This time each year I receive the Uncommon Goods catalog in the mail. And just like its title, the items are obscure, unexpected, and really unnecessary but also kinda fun.
It’s about the only piece of physical “junk mail” I’ll smile at when I see. Each page is a surprise. Some products are clever, others are beautiful and frankly some are downright ridiculous (see the sound wave wood wall art).
It’s tangible too. Which is becoming a less common way to shop. I go back-n-forth, dog ear a page, etc. It’s engaging.
Also, I get no emails from them either and no pop-ups stalking me on social media. All it knows of me is that I’m interested in unique things not specifically what (I think maybe it was this coffee mug?).
I think we all need some uncommon goods these days because:
– Search made finding easier.
– Social media made sharing easier.
-Algorithms made recommendations more personalized.
– AI is making creation and problem-solving easier.
Yet with all this convenience, something potentially valuable gets lost along the way.
The unexpected encounter.
The thing you weren’t searching for or the idea that doesn’t fit your established preferences. Maybe it’s the person whose perspective you didn’t know you needed or the object that makes you stop and wonder.
The default is to turn to the known, easy and comfortable but the uncommon, even a little, gives us the unexpected and that jolt reminds us that we’re alive.
If this made you think, pass it along.