The Purple Soprano

No other car shouts, "Heyyyy, looka me!" like the Efijy. Painted in Soprano Purple, this is one curvaceous car, channeling an Australian model from 1953, the FJ Holden.

Made by a subsidiary of General Motors, the Efijy is not intended for production, but rather to showcase the creative talent available in-house. And what creative talent it is. Beyond the lush design, no expense was spared in the materials used.

According to scuttlebut at the Auto Show, the Efijy has a price tag of one million dollars. In four years, it should appreciate in value to four million, assuming no other car of its kind is made. So discounting the risks, an annual return on investment of one hundred percent for each of four years is not bad.

Any bidders?

Toys vs. Tools

Some folks have an addiction and a pocketbook for toys. Their motivation can come from numerous sources: fulfiling flights of fancy, or bolstering a need for prestige. Ultimately, though, toys promote a mirage.

Tools are another matter. They come with a patina of use. They signal the owner's commitment and dedication to a craft. They involve a sense of purpose, a sense of direction, and an understanding that to get to where is needed, takes time and practice. Or, ‘sweat equity’. That's what leads to knowledge and proficiency.

There are no short cuts. Nor can sweat equity occur in a vacuum, where there is no peer evaluation nor constructive criticism, or CC.

It takes willingness to learn from others with more experience. It takes patience to distill the information gleaned. It takes initiative to put the information into practice before owning each skill gained. And it takes maturity to value CC, so vital to the learning process.

Where a licensed trade is concerned, proficiency must be developed for use in the public arena - an unforgiving taskmaster. Any deviation holds risks with potentially grave consequences.

But where an unlicensed trade is involved, amateurs can often be found among the professionally trained. And this creates confusion in the marketplace. Witness photography, where some point-and-shooters hold onto the delusion they are photographers.

Fortunately, most amateurs recognize their deficiencies. While fewer can match the dedication of professionals to the honing of skills in a craft that fills them with passion. It is the latter small group who gain the respect of those who risk their reputation in the marketplace.

Problems arise when the dreamer who is unwilling to pay dues, wields toys in the marketplace without being able to fully meet challenges. It is this practice that can destroy credibility. Not just for the perpetrator, but for the group he or she tries to emulate. This is how reputations in an unlicensed trade are diminished. This is how footsteps from those who have paid their dues are demeaned.

Toy boxes hold no sweat equity.