Early Ownership Claim

Early Ownership Claim

Reviewed by Faisal Zaidi

The statement an owner makes about themselves by holding an item before it is common.

What it is

It needs onlookers who can tell the owner arrived early, and its value falls as the item spreads. The label is ours. It builds on The Status Game by Will Storr.

In effect

In the article on why we want to be first to own it, an early owner shows a difference from people who have not caught up.

What it does not say

It is our label for an argument and not a measured effect, built on The Status Game by Will Storr. It does not say that every early owner is making a claim, or that onlookers always notice.

Sources

  1. Storr, W. The Status Game: On Social Position and How We Use It.
  2. Berger, J., & Heath, C. (2007). Where consumers diverge from others: Identity signaling and product domains. Journal of Consumer Research, 34(2), 121-134.