Good point, though most of them probably don't do it for very long unless they're money laundering (I would argue the big companies like Coca Cola spending on brand maintenance get a good ROI). The list of people who buy Veblen goods who can't ever return a profit is too long to exhaustively list: almost all jewelry, luxury watches, art, and luxury cars for example. It's only dumb luck that a few Rolexes have resale value; they're probably one scandal away from destroying all that value.
It’s strange to know some people think that way, but I’ve never experienced a community where someone would get more respect for having a Rolex. It’s such a bizarre idea - who cares
Like many things, it totally depends on your social circle. Obviously, you're not in the social circles that value Rolexes, just like people in those circles probably don't know anyone who cares about D&D, and think it's a bizarre idea that anyone would want to spend their time that way.
Right - I guess it just feels strange that in zero of my circles, which include the startup, VC, and parts of the finance world, does anyone I've spoken with outwardly care about these things. Perhaps I'm oblivious, or willfully naive, but the idea of purchased bling signaling status strikes me as inherently antiquated. You can't buy cool, etc.
Fascinating analogy. While it might not apply to adsense, I think adverts in high-profile slots like the Super Bowl might well have signaling facets much like Veblen goods (for companies).
