Chapter 2: Intransigent Materialism
I spend an obscene amount of time browsing a website called Grailed.
Grailed is a C2C marketplace which hosts one of the largest collections of archive, vintage and brand new men's fashion pieces on the web. It allows consumers to purchase high end fashion for well under their retail prices, as well as attain that "holy grail" piece that they've had their eyes on forever. It's also the place where I spend most of my money, and display the most materialistic consumerism.
The idea of "Compulsive Consumerism" was a term that stuck out to me when reading through Chapter 2 of the text. When I'm bored, stressed or anxious, I go on Grailed, EBay, Depop or some other online marketplace and look at listings, even if I'm not planning on purchasing anything. Consumption communities like these influence me the most in terms of my purchase decisions, whether it's wanting a new t-shirt, an expensive pair of shoes, or deciding to close the Grailed app and go out to Wegmans to buy groceries instead. It's almost an addiction, and I will find myself temporarily uninstalling these apps and avoiding these sites when I'm strapped for cash. In his song Champion (off his incredible 2007 album, Graduation), Kanye West raps, "But every time I wanted layaway or a deposit, my dad'd say 'when you see clothes, close your eyelids.'"
This website isn't even directly marketing to me. Sure, I'm within their target user demographic, but I find my own satisfaction and gratification (those words are too similar... gratisfaction maybe?) browsing through items and seeing if I can find something I like for a "steal" price. I also sell my own clothing on the site to make some extra cash, giving me a chance to market my own gently used items by writing an item description and persuading others to buy my stuff.
My girlfriend is much the same way. I asked her a couple questions about her own buyer behavior.
Me: So, how would you describe your online buyer behavior?
Her: Erratic, but thoughtful.
Me: How so?
Her: I see the online market as a consumer jungle, which I have an opportunity to take advantage of. I often spend most of my free time finding the best deal on an item I believe is worth something, or has value to me. I don't see items that I buy as goods, but rather as investments.
She scours eBay, and other online communities, in search of deals on clothing, shoes, etc., which she will then analyze to see if she can "resell" these items to make a profit.
She's technically not "consuming" these products. So is she really a consumer if she's only purchasing items just to flip them for her own gain?
I'd say yes, she's just a different kind of consumer. In these online marketplaces, consumers can also be marketers. She's not using these products for herself, she's consuming them by making a profit from her ability to market these items to other buyers.
The product of your dreams is just a few taps away, with seemingly unlimited market access to any brand or company through their websites and respective mobile apps. This instantaneous accessibility is, frankly, scary, for my wallet and for my financial wellbeing.
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| What's a "grail"? |
Grailed is a C2C marketplace which hosts one of the largest collections of archive, vintage and brand new men's fashion pieces on the web. It allows consumers to purchase high end fashion for well under their retail prices, as well as attain that "holy grail" piece that they've had their eyes on forever. It's also the place where I spend most of my money, and display the most materialistic consumerism.
The idea of "Compulsive Consumerism" was a term that stuck out to me when reading through Chapter 2 of the text. When I'm bored, stressed or anxious, I go on Grailed, EBay, Depop or some other online marketplace and look at listings, even if I'm not planning on purchasing anything. Consumption communities like these influence me the most in terms of my purchase decisions, whether it's wanting a new t-shirt, an expensive pair of shoes, or deciding to close the Grailed app and go out to Wegmans to buy groceries instead. It's almost an addiction, and I will find myself temporarily uninstalling these apps and avoiding these sites when I'm strapped for cash. In his song Champion (off his incredible 2007 album, Graduation), Kanye West raps, "But every time I wanted layaway or a deposit, my dad'd say 'when you see clothes, close your eyelids.'"
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| Rat race! |
This website isn't even directly marketing to me. Sure, I'm within their target user demographic, but I find my own satisfaction and gratification (those words are too similar... gratisfaction maybe?) browsing through items and seeing if I can find something I like for a "steal" price. I also sell my own clothing on the site to make some extra cash, giving me a chance to market my own gently used items by writing an item description and persuading others to buy my stuff.
My girlfriend is much the same way. I asked her a couple questions about her own buyer behavior.
Me: So, how would you describe your online buyer behavior?
Her: Erratic, but thoughtful.
Me: How so?
Her: I see the online market as a consumer jungle, which I have an opportunity to take advantage of. I often spend most of my free time finding the best deal on an item I believe is worth something, or has value to me. I don't see items that I buy as goods, but rather as investments.
She scours eBay, and other online communities, in search of deals on clothing, shoes, etc., which she will then analyze to see if she can "resell" these items to make a profit.
She's technically not "consuming" these products. So is she really a consumer if she's only purchasing items just to flip them for her own gain?
I'd say yes, she's just a different kind of consumer. In these online marketplaces, consumers can also be marketers. She's not using these products for herself, she's consuming them by making a profit from her ability to market these items to other buyers.
 |
| A few of the marketplace apps I use daily. (Notice how they've been placed under "Entertainment") |
The product of your dreams is just a few taps away, with seemingly unlimited market access to any brand or company through their websites and respective mobile apps. This instantaneous accessibility is, frankly, scary, for my wallet and for my financial wellbeing.
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