Philosophy of a Shop - Buying and selling.

Is there any philosophy to a shop? I would say there are many. Consider the fact humans started as "Hunter Gatherers". It's obvious they were hunters, like any other apex predators. But more peculiarly they were gatherers. More than agile thumbs, I think "Gathering" has made us advance in society. What were they gathering and why? Does this mean that ancient cavemen also had shops in front of their caves? to sell what they Gathered?

Vegetables

To understand what is happening we need to look at the process of the human mind. When humans see an object, they give it a value in their mind. Mind you they are damn good at this. For this they use all their past experience combined with future use. And if the value is big enough they will carry this object to their place of residence (so Gatherers). Initially values determined survival in the jungle. So men collected edible items, clothing items and anything related to these. Naturally they knew what can be kept for future use, and what will rot fast. Some collections were entirely in the elders' minds. Such as water sources in the jungle. But the physical collections could be transferred to some other human being over time. For mental collections they use language, to pass the message. Later the "Printing Press"

As you can see a collection is a word which recurs often in the passage. Can we consider a shop as a collection of things?

Hunter Gatherers to Shop owners. - Philosophy of a Shop

That is exactly what I was going to point to you. A shop is a collection of material and objects on display, for other human beings to value. Which means "Shopping" is the process of giving a value to an item in someone elses collection. It is bizarre and fascinating to think about the process of shopping from a philosophical standpoint. But it has great use as we all have been buyers and sellers at various times in our past. 

If you want to become a seller you need to understand this fundamental process of a collection. You can spend your money to physically acquire a book collection and start a bookshop. Next you need to put them on display in a place where visitors come. Consider bookshops in London streets. Sometimes books are being sold at double the price anywhere else. The visitors value the books more as mostly they are used as a memorable items rather than a book. It's not always about the cost of production which determines the end price. 

Foods

Marketing and Brands.

Where we can discuss the role of marketing and branding. They explore and exploit the human ability or I would call the weakness of giving something a value. And it is easy! Sometimes you just have to show them. From this sense, smartphones are notorious. Think about it, you spend your own money to buy a device which can instantly show adverts to you wherever you are, and make you an urge to buy, or give it a value. And of course you pay for your own data! No wonder Facebook, Twitter and Google are billion dollar industries. 

Let's get back to our shop, the collection of things. People do not understand how an online shop is similar to a physical shop. In the smartphone era, we do not have to put up a store on the street. You can just hire a wearhouse in a dark alley and start an online store instead. Instantly showing 3D pictures of your collection to a global audience. If the one who sees your item judges its value positive, you are going to make a sale. Of course I made it sound easy but it's difficult. Even if you do know what you are doing it can be difficult. That's why I give my book for free "What is time?" book although contain lifetime of wisdom, I cannot convince someone to value it, yet.

Valuing a Collection or "Shopping"

A shop of "People"

There is at least one other way. Instead of collecting items which are valuable, you can collect people. And often we see this happening as "subscribers" "VIP" members Gold Platinum. And the previous article discusses How to build a skyscraper using such a group. I can tell you that classic old "cults" work in the same way. Within this group feeling you can quickly sell something, Which might mean a "Pyramid scheme". And if you wonder why philosophers such as myself 😉 and Friedrich Nietzsche are lonely, it's because we refuse to be on such agendas of this society. A necessary consequence of understanding the mindwork.

Now I have said enough about shops. Once you start your online store or form your elite group of subscribers, try coming back for more philosophy. Remember that philosophy is not for fools, but we all play fools, sometimes.