# What product do you think has the most inflated value? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 4, 2004, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-product-do-you-think-has-the-most-inflated-value/263089 "2004-09-04T05:23:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2004, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-product-do-you-think-has-the-most-inflated-value/263089/61 "2004-09-07T23:01:53Z")
> [@Boyo Jim](#): > > I would like to suggest **houses**. > > Why are they practically the only product in the world more expensive used than new? How is it used buildings sell at such a profit to owner after owner? New houses/buildings are not more expensive used than new. Like everything else, new houses command price premiums over used ones that are otherwise identical. The thing about housing (and the real topic of your question, I suppose) is that it generally appreciates in value over time, because land (and by extension housing) in a given area is a finite resource: you can’t just ship in a few more acres on a container ship from China if you want to build more houses in Somewhere, USA. As time goes on, and more people want to move into a given area, the demand (and therefore price) for housing goes up. So, a house bought new in 2000 might sell used in 2005 for more than it was purchased for, but it will still be worth less than other houses just being built in 2005. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2004, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-product-do-you-think-has-the-most-inflated-value/263089/62 "2004-09-08T12:56:35Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > there is no way any steak is worth $75.00 for 12 oz. of beef. I’ve had a $75 steak. Best damn money I’ve ever spent. It was heaven. ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2004, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-product-do-you-think-has-the-most-inflated-value/263089/63 "2004-09-09T00:19:30Z")
My votes: Wrapping paper Saline solution Greeting cards ---
**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:** [September 9, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-product-do-you-think-has-the-most-inflated-value/263089/64 "2004-09-09T23:26:50Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > Anyone who has tasted the tap water in the San Fernando Valley knows bottled water is freakin’ bargain! It’s not too good in my part of L.A. either. I keep meaning to try one of those Pur filters that you mount on the faucet, but I never get around to it. ---
**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:** [September 9, 2004, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-product-do-you-think-has-the-most-inflated-value/263089/65 "2004-09-09T23:45:57Z")
> [@faithfool](#): > > Designer sunglasses. I’ve never paid more than $10 a pair for any in my life and I mostly aim for the $3 affairs sold on clearance. Oakley, I’m lookin’ at you -and- my soon-to-be ex-husband. Yep, there are reasons for that folks. > . Well, if you’re content with plastic lenses that get all scratched up, that’s fine. I think real glass lensed sunglasses are worth every penny, but I wouldn’t be willing to pay even more just to get the latest trendy brand. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-product-do-you-think-has-the-most-inflated-value/263089/66 "2004-09-10T00:43:57Z")
What! No one has mentioned **Tampons**! The very reason I went over to a menstrual cup. All that money to shove a wad of cotton up your wahoo. Indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-product-do-you-think-has-the-most-inflated-value/263089/67 "2004-09-10T00:56:54Z")
Those clean-up crews that come in when someone blows their brains out, or has been laying in the bedroom dead for X days…they charge THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS AN HOUR to do it! :eek: I can’t help but think the cost has more to do with exploiting people’s vulnerable emotional states. Same goes for coffins- pay $5000+ for something you are going to bury in the ground?! 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-product-do-you-think-has-the-most-inflated-value/263089/68 "2004-09-10T00:57:26Z")
Anything done by a celebrity. Paintings, autographs, endorsements, etc. I wish my signature was worth money to people, that must be a weird ego boost to know people will pay for that kind of thing. I would say really high end sports cars. A $300,000 sports car doesn’t do much that a gently used sports car like a Corvette at $30,000 can do. If you look at the engine specs they are usually pretty similiar in regards to hp, torque, 0-60, etc. And phone sex. That is soooooo overpriced at $200 an hour. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-product-do-you-think-has-the-most-inflated-value/263089/69 "2004-09-10T01:11:50Z")
Absolutely anything recommended by the hygiene guy on Queer Eye. (I’ve got Carson (of course), Jai (the wimp) and Ted (my kinda gay) sorted, but always confuse the other two.) ---
**Author:** ![Daftbugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Daftbugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daftbugger)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-product-do-you-think-has-the-most-inflated-value/263089/70 "2004-09-10T13:27:36Z")
In the UK… The Times a few years ago did an article saying that cinema popcorn has the highest profit margin of ANYTHING! Other things that have huge mark ups are draft pop and pizza! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-product-do-you-think-has-the-most-inflated-value/263089.md?page=3)