The Psychology Behind Purchasing Authentic Luxury

Let's start with this thought, since, for example you can purchase a durable handbag for under $100, why would anyone want to spend in some cases 5, 10 or even 100 times that amount for something that functions in exactly the same way?

I will tell you why; for good reason, buying authentic luxury goods has been  proven to go a long way in increasing self-esteem, providing a sense of accomplishment and shows you know your worth and are willing in many cases to save up in order to attain that. In many cases the feeling that comes from having purchased a genuine luxury good is in itself a large part of why we seek authenticity.

In other words, for some people, treating yourself to a counterfeit Prada bag would be the same thing as having not treated yourself at all. Researchers at Yale determined that the quest for authenticity develops in early childhood. In a study, they tried to convince children that a cloning machine had produced their favorite toy and found that almost all children refused to accept the duplicate as their original.

Let's get back to that under $100 handbag, which is very likely made by sweatshop labour, is disposable when no longer wanted, takes up space for most of its life, then fills up our landfills. It will also definitely NOT be worth most of, if not more, then what you paid for it 10 years from now if they are cared for in the resale marketplace.

When you buy luxury items, you know it has been made by an artisan, so they really are art, they are meant to last a lifetime, could be handed down to your children and if damaged, can be taken back to its brand store, no matter where it was purchased, to be repaired if needed.

Now lets do the math. If you spend $1500 on a luxury bag, carry it almost daily for 20 - 30 years, then hand it down to someone who may decide to continue to use it or enter the resale luxury marketplace and sell it for anywhere from half to possibly exceeding its original value, this become an excellent cost per use and an extremely good return on investment! In the end, with everything taken into account, this is far less expensive and a much more astute and thoughtful purchase then the $100 bag you likely buy multiple times during that same timeframe.

Finally, whatever it is that you decide to spend your money on, always buy what you love. It’s worth it!