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Is There A Zen To Internet Commerce 

I remember in my youth when my mom would take me shopping. I had the most fun in the grocery store, for whatever reason, but, as I matured into my teens, fashion and grooming stores became more interesting. Like a lot of teenage boys, upon new information, girls were suddenly a lot more interesting. And to our (boys) surprise, we were becoming interesting to them as well, though, they were better at hiding it. A new thing was happening to us...relationships. They were so much fun back then. Life was simpler. No bills to pay. Never an argument about finances. Ahhh. The good old days.

At about age 8 or 9, I learned something new. How to rebel. I think I still blame it all on the Beatles. I was still purchasing everything based on my mom's opinion. Suddenly new clothes were hitting the market that had been worn by the Beatles just a few Sundays before on the Ed Sullivan Show. Though most of us opted out of the nice black suits the Beatles wore, we did want the haircut and sundry other items that became merchandise. Mom was shocked when she gave me some money to buy some new clothes and I came home with mostly t-shirts of my favorite rock groups. By then, the Fab Four had spawned a slew of others from the U.K and many American bands wanting in on the act. Whomever I saw, I demanded the t-shirt. Whether it be Paul Revere And The Raiders, Herman's Hermits, Otis Redding, and later Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, and so many others, if there was some memorabilia attached to this music, it would soon be mine (if I could afford it).

I like malls as well as the next guy, and I still go every now and again, but my expectations are never too high. I rarely find the kind of unique products I must have. We all know there are specialty stores on the Internet that cater just to us. It really depends on one's tastes. I enjoy these stores because they remind me of my days of youth when I could really sink my teeth into shopping, and, to me, everything looked new and pristine, and different.

People love to hunt, even if we are not members of the NRA nor hunt animals. We love to search and research and find the best, the funniest, the newest, and the most different. Many prefer to set trends rather than follow them. Internet shopping is perfect for our "hunter's zen".

So there is indeed a zen "to the hunt", that is the hunt of finding something so unique and different, everyone asks its origin. And and Internet store adds to the mystique. It is so deeply ingrained in us, though we no longer physically do it, now we love the ease of shopping online, and more importantly being able to find "what is all the craze" without having to drive all over town to try to find it, usually only to be disappointed. Again, I am not saying I have boycotted brick and mortar stores, they are simply no longer my first choice for unique gifts.

I continue to patronize Wal-mart and other nearby stores for my staple needs. But chances are very good, if I know I want a unique gift or collectible, I am going to find it online.

For the "hunter's zen" in us, almost nothing is more satisfying to find a very unique gift for a very unique person, and find it at an online store. It really is a great feeling to click that mouse and the postman has it to you within a few days.

Article Source: http://www.uberarticles.com/articles

Author Rick London is also the Internet's most popular offbeat cartoonist and owner of numerous estores. For True Online Shopping Zen try Rick Londonwear. Click Here Click here for other unique online shopping articles.

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