An Hermes Birkin bag isn't fungible with other bags of equivalent design or quality. That it is that bag by that brand is essential. Most of the price and scarc

An Hermes Birkin bag isn't fungible with other bags of equivalent design or quality. That it is that bag by that brand is essential. Most of the price and scarcity isn't for its qualitative or quantitative attributes but rather to maintain the appearance of exclusivity. I doubt paulcole feels that way about their unicycle. Yes, fundamentally, the possession of things of value is a signal of means, but that's mundane. Everything you own or do signals means to some degree, but that's different from signaling being an essential property of those things or activities.