Originally Posted by
thirdgenbird
that may have been a satire, but i have in fact seen a harley "dealer" in the mall.
i agree with you though. it is a great business model. harley has perfected it and john deere is right behind them. it both cases they are selling their brand, not a "product" (and this includes their whole goods business)
i am actually surprised that we have not seen apple fall in line. (they already have the branding established)
The difference between Apple and one-time durable goods manufacturers like Deere and Harley is that what Apple is selling is basically very expensive ice cream (or crack). You use it for a few months or maybe as long as a year and then buy another as the original product has melted and is now worthless.
At least Tractors made by Deere and Harley will last for many decades and be just as useful then as the day they were made.