--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The value of any commodity, therefore, to…" description: "\"The value of any commodity, therefore, to the person who possesses it, and who means not to use or consume it himself, but to exchange it for other com..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d96/adam-smith-1040_acquire_the-value-of-any-commodity-therefore-to_1045208.jpg" --- # The value of any commodity, therefore, to the person who… ![“The value of any commodity, therefore, to the person who possesses it, and who means not to use or consume it himself, but to exchange it for other commodities, is equal to the quantity of labour which it enables him to purchase or command. Labour, therefore, is the real measure of the…” quote by Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d96/adam-smith-1040_acquire_the-value-of-any-commodity-therefore-to_1045208.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d96/adam-smith-1040_acquire_the-value-of-any-commodity-therefore-to_1045208.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d96/adam-smith-1040_acquire_the-value-of-any-commodity-therefore-to_1045208.jpg) > “The value of any commodity, therefore, to the person who possesses it, and who means not to use or consume it himself, but to exchange it for other commodities, is equal to the quantity of labour which it enables him to purchase or command. Labour, therefore, is the real measure of the exchangeable value of all commodities. The real price of everything, what everything really costs to the man who wants to acquire it, is the toil and trouble of acquiring it.” [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Value of a commodity is measured by the labour it can command, not by personal use. **In simple terms:** Value equals labour it can buy. Key Takeaway Consider labour cost when valuing goods. Themes economics value labour exchange measurement Mood analytical critical Type economic philosophical When to use this quote - pricing goods - budgeting - cost analysis - production planning Key Concepts Labor theory of value commodity exchange Questions to Reflect On - How does labour theory apply to digital goods? - Can value be measured without labour? A Different Perspective Ignores non‑labour factors like scarcity or utility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acquire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acquire/) [Command](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/command/) [Commodities Equal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commodities-equal-2466644/) [Commodity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commodity/) [Cost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost/) [Equal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/equal/) [Exchange Commodities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exchange-commodities-2466646/) [Exchangeable Value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exchangeable-value-2466645/) [He man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/he-man/) [Labour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labour/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Quantity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quantity/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Toil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toil/) [Toil And Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toil-and-trouble/) [Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Value Commodities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value-commodities-2466643/) [Value Commodity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value-commodity-2466642/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [“Labour is the source and the measure of the value of commodities. 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