"Someone with good taste near me must have died (God rest their soul) because the auction house had a near-perfect Loro Piana cashmere blanket. Starting bid was $100, bidding ended on February 6, and there was only one other person interested. I would take the bid up to $500, a steal even at that price, but people on these digital auction sites rarely go for more than double-and-a-half. I was expecting to pay around $300, and it was practically mine."
"Turns out, I got the date wrong. It ended one night earlier, February 5. I got home after a few drinks, opened the app, and saw my opponent won the bid for $175. Fuck you. For a second, I thought about meeting my bidding opponent in-person. At that moment, I would have the wherewithal to kill them-not with my hands, but if I had a weapon, I think I could do it."
"Stop, wait. Not constructive. Let's be rational, Stoic about this-assess, take action. I have one week, seven days, 160-something hours until Valentine's Day. Her taste in jewelry leans vintage, so that's not a quick option. Flowers and chocolates are for men who have something to hide. So, what's the answer? Cashmere is still the answer. But I wasn't shopping dead man's Loro Piana for fun; I'm on a writer's salary."
A man tracked an estate-sale listing for a Loro Piana cashmere blanket and planned to gift it for Valentine's Day. The auction ended a day early and another bidder won at $175, provoking intense frustration and even violent fantasy. He shifted to rational problem-solving with seven days remaining and limited funds. Jewelry was impractical, and typical gifts felt insincere. He opted for an affordable Naadam cashmere sweater in red, ordered on Amazon to arrive quickly, while acknowledging the quality difference between Naadam and Loro Piana.
Read at Esquire
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