Shopping

Friday afternoon I went to the camera shop to have some pictures made for my friend. The clerk said that the pictures would be ready in 15 minutes so I looked at the camera displays while I waited. And wouldn't you know, ANOTHER clerk came over and asked if I was interested in buying a camera.

No. I am not. I have a perfectly good camera that works fine though it is losing its metallic finish and one of the levers has pulled loose. BUT... while we are both standing here in front of display cases, yes, please tell me about cameras.

I successfully left the shop without buying a new camera but I suddenly was VERY INTERESTED in one that the clerk STRONGLY recommended!

I think I want that camera! That camera can do amazing things! I can see myself taking beautiful pictures and posting them on my blog! And doesn't Tetsu always says, he doesn't know anyone who takes more pictures than I do! The clerk was so enthusiastic! There is a weekend discount!

I had stars in my eyes and my spirits were soaring! I convinced myself that I needed a new camera. Happy! Happy! Happy! I will be at the camera store Saturday morning with money in hand!

That was my plan.

But I came home and looked online and found that for the same camera, I can buy it at about half price. And though it is a great camera, all the online reviews praised other cameras just as highly. So what about other cameras? I no longer was sure I wanted that particular camera and I was a little disappointed that the nice camera store clerk was really going to make more money off of me than I'd expected.

I took off in the car to the electronics shop. And looked at the billions of cameras available there. And picked them up and looked in their view finders and compared prices and recalled TV commercials I'd seen. I also found that the original camera I'd liked so much was offered there at nearly half the price too and not on a weekend special. I could think about this for weeks if I wanted to before making a decision.

Oh, forget it all. I never needed a new camera anyway. My old one works fine. My spirits are dampened. I dislike the feelings of suspicion I have towards the friendly clerk who is also a very good salesman. In all honesty, I almost wish I'd given in to my first impulse and bought the wonderful camera and could still be excited about it all. Then I never would have looked online, never would have gone comparison shopping and could always feel that there was a friendly, supportive clerk at the camera store I could depend on.

I guess included in that original price was enthusiasm and excitement. Which I've lost. I should have stayed home and quilted.