The high end of the market has little to do with looks or skills -- those are a given. The market is about exclusivity.I agree that limited editions command a premium. But, limited collection such as the high end car is the thing you display openly to the world and let them know (some may say brag) that you have one. I'm sure most of you will agree that an encounter with an escort is something you want to keep private and not brag to your neighbors about (I certainly hope so anyways). So I'm not sure the same analogy could apply to an escort... unless you want the world to know about your tryst. Part of the thrill in spending so much money on limited editions is not only that you have one, but EVERYONE knows that it's YOU that has one. Not really possible with a "clandestine encounter," is it? :-)
To use our old friend the auto analogy, there are some performance differences between any high end car (e.g., Mercedes AMG) and a Bugatti 16C Galibier, but how often do you really have an opportunity to go 0 to 200mph? The $1.6 million Bugatti price tag is mainly because there are so few of them built (i.e., exclusivity).
Originally Posted by pjorourke
I tend to think higher priced companions are like Giffen goods.