Whenever you hear that something is “limited edition” what is your reaction? One of my favourite limited edition items to buy has always been concert shirts, specifically the ones that include the concert dates on the back. Years later I can point to it and be like “hey I was at this show!” But those make the most sense, celebrating a specific event or stop on a tour, it’s like bragging rights you can wear.
Lately there has been a new term coined for limited edition things. FOMO, or Fear Of Missing Out is that feeling you get when you find out something has a limited run. I remember years ago looking at some AutoArt models, there was a specific blue RX-7 I wanted that was around $200, I debated it all night adding it to my cart, removing it, adding it again until ultimately I decided to save my money. That same model would now cost me over $1,000 if I were to buy it now as the manufacturer only made so many of them!
Lately I’ve been collecting model aircraft. All to-scale models of actual aircraft and their liveries that are only produced to a certain amount until they sell out! These things can be a collectors dream with how limited some of them are, or a scalpers dream as what was once sold at a price can now be doubled, tripled or more.
Then there’s food or drinks. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve found a cool new flavour of pop that I loved right away only for it to be discontinued a short time later!
Limited edition goes further than the physical world too. Remember NFT’S? The so called Non Fungible Tokens that meant the owner OWNED that specific piece of media. Which thanks to CTRL+C and CTRL+V turned out not to be entirely true. They gave the user a code via blockchain that claimed they owned that specific image. However in my opinion the true virtual FOMO is in video games, often in the form of live service games. Often called “battle passes” or similar, these take the form of events. Keep playing or pay to unlock tiers in the pass, miss out and maybe you can get it next time, or maybe it’s unobtainable for good! It’s what keeps franchise fans glued to the game that compared to the form entirely new expansions or DLC often is much more cost effective for the studio behind it.
So, does FOMO affect you? What are some things that are limited edition you wish weren’t, or at least would make a comeback?
