# In Internet shopping, what are "wish lists"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 31, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-internet-shopping-what-are-wish-lists/287682 "2005-01-31T23:04:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-internet-shopping-what-are-wish-lists/287682/1 "2005-01-31T23:04:22Z")
When you are online browsing through the internet site of a major company like Levi Strauss, what does it mean when you look at a product description, and there’s a link to “add this item to your wishlist”? What’s to wish? If they’re selling it, and you want to spend the money they’re asking for it, you just buy it, right? Or is the company just trying to judge public response by asking us to vote, as it were? ---
**Author:** ![Emilio\_Lizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-internet-shopping-what-are-wish-lists/287682/2 "2005-01-31T23:11:08Z")
I don’t know what they are _meant_ for, but what I use them for is storing things I want to get, but not right now. With DVDs, for example, I just sat down one day, thought of all the disks I want, and added them to my wish list. Whenever I feel like blowing afew bucks, I throw a few in my cart and buy them. Quite convenient, actually. In addition, since DVD prices are slowly falling, I can easily keep track of the price of a large number of disks, and when they cross a line ($10 in my case) I’ll buy them. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-internet-shopping-what-are-wish-lists/287682/3 "2005-01-31T23:10:28Z")
It’s for the use of your friends and relatives who might want to give you a present. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-internet-shopping-what-are-wish-lists/287682/4 "2005-01-31T23:13:40Z")
It’s more for if a gift giving occasion is coming up, like Christmas or a birthday. You add everything you’re interested in having to your wishlist, then send a link to that list to family and friends, so they know what to get you. Sort of like a gift registry or a letter to Santa. Or, on preview, what Biffy said. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-internet-shopping-what-are-wish-lists/287682/5 "2005-01-31T23:19:29Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > When you are online browsing through the internet site of a major company like Levi Strauss, what does it mean when you look at a product description, and there’s a link to “add this item to your wishlist”? What’s to wish? If they’re selling it, and you want to spend the money they’re asking for it, you just buy it, right? No; suppose you want the item, but won’t have the cash for it until payday? You could try to remember the details so that you can find it again, but there might be _hundreds_ of things you _wish_ for and indeed _intend_ to acquire at some point, but can’t afford right now. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-internet-shopping-what-are-wish-lists/287682/6 "2005-01-31T23:24:51Z")
I use them as **Emilio** does - as a tickler list for things I want to get. Especially as reminders for things (books, DVDs, etc.) that haven’t come out yet. This way, I won’t “forget” about it when it becomes available. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![gruver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/57b2e6/32.png) [@gruver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gruver)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-internet-shopping-what-are-wish-lists/287682/7 "2005-02-01T00:30:38Z")
i use them both to keep track of things i may want later but can’t get now, or to direct friends and family to when gift giving situations come up