It’s been well-documented over the years, but people can go crazy and then come back to sanity at times. The fact that someone would pay over $200k for the pair of Birkenstock sandals that were once worn by Steve Jobs is proof of that since the idea of spending that kind of money on a pair of sandals is, well, nuts. Trying to understand the mindset of someone who would collect something that pulls down this price, even if the proceeds go to charity or another good cause, is enough to make a lot of heads spin since justifying this is beyond ridiculous, not to mention that if someone bout these sandals and decided to wear them, it would be the same as piling up that cash and torching it since that’s what many people would equate this to. Trying not to knock such a decision is tougher than accepting it since the amount of money paid for this pair of sandals could have bought a house, an extremely nice car, or something that would have actually been useful to more than a few people. But another thing this goes to show is that some people do actually have too much money, even if they’ve earned it rightfully or scammed others into making them rich for being a no-talent individual that knows how to be halfway convincing. What’s worse about this is that the man these belonged to was talented and earned his way up, and to think that a worn pair of sandals that some well-to-do and obviously bored individual purchased is part of his legacy is kind of depressing.
Without trying to speak ill of Steve Jobs, his legacy is rooted in his success, not in being a good person.
It’s been stated more than once that Jobs wasn’t the nicest person in the world, but without getting both sides of the story, it’s not accurate to say that he wasn’t worth more regard than his success warranted. The truth is that he made something of himself, and he did attain a level of fame that was tough to believe at first but was undeniable since it was upfront and public. Whatever kind of person he might have been, Jobs was the type of guy that was able to do what he wanted and wear what he wanted since he had the kind of money and lifestyle that had been given to him by the many who believed in what he could do. Some might think that a guy this rich would have gone around flaunting a much different style, but those who have worn Birkenstocks likely know how comfortable and utilitarian they are, so it’s tough to argue against such a choice.
A pair of used sandals, no matter who they belonged to, is just a used pair of sandals.
Regardless of who wears or uses something, the general idea that many people might agree with is that the item is still just another run-of-the-mill item that was manufactured to be used. The idea that a celebrity of any sort used the item tends to mean a lot to some people since there are plenty of individuals out there who will put stock in the idea that such things carry a value that goes beyond money. The sad part of this is that an item such as sandals could easily be replaced by any well-worn pair of footwear, and given the claim that they belonged to this or that celebrity, people would buy them. If people don’t believe this, they might need to take a long look at the things that have been purchased over the years. Sadly, a lot of fans wouldn’t care since they’d keep digging in their pockets to see if they had the asking price for whatever item was up for sale.
Why people place so much emphasis on everyday items used by famous people is still confusing.
So, if a celebrity uses something, it makes that item more valuable? Does that include toothpicks, toothbrushes, and various other everyday items? It’s easy to see if someone were to get excited about a guitar or other piece of musical equipment that was used by a rockstar during their first concert, but a pair of sandals is confusing. They won’t give a person the same IQ as Steve Jobs. They won’t bring about any moment of clarity that allows a person to create their own company or come up with new ideas to sell to people. But somehow, people see sense in spending enormous amounts of money on something that they could buy for a fraction of the price at a local retailer. To each their own, apparently.
If it was for charity, great, but if it was just a personal interest item, it’s easy to question the intelligence of the buyer.
The intent isn’t to insult the overall intelligence of the buyer but rather to make sense of something that makes absolutely none. Steve Jobs was a revered individual in the world of technology, but after that, well, he was just another guy to many people.
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