Who told you there are only three left?

Who told you there are only three left?

Usually, nobody counted.

1975. Scientists offer people a biscuit from a jar. One jar holds ten. The other holds just two.

Same biscuits. But the ones from the nearly empty jar are rated tastier, and more wanted.

Sellers have always known this. Scarce feels valuable.

In the 1990s, a toy maker sold little beanbag animals, then retired designs on purpose.

Collectors panicked. Some paid hundreds for a toy that cost a few pounds. Then the bubble burst.

Today, it's a ticking clock on a website. Offer ends in nine minutes. Refresh the page, and sometimes it starts again.

In 2019, Britain's competition watchdog made big hotel booking sites stop misleading pressure claims, like only one room left.

Because real scarcity is rare. Fake scarcity is cheap.

A limited edition is often just a normal product, with a deadline stuck on it.

So when a clock is rushing you, ask who wound it up. Keep your nose to the wind.