I just finished a conversation with a very nice lady who has a puppy
I’m interested in buying.  I say “conversation,” but it was really more
of an interview.  This lady sells Black Russian Terriers, a Russian
guard dog of some renown in Europe.  The price on the puppies (if you
just want a “companion” quality dog) is $2,000.00.  What you get for
that is a dog that must be neutered, can’t be bred first, can be
registered only on a limited basis, and cannot be sold to anyone other
than the breeder.  To have the privilege of paying $2,000 you have to
stand in line for months (assuming your application and interview are
up to snuff.)

In my mind, this is a marketing coup.  You can get a puppy for free
outside any Wal-Mart just about any day of the week.  You can buy a
fully-registerable dog of most breeds with no restrictions for less
than $300 on Craig’s list.   So why would otherwise reasonable people
submit themselves to the scrutiny, the contractual obligations, and the
hassle and pay 10 times the price?  The answer is simple — marketing.

Somehow the evangelists of this breed (and other rare breeds) have
convinced the public that these dogs (who are just as likely as any
other dog to get run over or whatever else) are worth astronomical sums
of money.  If you want one, you pay what it costs.

What are you doing to build value into your product or service? 
What have you done to set yourself apart from the crowd?  It’s obvious
to me that either you set yourself apart from everyone else and eat
from the feast table, or you go with the flow and fight over the table
scraps.  Your choice.