brand names and games

The other day needing a navy sweater I decided to purchase one from John Lewis website. The brand was Tommy Hilfiger. It was more expensive than the John Lewis cashmere even though it was of lesser quality material but it did have the crucial Hilfiger motif. So consumers will pay more for that motif to show they wear a cool brand. Not me. The other day I was in the Mont Blanc shop. I have to say the service was excellent. I still needed some persuading. I have attended enough meetings when Mont Blancs are produced to show class and style but above all that the user can afford a Mont Blanc. Being of an absent mined disposition, there is every chance that should I buy such a pen I would lose it within a month. My late father had a collection of pens in the bottom drawer of his desk all of which were replicas and fakes. He had a mischievous sense of humour. He would for example buy a suit from M &S and get his tailor to sew on better buttons. He was delighted, if he was asked if he bought his suits off the peg or made to measure, to display his buttons saying you could not get these off the peg.

I have a beaten up old Volvo, 12 years old full of scratches and dents, but last week the old boy passed his MOT with flying colours. I was discussing  its replacement with my p/a Polly. “You know what, Bob” she said “I find it kinda cool that you drive round in such a jalopy, no one is going to follow you home and mug you!” My thoughts were rather more that should I buy a newer, sleeker model with all the gizmos (my father called them the “mug’s eyeful”)  it would be worth 66% of what I paid the moment I drove it from the showroom.