MERCHANDISING: Limits Unlimited

As the purchasing power of their money is whittled away by inflation, many people are building personal stockpiles of material objects that seem likely to hold their value better than mere cash. In an effort to capitalize on this desire to acquire, a large number of firms are beginning to make or market "limited edition" products: medals, plates, statuettes, miniature silver "ingots." In theory, an artificial scarcity of such products enhances their value.

The Franklin Mint, near Media, Pa., started the big market for limited editions (TIME, July 12, 1971), and it...

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