Should be GOOD because it’s LIMITED EDITION? Not sure about this bUyInG MinDseT…!

I realized one thing the other day when viewing some real fancy sneakers on Jabong the other day – every time the phrase limited edition was used, it grabbed my attention instantly. Immediately, I concluded that these items would be worth the big sticker price, the materials would be exquisite and the style…wouldn’t make sense to argue it because anything with this tagline would have all ticked every checklist ingredients…right?

Not really. Introspection of my online shopping-obsessed mind revealed that these were more like consumer bait words that are put there a lot these days. The idea for the retailer or the publishing syndicate is simple, i.e. you grab eyeballs and make consumers believe that they are paying premium for something that is truly special. There is also this question in my mind - if the retail way is to believed, stuff from the top designer houses is not meant for regular consumption.

It should be worn by people who are outright elite, money-wise, so that the image is not diluted. How come, so many online stores are selling these extremely boutique, hyper-luxury brands at such unbelievable discounts?

Buying the Illusion? All Things that Read Luxury are Not Real Labels

However, not all items carrying this label are really that good. The product I am talking about is being sold with unbelievable enthusiasm across multiple online platforms. Anything that is supposed to carry serious novelty value cannot be so easily available. If it is listed on every shopping cart online, where is the exclusivity about it? I see limited edition cars that are manufactured in limited numbers. These automobile brands intentionally limit the production output to ensure that the wheels they put on the road directly communicate with the observers, clearly telling them that you have to get in line to own it.

When I find the same iconic sneaker being sold as a part of so many different online discount setups, I seriously wonder – what about people who take pride in owning only the limited edition stuff? Is their shopping sensibility as misplaced as their ego?