Meaning & Analysis
A product or item ('ware') that is aesthetically or functionally pleasing to a potential buyer is already halfway to being purchased, as the customer's desire has been secured.
Insights
The Power of Attraction
The proverb serves as a metaphor for the power of attraction in any context. An idea, proposal, or even a person that is inherently appealing or well-presented has already overcome the most significant barriers to acceptance.
Importance of First Impressions
It highlights the critical importance of first impressions and inherent quality. Whether in business, relationships, or intellectual debates, a proposition that is immediately 'pleasing' or well-formed requires far less effort to gain approval or support.
Subjective Value
The proverb suggests that true value is co-created by the object's qualities and the observer's subjective appreciation. The 'sale' is not merely a transfer of goods but the successful meeting of an object's appeal with a person's desire.
Economic Psychology
This proverb encapsulates a core principle of market economics, emphasizing that subjective desire, or 'fancy', often outweighs purely rational calculations of utility. The annotation 'a Man will give a little more for his Fancy' reveals a sophisticated understanding of consumer psychology, recognizing that emotional appeal is a powerful driver of economic transactions, a concept that is the foundation of modern branding and marketing.
Artisanal Commerce
The proverb reflects the historical context of artisanal economies and local markets where the immediate, tangible appeal of 'ware' was a primary driver of commerce. Before mass advertising, the product's inherent attractiveness—its craftsmanship and aesthetic—was its main advertisement, making the customer's direct experience of pleasure the most critical part of the sale.
Psychology of Desire
Psychologically, the proverb highlights the principle of emotional buy-in. When a person is genuinely pleased with an idea, product, or proposal, their internal resistance dissolves. The 'sale' is not just a transaction but the successful alignment of an external offering with an internal desire, making persuasion feel effortless and natural.
Rhetorical Devices
Metaphor
The phrase 'half sold' serves as a concise metaphor for overcoming the primary obstacle in any persuasive effort, whether commercial or social.
Alliteration and Sibilance
The alliteration of 'Ware' and the initial sound of 'is' (if spoken) and the sibilance in 'Pleasing' and 'sold' create a smooth, memorable, and commercially optimistic cadence.
Maxim
The proverb is a maxim, a short, pithy statement expressing a general truth or rule of conduct, in this case, a fundamental rule of commerce and persuasion.
Transcription
Quotations
Lyked gear is half coft [bought].
(Ware that doth please).
That ware that pleaseth is soone sold.
(A Thing that pleases).
(A commodity that pleaseth).
Liked geir is half bought.
[As in 1668 R.B.].
When Ware is lik'd, it is half sold.
Cross References
- See ST., no. 2470.
- W62 Good ware makes quick markets
- W63 Good ware will never want a chapman.
Annotations
- For in that Case a Man will give a little more for his Fancy.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
Used under CC BY-NC 3.0.