Invited to a friends art gallery launch recently I found myself looking at various paintings and prints by famous artists. A tiny Picasso print was available for £9000, a Freud self portrait print was £40000, etc. 

These prints have the basic value of a £5 piece of paper with ink applied, but their attractiveness,  uniqueness and the name of the artist etc gives them a value that demands a payment of thousands, something some people are apparently only too happy to pay.

It made me think about what B & O charge for their products relative to other manufacturers offerings, and whether to succeed with continued high pricing they need to look at how the company was perceived in the 1970's when New York's MOMA put many of B&O's products in their galleries.

Graham

vikinger:

These prints have the basic value of a £5 piece of paper with ink applied, but their attractiveness,  uniqueness and the name of the artist etc gives them a value that demands a payment of thousands, something some people are apparently only too happy to pay.

It's all to do with availability. Even prints of famous work are given limited runs. For example, 350 prints of a particular work and, once they are sold, getting hold of one of these 350 prints can be nigh-on impossible. The demand then pushes up the price of the print and so on.

If B&O started limiting the number of manufactured products, it might work. For example, release only 1000 Beosound 8 units, each with its own number and, once they get to 1000, you can't get it anymore! That makes it a "work of art" as it becomes limited, demand rises and, human nature dictates that we all want stuff we can't get any more. The rarity makes something more interesting.

Which is why a lot of B&O enthusiasts still prefer the rare harder-to-find vintage kit.

B&O have produced limited editions in the past. The LX television was available in a special ebony finish and each set was uniquely numbered. Customers also received a certificate and commemorative plate.

More recently the launch of the white BeoSound9000 & BeoLab8000 was introduced by number 1 of 1500 being auctioned for charity via the website.

Coming right up to date is the limited edition "chanterelle" BeoVision10.

Of course we mustn't forget the very rare Beo6 with two communication

Opman

So Graham, did you buy the Picasso or the Freud ?

SWISS_2:

So Graham, did you buy the Picasso or the Freud ?