The cost of modern electronic "toys"

[hyphenate]

I got an ipod shuffle for Christmas from a dear friend, and while I love it, it is scary to think this measly little piece of plastic costs $100. And this is one of the LESS expensive ones!

How, in the name of sanity, can people keep affording such gifts? The video ipod is $400, the nano is $200, and this is ridiculous!

There is some real use for video cameras and digital cameras and I don't really consider them toys so much, but why can't people simply use a CD player anymore? Is the additional 6 oz such a burden that they "need" an ipod to carry around their music? I have happily listened to my CDs in the car, on planes and pretty much everywhere without feeling bogged down by equipment. I have wished for a CD player that could play mp3s, which they now do have, so that would make it complete, but this little piece of nondescript plastic on a lanyard kind of spoils it. The cost is WAY too high, and I would never have bought one for myself, realizing that $100 could have been better spent elsewhere.

But it's also this entire "spend several thousand dollars on the kids for Christmas" that bothers me. My girlfriend's grandson came to visit his mother (who lives in the same house with her mom) and the first words out of his mouth on Christmas Day were "Dad gave us shit for Christmas--what are we getting from you and GrannyB?" I think that is the height of crudeness. This, the older of two grandsons, is 13. His brother, who is about 11, was very happy with his gifts, and played all day with them, while his ornery brother pouted and was sullen most of the day, playing with the new nano that my girlfriend gave to him.

I suppose it is a different world nowadays from when I was young--such expensive gifts were not customary, nor were they expected. One of the greatest gifts I ever received was a two book set--small editions of a dictionary and thesaurus--which I kept for many years. (Yes, I know I'm weird that I have a fascination with the English language!)

This is partly what breaks a lot of less well off people--demands from their offspring for high cost items for Christmas can be outrageous. And not everyone can afford to do it, but try anyhow.

Anyway, though it's been a couple of weeks now since Christmas, I am still in sticker shock at the cost of having this holiday to people. I guess some people will disagree about the cost, though, but that's fine. If people can afford to do it, it's one thing, but pressure on families who can't afford it must be incredible.

[Deja Q]

1. Solid state items when exercising make CD players cumbersome...

Of course, judging by statistics, there are far more iRubbish products sold than there are people who bother to exercise.

Still, nobody's perfect...

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. We bought our daughter the iriver, which is nowhere near that price range.

In fact, we got it for $49 at Best Buy. It's the original MP3 player. It may not do the same things as the ipod, but it has the same types of accessories and she can store 48 hours of music on it. What scares me is that people feel the need to have a certain name brand...which then drives the price up.

The thing I can't get over is that stupid XBox 360 craze...They're going for thousands on Ebay...it's just a game.

[Coventina]

3. I agree with you in part, but by God do I love my iPod!!!!

Something a size of a deck of cards holds my entire music collection! How cool is that? No more fumbling with cd wallets, or getting my cds damaged by rattling around in my car. It's my one electronic "toy", and the only way to get it from me would be from my cold, dead hands.

The other stuff I just don't care about. Never had a video camera, never used the digital camera my husband bought. My cell phone is positively archaic, and I seldom use it.

But I heartily agree with you about spending money on children for Christmas. My niece and nephew got only clothes from me this year because my sister told me that they were literally getting everything they wanted already. Between their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and other relatives there was nothing left for me to give them from their wish lists. So I said "how about clothes?"
My sister said, "That would be great!"

On Christmas day, there were so many presents to be unwrapped that the kids actually got bored doing it! It got to a point where they had clearly lost interest.

[tjwmason]

4. I've got a 20G M.P.3 player.

It's not that it's lighter, rather I don't have to carry around my whole C.D. collection.

A C.D. holds up to 80 minutes of music in one place, even a fairly small M.P.3 player holds several times that.

[datasuspect]

5. affordability is related to your credit rating

the more credit you got, the more useless shit you can get.

[Strong Atheist]

6. "Toys"

thought you meant .... something else!:rofl:

[hyphenate]

7. Get your mind out of the gutter!!

heh, heh

Got to be careful--we don't want this thread to be locked!

[Strong Atheist]

8. Oh, ok, fine! Be that way!

x(