For pity sake, I'm flabbergasted.

[Skidmore]

Today when I stopped at the post office to pick up our mail, one of our little village's older ladies stopped by and she had in her mail a MacKenzie-Childs catalog. Looked like an interesting catalog, so I just looked them up. Why the hell would anyone pay $60 per cup for coffee cups? Why does anyone need to pay $800 for a table lamp that looks pretty similar to one you could buy at Target? And don't tell me that it's the workmanship. No animal on the planet is as useless and pathetically stupid as humans.

[JeffR]

1. Maybe human/animals hybrids

Can solve that problem.

[Skidmore]

2. Quite possibly, now that you mention it, since

our little burg's contribution to the greater society was Ashton Kutcher.

[JeffR]

3. Sic transit gloria Americana

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

4. I've actually been to their factory in upstate NY

Very pretty things, and I am ashamed to admit, I have some of it :blush:

If it helps, I bought the stuff before we had any Target stores available.

[SmokingJacket]

6. If you haven't been recently, you'll be shocked.

It's MUCH more expensive than it used to be. The original owners had to sell and the woman who got rich off American Girl dolls bought the place, and promptly made it into this mecca for rich people. It's lost a lot of its quirky character too.

We used to go when they had sales every couple years, but the last time I went, I was floored. I couldn't even buy a damn pair of socks.

[rhino47]

5. That is rather pricey

I have to admit to paying too much for a lamps etc.But I collect glass and pottery.The day there is a piece I have collected and could not give it away if asked is the day I get rid of all of it though.Nothing in my house unless it was a gift would I have any problem giving away.I refuse to be owned by things.
"Name Brand" people do amaze me.I will admit to loving my birkenstocks but I have a pair that are 16 years old.I will pay more for an item if it is good quality and lasts longer.This is actually cheaper in the long run.I would never pay extra for something because of the name on it.I will spend more if it is made in usa especially if garment or item is union made.Why would I spend my money to do free advertising for some corperation?I hate logo clothing,shoes,purses etc.

[mrfrapp]

7. Slaves to the Nesting Instinct

"Why the hell would anyone pay $60 per cup for coffee cups? Why does anyone need to pay $800 for a table lamp that looks pretty similar to one you could buy at Target?"

Who knows but I always enjoyed Chuck Palahniuk's take on the catalogue lifestyle:

"You buy furniture. You tell yourself, this is the last sofa I will ever need in my life. Buy the sofa, then for a couple of years you're satisified that no matter what goes wrong, at least you've got the sofa issue handled. Then the right set of dishes. The the perfect bed. The drapes. The rug.

Then you're trapped in your lovely nest, and the things you used to own, now they own you."

[Jane Austin]

10. HaHa! He must not have a dog

if he said "You buy furniture. You tell yourself, this is the last sofa I will ever need in my life. Buy the sofa, then for a couple of years you're satisified that no matter what goes wrong, at least you've got the sofa issue handled. Then the right set of dishes. The the perfect bed. The drapes. The rug.

The dogs make you pretty humble about your furniture pretty fast. :)

[mrfrapp]

12. LOL

"The dogs make you pretty humble about your furniture pretty fast."

That's true :-) Clearly, Chuck Palahniuk has never owned a dog (or a cat for that matter) otherwise he wouldn't have written that.

[htuttle]

13. I like George Carlin's take on that

"That's what your house is, a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get...more stuff! Sometimes you gotta move, gotta get a bigger house. Why? No room for your stuff anymore.

Sometimes you leave your house to go on vacation. And you gotta take some of your stuff with you. Gotta take about two big suitcases full of stuff, when you go on vacation. You gotta take a smaller version of your house. It's the second version of your stuff."

[mrfrapp]

15. George Carlin

As a Brit I'm ashamed to say that I don't as much about George Carlin as I probably should but your post has inspired me to look him up on Google...

...and do you know something, anyone who can come up with "Frisbeetarianism" is alright with me. Comedy genius :-)

[htuttle]

16. His written stuff is very funny...

...but if you can get a chance to see him deliver it, it's even FUNNIER. He's got a great sense of timing and a biting, insightful wit.

[spinbaby]

8. Wow

They have tuffets!

[SmokingJacket]

9. The original owners of the company were interesting people...

and the stuff was expensive -- but not THAT expensive -- but very quirky and cool. But they went bankrupt and sold to Pleasant Roland of American Girl fame (and $$$ she got selling that company to Mattel). The new version of M-C has kept some of the old designs, but really took away the quirkiness and fun and made it incredibly upscale and exclusive.

Frankly, I don't think the company will last much longer. It's totally absurd now.

Oh, and check out the Mackenzie Child's house, which is for sale if you have a million bucks:

http://www.mackenziechildsprivateresidence.com/

[FranzFerdinand]

11. what else is there to live for?

if not for personal luxuries. i never question anyone's purchasing habits. i'm one of the worst when it comes to "oh, it's the workmanship". i spent $1000 on a coffee maker ;)

[question everything]

14. The Wal Mart effect?

I think that it was on NPR the other day someone who wrote a book about Wal Mart was interviewed.

And he said that people got used to very low prices of items and one way it was lowered was by inferior material and quality of workmanship.

And that most people do not think about the conditions under which items are being made but if they will - Wal Mart will listen.

Except, I think that most shoppers of Wal Mart really do not care about conditions of workers in China