Acquisition Disorder: Warnings, Advice, Intervention

[NightLad]

Wet Shaving Acquisition Disorder:
Warnings & Advice for the Novice, Help & Intervention for the Addict​

Does this sound familiar?

"I must have been fabulously wealthy in a past life. Unfortunately the sense of refined taste and an eye for detail carried over to this middle-class existence!"

Judging from some of the many posts I’ve read, I bet a lot of you are nodding your heads right about now!

A friend of mine describes this particular affliction as “Champaign taste on a beer budget.” How apt.

But to be clear, I’m not just talking about lusting after an über expensive toy because it's shiny. I’m talking about being attracted to top quality products which also [usually] happen to be showcased in top quality ornamentation worthy of them. For example, a custom Master forged meteorite Damascus razor with pre-1930 Black Rhino horn scales and titanium pins. Wowza. Or, heck, that $300-400 Dovo that tempts you even though you know you shouldn’t spend that kind of money on it.

True, we can repress the disorder by rationally reminding ourselves that our $100 razor is most likely providing just as fine a shave as his big-brothers, but still...

If you have the means to indulge than I applaud and envy you. However, many of us don’t. At least not on that type of scale. I also realize that there are some of you who have succumbed to various acquisition disorders and have either struggled to get clean, or have turned into dealers and pushers to supplement your own habit. You know who you are!

I think it would be very beneficial to both new and veteran members to openly discuss this trend and, more importantly, how we can deal with it to avoid drowning in a sea of finely honed steel and silvertip badger hair.

 

[pablo_h]

To my mind, it's one of the reasons why the BST was established, to help the AD victum to offload there excesses. Ie, *ADs happen, and usually run their course for a few months. When the person has recovered, they can offload their excesses.

Or keep them and post in the SOTD, The Score etc

I suffered RAD, but I don't even know what a $100 razor is like to shave with as all mnine where cheaper, so length and magnitude varies widely I guess.


edit:
"Champagne taste on a beer budget" is a widely used term in Australia.

 

[NightLad]

Okay, I’ll go first.

As with any relatively new interest, I came to wet shaving with a lot of enthusiasm, interest and desire to master it. Of course the last can only come with time, but tell that to an eager n00b!

I spent a lot of time reading the forums to find out the ‘best’ razor, brush, and general equipment and then ran out and bought everything. After a couple false starts, I was well on my way to being a straight razor shaver for life.

Not long after the Acquisition Disorder started to kick in. The more razors I viewed online, the more I wanted. I began looking at my current basic brush and wondering, “Could silvertip really be that much better...?” Even the cream I used started to grow suspect, in light of the many other brands promising unparalleled shaving experiences... usually at triple the cost.

My Coping Mechanisms: Cooling Down Period & Vicarious Pleasure

When I find a new shaving product I really like I spend a great deal of time researching it. I extend my thanks to the members who’ve submitted reviews, because I’m certain you’ve saved me several hundred dollars already.

If the reviews are all good, I check out where I can get it locally and/or at the best possible price. I hate paying retail so I check if any sales or discounts are available. I take everything into consideration.

Then I force myself to wait a week. Call it a “cooling down” period. Usually, and with any luck, the urge subsides and I realize that what I already have is on-par or just as good as what I’d get. I take a deep breath and be thankful!

This is not a fool-proof method, but it is definitely worth the effort.

My other method is to vicariously enjoy the acquisitions of others. Again, this community has been amazing. I greatly enjoy seeing what other people have and what they plan to get, especially in the way of high-end custom pieces. Wow. Some of the equipment people have commissioned is truly stunning, museum worthy stuff. Thank you for sharing. Although this is a mixed blessing, because it can sometimes inflame the very acquisition disorder I’m trying to combat!

EDIT: Looks like I'll be going second! Great thoughts pablo_h.

 

[pablo_h]

I do have a lot of gillette DEs, But I only bought one T&H, proraso and eshave soap.
I never caught anything besides RAD. And I was cured of that by dirt cheap GEM/Ever-ready SE razors.
I start low and stop when I reached my favourite.

 

[gregs656]

The best thing you can do to make ADs sustainable is to sell off the stuff you don't use and you know you never will.

Also, giving everything you have a fair shout is important. Buy a soap and use it for a couple of weeks or a month, you might find it does everything you could possibly want it too and buying more becomes increasingly difficult to justify.

When I next buy soap, I'm going to buy samples. I have a couple of very cheap creams, very good creams (palmolive and ingrams) that do everything I could want them too, and I am yet to click the button on the samples because every time they go in the cart I ask my self how much do I really want them? right now, not enough!

 

[SRock]

Eh, just give into the AD's. Your wallet will hate you but your face and lady friend(s) will love you!

 

[Trippy]

Eh, just give into the AD's. Your wallet will hate you but your face and lady friend(s) will love you!

My lady friend would clearly disagree with this sentence. I think shes praying I grow interest in a beard at this point and save a little money

 

[tsmba]

Another obvious symptom: having so much sh..., er stuff that sometimes that "have to have" item arrives, then sits unused. This is often because while awaiting delivery, yet another super-dooper, mega-bargain, one-of-a-kind, this will be my only chance thingamajig has entered the picture!

 

[SRock]

My lady friend would clearly disagree with this sentence. I think shes praying I grow interest in a beard at this point and save a little money

As would mine my friend, as would mine.

 

[NightLad]

Another obvious symptom: having so much sh..., er stuff that sometimes that "have to have" item arrives, then sits unused. This is often because while awaiting delivery, yet another super-dooper, mega-bargain, one-of-a-kind, this will be my only chance thingamajig has entered the picture!

But do you have so much 'stuff' that you order a new product, only to realize after you get it that you already own one?

 

[tsmba]

Haven't gotten to that point....the disease is still progressing.

 

[SiBurning]

But do you have so much 'stuff' that you order a new product, only to realize after you get it that you already own one?

Do you need a computer program to track your shave den? Maybe with online capabilities complete with pictures to show off your den to friends. And an iphone interface to check up on what you have and need when you're out shopping. Sounds like a great business model for a startup.

 

[grouse79]

I think a rule of thumb is, off the top of your head how many razors do you own, or brushes, or creams? If that's makes you crinkle your brow, probably best to lay off the purchases for a bit. I have 8 razors but I had to think for a minute to add them all up as some haven't been used for a while. (Actually, I don't, I forgot the '57 Gillette TTO I got via the BST!) So no more razors for me. I don't feel there is a razor out there that could work significantly better than what I already have and I now have the added retro factor of using original 50s and 60s models. Plus, razors shouldn't need "replacing".

Most things which are a bit upmarket probably don't cost all that much more than the regular stuff, given the benefits. For example, shaving gel can be £3 a can, TOBS cream for me is a little over twice that but lasts much longer, smells much nicer and it is applied with a warm brush instead of just cold right out of the can. All but one of my aftershaves were bought from supermarkets and I'm delighted with (Old Spice, Brut and something called Aquatonic which is rather nice and must be the cheapest ever at 97 pence), the exception to this is Mr Taylors but I did hanker after that for a long time having enjoyed the cream scent so much.

I think the most expensive part of DE shaving must the brushes. That is one AD I do not have and for that I am very glad. I do have 3 brushes but 2 of them were less than £10. I just cannot imagine paying £50-£150 for such an item no matter how high the recommendations. I can just see myself knocking it so it lands in the toilet or it gets damaged somehow.

So guys, if you do nothing else, avoid AD with brushes.

 

[NightLad]

Wow, some great advice and suggestions coming on. Thanks guy, I’m sure your pearls of wisdom will help some people avoid some of the pitfalls of overt AD!

The suggestion of needing a computer program to keep track of ones acquisitions made me smile. I don’t know about an iPod app, but if anyone does happen to need something, Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program that might help. Google also offers free online spreadsheets that you can make public, if you want to share or access from the road. It even has a search feature for easier tracking! I pray I never need to use it for my wet shaving products...

http://www.google.com/google-d-s/intl/en/tour1.html

 

[gregs656]

I keep a spreadsheet record of all mine! Something I have never done in the past, but I'm glad I have for this.

 

[taprater]

I have a slight cream/soap AD but I like to have a few scents to rotate around to so I don't get bored I have a puck of tabac's, mamabears lilac & lavender, mamabears dragonblood, and a tube of Proraso's coming in the mail soon, I really want to try that menthol.