts, read 10,018,854 times
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Everyone's motivations are different. Last year I bought a 60" LED TV for the downstairs family room. Yes, some of my friends and family had LEDs before we did, but that was more due to the fact that we were simply late in getting around to buying one. I saw the pictures on theirs, in the stores, etc...and decided, "Wow, hockey is going to look AWESOME on that TV." Keeping up with them was less on my mind than simply improving my own viewing experience over my then current set, which was a 32" HD tube TV, not to mention the space and electricity savings that came with the LED. Cost was also a factor for me. At the time I purchased it, 60" LEDs by Samsung and Sharp were going for as much as $2000. I bought a 60" Vizio Razor at Costco for $899 as it was rated the best LED TV for the money for 2012 by CNET. I guess it depends on how much thought you put into what you're purchasing.
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