Law of scarcity a driving force in Hamilton
Limited-availability goods and services elevate our city’s cultural desirability
In a different configuration of scarcity, some fantastic fine dining spots have opened in smaller spaces
Do you remember the Art Bus? I don’t, but early in the summer I heard about it as though it were an extinct unicorn, a great hope for Hamilton’s arts education resources gone dormant due to logistical issues.
The engine cut on the Art Bus studio tour series a few years ago, but it has changed drivers and is back up and running with the Hamilton Arts Council at the wheel, along with The Seedworks Urban Offices, and The Cotton Factory.
The vehicular word play is more than just a happy accident — it speaks to the Art Bus being not a new concept, but a revival of a formerly stalled one. Instead of creating a brand new tour series, the new operators chose to bring back one that had already been established and lost.
When I heard that Cats was back on Broadway for the first time since the ’80s, my excitement was more than a little concerning to my partner, who has a very specific aversion to people dressed as felines.
It’s the same sort of excitement people feel when their favourite sport is back in season, or a cancelled show is back on the air. More than we love constant access to events and activities that we enjoy, we love when we can get our hands on something scarce. If, early this summer, I had been told that the Art Bus was a long-running and routine one of Hamilton’s arts events, I might have thought, “What a great thing for Hamilton!” and then not much more about it. Instead, the psychology of scarcity set me up for a much greater level of interest when the Art Bus was reintroduced.
I’ve seen other examples of effective use of the law of scarcity in creating coveted Hamilton goods and services. Donut Monster delivery day brings customers into local independent cafés, but so much interest has now been built that they are opening their own storefront.
In a different configuration of scarcity, some fantastic fine dining spots have opened in smaller spaces — Born & Raised, The French — causing patrons to clamber for a date night table. My partner and I tend to check availability at these restaurants before, for instance, Radius, where we enjoy the food and atmosphere (hello, half-priced wine and live jazz on Wednesdays) but rarely get turned away due to its high capacity.
I think that scarcity in business can be a risky game to play, but once a city’s cultural appetite has been whetted, greater and greater numbers of businesses can introduce high-quality, limited-availability goods and services, elevating the perceived desirability of the offerings overall.
It seems to be no coincidence that valuable arts assets like the Art Bus have been dragged from the junkyard and polished up, while our city’s small-business market is booming with purveyors of top-tier and unique goods and services. Hamilton’s culturally and creatively progressive and thriving business landscape supports interest in arts and culture activities, and vice versa.
The Art Bus runs monthly, departing from The Seedworks Urban Offices at 126 Catharine St N. — about an eight-minute walk from Born & Raised on James St N. I recommend dining in unofficial arts district after your tour of local artist studios, but keep in mind you might need a reservation.
I also recommend that you do it soon, because as the law of scarcity impresses upon us, there is no guarantee that this revival will last. If it doesn’t, I’ll certainly be watching and waiting for the next comeback.