The Value of Luxury Goods

By He Feipeng

For quite a long time, I could only understand the price of an item—but not the value of it. Once I received a bottle of red wine, which was said to be a rare vintage of a particular year from a famous wine region.Although it commanded a high price, I felt that it tasted similar to those cheap ones sold in an ordinary supermarket. I also once received a box of highgrade Cuban cigars. However,regardless of the price, I was repulsed by its choking smoke.Thus, I felt deeply ashamed of my poor taste.

My trouble goes far beyond this. Once I published a book by the well-known Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, and I invited him to deliver a speech in Taiwan. A doll designed by him was sold at several million dollars. Although I was clear about the price tag, I didn't know anything about its value. I tried to read his books attentively,listen to his speech, and even consult him in person to try to straighten out my question, yet I was still confused—so I had to put it down to my ignorance. On New York's famous Fifth Avenue and Tokyo's Omotesandou, young folks are constantly rushing for the designer clothes and bags with a whopping price. From their obvious enthusiasm, I think they must understand the value of those items.

Although I understand their price tag, I am totally clueless about their value—so I would definitely not buy them. But what puzzles me is why all of these young boys and girls appreciate“value” better than I do?

And how come wealthy people suddenly have a high appreciation level of the arts? Not only do they collect expensive works of art,they also seem to know a thing or two about their value.

I suppose it is attributed to the fact that they have both money and time, so they can seek guidance from experts and quickly learn to appreciate the value of artwork, and they can with a delicate and acute insight.If I have a pleasant feeling, and want to experience it again, I'd regard the ability to give me this feeling as “value.” The stronger afford the price tag as well.

Facing the problem, I'd try not to be trapped in my own lie forever by pretending to get the point, as I would be exposed easily, and could end up in an awkward position. To put things right once and for all, I must truly understand both the price and value.

So, I started to appreciate expensive items in my own way.

Whatever I eat, drink, wear,use, and see, I try to express how I feel and to understand everything

the pleasant feeling is, the higher the value. For example, I have worn suits from big brands, and,in my eyes, their tailored and stylish designs are the value. I have also tried tuna belly from fresh tuna caught from coastal waters of Taiwan in early May—it was so tender and smooth that it melted immediately in my mouth,which is also “value.” However,the pleasant feeling is limited to the first three pieces, and if you eat more than three, the value of the tuna is compromised, no matter how costly it is.

After such personal exploration, I have begun to understand the difference between price and value—that is, price is merely a number in a business deal, but value originates from the unique feeling of each individual.

Two people see the same thing differently. Everyone should decide the value of a thing according to his or her own preferences and feelings, rather than by the price tag or some social trend. I'm no longer baffled by those expensive items, but if I cannot feel the beauty of them with my delicate sensations,or describe them with my own words, or accept them with my heart and soul, then they mean nothing to me, and I don't need to pretend to understand or accept them.

Moreover, I know that we should not be restrained by the trends of society, and never spend money on anything that is useless to ourselves.

(From Community, April 2013.Translation: Zhu Yaguang)

奢侈品價值幾何

文/何飛鵬

我長期只看得懂價格，卻看不懂“價值”。有人送我一瓶紅酒，說是某知名產區某年份的絕佳收藏，價格奇高無比，我卻感覺和一般超市所買的廉價紅酒沒什么差別；有人送了高級古巴雪茄給我，說價格如何昂貴，但嗆得我無法享受。我對自己的沒品位甚為汗顏。

我的麻煩還不止這些。我出版知名設計師村上隆的書，邀請他來臺灣地區演講。他設計的一個公仔，賣了幾億元，我知道價格，但對于它有什么價值，無法理解。我嘗試仔細閱讀他的書、聽他演講，還當面請益，看看能不能開竅，但也只是一知半解，只好承認自己慧根不足。在美國紐約第五大道、日本東京的表參道，年輕人搶購著天價名牌包、名牌服飾，從他們的癡迷程度來看，我想他們一定懂得這些東西的價值。

只是我看得懂價格，但不知其價值何在，當然也就不會下手。我困惑的是，為什么這些小女生、小男生，都比我更懂得“價值”呢？

還有，有錢人的藝術鑒賞水平為什么忽然變高了，他們會高價收藏藝術品，而且對這些藝術品的價值，他們也能說上幾句。

我猜應該是有錢人有錢有閑，可以請專家教導，所以就能快速學習，看得懂藝術品的價值，也能負擔得起價格吧。

面對這個問題，我不能長期用假裝理解來自欺欺人，因為這很容易穿幫，讓自己處在尷尬的境地。我必須理解價格以外的價值，才能一勞永逸。

我開始用自己的方法理解所有的高價品。

有機會吃、喝、穿、用、看，我會嘗試說出自己的感覺，用纖細、敏銳的觀察和接觸，去理解一切。而如果這些感受是美好的，是期待重復感受的，那我會認為：這就是“價值”，美好的感受愈強烈，價值愈高。舉例而言，我穿過某一名牌服裝，那種貼身剪裁的感覺，那種有型有款的挺拔，就是價值；我吃過5月上旬從臺灣島近海捕撈制成的新鮮鮪魚肚，口感綿密、入口即化，但也就前三片感覺最好，這也是價值。吃多了，超過三片，再高價也價值不高了。

經過這樣的探索，我開始理解價格與價值的差異。價格只是一個交易的參考數字，而價值源自每個人不同的感受。

同樣的事物，對每個人的價值感受都不同，每一個人應該根據自己的喜好和感受，來決定其要接受的事物的價值，不要因為價格而盲目接受，更不要因為追趕潮流而接受。我不再對高價事物感到困惑，如果我不能用自己纖細的感受體會它的美好，不能用自己的言語描述它的美好，不能用自己的心靈接受它的美好，那么，它對我就沒價值，我不需假裝理解、假裝接受。

我更知道，不應被世俗的流行所制約，不應把錢花在對你沒有價值的事物上。

（摘自《社區》2013年第8期）