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This chapter analyzes different forms of goods overvaluation by socialist consumers—fetishization of scarce socialist and prestigious Western goods; hobbies of collecting them and their empty packaging (such as cigarette boxes, alcohol bottles), serviettes, toys of chocolate eggs, etc.; and creative re-usages, “lifelong” prolongation of usage, extraordinary care of goods, customizations, etc. These practices were transformed in the period after 1989 and some of them are still evident—for example, hard separation from old and useless products which have become biographical or sensitive objects. The relation between overvaluation consumer practices and identity construction of Bulgarians as “poor” and “unusual consumers” in socialism and postsocialism is studied. |
