What determines Economic value
Many people think the amount of labor and hard work you put into something will determine value. Because you put effort into something than you have created something of economic value. Something that others will hail as great.
But what is economic value? Economic value is not like the Marxist economist believed, that is the amount of labor that goes into creating something determines its value. This is the labor theory of value. With the collapse of Communism we can all see this understanding of value is unfortunately is wrong.
Think how really boring it was to live under communism, and how fun the world is now with web 2.0, Sony playstations, miniature golf courses, Adam Sandler movies and countless things people might think of as worthless, if value might be determined objectively rather than subjectively.
Economic value is something that is determined subjectively. This is basic economics. It is where the aggregate supply and aggregate demand curve intersect.
In other words, many people believe value is determined by the factor of production or their own personal evaluation of what is quality or what is junk, not from the consumers point of view.
People think that if they work hard at creating something it should be of value. In fact, at some level I believe this. But we can not be the judge of value, rather the economic idea of marginal utility, and the cruel idea of aggregate demand is what determine economic value.
How economic value is determined
Economic value is determine by supply and demand. That means value is subjective. What might be valuable to one person is not to another. This is illustrate in the Diamond water paradox. Diamonds are of great economic value but not as important as water for survival, which is cheap.
Another example is if some person takes ten years to make something that only he and his mother thinks is good than people will find it of little value.
However, if someone writes, lets say a blog which has say 1/4 million page views a month (like one of my other blogs) than this is an indication of value.
Value is determined by the aggregate demand for such thing that is created. Many elites intellectuals create some weird theory, true nonsense and people do not like, something avant guard and artistic but in reality, what they create is ridiculous. They snub you the world and say ‘you fools’ can you not see its value, I am great, what you create is spam, my mother and I think I create something great. Ha ha. Again economic value is subjectively determined by the aggregate.
On the other hand, many plain humble people create things that are useful to many people, and they are rewarded economically, like my neighbor when I was a kid, long before my time, he created the pop up toaster.
Economic value is connected with supply and demand, not your own evaluation of something. Think about this when you want to make money, do something or are looking for a job.
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2 responses to Economic value
Collectibles economic value
What you write is so true. My mother is a collecter of sorts and she believes that these things are of huge monetary value (maybe not today but someday). I have told her that her things are only worth as much as the person who would like to have or buy them. She places alot of value on them because she is very interested in old dolls, post cards, watches and so forth so she believes these things ARE valuable monetary wise too.
I rather not collect any one sort of thing aside from already used objects that are either from a thrift store, side of the road or hand-me-downs. I make things with this stuff and then hope to sell them. Well I am finding out that this too has it’s pitfall – the audiance you are caterinig too.
Now I do make metal wire stars and cap the ends with beads from old neclaces and/or glass beads. They are truly one of a kind and I have been successful at selling them and many people have admired them (I have them strung all around my front porch and have hung them on the trees too) but…… when it comes to the part on turning my craft into some serious money…… I freeze. My neighbour placed an order for the opening of her store and I worked like speedy gonzales and found it was not so much fun when someone is waiting on delivery. They were not as easy to make quickly as they were just doing them through out the week.
Well anyway I will end this long email and hit send. I have never done this before and hope to hear from you.
Tschuess,
Michaele
Thank you for your comment. It is very interesting what you write. My parents have lots of items they would like to pass down to me, but the reality is, even if they had some economic value, it is not my thing.
I would rather do something like you are doing and invent or create my own thing and sell it. For example, I am writing language software. This is my thing, and this is what other people find of value. I like to interact with people that are learning languages.
Time and how you spend it is the most valuable thing in the world, not simply making a profit. You are on the right track.
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