Chapter 1
The allure of the rare
Chapter 2
Showing off to survive
Chapter 3
How the brain prices luxury
Chapter 4
Global cultures of status
YOUR GOAL
Master of The psychology of the price tag
Ch 1 · The allure of the rare
louisvuitton The Allure of the Rare
Label it luxury, watch my brain light up (light up!) / Drinking cheap wine from an expensive cup (oh-oh!)
louisvuitton Illustrations compare a single Viceroy tulip bulb to a grand Dutch canal mansion.
louisvuitton A luxury watch sits under dramatic dark lighting on a glossy reflective surface.
Fun Fact
Tyrian purple dye: Roman sumptuary laws actually made it illegal for ordinary citizens to wear purple, punishable by death.
Gossip
Would you buy a brick just because a famous brand stamped their logo on it?
Quiz
Which ancient civilization first created the highly prized Tyrian purple dye using sea snails?
Quiz
Which Roman Emperor in 275 CE famously banned his wife from buying a purple silk shawl?
Quiz
In what year did sociologist Thorstein Veblen publish the book introducing 'Veblen goods'?
Quiz
What modern marketing strategy involves releasing limited-edition items at specific times to create artificial scarcity?
Quiz
What was the name of the highly prized, striped tulip bulb that became a symbol of Dutch Tulip Mania?
Quiz
What psychological phenomenon drives people to buy limited-edition items out of fear they will sell out?
Quiz
During the 1637 Dutch 'Tulip Mania,' what could a single rare tulip bulb buy?