I asked this in the Political Forum and got nothing there so . . .
Has the current down turn in the real-world economies affected the hobby world economics?
Guys: Do you hobby less now?
Gals: Do you see fewer hobbyists now?
Is it harder to make a connection or schedule a session?
What is different now than before . . .if anything is different?
Originally Posted by ICU 812
Of course, majorly. But I've already discussed this topic multiple times in other threads on ECCIE. And anyone who tells you otherwise is either the exception to the rule, or a liar, take your pick. That is of course, if you are comparing things to 2018 or 2019. "Problems" did not start arising until after Covid in the summer of 2020. A lot of people lost their jobs back then... but most of them were lower income workers. The thing is... the supply chain shortage is finally starting to catch up; unlike 2021 there was not a war between Russia and Ukraine, mortgage interest rates were not double, inflation was less of a concern, amongst other factors that made the reality of poor economics sit in. More middle income earners are starting to feel the effects as food and gas prices go up...
Go back to 2009 and sex workers HAD to cut their rates, as they were barely able to get any business. There's only so many Robert Kraft's and Elliot Spitzer's out there. Remember the majority of the population does not consist of old, rich men. That's why they call them Old Dirty Bastards. Because if girls or young guys were making hundreds millions from capital gains or as corporate CEOs then those other folk would not lay claim to the title of "top 1% of earners" It's a ratio of income and assets that very few people will ever achieve, which means that sex workers start fighting fiercely over those guys when middle income people can no longer afford to splurge leisure money on expensive sex.
The only way rates will go down is if wealthy individuals start feeling the burn. Around the time of the great recession there was a guy in Germany who had more than several billion who committed suicide when his losses in investments only left him with 1 billion. Even though he had a billion dollars in assets left, that fact that he was no longer a "multi billionaire" was such a blow to his proud ego that he killed himself because he could no longer live without that status and title as being so rich. If only I could remember that guy's name... Anyway, I don't think rates will go down unless high income earners start taking hits.