Other people
Scarcity
Things that are scarce or about to expire look more valuable.
Well supportedSeveral studies or meta-analyses point the same way.
Example
Cookies from a jar with two left were rated more desirable than cookies from a jar with ten.
Why it works
Scarcity threatens the freedom to choose and makes people want it back. Items that became scarce because others wanted them were rated highest.
On the web
Show exact stock and deadlines only when they are real. Keep countdowns tied to actual cutoffs.
When it backfires
Resetting timers and baseless "only a few left" labels are textbook dark patterns that turn up frequently in e-commerce audits. Discovery costs trust.
Sources
Cookies from a scarce jar were rated more desirable, especially when scarcity came from others’ demand.
Worchel, S., Lee, J., & Adewole, A. (1975). Effects of supply and demand on ratings of object value. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 32(5), 906-914. Open source
A quantitative review found that scarcity tends to raise perceived value.
Lynn, M. (1991). Scarcity effects on value: A quantitative review of the commodity theory literature. Psychology & Marketing, 8(1), 43-57. Open source
Connect with the classics
These links are editorial readings, not research findings. Check the original meaning on each classics page.
不貴難得之貨，使民不為盜。Do not prize goods that are hard to get, and people will not steal. It states scarcity’s pull in reverse, and is a reason not to fake it.
Laozi · Dao De Jing Incentives that intensify rivalry →