Today, between marketing campaigns and influencers all of our purchasing decisions are impacted, even if we aren’t aware of it. Some of our favorite underrated foods and flavors, events, and establishments have gained popularity because of this. When things get too popular, it gets ruined. Don’t you agree? Here are 8 things that got ruined by popularity.
1. Pumpkin Spice Everything
Pumpkin Spice used to be a delicious way to welcome the fall season. It makes sense in coffee or even desserts. But now everything is pumpkin spice flavored and to be honest it’s been ruined by popularity. At Trader Joe’s, there’s pumpkin cereal, pumpkin empanadas, pumpkin curry, and even salsa. I’ve tried some of the pumpkin-craze foods, and they leave a lot to be desired. They sure do get the buzz required to make the products fly off the shelves though!
2. Barbeque Restaurants
I went to school in the South, so barbeque restaurants hold a special place in my heart (and stomach). The best places are mom-and-pop barbeque joints that are in the middle of a small town. Now, Americans are obsessed with barbeque. We’ve driven out the smaller restaurants and replaced them with corporate giants where the food is not made with the same love. Turn on the Food Network and there are so many barbeque shows. When Phil Rosenthal was pitching his popular show, Somebody Feed Phil he was turned down by many networks because they believed their audience only wanted food adjacent shows about barbeque. Since this barbeque craze has taken over, of course, prices have increased and anyone can claim that they are a pit master. Ultimately, ruined by popularity.
3. Concert Tickets for Certain Artists
I’m not trying to single out Taylor Swift here because I love her, but I can’t imagine spending thousands of dollars on a concert ticket. Plus, with the latest Ticketmaster hacking incident, fans are losing access to the tickets they purchased. Ticket prices for popular artists have become too competitive and overpriced. I love that some artists are now releasing movies about their concerts for all the normal people who couldn’t afford to attend the show, but come on! You shouldn’t have to take out a loan to see your favorite artist. I applaud artists like Garth Brooks who controls his ticket prices. I went to see his stadium tour a few years ago, and every seat in the house was $89. There’s nothing better than seeing an artist in person, especially when you don’t have to feel guilty about how much you spent on the evening.
4. Thrifting
Remember when thrifting wasn’t cool? I would roll my eyes when my mom took us to shop at a thrift store for school clothes. Now, it’s the trendy thing to do. I was at my local Savers this week, and most of the sweaters were $12.99 and up and mall-brand jackets were $30. With most of the deep discounts retailers offer, I could probably get that same jacket for less brand new. I was scratching my head because these clothes were donated. Yes, some thrift stores are non-profit and do go to a good cause, but Savers is for-profit. I understand the gems and cool aesthetic you can create with thrifted pieces, but is greed taking over this space just because it’s popular?
5. Etsy
When Etsy first started in 2005, there were some real gems from small sellers on the platform. I recently was planning a baby shower and needed some cute decorations and favors. Searching through Etsy, I was overwhelmed with the options and the prices. Sellers on Etsy are charged set-up fees, listing fees, transaction fees, and promotion fees, so I understand why prices are high. But what used to be a well-kept secret is now oversaturated. I could barely find some of the smaller seller’s stores. I wonder how small businesses survive on the platform.
6. Pick-Your-Own Farms
I used to love going to my town’s pick-your-own flower farm. Now it’s overcrowded and overpriced. This summer I spent $50 per bouquet and the best flowers were all picked through. It seems like all of these pick-your-own farms have become an Instagram-worthy outing that everyone now takes part in, ruining it by popularity. I’d rather just go to the store at this point and avoid the headache.
7. Aldi
I used to shop at Aldi before it was cool. The produce was fresh and the aisles were empty. Now, Aldi is more popular than ever. Everyone wants to snag the Aldi favorites and the store is overcrowded. While Aldi promised to lower prices this summer, it seems like portions have gotten smaller. It’s still the cheapest option around but isn’t as exciting as when it wasn’t popular.
8. Superfoods
From avocado toast to smoothies and acai, superfoods got ruined when they became popular. Now, we can all be overcharged for foods that are good for us just because they are trendy. Even the term superfood is a marketing term and not scientific. No food can have all the nutrients needed. Yes, they are good for you, but not super as marketers want you to believe. But consumers pay more for super things.
Popularity Doesn’t Make Something Better
Maybe it’s social media’s influence, but when something gets popular it’s often ruined. If we could just go back to the days before influencers and TikTok, maybe hidden gems would still exist. What’s one thing that you used to love that’s been ruined by popularity?