On Monday, I published a Devil’s Advocate post on Pharma Bro. If you were hiding under a rock, he jacked up the price of a medication by 40 times what it used to sell at. The “collective internet” (if there is such a thing) is upset at him… and justifiably so.
There was another bit of “crazy pricing” “news” that slipped under the radar last week. Pharma Bro’s drug wasn’t the only thing that seemed to be jacked up from $18 to the $700 range. News came out that Supermodel Gisele Bundchen will be making a $700 coffee table book available in November. In case you are wondering, it will contain all the things that make Gisele the highest paid model in the world… pictures.
They are probably a little more interesting this one:
At least with a pharmaceutical, you’d be getting something potentially life saving, right? Who needs a $700 coffee book, rigth? Doesn’t this feel like Kanye’s $120 T-Shirt?
I’m sure the book itself is not cheap to make. Our wedding photo album wasn’t cheap, and it didn’t have nearly the 300 photos in Gisele’s book.
However, the big difference here is what I got to at the end of the sale page. I feel like they buried the lead:
“Gisele is donating all her proceeds from the book to charity.”
And that’s the difference. That’s why people love Gisele and hate Pharma Bro. Sure go ahead and charge an outrageous price, but if it’s optional, the money goes to charity, and you are being straight-up with what you are selling, I’m on board.
I’m not sure if my wife would be on board (and it certainly isn’t in the budget). That only increases your chances of being one of the lucky 1000 people who will own the book, right?
In a related story, I got a tip that a non-profit charitable organization may be able to get a signed football by Gisele’s husband, Tom Brady, to auction off as a fundraiser. I was told this by someone affiliated with such an organization. She may not have meant it this way, but I’ve got a new savings goal for my Digit Account.
I have a feeling my wife might be a little more open to this purchase. However, the next time she’s watching a red carpet show and complains about me watching football, I might remind her that we could have had a Gisele book instead.
How do you feel about donating to charity to get things? On one hand, I feel like donating to charity is it’s own reward. On the other hand, I feel like I might as well get something cool if the thing is of nominal cost (such as a football or a book).
i donate to various charities. most of them, i tell them to keep the ‘thing’ and just take me money [some include info on what they do with the additional $$ if you opt out of the ‘thing’] museums and a few other organizations, the ‘thing’ is a membership with unlimited/reciprocal admission and absolutely, i take that! while i often donate additional money to museums, my main ‘contribution’ is membership.
have i ever donated to a cause JUST to get a ‘thing’? when my oldest daughter was 2, the local PBS station had a fundraiser. for $50 you got a Big Bird and they posted ‘happy birthday xxxx’ before and after sesame street on your kid’s birthday. i jumped on that.