Having family in London, I'm totally familiar with the "chemist" (pharmacy to us Yankees) Boots. They've always been a good solid company, and was pleased to find that I could purchase some of their products on the shelves at Target.
Then, the hype hits! A new beauty product (uh-huh, like one comes out every ten minutes). But this one is different! Women are lining up at Boots to purchase it as soon as it hits the store. (Note the excitement in my voice, that mob mentality can really win me over).
First its talked about on BBC, then CNN and finally Matt Lauer on the Today Show (hey, if Matt Lauer says its cool, it must be, right?) - they're all extolling the virtues and popularity of this revolutionary product. Stop here. When it comes to beauty products, I'm fairly cynical person. I get my heavy duty stuff from a person with an MD after his name - I feel it keeps me on the safe side. But all this hype sounds interesting, so I file the info away in the recesses of the beauty counter in my head.
This morning, while taking one of those girly trips to CVS (the kind of trip where women look and touch every bit of makeup in the store), I spy a whole area with beauty products from Boots! How very cool! Swerving my shopping cart with an acute flourish, I zoom over to the aisle, curious to see if they have the cherished beauty serum. *sigh* They do have a space to put it should they ever get it in stock, but the shelf was bare.
As I'm checking out, I ask the cashier when they will be getting some in and she replies that she has one bottle in the back. Seems some woman wanted to buy their entire stock. I ask for the remainling single bottle and my antennae go up.
Who would want a dozen bottles of the hottest beauty serum in the world? An eBay seller, of course. (you don't have to hit me on the head twice). I scurry home with my package and flip on my laptop. BINGO! My $21.99 (plus tax - eBay sellers always forget to factor in the tax they paid) purchase is selling for as high as $40 on eBay.
Hmmmmm. What to do? Possibly double my money and risk not becoming the 21st century version of Sophia Loren? This is an agonizing decision. It takes me about 15 minutes to think it through.
Vanity wins over greed and I'm actually going to keep and use the product. Maybe it really works? (After all the package says it "reveals younger looking skin in just 4 weeks").
In the meanwhile. I'll be checking that shelf at CVS and sending in confederates to buy for me should the product remain in demand.... heh heh
