To hate Pandora?

[pleasedontopenpandorasbox]

A few years ago my MIL and SIL clubbed together to buy me a Pandora bracelet. They have since bought me a handful of charms for it every birthday and on the birth of my children. I never wear it apart from when they get me a new charm. DH knows it isn't me and has mentioned it but any comment is seen as criticism and feelings are hurt.

2 years ago for DD's first Christmas they bought her a simple silver bracelet and had it engraved with her name and dob. Fair enough it can be a nice keepsake but I don't think she needs to be wearing jewellery.

Yesterday her main present was, you've guessed it, a Pandora bracelet and charm. I now envisage years of charm buying and money wasting on pointedly filling it up.

I wouldn't mind as much if we didn't have give MIL several hundred pounds per month so she doesn't lose her home following a messy divorce.

I just hate them and think the money could be better spent on things my DD needs but AIBU considering MIL and SIL are allowed buy whatever they want?

Chains like pandora are the lifeblood of our high street economy - and as 'affordable luxury', they will also be an early canary for the next economic downturn. I think the marketing - and the careful manipulation of the buying process - is interesting and clever, although very irritating if you have to buy anything.

Anything that becomes popular ultimately becomes "naff". That's how snobbery works, if the masses like it then the only way to show your perceived superiority is ridicule/reject/declare your distaste for it.

YANBU. Sorry but I also hate pandora. Overpriced And not very special. Good marketing though - as you point out can keep adding to the stacks of rings/charms. Probably nice for a younger teen but not for an adult. Their hearts were probably in the right place you just have different taste.

In the case of Pandora it was made to become popular and lure in consumers to buy a product that is vastly over priced.

The charms sell for around £30-£50 each but will have a large mark up and there actual worth is a fraction of the cost.

It is a well thought out money making gimic

Snibery has nothing to do with the fact it's a money making venture of a mass produced product. That's just how it is - the product obviously sells and wouldn't sell if people didn't like it.

The charms sell for around £30-£50 each but will have a large mark up and there actual worth is a fraction of the cost.

This is true of most jewelry, though.

Indeed.

Buy a diamond ring in any jewellers and then go and get it valued.

It's just selling an idea though isn't it. The whole process is carefully designed to generate a sense of affordable luxury and uniqueness, even though your other senses must tell you this isn't the case - not because of anything to do with taste but just because of the sheer proliferation of stores etc.

There's a brilliant exhibition on at the moment in the British museum about the celts - and on display are loads and loads of buried 'torcs' - big fat necklaces basically - all the same basic design - but some beautiful, some hideous, - from around 3,000 BC. I love the idea that the human desire to enjoy and display jewellery has been around for such a long time! - although what is slightly distasteful about pandora isn't so much the designs themselves as the overt and sophisticated manipulation of the buying process and the over-pricing to create an impression of luxury. I nearly had a fit when I had to spend £45 in there on a must have gift for a god daughter and had to queue - in a virtually empty store - for the privilege.

There is a mark up and then there is a rip off mark up

There is a Hugh difference between pay 1000 for a diamond ring worth £750 to buying a charm for £35 that is worth £3

Anything that becomes popular ultimately becomes "naff"

To be fair Pandora started off as naff. It didn't ultimately become naff.

I'm really pleased to find this thread as i thought i was the only one who couldn't see the attraction of these Pandora bracelets....a dear friend of mine has one and recently paid £80 for a bead....she is chuffed with it and i faked a big smile but i honestly cannot see the attraction...i love silver jewellery but prefer dainty pieces and Pandora is just too chunky and tacky looking.

People were only queuing outside because the stores were making them - there was hardly anyone inside

DW likes her Pandora bracelet, I can't complain as I'm set for the next 10 birthdays and Christmases

I don't like them, but I've never liked charm bracelets and the constant queue outside the shop has always put me off seeing what else they sell.

I recently bought myself a ring from Links. Doubt you'd know where it was from to see it on my finger, but I love it. I also have a fair bit of jewellery from Tiffany. I like silver! I have lots from independent places too.

Regards the OP, your daughter may love the bracelet, and will have plenty of opportunities to wear it before it gets too small. For yourself, I'd get your husband to suggest something else to them.

You could check out these Pandora Charms are quite nice, I think. I just don't like the bracelets much...

It's all personal preference. I bought my dd one when she was born, I add charms to it every important event, birthday etc. She won't know about it until she is 18. I am doing a scrap book to go along with it with all of her key events and milestones. Each to their own. My husband has just bought me one to Xmas and will be adding to it.

DFO Jimmyspammy

ZOMBIE ALERT bumped to spam us with some charms