The sweet thrill of anticipating a purchase.....

[les24preludes]

So true of hi-fi, but also of life in general...

“Well," said Pooh, "what I like best....." and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called. ― A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

“The pleasure isn't in doing the thing, the pleasure is in planning it.” ― John Green, Paper Towns

“Never forget that anticipation is an important part of life. Without excitement, you have nothing. You're cheating yourself if you refuse to enjoy what's coming.” ― Nicholas Sparks, Three Weeks With My Brother

“If you come at four in the afternoon, I'll begin to be happy by three.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

The greatest value of an object lies not in its possession, but anticipation, and the covetousness of all things far exceeds their true worth. - Anthony Lisle

“We need the sweet pain of anticipation to tell us we are really alive.” ― Albert Camus

 

[blossomchris]

Fun does not exist

 

[epo1]

All too often followed by the comedown of buyer's remorse.

When you were a kid, there was so much anticipation of new stuff it was almost always better than the thing itself. You would imagine so many ways in which it would be the best thing ever. I wonder if that is what explains hifi snake oil, people wanting to believe it will be so great and making excuses (needs burn in) when it doesn't work out like that.

 

[gintonic]

No - never - perhaps in anticipation of a really nice incoming dinner or a good long shag

 

[Mike Reed]

or a good long shag

Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

I have a listening session once a week on Saturdays nowadays (age, feeling knackered etc.) but by Wednesday I'm really looking forward to spinning a few discs and start getting tunes in my head as precursors of what to play. I enjoy this anticipation. Luckily I enjoy the session even more; never disappoints. Have your anticipatory cake and eat it !!!!!

 

[Marchbanks]

“Do you believe in the life to come?”

”Mine was always that.”

 

[les24preludes]

I used the title "The sweet thrill of anticipating a purchase....."

But it's just the same with what a BBC engineer described to me as "Feeling a build coming on".

Creativity begins in “oceanic consciousness, a vague excitement, some sort of yearning or hunch. A state of complete suspense in which nothing is implied” Isadora Duncan

The invention may appear as a mere glimpse, a germ to be developed. A fragment of the whole, either a sketch or already formed. An idea will come into my head for no apparent reason ” Amy Lowell : The Process of making Poetry

“When I once got started, I became so eager that many a morning I got up at four o'clock” Van Gogh

 

[cubastreet]

Dopamine is quite the drug.

 

[Weekender]

Dim the lights, you can guess the rest.

 

[cutting42]

I am in complete agreement. Christmas Eve was always better than Christmas day, seeing all the presents under the tree not knowing the contents but the anticipation. The day itself could often be slightly disappointing.

Even today, I love the process of planning a purchase. The research, testing, demos, asking opinions prevaricating and sometimes not even purchasing. The joy can be in the process.

 

[Bananahead]

It sounds like someone needs some delay spray

 

[TheDecameron]

“Do you believe in the life to come?”

”Mine was always that.”

Then again,

 

[Bart]

… especially when you can post it back for free if you change your mind
(speaking on behalf of someone else who lives here!)

 

[wulbert]

 

[calorgas]

When I smoked I was never more desperate for a ciggy than when I had none, and then when I'd gone out and bought some I might just leave them untouched on the side for half a day.

 

[Mike Reed]

for a ciggy

Nowadays, cigarettes and the like are hidden away from view in retail establishments and never advertised, and I had no idea of the present day cost. I found out a week or two back and was astounded; sth like £15 for 20 fags ! Who on Earth would burn money like that and as an incentive to give up I'd say that was pretty compelling, esp. in the recent past inflationary scenario. Even when I smoked 40 odd years ago it was roll-ups so I'm totally out of touch there.

 

[calorgas]

I found out a week or two back and was astounded; sth like £15 for 20 fags !

Who on Earth would burn money like that

Yeah I'm out of touch with what they cost now as it must be nearly 20 years since I stopped smoking and I'm pretty sure they were sneaking up to about £6 a pack back then (I was on the rollies most of the time too). Plenty of other ways to pointlessly burn money of course, but most of them probably don't do you quite so much harm as smoking.

 

[KrisW]

Yes, a high price like that would normally kill demand. It's very lucky for the tobacco companies that nicotine is as addictive as they've always denied...

 

[stevec67]

Yes, a high price like that would normally kill demand. It's very lucky for the tobacco companies that nicotine is as addictive as they've always denied...

It certainly is. Most smokers are on at least 1 pack a day. Even if you have a taste for halfway decent single malt whisky you are hard pressed to spend £16 a day. Half a bottle a night, every night? Ouch. You can do it in the pub easily enough with beer at £5 a pint, but that's pub prices. I can't do that on takeout without being pretty well oiled. Same with wine, unless you are very much into the decent stuff, which you aren't with the £16 pack of fags.