Shakespeare & Company, Paris |
The consumers and the
shoppers are always talking about how something is worth buying or not worth
buying . When someone says,
“That’s value for money”, he or she means it is a good buy and if
someone comments, “ Oh that’s a steal”, that something must be a real bargain
as it is worth more than the money they are paying out of their own pocket. In these instances, the
consumers determine what is a good buy by comparing the prices of various
products against the usual market values of such items. But then how does one
measure value? In economic terms, if there is a great demand than its supply,
the commodity will be valuable. So if it is an object of desire which is after
by many, there will be a value. Of course the consumers must also consider the
intrinsic value of a product, namely its functionability.
Publicity via the media is
responsible for the hype about
some designer pieces and the term “limited editions” seem to be a catch phrase
in marketing strategy in that the items are limited in its supply as opposed to
seasonal editions. Limited editions
conjure the meaning of rarity and scarcity. Minimal production is a good
way to enhance the value of an
object thus give it a snob appeal.
The affluent usually
invest in some collectibles or artifacts which they hope will
increase in their values in the years to come. Whether all these relic will
maintain their values depend largely on whether there are people who will
continue to vie for them. In the world of commerce, it is essential that people continue to invest in
properties, art pieces, artifacts
and whatever that are tipped to give them good returns in the future.
Some period work of art and ornaments are priceless and
some classic designs in fashion are
timeless. It can be a matter of trend and attributed to branding and
largely dependent on the economy. Ultimately most purchases are made because
the acquirer loves them for the pleasure he or she can derive from having them
in their possession, its aesthetic or intrinsic value would be a matter of
personal preference.
I know nothing about
investment. There is an old Chinese saying “ A book holds a house of gold” 书中自有黄金屋 and
“ A book holds women as beautiful as jade” 书中自有颜如玉. Apparently those words came from Emperor Song
Zhao Heng who was trying to inspire reading and education by telling the
populace that studying was the gateway to wealth and beautiful women. In
school, I used to have trouble
deciphering the meaning of these old Chinese saying and if it were up to me, I
would regard those words as a metaphor which should be translated to mean one
would find gold through reading
and through reading one becomes
beautiful as a person of substance.
I feel one should be
motivated to read for the sheer pleasure of reading and to learn about human
emotions and gain a better
understanding of humanity as a
whole.
I love buying books. Of
course books cost hardly a
fraction of what people invest in. When
I am inside a book store, I
feel like I am in front of some sumptuous buffet spread and there are all these
books that are just awaiting to be devoured. I need to run a reading marathon
so I carry novels wherever I go
and whenever I travel. I have books on top of my bedside drawers; books lying around
in my car, on my work desk and around the house. I look forward to weekends and holidays when I
get to read and read . A few weeks ago, I had this notion if
anyone would blog about reading a book a day for 365 days like the way Julie Powell had done in her quest to venture into the recipes in Julia Child’s cookbook and
blog about her cooking in real time. So I googled . I typed “ Read a book a day
for the year” and found the blog by Nina Sankovitch who dealt with her grief
about her sister’s death by reading a book every day and post an online review
of that book all in real time. Then I found articles about books by authors who were passionate
readers and wrote about books they had read. There are all kinds of writing to
suit each and every palate for anyone who likes to read. For me, it is as if there is some kind of universal
force that will draw me to the writings that I can connect with. Books glorious books.