to not understand the Pandora obsession?

[MycatsaPirate]

Just that really!

A neighbour of ours is obsessed with it, every Christmas/birthday/mother's day she is constantly tagging her husband on fb with endless Pandora ads saying 'hint hint hubby!'. She has loads of it. And so does one of my DSD's.

Why spend so much money on stuff that so many other people are also wearing?

Each to their own but I don't get it. And surely it will be worth nothing in a few years time?

I'm not overly bothered about jewellery, I wear my engagement ring (which was made specifically for me) and a pair of pretty plain white gold earrings every day .

Would just love to know why Pandora is so popular? And why some people want the entire collection?

But they have attacked people.

It isn't snobbery.

I've said it's cheap tat because that's what it is. And as much as people think theirs is so unique and individual, they aren't. People buy the same charms for the same life events as they aren't unlimited in range.

I don't really see what liking or disliking a brand of high street costume jewellery has to do with a sisterhood, nor do I see why I should be whooping and cheering over some cheap tat just because someone else who happens to have a vagina likes it.

It isn't snobbery.

Yes it is. You whole post reeks of snobbery, dressed up as trying to say its just different tastes. Its not.

If it wasn't about snobbery, you'd just say - its not what I like, so I don't buy it. Instead you go on and make insults and derision.

Its snobbery and rudeness - nothing all. At lease be honest about why you feel the need to be unpleasant to other people about the choices they make, which happen to be different to your own.

I've said it's cheap tat because that's what it is.

No its not. That's just what you think and believe. It is, in fact, just mid priced fashion jewellery. It isn't pretending to be high end one off pieces. It is fashion jewellery and, as far as high street fashion jewellery goes, it is probably about mid priced for it. And its no worse, no better.

I have a whole load of different jewellery, as said before, from a truly one off unique piece right down to much cheaper dress or fashion jewellery. The Pandora stuff is certainly no worse than other similar priced fashion jewellery I have.

And as much as people think theirs is so unique and individual, they aren't.

People don't say they are unique and individual. They say that they buy a charm that they see in the store, or concession, that reminds them of a specific time or place, or some other memory. There is no pretence they are one off from the vast majority (any?) of posters.

Hear hear hulababy

@AlonsosLeftPinky You say it isn't snobbery but then call it cheap tat in the same post...

It is cheap mass produced tat. Not saying it's any better or worse than any high street costume jewellery which from what I see also seems to be cheap mass produced tat.

There have been plenty of people on this post claiming to have a super individual bracelet because their charms are memories of the events in their lives. But events aren't unique, most people have children, graduate, go on holidays and so on, so from a limited selection of charms it stands to reason that there'll be a lot of crossover.

If other people like and buy them then that's marvellous for them. But this entire post was about bracelets, it did not come with a caveat that we must all share the same opinions and hark at the marvel that is the bracelet adorning the wrist of every other female in the nation.

But this entire post was about bracelets, it did not come with a caveat that we must all share the same opinions and hark at the marvel that is the bracelet adorning the wrist of every other female in the nation

This thread was about "not understanding" bracelets.

And let's face it, it's hardly difficult to understand.

Its disingenuous to suggest that there's anything other than tones of mock superiority.

Lots of things can be special to people. It doesn't matter who else has them.

Rocket science it ain't.

alonsos if you don't understand how people can imbue individual, significant meaning/emotion on inanimate objects I suggest you spend more time with human beings trying to understand them. You're coming across as a tosser.

I've never said once that I don't understand them. I understand very well. I just don't like them. I don't care for anything which is so popular.

I don't care for anything which is so popular.

So back to that snobbery again

If not wanting to be a carbon copy of everyone makes me a snob then fair enough.

I wish I could see your jewellery Alonsus.

I imagine you wearing all of your jewels, whether relaxing at home or out to dinner, looking like a cross between Barbara Cartland and Miss Havisham. Maybe you have your own goldsmith, hammering away to make your truly individual pieces.

Or maybe your jewellery is Primark, and you doth protest too much.

It's just terribly amusing "I'm so individual"

I tend to like what I like. I don't really care whether the item in question is popular or not.

Everyone is an individual. 500 people all wearing the same bracelet will have idiosyncrasies that make them all wonderful people. If you can't see past a bracelet to individuality that's rather lacking of you.

@AlonsosLeftPinky, I agree. It's not really that unique or special when every other woman has one and is wearing those charms, plus you've been conned by a company selling hugely marked-up and overpriced mass produced jewellery and passing it off as "high end". It's also why I don't get people shopping at Tiffany's or Boodle's - the markup is ridiculous, the diamonds aren't worth that much and if you're that loaded, why not go to an independent or antique jeweller? Or is it just about the label.

Why not just go to Accessorize and get a really cool necklace, for less money, that you won't constantly spot around town.

Op did you seriously criticise people for having the same as everyone else when you have the, clearly very rare and individual choice of a platinum solitaire engagement ring?

What's wrong with Primark jewellery, at least all your mates won't be wearing the exact same piece.

The price isn't the issue, it's the sameness and uniformity. It's like being back at school when everyone wanted Uggs and Jack Wills and Paul's Boutique bags.

It's not really that unique or special

But you can't ascribe certain conditions on whether something is special or not.

One of the most special things I own is a mass-market paperback book. It is special because of what it means to me, not because there's anything intrinsically special about the item itself.

What's wrong with Primark jewellery, at least all your mates won't be wearing the exact same piece

Indeed because Primark is know for its one off pieces

Most people I know like and buy things because they like them, not because they're popular, not because it means a lifetime of gifts sorted and certainly not because it's the "in thing".

My jewellery collection is quite adequate thank you for your rather strange interest. There are no high street items, it isn't my taste. And I prefer durable items to those which are dipped and thus scratch and blemish easily.

Most people I know like and buy things because they like them, not because they're popular, not because it means a lifetime of gifts sorted and certainly not because it's the "in thing"

So maybe and bear with me here. People buy Pandora because they like them, not because it's the "in thing".

Indeed because Primark is know for its one off pieces grin

You know what I mean.

Primark sells like 200 necklaces at any one time - and the stocks change regularly. The chance your friend will have the exact same necklace is slim. I've never seen a friend in the same bit of cheap high street jewellery, as most of mine is.

Pandora has 1 style of bracelet and lots of identical-looking charms.

Given that charm bracelets weren't on the wrist of every other woman I met before this explosion of tat, I rather suspect it's a combination of clever and successful marketing appealing to womens desire to document every life event in such a "unique" way and crap gift giving.

Given that charm bracelets weren't on the wrist of every other woman I met before this explosion of tat

Charm bracelets were really popular in Victoria times. Maybe old Vic sent Albert off to Pandora

If you own diamonds you are similarly falling for a mass marketing campaign by debeers in the 1930s, when the company linked diamonds to romance in the form of engagement rings. They are not as rare or precious as people like to think, but as the result of a hugely successful marketing campaign we all wear them. Stop looking down your nose at other people.