Are we Americans just plain "cheap" ?

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   Billie Paglioloposted 11 years ago

   Are we Americans just plain "cheap" ?
   
   "Free, free, free" is the mantra we respond to.  Everyone seems to want something for nothing.  People create software, write books, music, invent products - the government designs bridges, roads, supports the military, but no one seems willing to pay the price for anything! Small case in point:  I put a lovely sailboat watercolor print up on the web for sale.  The price was $15. Without seeing the painting in person, someone emailed me and asked if I'd take $7!  This cheapness did NOT start with this recession, and it's NOT most prevalent among the lower classes. It seems worse at the top!

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   Wizard Of Whimsyposted 11 years ago

   Some Americans value junk over treasure because they can't distinguish between the two.  Art is a signpost to what sustains us and is often overlooked by fools.

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      Billie Paglioloposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      aaaahhhhh !

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   Wesley Clarkposted 11 years ago

   Ah, perhaps Billie the issue is all about perception?  I have no doubt that you put a lovely sailboat watercolor print up for sale on the web for $15, and was offered $7.  What if you would have put it up for sale for $100?  Would you have been offered $50?  I remember reading a story like this scenario that I am proposing.  For some reason, value perception perhaps, the person increased their prices and sales increased!
   
   Having said that, the recession has obviously hit everyone hard.  A lot of small business owners who are clients of mine, really got hit hard.  Lines of credits decreased, interest rates increased, and business slowdown's occurred.  Besides that, prices have increased on virtually everything, even though supposidly there is no inflation.
   
   One of those small business clients said to me, it use to be in "vogue" to own all the fancy toys and really nice things.  To buy, buy, buy.  Now, he said, it is vogue to see how thrifty you can be.  How cheap you can get things or better yet, live without.
   
   In closing, I don't think American's are cheap, I think they are just being frugal.  They got knocked up the side of their heads and "woke up", now they are being more wiser in their selections on how, when and what they spend their money on.

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      Billie Paglioloposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Wesley, I DID see that phenomenon in trying to sell our educational software.  Perception IS so important. I think my view might be idiosyncratic of my family's "culture".  My parents were very uncomfortable with haggling over prices and so am I.

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