Supply and Demand

I've been thinking lately about yarn. Shocking. I have a lot of yarn. Some of it is quite nice. Some is meant for nothing fancier than dishcloths. Some is heavy and would make a lovely sweater if I could find the right pattern. Some is fine and will likely one day become a shawl or lacy scarf. Some was costly and some was quite cheap.

I've been pondering why we get so excited about the hunt for difficult to acquire yarn. I guess my case in point is Wollmeise. For years, I've been hearing about how amazing this yarn is. The colours are stunning. It is the most wonderful yarn since yarn was invented. People covet and hoard this yarn as if it were the end of days. Naturally, I fell for the lure of this yarn and sought it out. I even managed to smuggle a skein past unsuspecting knitters into my stash. But why am I so fascinated with it? Is it only because I couldn't have it? I have lots of nice yarn. I certainly didn't need any more. To be honest, I'm not even sure what I'll do with it now that I have it.

Would this yarn be so popular if it was available at Walmart? Would people still buy it up and then sell it for double the price on ebay? Why am I such a sucker?