Three + very extended and emotional threads below have something interesting in common:  Two completely different views of what is being bought/sold, and how it should be marketed.  Some see it as merely another service-industry product.  Others see themselves much more personally, as being fairly compensated for literally giving part of themselves for the pleasure and/or comfort of others.

What is unusual is that both views are expressed in one place.  Here's what I mean:  Do you find original works of art being sold at Wal-Mart?  Nope.  Do you find affordable art prints being sold at fine galleries in Scottsdale?  Nope.  Yet here we are, in one forum, interacting with "artists" of both types.  And as consumers, we have guys who appreciate both types of art, as well.  (One man's art is another man's bird-cage liner, as they say!)

Add to this mix the fact that this site attempts to place all of these "artists" on one, uniform continuum of a rating system, and that in the end all of the artists have to decide on a price for what they offer, and you get a really strange situation.

I wish I were still at ASU and could talk a graduate professor into studying the economics and marketing of this community.  It would be fascinating.

For me, however, the bottom line is this:  Beauty, performance, attitude, etc. are in the eye of the beholder.  It's just like art.  The opinions of others are helpful, but they don't ever substitute for personal taste.  I have in my apartment a piece of art that, to me, is beautiful and whimsical, and it makes my home a more beautiful place.  It doesn't matter to me whether anybody else sees it the same way!

After many years in the business I have always had the  view that there is a large choice out there for everyone doesn't matter what the price is, and this is a business and the price is what the market value of you wallet  is.Some can buy and some can just window shop and the seller get to place the value of there product .Bottom line  you can either buy or continue to shop!!!

edensrose

economics. It's not really a complicated model at all. Once you got beyond the "supply side" debate its really just a function of the demand curve and clarifying the "opportunity cost" of transactions at varying price points. Since you cant view this as anything other than a luxury item its really driven strictly by the demand curve (IMO). Your use of art is inappropriate given the fact that art is a tangible asset with intrinsic value. I'd use travel, event tickets, fine dining as a better definition of "opportunity cost"

As an example

Bella vs 1 week in Maui
MJ vs a round at Pebble beach
AMP vs Steak at Mortons

Love the examples..... Life is full of trade-offs and decisions that each person must decide on.

-- Modified on 2/2/2006 9:30:57 AM