3 ms·

I remember once, eons ago, there was a gold plated 3.5 inch android phone that costed a few thousand euros. This was probably iPhone 4 era. It was a mediocre ph

by lopis 3y ago

I remember once, eons ago, there was a gold plated 3.5 inch android phone that costed a few thousand euros. This was probably iPhone 4 era. It was a mediocre phone, specs wise. I struggled to understand who would ever buy this. Maybe as a prank ultra rich teens would pull on their friends?

dijit 3y ago
There is a trick the fashion industries (jewellers, clothing manufacturers) pull: Convincing new wealth that they need to flex their wealth as much as possible otherwise people will think they're not wealthy. They do this by presenting an aura of exclusivity to certain products, usually gating it by being expensive and hard to acquire. Trying to suggest to people that "if you buy this: it is a signal that you are wealthy! people will like you more!" New wealth tends to fall for it, especially those that become wealthy quickly like lottery winners. This also disproportionately affects hip hop artists who become famous (or used to). "Flexing wealth" is yet another way that people are trying to extort money from the gullible, but it's effective. Because there are some signals of wealth that rich people could use to distinguish each other, but it's never flexing brands or bling.
- boeingUH60 3y ago
  > Because there are some signals of wealth that rich people could use to distinguish each other, but it's never flexing brands or bling. Like your name on a college building or prominent museum, or building a 400+ ft superyacht.
- georgespencer 3y ago
  HN routinely acts as if luxury brands hypnotise their customers or something. > There is a trick the fashion industries pull […] convincing new wealth that they need to flex their wealth. Do they? Do they “convince them” that they “need to flex their wealth”? > They do this by presenting an aura of exclusivity to certain products, usually by gating it by being expensive and hard to acquire. I think you’re trying to describe Veblen goods but without the necessary vocabulary. > New wealth tends to fall for it. It’s just baseless assertions (and a dog whistle about “hip hop artists”) all the way down, I guess?
rsynnott 3y ago
I think it mostly didn't survive the smartphone era, but this was A Thing back in the day. This was the main player; it still seems to exist to some extent: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertu
- lopis 3y ago
  I think that the phone industry matured to a point where if people would buy a premium luxury phone, they would never pick anything else other than a special iPhone or Samsung.
SanjayMehta 3y ago
Vertu by Nokia. They used to push them in Rolex/Omega showrooms.

by lopis 3y ago

dijit 3y ago

There is a trick the fashion industries (jewellers, clothing manufacturers) pull: Convincing new wealth that they need to flex their wealth as much as possible otherwise people will think they're not wealthy. They do this by presenting an aura of exclusivity to certain products, usually gating it by being expensive and hard to acquire. Trying to suggest to people that "if you buy this: it is a signal that you are wealthy! people will like you more!" New wealth tends to fall for it, especially those that become wealthy quickly like lottery winners. This also disproportionately affects hip hop artists who become famous (or used to). "Flexing wealth" is yet another way that people are trying to extort money from the gullible, but it's effective. Because there are some signals of wealth that rich people could use to distinguish each other, but it's never flexing brands or bling.

boeingUH60 3y ago
> Because there are some signals of wealth that rich people could use to distinguish each other, but it's never flexing brands or bling. Like your name on a college building or prominent museum, or building a 400+ ft superyacht.
georgespencer 3y ago
HN routinely acts as if luxury brands hypnotise their customers or something. > There is a trick the fashion industries pull […] convincing new wealth that they need to flex their wealth. Do they? Do they “convince them” that they “need to flex their wealth”? > They do this by presenting an aura of exclusivity to certain products, usually by gating it by being expensive and hard to acquire. I think you’re trying to describe Veblen goods but without the necessary vocabulary. > New wealth tends to fall for it. It’s just baseless assertions (and a dog whistle about “hip hop artists”) all the way down, I guess?

rsynnott 3y ago

I think it mostly didn't survive the smartphone era, but this was A Thing back in the day. This was the main player; it still seems to exist to some extent: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertu

lopis 3y ago
I think that the phone industry matured to a point where if people would buy a premium luxury phone, they would never pick anything else other than a special iPhone or Samsung.

SanjayMehta 3y ago

Vertu by Nokia. They used to push them in Rolex/Omega showrooms.