what?

Icelander53

Icelander53

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Sorry about this but I've been wondering about this since I joined and it's an extension of my bias thread I guess. And I'm not pointing fingers without pointing right at myself. I just want to hear how you all defend or explain this practice.

OK it's this, we praise to high heaven our favorite uke. We may have researched for months and then paid through the nose out of our retirement account and then waited and waited for it. Then it finally shows and we are in love. A love that is so true and fine that the heavens open and James Hill comes down on a cloud playing uke in awe and wonder at the miracle of this fine new instrument. A true one of a kind or whatever.

Then six months to a year or so later, maybe sooner it's on the market. It kind of reminds me of marriage and romantic love. Anyway maybe it's me just pointing at this particular elephant but logically it makes no sense. Unless of course you acknowledge that we are not really logical creatures much of the time.

So outside of actually and really needing cash for an emergency which would be rare, what's going on?
 
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Okay, I'll acknowledge I'm not really a logical creature.

For me (and this is true of all my hobbies), the goal is education and exposure. In my journey to understand a hobby that interests me, I'll subject myself to tons of research until I fixate on an object I sincerely want to own and play with. I don't *really* think the thing I buy will the end-all-be-all, but when I'm particularly impressed with something I talk about it like it is. And, unlike marriage (hopefully), a hobby offers a lot of latitude for experimentation. As new products and trends emerge, continued forum reading leads to new desires which, in turn, lead to selling off beloved gear to fund the purchase of the newest best thing. It may seem like we're abandoning the things we spent so much time, effort, and money acquiring, but it's really more about staying connected to a hobby as it evolves.

My other hobbies are guns and watches. I've owned close to a hundred handguns, but only have two at the moment. I've also owned several luxury brand watches (Rolex, Omega, Tudor, etc.), but I've got an Apple Watch on my wrist and two Citizen divers in a drawer at home. I treasure what I've learned more than what I've owned.

My $0.02.
 
cptdean said:
Okay, I'll acknowledge I'm not really a logical creature.

For me (and this is true of all my hobbies), the goal is education and exposure. In my journey to understand a hobby that interests me, I'll subject myself to tons of research until I fixate on an object I sincerely want to own and play with. I don't *really* think the thing I buy will the end-all-be-all, but when I'm particularly impressed with something I talk about it like it is. And, unlike marriage (hopefully), a hobby offers a lot of latitude for experimentation. As new products and trends emerge, continued forum reading leads to new desires which, in turn, lead to selling off beloved gear to fund the purchase of the newest best thing. It may seem like we're abandoning the things we spent so much time, effort, and money acquiring, but it's really more about staying connected to a hobby as it evolves.

My other hobbies are guns and watches. I've owned close to a hundred handguns, but only have two at the moment. I've also owned several luxury brand watches (Rolex, Omega, Tudor, etc.), but I've got an Apple Watch on my wrist and two Citizen divers in a drawer at home. I treasure what I've learned more than what I've owned.

My $0.02.
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I have to agree with this reply.

In my case, in particular, I live in Singapore and can't possibly try the best ukes out there first without buying them. So, have I raved about a uke only to sell it later? Yes, but it's not because they are not good when I received them or not good later when I compare them against new ones.

It's about my ongoing education on what I like in a uke.
 
cptdean said:
Okay, I'll acknowledge I'm not really a logical creature.

For me (and this is true of all my hobbies), the goal is education and exposure. In my journey to understand a hobby that interests me, I'll subject myself to tons of research until I fixate on an object I sincerely want to own and play with. I don't *really* think the thing I buy will the end-all-be-all, but when I'm particularly impressed with something I talk about it like it is. And, unlike marriage (hopefully), a hobby offers a lot of latitude for experimentation. As new products and trends emerge, continued forum reading leads to new desires which, in turn, lead to selling off beloved gear to fund the purchase of the newest best thing. It may seem like we're abandoning the things we spent so much time, effort, and money acquiring, but it's really more about staying connected to a hobby as it evolves.

My other hobbies are guns and watches. I've owned close to a hundred handguns, but only have two at the moment. I've also owned several luxury brand watches (Rolex, Omega, Tudor, etc.), but I've got an Apple Watch on my wrist and two Citizen divers in a drawer at home. I treasure what I've learned more than what I've owned.

My $0.02.
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I think this is basically a good and honest reply. Education is going to be one logical reason for buying and selling but that's only part of this picture. I spent a lot of money on ukes getting that education also and consider it as tuition etc. However there are times when I just want to be stimulated by something new. Which brings me to what imo is a main point in the reply although you didn't say it outright. We are controlled by advertising and consumerism. We don't feel quite right if we aren't looking for that next big thrill.
 
I agree with cptdean and Andy. Humans aren't logical, we are curious, and we have to try things ourselves to really learn.
 
I think that is called human nature. I've met very few people who are not like that, and those people seem to have gotten stuck at some point in their life, and never move. I have a very good friend who was painting his house twenty years ago, and spent every waking hour for almost a year picking out the paint. He finally painted his house, but for some reason he never moved on. Just last week we had coffee, and he said that he needed to repaint his house, then proceeded to tell me about every moment, every thought, and every breath that he took when he was picking out the paint twenty years ago, a conversation we have had many many times. He is stuck there, like a broken record. That is abnormal, the norm is what you describe.
 
Doc_J said:
I agree with cptdean and Andy. Humans aren't logical, we are curious, and we have to try things ourselves to really learn.
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I often say, that logic does not work in an illogical world. I always have to laugh when people want to use common sense as their argument, as I've found very few people who actually share the same common sense.
 
I haven't done this with ukes yet, because in a perhaps peculiar way I don't want a very expensive ($1000+) ukulele right now, but I've done it with some high-end audio equipment. For me, there are different factors that play into this.

One is clearly the thrill and excitement of getting something new, discovering it, making love to it. This ties a bit in with the "wanting" often being more delicious than the "having". (This probably explains why my relationships never seem to work out! :D)

Another factor, strictly for me, is the financial and "space" aspect. I don't really want a house full of clutter, and when it comes to more expensive things I have to let something go in order to be able to buy something else that's also costly. I simply can't collect $2000+ objects, and don't really want to.

I also speculate (again just for myself) that there is also an element of compensating for a "lack" of skill: the partly or fully mistaken belief that a more expensive piece of gear will either magically make me better at what I do, or further improve motivation to get better.

Finally, I don't want to just work in order to pay rent and buy food. I like fun stuff, and I'm not a very "efficient" or always-logical person. Sometimes I do things spontaneously because they "feels good" and generate enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is very exhilarating. This isn't necessarily very responsible, but since I never spend money I don't have, the risk of backfiring is pretty low (other than buyer's remorse or being unable to buy other fun stuff).
 
Falling in love with a uke on sight and first strum and then selling it? Who would do that? Don't ask me. I have no idea what you're talking about. But if you send a text to my psychiatrist she might be able to point you in the right direction. :eek:
 
Just talking ukuleles......there are so many sizes, shapes and types, multiplied by brands (can't even compute customs, too) that one can seem to get a new one each week for life and never try them all. I enjoy experimenting with new stuff, so an instrument's potential time in the stable depends on what else catches my eye/ear.

I remember when I got a Pono Pro Classic tenor. It sounded, looked and played fabulously - all the criteria for a "keeper." It was here a few months and then off to another player. The reason for separation: other instruments were getting the bulwark of the playing time and it seemed a waste to turn the Pono into a closet-dweller.

Right now I'm going through a "banjo" phase. My tenor banjo and both banjo ukes are getting 75% of the playing time. That will eventually fade and I'll go back into an "acoustic" phase, probably followed by another "electric" phase. In the meantime, if I see something new to me is out there for a trade/purchase and the interest is there, then something will leave and another will replace it. For me, it is part of the fun side of music.
 
Icelander53 said:
We are controlled by advertising and consumerism. We don't feel quite right if we aren't looking for that next big thrill.
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And in the same non-judgmental spirit of this thread, I would say the two do not necessarily go together. I now have pretty much 1 of each - one uke of each type that I foresee playing as part of my music making journey. So the need to 'consume' has been replaced by the thrill of working on new music with my collection.

I'm still learning every week, if not every day, about the uke, the music and the recording technology, but the 'consumer' aspect is greatly reduced in the past 18 months or so. And that thrill of the next purchase, in my experience, comes from the same energy source as creating music. When I was a filmmaker, years ago, I discovered I could buy and play with new equipment and it satisfied the urge of making something. So I stopped doing that, only buying when there was something I needed to further a specific project.

I'm not totally free of the urge to buy - got my eye on an upgrade or two - but wanted to offer an alternative opinion.
 
I have three ukes (two sopranos and a concert), with a fourth (concert) on the way, and I have not sold any of them. I also have not tried them out in person before I bought them. I have not been disappointed with the three I have; they are great in their own ways. I did return a ukulele that had a twisted neck--that was right after it arrived and I hadn't played it much.

I think some are collectors, and want to try all sorts of ukuleles. Me, I simply don't have the funds to keep flipping instruments, taking a loss on the sale and buying more and more to try out. But other people have the means. I certainly scratch my head at some of the fine instruments being sold on the marketplace, and have been tempted to buy a few. But I prefer buying from those who will take an instrument back if there's something wrong. And when some nice ukes are up for sale, I naturally wonder "what's the catch"--when the catch is probably exactly what the sellers say: I have too many ukes, a nice custom's coming in, etc.

After my Kamaka pineapple was bought last October, I wasn't expecting to get another ukulele so soon. Last month I changed jobs, and I had quite a lot of vacation time paid out to me from my previous employer. Having suffered there for 15 years in various positions, I figured I owed myself a present. I'm getting a new concert to either be my high or low g fingerstyle player. I thought I would get a tenor, but kept churning the thought over and over in my brain. Also, the fact that two LoPrinzi tenors I was considering were bought right out from under me, almost quite literally, it felt like it was a confirmation of my nagging thought that I was going in the wrong direction. You can tell that I think about my purchases before they're made--I overthink, perhaps. It's probably a good thing I don't have a good ukulele store in town because I'm more likely to make an impulse purchase with a uke in hand; online purchases give me more pause. So, with less discretionary funds and other priorities (taking vacations, for example), I've been keeping the ukes I have.
 
I saw a Kiliban cat t'shirt that said it all, "So many fish, so little time".
 
I think it has something to do with men and our hobbies. A lot of us like to have a high level of excitement about our hobbies and there's nothing like buying a new uke or golf club or gun or fishing boat (you get the idea) to boost our enthusiasm. Men do this with just about every hobby we pursue. Beyond that it's mostly rationalizations - which are important - but the rationalization is not what is really driving the behavior. My 2 cents.
 
greenie44 said:
And in the same non-judgmental spirit of this thread, I would say the two do not necessarily go together. I now have pretty much 1 of each - one uke of each type that I foresee playing as part of my music making journey. So the need to 'consume' has been replaced by the thrill of working on new music with my collection.

I'm still learning every week, if not every day, about the uke, the music and the recording technology, but the 'consumer' aspect is greatly reduced in the past 18 months or so. And that thrill of the next purchase, in my experience, comes from the same energy source as creating music. When I was a filmmaker, years ago, I discovered I could buy and play with new equipment and it satisfied the urge of making something. So I stopped doing that, only buying when there was something I needed to further a specific project.

I'm not totally free of the urge to buy - got my eye on an upgrade or two - but wanted to offer an alternative opinion.
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I'm sure there are lots of variations on this theme. I can't hardly think of an American who isn't indoctrinated into materialism. Sometimes, wise guys realize that even a good thing when overdone turns lousy.

I own too many ukes. I know this because I don't play them. When I got my first keeper I could have quit. However due to my lack of skills and playing partners I would often get discouraged or a little bored with my current pace and to research and buy a new instrument kept me interested and motivated. That all may sound well and good but I think it's a default solution that is inferior as a way to progress. For me that is, but being me I can't do things any other way. I'm programmed. So there it is.
 
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I've learned this through personal experience in other hobbies. The excitement of the hunt, the waiting, and the tracking number. You get the item and get your dopamine release. The only problem is after some time you habituate to the new item. And it's time to go on the hunt again.

Personally, I think always searching for the next best uke will lead to disappointment. The problem is there is the Ideal uke in our minds. Reality never meets ideals.


Also, the enjoyment of playing is hindered. The mind is not focused on learning the uke better but finding another uke. I think that some people are just collectors and enjoy buying ukes as a hobby. They're not looking for any uke in particular. They just want to collect them.

It reminds me of marriage relationships. In a long term relationship there can be many hardships but through those hardships depth and friendship can flourish. There's a reward for staying and working hard on a relationship, especially if both people are willing to work together. I know people who can not stay with one person and are always looking for someone new. They assume that the next person will be the perfect one.

The same could be said about learning an instrument. If you work hard at learning how to play the instrument you have, then the progress will come. Hopefully, the joy of playing your uke will be enough that you do not need to buy more ukes. If you are always thinking about the next uke, then you more than likely will stay stuck in your playing.
 
Variety is the spice of life.........and.......moderation is for cowards. Live by those two tenets and you will never be bored. You may never be truely satisfied either but you will be entertained.

Icelander I do believe you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned advertising and consumerism. I imagine a farm boy back in the early 1900's when he received a guitar. He kept that one guitar forever and was happy as a clam. Who wouldn't be. .......I mean he HAD a guitar.
 
I'm with greenie44 on this one. The few ukuleles I have now are fine, and I have no hankering for another (just as well as I can't afford another). My thrill of the chase now is in finding new (or rather old, but new to me) music to play. The ongoing challenge then is finding the time to try playing it all!
 
This thread brings to mind my nick name of a UU contributor Catch and Release.
I've done some trades and purchases with him and it is always been satisfactory to both of us. Never considered it capricious, quite the opposite as I can't seem to part with mine even when trying to Herd Thin on the UU or Marketpalce.
I admire those who can "horse trade" It is a skill combined with an established reputation that benefit us all.
The strumming continues as does the journey.
 
jimavery said:
I'm with greenie44 on this one. The few ukuleles I have now are fine, and I have no hankering for another (just as well as I can't afford another). My thrill of the chase now is in finding new (or rather old, but new to me) music to play. The ongoing challenge then is finding the time to try playing it all!
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OK but what if money wasn't an issue? Tell me straight faced that wouldn't matter. If I was living paycheck to paycheck I'd have quit with the Gretsch.
 
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