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Comment by davemel37 | Hacker News Reader

>"After spending much time among entrepreneurs I find that there are very few with a "business" mind. Great idea, horrible model."

It's very risky to preface your opinion with a statement that might reflect on yourself potentially.

IMO,

This model is used successfully all the time in hundreds of variations, from Saas products upping prices as they add features, to people buying on sale before the price goes up, to penny auctions.

This is simple and brilliant marketing combining Fear of Missing Out, combined with fear of overpaying.

It literally works all the time.

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Your comparisons are completely invalid. This is quite different from penny auctions or services that get better in time.

This is inverse actually, as less desired logos get sold at higher and higher prices.

Your assumption that there is such a thing as a more or less desired logos is completely invalid. It is a completely subjective issue. Even if it wasn't subjective, they are certainly geared towards different industries.

The social influence mechanisms are the same as a SAAS Product adding features (which again are of subjective value, and not necessarily an improvement in service, just in perceived value.)

Of course there are more desired logos. The ones that are picked first.

There are two cars in a lot sold for the same price. Any buyers cannot resell them and must buy them solely for their own use.

One is a Bugatti Veyron fresh off the factory floor, and the other is a 2nd hand 10yr old Ford pickup.

A 55yr old farmer shows up. He lives out in farm country at the end of a 4 mile driveway that looks like this: http://imgur.com/a/SsusC and he needs a vehicle for general farm work.

Which car does he buy?

He would not buy a car.

Ahh, an american.

Sorry, in my part of the world a pickup truck more often than not is just called a car, with the word "truck" usually reserved for larger cargo-carrying vehicles.

This page about Car Classifications also mentions pickup trucks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_classification

I can't edit my earlier post, but assume I meant "vehicle".

Road signs in California for weigh stations will say something like: this lane, trucks only (no puckups). Car is used to mean either in most conversations, so I knew what you meant. I liked your analogy and found humor in the fact that the answer to your question was in a way hidden in your question. I intended to answer your question and share the humor I found but I was short on time and instead my comment looks snarky.

In any case, good point.

At first I thought the pricing model was backwards, but then I considered that for each logo that was purchased there is an increase of social validation which makes it more tempting for other to buy. I also immediately thought that he marked 17 as sold to give the impression that anyone bought his logos

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