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I think that the problem is that many resources that people care about are limited: - desirable land - desirable mates - equipment for certain hobbies (e.g.

I think that the problem is that many resources that people care about are limited: - desirable land - desirable mates - equipment for certain hobbies (e.g. sailboats, machine shops, etc.)

adambyrtek 7y ago
I understand the first two points, but I don't really get what this has to do with hobbies and sailboats in particular? As a sailor myself I guarantee that you could easily deliver many more boats if only there was demand for them. Sailing is considered by many as an elite hobby, but in reality you can buy a second-hand yacht cheaper than a decent car.
- harimau777 7y ago
  Ya, I should have explained that more clearly. Basically my thinking is: - There are going to be certain luxury goods whose supply is limited. - I framed it in terms of hobbies in order to point out that in many cases "luxury goods" aren't just frivolous comforts but are instead things that people need to achieve meaningful personal goals. (Also, on a completely off topic note: that's really interesting to hear about sailboats. I'm going to have look into how much they would cost to own and maintain in my area!)
  - adambyrtek 7y ago
    Boats drop in value quickly because of maintenance. Sea can be a tough environment, sea water is really corrosive, you need to regularly anti-foul the hull, specialist gear is not cheap etc. You can keep the costs down if you have the time to learn and do some of the work yourself. Wooden boats are even more difficult to keep in good shape. Moreover, you need to rent a mooring for it, which can get really expensive depending on location. That's the main reason why people half-jokingly say that the two happiest days for a boat owner are the day when they buy it and the day when they manage to sell it. Still it's worth all the effort if you have the time to sail it regularly. Otherwise, chartering (renting) a yacht for a period of time can be a much better option.
gumby 7y ago
I haven’t heard of much shortage of any of those things in the OECD. If anything there’s a surplus of your third category. What’s desirable about land changes due to fashion even visibly within a human lifespan.
- harimau777 7y ago
  The US certainly has a shortage of desirable land (e.g. land in Manhattan and San Francisco). Even if the details of which land has more demand than supply changes over time, I don't think that changes the fact that at any given time there is a shortage.
  - gumby 7y ago
    There is lumpiness in the market, sure, but by and large house prices in the us aren’t that high.
    - harimau777 7y ago
      There are definitely places in the US where housing prices are not high. However, I don't think that changes the fact that there are areas where the supply for housing cannot keep up with the demand. I don't think that your average person who wants to live in Manhattan would consider a house in Cleveland as an equivalent substitution.
  - ClumsyPilot 7y ago
    I dont think that's correct to look at as shortage of land - Having more physical land does not solve the problem. You could put SanFrancisco on an infinite flat earth, and house prices would hardly budge.
    - lotsofpulp 7y ago
      It most definitely would, as it would change the scenery, weather, and overall desirability of living there.

I think that the problem is that many resources that people care about are limited: - desirable land - desirable mates - equipment for certain hobbies (e.g. sailboats, machine shops, etc.)

adambyrtek 7y ago

I understand the first two points, but I don't really get what this has to do with hobbies and sailboats in particular? As a sailor myself I guarantee that you could easily deliver many more boats if only there was demand for them. Sailing is considered by many as an elite hobby, but in reality you can buy a second-hand yacht cheaper than a decent car.

harimau777 7y ago
Ya, I should have explained that more clearly. Basically my thinking is: - There are going to be certain luxury goods whose supply is limited. - I framed it in terms of hobbies in order to point out that in many cases "luxury goods" aren't just frivolous comforts but are instead things that people need to achieve meaningful personal goals. (Also, on a completely off topic note: that's really interesting to hear about sailboats. I'm going to have look into how much they would cost to own and maintain in my area!)
- adambyrtek 7y ago
  Boats drop in value quickly because of maintenance. Sea can be a tough environment, sea water is really corrosive, you need to regularly anti-foul the hull, specialist gear is not cheap etc. You can keep the costs down if you have the time to learn and do some of the work yourself. Wooden boats are even more difficult to keep in good shape. Moreover, you need to rent a mooring for it, which can get really expensive depending on location. That's the main reason why people half-jokingly say that the two happiest days for a boat owner are the day when they buy it and the day when they manage to sell it. Still it's worth all the effort if you have the time to sail it regularly. Otherwise, chartering (renting) a yacht for a period of time can be a much better option.

gumby 7y ago

I haven’t heard of much shortage of any of those things in the OECD. If anything there’s a surplus of your third category. What’s desirable about land changes due to fashion even visibly within a human lifespan.

harimau777 7y ago
The US certainly has a shortage of desirable land (e.g. land in Manhattan and San Francisco). Even if the details of which land has more demand than supply changes over time, I don't think that changes the fact that at any given time there is a shortage.
- gumby 7y ago
  There is lumpiness in the market, sure, but by and large house prices in the us aren’t that high.
  - harimau777 7y ago
    There are definitely places in the US where housing prices are not high. However, I don't think that changes the fact that there are areas where the supply for housing cannot keep up with the demand. I don't think that your average person who wants to live in Manhattan would consider a house in Cleveland as an equivalent substitution.
- ClumsyPilot 7y ago
  I dont think that's correct to look at as shortage of land - Having more physical land does not solve the problem. You could put SanFrancisco on an infinite flat earth, and house prices would hardly budge.
  - lotsofpulp 7y ago
    It most definitely would, as it would change the scenery, weather, and overall desirability of living there.