Why Engagement Rings Are a Scam

[Big A]

You mean like the U.S. dollar?

Stole my post.

[jayjohnson600]

Some people wear a $100 shirt everyday, and others wear a $10 shirt everyday.
Some would say that the $90 difference for no intrinsic difference between the shirts is a scam.

Same can be said for expensive and inexpensive cars.

[BLAKE]

Some people wear a $100 shirt everyday, and others wear a $10 shirt everyday.
Some would say that the $90 difference for no intrinsic difference between the shirts is a scam.

Same can be said for expensive and inexpensive cars.

If you buy a $100 shirt, you're doing it to feel good about wearing a too-damn-expensive shirt, not because the shirt is 10 times better.

Expensive cars have tangible differences from cheap cars. Don't try and tell me there's no difference between a Kia Rio and an M3.

[Baron Von Crowder]

If you buy a $100 shirt, you're doing it to feel good about wearing a too-damn-expensive shirt, not because the shirt is 10 times better.

Expensive cars have tangible differences from cheap cars. Don't try and tell me there's no difference between a Kia Rio and an M3.

well they both have 4 wheels.

[BLAKE]

well they both have 4 wheels.

You got me there man.

[Baron Von Crowder]

You got me there man.

the kia wont be in the shop as often?

[46Tbird]

And both shirts keep people from seeing your man-nipples. There is some value in that!

[Big A]

If you buy a $100 shirt, you're doing it to feel good about wearing a too-damn-expensive shirt, not because the shirt is 10 times better.

Expensive cars have tangible differences from cheap cars. Don't try and tell me there's no difference between a Kia Rio and an M3.

I completely agree with your point, it boils down to personal value. I have had online conversations about how the M3 isn't worth the extra expense, it doesn't handle/drive any better, a fox with mods, etc...

On the other side of it though, there IS a difference between the shirts, a tailored suit versus of the rack, a $100 watch versus a $1,000 one, yadda yadda. It's simply a matter of whether or not the (seemingly insignificant to some) minute differences are worth the extra expense to the buyer.

[jayjohnson600]

There is mixed interpretation in this thread of what intrinsic value is, and I can see that people make these distinctions depending on their own self interest.

That's not really what intrinsic value means. Personally I call diamonds, expensive cars, fashion shirts, and anything over and above melt-down/basic-function valuations a scam.

Having said that, the scam of engagement rings, diamonds, fashion shirts, and expensive cars goes on and on and on. You have to work the market you have, not the market you want.

People who like rings/diamonds/fashion will call the high dollar hot rod industry a scam, and high dollar hod rodders will call the ring/diamond/fashion industry a scam and everyone will be correct in their reasoning. Not really intrinsic value that is being examined.

[BLAKE]

On the other side of it though, there IS a difference between the shirts, a tailored suit versus of the rack, a $100 watch versus a $1,000 one, yadda yadda. It's simply a matter of whether or not the (seemingly insignificant to some) minute differences are worth the extra expense to the buyer.

I'm with you to a point. That's why I phrased it that way. $100 shirt had better be higher quality, but 10x better? And so we're talking apples to apples, I was working under the assumption that we were talking $10 T-shirt vs $100 T-shirt (not tailored). I should have been more specific.

[DasVWBabe]

If you buy a $100 shirt, you're doing it to feel good about wearing a too-damn-expensive shirt, not because the shirt is 10 times better.

Expensive cars have tangible differences from cheap cars. Don't try and tell me there's no difference between a Kia Rio and an M3.

But with a diamond vs. less resilient gemstone (like a sapphire) or a CZ, the Mohs scale is not linear so the diamond (@10 on the scale) is, in fact, 300-400% harder than the sapphire/corundum/CZ (rated @ 9 on the Mohs scale). I've seen ratings that vary, but I prefer to err on the conservative side of this non-linear discussion because there is such a thing as "cleavage points" that some diamonds are subject to, especially Princess cut at their corners combined with a thin girdle.

[Cooter]

I like seeing my wife's 1ct pendant accenting her cleavage point

[DasVWBabe]

I like seeing my wife's 1ct pendant accenting her cleavage point

Thank you for not failing me on that near-perfect setup.

[Scott Mc]

You know every man on this site cares more about seeing a real Princess in a thin girdle than about the science of rocks right lol? Your knowledge is impressive though, my hat is off to you.

[DasVWBabe]

You know every man on this site cares more about seeing a real Princess in a thin girdle than about the science of rocks right lol? Your knowledge is impressive though, my hat is off to you.

Except for the guys now PM'ing me about it. . .