From Enthusiast product to Status Symbol

[Vecchio Lupo]

EDDIE BAUER, founded in 1920 as a tennis racket repair shop, and expanded to fishing, hunting, and camping out of demand for quality. Eddie Bauer meant quality, whether he manufactured it or just endorsed it. The name Eddie Bauer meant high quality, but by the late 1980s it became fashion and status. Eddie retired in 1968 and by 1970 the company was sold to General Mills and became just another brand name for marketing.

I will routinely ask somebody that's dressed head to toe in EB gear if they know anything at all about Mr. Bauer...........cri ckets......just stupid.

[AH Fan]

Its all called the GQ me too club.............. Its been around for a while.   
You have too be a critical human to see through all the rhetoric though and that means you have to be a 1 percenter amongst the the population.

Ciao

[Speedfrog]

Laguiole and Opinel french pocket knives. Went from traditional small mountain town production destined to the local livestock farmers to the catalog of Williams-Sonoma and other US fashion/gourmet outlets for mucho dineros.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

I think most watch guys would agree that Rolex has gone from high quality tool watch to status symbol.

It's the only luxury watch that 'non watch people' have ever heard of.  Got a lot of money and think you need a watch? It must be a Rolex.  Thats how we arrived at this artificial scarcity where the only way to get a Rolex is spend $200k on jewelry at your local dealer and polish their knob in hopes of getting an allotment... Or resort to the bottom-feeder grey/secondary dealers and pay 2-3x retail for a 1-15 year old used watch.  Despite the fact the Rolex makes over a million watches a year, they are treated as if it's a truly artisan hand-made and exceedingly rare product. One of the greatest marketing success stories in human history. They have incredible production, but get to charge prices as if they are Fabergé eggs. They even sell out of their ugly/undesirable models, because a bunch of people who are on the 'wait list' (which doesnt really exist), will buy anything their dealer offers them in hopes of getting an allotment for one of the desirable models.

Meanwhile the desirable watches are the same old recycled designs with solid & workable (but not industry leading) tech.  It's funny, they parallel Harley in many ways. Harley sells the same old stuff with minimal incremental improvements, but they are by no means cutting edge or more than middling performance in their category- but (some) people still plunk down top of the market prices because the brand has 'heritage' and has built tremendous name cachet.

[Bulldog9]

I'd say Porsche, but if it was only a "STATUS SYMBOL"  I would have to sell mine.  I am an anti status symbol crowd follower.....

In the beginning it was mostly an enthusiast audience that grew into a status symbol. I see Porsche as two car companies. One that still builds enthusiast oriented sports cars and SUV's, and now EV's. Fact is the Cayenne and now the Macan, and to a lesser degree the Panamera likely saved the brand. Many Panamera and SUV buyers are buying for the status and Marque.

The other day, someone mentoined that one of my buddies at work owns a Porsche. I said "He does?" I thought he had a BMW Convertible. They said "Yep, it's a Blue SUV"  I laughed and said, NAH thats not a Porsche. A Porsche has mid or rear enginge, sometimes front, and only has 2 doors ;-)

I've been a member of the Porsche Club of America for about 15 years and am amazed how many enthusiasts track their cars regularly. It is a community made up of all walks of life, and most of the air cooled crowd would fit right in the Guzzi community.  We wrench, swap parts, gather and work on each others cars, etc.  NOT so much the later water cooled and current models.

Kinda makes me wonder if the trend of V7 and now incoming V100 new to the brand riders will be the same and pull Guzzi into more of the pop-culture 'status' thing you speak of?

[Moparnut72]

I couldn't figure out why my wife wanted a Jeep Grand Cherokee Long instead of a Dodge Durango, basically the same car. Now I know. 
kk

[tommy2cyl]

I'd say Porsche, but if it was only a "STATUS SYMBOL"  I would have to sell mine.  I am an anti status symbol crowd follower.....

In the beginning it was mostly an enthusiast audience that grew into a status symbol. I see Porsche as two car companies. One that still builds enthusiast oriented sports cars and SUV's, and now EV's. Fact is the Cayenne and now the Macan, and to a lesser degree the Panamera likely saved the brand. Many Panamera and SUV buyers are buying for the status and Marque.

The other day, someone mentoined that one of my buddies at work owns a Porsche. I said "He does?" I thought he had a BMW Convertible. They said "Yep, it's a Blue SUV"  I laughed and said, NAH thats not a Porsche. A Porsche has mid or rear enginge, sometimes front, and only has 2 doors ;-)

I've been a member of the Porsche Club of America for about 15 years and am amazed how many enthusiasts track their cars regularly. It is a community made up of all walks of life, and most of the air cooled crowd would fit right in the Guzzi community.  We wrench, swap parts, gather and work on each others cars, etc.  NOT so much the later water cooled and current models.

Kinda makes me wonder if the trend of V7 and now incoming V100 new to the brand riders will be the same and pull Guzzi into more of the pop-culture 'status' thing you speak of?

[tommy2cyl]

Bulldog:  Let's give the Boxster it's due.  In my opinion, it was key in keeping Porsche a solvent company at a time when they were struggling.

[lazlokovacs]

Timberland 100per cent! bought a pair the other day to replace a pair that served me extremely well over many years and wow... nothing like the same boot. mea culpa for shopping online and brand reputation.

[Guzzi Gal]

I loved North Face down jackets and vests, having worn them from the early 70s until the mid-80s, at which point they became too expensive. They were our "local" brand which was from "The City," AKA San Francisco. I was stylin' in my navy blue down jacket, Earth Shoes, and wedge haircut (Dorothy Hamil)!

They began in North Beach, SFO, and the north face of a mountain is shrouded in shade and known to be very cold. The word North can be factored into their name easily enough. Either way, thoughts of North Beach are making me hungry for some good Italian food, which is what it was, or might still be known for.

[frozengoose]

The only North Face product I'd used prior to this winter was a tent that we used for a surveying job one summer on the north slope. It seemed well made and kept the rain and bugs out. Then this past year, my wife gave me a North Face hoody for Christmas or birthday, can't remember cause they're only a few weeks apart. It's certainly well made, a nice comfortable microfiber fleece, lots o' zippered pockets, and best of all, it fits me. Being taller than the average giraffe, I have to wonder who they used for a model.

As for poser bikes, I'd nominate any of the high end Ducatis, BMWs, or full dress Harleys and Indians. My orthopedic Dr had a fancy new BMW, as well as a Porsche and loaded F150. He bought a Norton Interstate just before he retired, so maybe that's the new poser bike? But they're all just for fun, one mans pride can be anothers poser, so just move along, don't think too much about it, or it'll make your head hurt.

[ScepticalScotty]

My favourite cold weather walking jacket is a Buffalo System from 2001. Navy blue, very plain. You wear them with nothing underneath. Used by mountain rescue teams in the UK, along with another brand, Slioch. Which you dont see many of either. Both not cool, not hip.

Theres a great essay by Peter Egan on the commodification of our pastime, where he says a motorcycle leather jacket used to really mean something. It meant you rode. And to stretch the analogy further, I grew up on the Central Coast of NSW and bodysurfed, boogie, and kneeboard surfed  since I was 10 years old and that lifestyle/pastime was commodified early on. In the 70s all surf shops sold boards, knew about boards, and repaired boards. In the 80s shops sprang up that knew nothing about surfing; they were apparel stores!!! I went to a surf camp in Portugal in 2005 and out of the group of 8 guests only 2 could surf  - me and "Tuna"  the rest were complete beginners but 4 of them had boards that Kelly Slater would be happy to ride at small Pipeline! It was all about the image.....

Rant over! 

[Huzo]

For me a “status symbol” is something that you acquire to say “I got it or did it because I can, even though it’s relatively pointless…”
I have done it with my Norge..Wire wheels
On my V85…Ohlins rear shock.

Both do nothing to enhance a rider of my capabilities experience, but I just wanted to…

[Dharma Bum]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the price increase and quality decrease of the Levi 501 button fly jeans that I used to buy for $9 a pair at the PX at Ft Lewis in 1971!

[twowheeladdict]

I loved North Face down jackets and vests, having worn them from the early 70s until the mid-80s, at which point they became too expensive. They were our "local" brand which was from "The City," AKA San Francisco. I was stylin' in my navy blue down jacket, Earth Shoes, and wedge haircut (Dorothy Hamil)!

They began in North Beach, SFO, and the north face of a mountain is shrouded in shade and known to be very cold. The word North can be factored into their name easily enough. Either way, thoughts of North Beach are making me hungry for some good Italian food, which is what it was, or might still be known for.

Coming from New England, Italian food and California never were heard in the same sentence.  Until your post I didn't think there were Italians in California.   

[Guzzi Gal]

Coming from New England, Italian food and California never were heard in the same sentence.  Until your post I didn't think there were Italians in California.   

Sonoma county, where I'm from, along with most of the Bay Area has a long and storied Italian history.

https://permitsonoma.org/divisions/planning/historicresources/sonomacountyhistory/theitaliancommunityofsantarosa1880-1945
https://www.adventuresofacarryon.com/geyserville-california-a-bit-of-italy-in-sonoma-wine-country/
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/lifestyle/proud-legacy-of-italian-winegrowers-in-sonoma-county/https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=North_Beach:_Little_Italy

[Bulldog9]

Bulldog:  Let's give the Boxster it's due.  In my opinion, it was key in keeping Porsche a solvent company at a time when they were struggling.

Indeed, and it initially put the Marque in a more accessible price point. Shame they have bumped the prices up very close to 911 billing.

[Phil/TX]

Status symbols, ha, ha. Not me. But it looks like I’m getting there since I’m parking my V100 in the garage, and leaving the Aston Martin out side in the weather.

[Ncdan]

SCHOTTS MOTORCYCLE JACKETS.
Still made in the same old building in NYC.
I’ve got a 1984-86 model, made for the CHP.
I contacted Schotts and with a serial number in the right zipper pocket was given the entire history of my jacket.
They were unique in that they were ordered by the CHP without shoulder epaulette.
The leftovers were sold to leather dealers on the east coast.
Just a little history on one of the greatest motorcycle jackets in the world, IMHO.