Is Uniqueness Worth a Few More Dollars to You? | brokeGIRLrich
I have two best friends from high school and we have been getting each other Christmas gifts for almost 2 decades and I think it’s interesting how our requests have changed over the years, but one thing I’ve noticed is that all 3 of us like one of a kind stuff.
One of those two best friends, I’ve often sent on wild goose chases to find my Christmas presents – from a Distorted Penguins CD back in 2000, when she had to hunt through assorted websites, email the band in West Virginia and do quite a bit of extra work to find that sucker for me to an old professor’s doctoral dissertation…
…the thing that is fascinating to me is how difficult it used to be to find those things. It was honestly like a scavenger hunt for her. Now it’s literally just putting it into Google and whipping out your credit card.
I think she actually had to mail that band in West Virginia a check before they would mail her the CD. A check! Good gracious. It was the dark ages. It cost her stamps. It cost her time. Arguably, it was a bother. Although actually I think it was a challenge she wanted to conquer (um, I hope, or else I’m pretty much a b*tch for picking that sort of stuff each year).
One thing that hasn’t changed though is that folks still want one of kind, unique things – although they’re getting more difficult to find.
The other best friend tends to go nuts on Etsy. I was a pretty late Etsy adopter and for quite some time, my one stop a year was to pick up her Christmas request.
But I’ve swallowed the Kool-Aid – Etsy is cool. It reminds me of those scavenger hunt days of old, where you might stumble across something amazing or the perfect combination of keywords will take you to the only item of that kind in existence.
And you will pay 3 times as much as the mass produced equivalent of that item in Target.
Is it worth it?
To me, it kind of is. I like that I’m directly supporting a person through their business. I understand they don’t have the power to keep their costs as low as Walmart and even more so, I understand their time is actually worth something (I understand this even better after becoming a freelancer).
One of the benefits I’ve found in successfully managing my money is being able to spend more when I want to and sometimes Etsy is one of those spots.
Although, not gonna lie, I still miss the manic scavenger hunts before the Internet was really popular and Google was a thing. Because then, finding those one of a kind items was a heck of a feat.
I haven’t purchased them, but I was excited about finding Garbage Pail Kids online. I was trying to describe the cards to my son and he had no concept of what I was talking about, so thanks to the internet I could show him exactly what I was talking about. I miss those!
Shannon @ Financially Blonde recently posted…Music Mondays – Thank U
Ahhh! I loved Garbage Pail Kids!! Everything I owned was covered in them by the end of elementary school.
I love supporting small businesses on Etsy when I can. When I lived in Seattle I’d find some fun things in Archie McFee’s. You can probably find that stuff online now, but it was really an excuse for me to go into that store.
Tonya@Budget and the Beach recently posted…How I Made Over $13,000 in Side Hustle Income
Archie McFee’s is awesome. I spent a lot of time in Seattle during my cruise ship days.
I’ve totally paid a premium for Etsy stuff. Though I’ve been able to find some pretty unique things on Fiverr too sans premium. My favorite was one year when I ordered homemade soaps with pictures on them – perfect for my slightly narcissistic brother 🙂
Stefanie @ The Broke and Beautiful Life recently posted…The Growing Pains of Business Ownership
Haha, as long as it doesn’t totally blow your budget, the perfect gift is always worth a few extra dollars.
I didn’t really have to hunt down many gifts, though I’ve done some VERY extensive web searches trying to find the best price on stuff for the house or Tim. Sometimes it’s quick and easy. Other times, I spend the better part of an hour with different terms and deep into the results.
I only use Etsy for one hobby, and the prices are actually comparable to the mass produced stuff, which I don’t like quite as much. So it works out well.
I just found out Etsy is on Ebates, so I’m a little annoyed at the money I’ve been losing out on. But I guess I’ll remember it for the future.
Abigail @ipickuppennies recently posted…The time I was addicted to drugs: GBS part 2
What?? I’ve definitely checked eBates for Etsy before! They must’ve been recently added.
So, this was the mid 00s, but one year I was able to get my hands on a Wii for a family that couldn’t find one. That sucker came home with me over four state lines because they just didn’t exist in PA. The internet is magic. While I miss the successful hunts, the unsuccessful ones make me grateful that it exists.
Femme Frugality recently posted…Saving while Greening My Routine with Given Soap
I’m the Scrooge who never stood in line for Tickle Me Elmo and similar things; my kids survived. I’m not really a gift person and I love being able to sit at my computer and get my shopping done.
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My mom definitely never stood in line for a Tickle Me Elmo either… I survived ok anyway.
I like Etsy, and I try to support local businesses whenever possible. I don’t really value uniqueness as much as I value quality, fair sourcing, etc. I’m not the perfect shopper, but I try to be very conscious of the power of my dollars. Thanks for such a thought-provoking post!
Penny @ She Picks Up Pennies recently posted…Focus on the Giver, Not the Gift & Other Gifting Tips
I think going the extra mile for someone and buying something well thought out and unique is way more satisfying that buying a mass produced product. I frequently browse Etsy, I love it! I’ve bought a few gifts on there that have been very well received for the plain reason of being so different.
Hayley @ Disease Called Debt recently posted…Financially Savvy Saturdays #118
I agree. I spent a little more than I intended to on a wedding gift for an old friend – I meant to send over a “congrats-sorry I couldn’t make it” bauble and found the most perfect cutting board (she’s a culinary arts demonstrator) that could be engraved with an anchor and her new last name (she and her husband met working on a cruise ship). I was pretty much like “take my money!” But it felt worth it to me.