December 22, 2007
The Undercover Economist: Not just a matter of taste
Let’s get one thing straight: I only bought Mint Chocolate Baileys as research for this column, and not because I like that sort of thing. I won’t be buying it again. The mint-choc aftertaste is so thoroughly sundered from the initial flavour of the Baileys that it is hard to imagine they once inhabited the same bottle.
But presumably somebody is buying the stuff this Yuletide, along with all the other mutations of everyday consumer goods.
Once there was only Coca-Cola; now we have Diet Coke Plus, which has added vitamins and minerals, and according to a press release from The Coca-Cola Company, joins the “Diet Coke family, which includes the flagship Diet Coke, Caffeine Free Diet Coke, Diet Coke with Lime, Diet Cherry Coke, and Diet Coke Sweetened with Splenda.”
The remainder of this column can be read here. Please post comments below.
Tim,
Posted by: Doug Wolkon - Author of The New Game | December 28th, 2007 at 6:08 pm | Report this commentThe question of “surplus” is not necessarily related to price. For example, say the rent for the coffee shop that sells the Mint Chocolate Baileys goes up and the coffee shop is forced to increase the price in order to sell the same exact product. Does that mean the surplus increased? I would argue that if no innovation has actually “added-value”, then we do not have a surplus, we actually have a cost. In this case, the increase in cost is rent.
Dangit Tim — I bought it because I misinterpreted your first mention of it as a glowing recommendation! I spent time searching it out, too. On tasting it, I couldn’t figure out what the fuss was about.
If you have any remorse, you could easily square things in my books with an actual liquor recommendation.
Posted by: Jj | January 3rd, 2008 at 2:22 pm | Report this commentJj, Over christmas, I’ve mostly been enjoying Warre’s vintage port. Don’t know if it would pass muster with Jancis Robinson but it certainly beats the Mint Baileys…
Posted by: Tim Harford | January 5th, 2008 at 10:37 am | Report this commentI’ve been hankering for a good port — off to the store then, and thanks.
Posted by: JJ | January 10th, 2008 at 3:35 pm | Report this comment