Does this give anybody any ideas for things to make

It’s fair to say we can “make” anything. However making something that someone will “buy” is something else entirely.

This is a good example of marketing.

You got my (cynical) point exactly!

Howard

SPAM

-- Random Orbital Nailer

A year to refine the concept?

Like PT Barnum said there is one born every minute.

I have come to terms with my addiction to over-consumption.

-- Mark

I just kept shaking my head while reading that article. I’m still kinda speechless.
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Except to say,
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Not “SPAM”, Dark. It’s a link to an article. But thanks for checking in.

-- Don't anthropomorphize your handplanes. They hate it when you do that. -- OldTools Archive --

It’s a shame to say that I know some people who would probably buy the darn thing and be proud that they did.

If you need to buy something to remind yourself to stop buying so much stuff it’s probably time for some soul-searching.

-- Steve

That would be a stellar first commission. Here would be your sell to the buyer…

“Well this piece is very intricate and could involve as many as 6 to 7 power tools that I do not currently have. I’ll tell you what, I will give you the labor portion of this commission for free, and all you have to do is pay for the tools and the wood. The estimate is $15000. That may seems steep, but you will have an everlasting memento of how to remember your place on this planet. Inner peace will be yours because of this black rectangular prism.”

They agree. You get a helical head planer, a helical head jointer, a 5 hp cabinet saw, a brand new router, a drum sander, a random orbital sander, and an 8 foot piece of 12/4 ebony (offcut of course, it’s recycling). They get inner peace. Sounds like a good plan to me…

-- The Wood Is Your Oyster

You think this is bad, when iPhones were still pretty new, there was an app called something like “I’m rich”. It was just a glowing jewel icon, nothing more. The price tag? $1000. The sad part? It sold 10 or 15 before Apple took it down.

-- Brian T. - Exact science is not an exact science

Why not go ahead and carve, “Why Did I Buy This?”, on the front of the block. That might add something to it.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com

-- If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. Henry David Thoreau

Looks like a pet block as an upgrade to the pet rock. IIRC, pet rocks also sold pretty well back in the day.

-- People say I hammer like lightning. It's not that I'm fast -- it's that I never hit the same place twice!

pet block made me chuckle.

I bet you don’t get the full effect until you have company over and you brag about what you paid for the thing.

-- Steve