From: DrUSA-AT-pseud.pseud
Subject: Re: M-INTRO: Value theory
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2000 11:10:34 -0500


But in his day, there were plenty of "unnecessary" luxury items which were
purchased by the rich.  Now that we have more material wealth as workers
(though relatively we are infinitely poorer than before - the income gap is
widening as I type), some of us can afford to buy crap like that (trust me -
I spent WAY too much on collectible cards!).  But Beanie Babies are not the
norm in all countries.  Most people in Africa, Asia, and Latin American can
hardly afford a kilo of rice or tortillas - let alone "luxury" items like
Beanie Babies.  Not to mention the effect of the advertising industry which
creates demand where none should exist (as with Beanie Babies).  I am not
saying it is a simple answer - but we certainly don't need something "new"
to explain these phenomena.  It is in there in the various volumes of Marx -
though perhaps we need to update the specifics.  But the fundamentals are
the same.

Dr. USA

----- Original Message -----
From: <DEAN-AT-pseud.pseud>
To: <marxism-intro-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2000 10:47 AM
Subject: Re: M-INTRO: Value theory


> DrUSA, you say that Marx's theory covers items such as Beanie Babies etc
in
> his section on commodity fetishism.  This may be true and I won't pretend
> that I know a lot about Marx and what he thought.  But you've got to admit
> that there is no way that marx could have forseen the introduction into
the
> market of commodities such as Beanie Babies or even things like baseball
> cards or Star Wars action figures.  By citing these examples I mean
> commodities that have such a ridiculous amount of value placed on them by
> "collectors" that there can't be any correlation between that labor time
> spent producing them and how much people are now willing to pay for them.
>
>
> >From: DrUSA-AT-pseud.pseud
> >Reply-To: marxism-intro-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
> >To: marxism-intro-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
> >Subject: Re: M-INTRO: Value theory
> >Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2000 00:47:46 -0500
> >
> >Not at all - it all falls under the section on commodity fetishism.
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: <maverick-AT-pseud.pseud>
> >To: <marxism-intro-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu>
> >Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2000 12:25 AM
> >Subject: Re: M-INTRO: Value theory
> >
> >
> > > Agreed, I don't think Marx's theory did cover such frivolous items
that
> > > people in society purchase for no sane reason at all.  Marx dealt with
> >more
> > > items that had greater importance or use to society as whole.  The
> >market
> >of
> > > beanie babies or other such collectibles would require it's own
theory,
> > > explanation, and model.
> > >
> > >
> > >      --- from list marxism-intro-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >      --- from list marxism-intro-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
>
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