This news item will give the remaining Veblenians out there something to fret about: “So far, the only ‘must have’ item this holiday season is not a toy. It is not an article of clothing. It is not even a specific model of cellphone, or DVD or digital camera. It is a candle that smells like a fig.” Get yours for $19.50.
Why $19.95? “We saw that there were candles selling for $35 and up,’’ the head of Bath and Body Works tells the NYT. ”And we saw candles selling for between $5 and $10. We went after that white space in between ‘mass’ and ‘prestige.’ We call it ‘masstige.’ “
