how we value the things we value

the assignment of prices by the invisible hand of the market reveals how we value certain things in relation to other things. This unveiling is quite amusing some times, harrowing in other occasions.

I made two purchases today. Small dollars. Didn’t think much of them then.

Here they are.

first purchase: change plates for the garage gym

The Rogue Change Plates are very well made, as probably everything manufactured by Rogue Fitness. A smooth and even rubber surface, a perfectly circular collar opening, matte colors pleasing to the eye.

A product made to last as long as the second purchase.

$131.15, including shipping.

second purchase: The Life of Samuel Johnson, by James Boswell

This book is recognized, in scholarly circles, as the greatest biography ever written. It took Boswell his entire life to complete it. He was born to write it and deliver it to the world.

The biography has been studied and analyzed by thousands over the centuries and will continue to be the subject of admiration. The writer, the subject, and the book.

My Everyman’s Library edition is out of circulation, it is one of the best one can find. I bought it new at Abebooks.com for $24.60.

the question

How is it that four change plates are five times more valuable than Life of Johnson?